Never Give Up Because He Doesn't Give Up On You

   Have you ever gone on a mission and you were about to give up? One time my sister and I really wanted to see Avengers: Infinity War because we had not seen it yet. We decided to go on a hunt for the DVD at Red Boxes.
   We began our hunt with a lot of hope, even though we were hunting on a Saturday night (FYI don't go on a Red Box hunt for a movie that just came out on Red Box 1 week ago on a Saturday night). We searched in E Town first. We checked Giant and three Turkey Hills. The fourth Turkey Hill gave us hope because we saw that it was there. Unfortunately, it was on Blu-ray, which we did not have.
   My sister and I moved on to check two Turkey Hills in Mount Joy. One had it, but it was on Blu-ray again. At this point we had been searching for 30 minutes and checked 6 Red Boxes. Our hope was beginning to wane. But, I looked at my sister and I kept saying a quote from Star Wars: Rogue One, "rebellions are built on hope." My sister kept saying, "we are not rebelling." I laughed because I knew she would say that. We were both tired and both had thoughts about giving up. Then I decided we were not going to give up.
   Next we traveled to Columbia and checked two Turkey Hills there. Both of them had it... but it was on Blu-ray. At this point my sister and I were tired to the point where we were going crazy. However, we kept on saying the quote, "rebellions are built on hope." And, we kept encouraging each other. We had been searching for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

   We had one last chance to find this DVD and it was at the Sheetz in Marietta, which is probably the busiest place in Marietta. My sister and I got out of the car and checked the box. It had one last DVD. The DVD we had been searching for was there. We got it and protected it with our lives. It may have seemed like a crazy thing to do because no one would steal a Red Box DVD from two girls. But, we had worked hard to get that DVD. We never gave up hope and we were rewarded in the end.
   At this point you may be saying, "why does this story matter?" The answer is it really doesn't unless you think about this in a different way. Jesus came down to earth to die for our sins. He rebelled against the Pharisees and taught the true way to heaven. Jesus saw our sin and he could have just given up on us. But, he loved us so much that he couldn't give up on us. I'm sure that if we were in Jesus' position we would have given up on humans a long time ago because of how much we sin. Jesus didn't do that because each of us are precious to him. He loves us and protects us just like my sister and I protected that DVD. Jesus searches for us and calls out to us. He never gives up on us just like my sister and I didn't give up on getting the DVD.
   It seems like there is a pattern Jesus calls to us and we may get close to him but then we back slide. It's like when my sister and I got so close to having the DVD but it was just the Blu-ray version instead. In the end, we received what we were looking for because we didn't give up. We have to live our lives like we are running a race. No matter what obstacles come our way we have to keep pressing on. We cannot give up hope. Because, our rebellion against the world is built on hope.
   So, do you believe that Jesus is calling for you and loves you? Are you willing to continue to run the race and never give up hope?

   Hebrews 12:1, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 2 Timothy 1:9

   Image from here.

Oobleck

   Being a preschool teacher, I get to do many fun activities. One of those activities is I get to play with cool sensory items. The sensory item that is one of my favorites is oobleck. 

   Oobleck is a funny thing. It is not quite a liquid and not quite a solid. This goo is something you can mold into basic shapes, bounce, and stretch. Children love oobleck because of these things.

   The concepts of oobleck are not just good for children. Oobleck can teach us important ideals as well. For example, oobleck is a very stretchy substance. As Christians we are called not to stay stagnant. We need to be in the word to grow and get to know our savior. He stretches and molds us to be more like him. 

   The other important thing oobleck can teach us is to bounce back. In this life we will face hard times. We can choose to give up in those hard times or we can choose to not let them beat us. James 1:2-3 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." Trials help us grow. We can know that these trials cannot break us if we trust in God. He will help us bounce through the trial. We will come out of that trial changed, but we will still have our faith in God if we walk through it with him.

   So, when hard times come, what do you do? Are you in the word each day to grow in God? 

Soccer Lessons Conclusion

   This concludes my soccer lessons series. I'm sure that there are many more lessons that I've learned and that I teach; but, one thing is for certain: I'm not done learning or teaching. And, as long as you draw breath, neither are you.

   You may not feel like you are called to teach or coach. That's okay, you don't have to teach or coach in the way I do. However, you are still teaching others in your day to day life. If you are a parent this is what God's word says to you: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Eph.6.4). You are called to discipline your child. Discipline isn't just "you did something bad, here is your consequence." Discipline should be more like discipleship. It should be "you made this choice. Here is what God says about that choice. I care about you and I want you to grow in God. Because of that, this is what I will do because you need to learn a lesson." That's probably not entirely what you want to say to a child but it should be along the lines of what we are thinking as we disciple children. That's what's going to help them grow in the long run.

   If you don't have children, that doesn't mean you get out of being a teacher. Titus 2:7 says: "Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, (and) dignity." You are a role model. You may be saying that you are not near children at all. That may be true in your job and such. However, when you go for groceries, to go shopping, or out in general do you see others? My guess is yes you do. People are watching how you act. If you are a Christian are you projecting Christ? Are you showing others what Christ looks like? People are watching and you are a role model. I encourage you to think about what you are teaching others with your actions.

   So, back to the soccer series. You may not be a soccer player, athletic, or an athlete. But, I hope through this series that you realize how important sports are. I hope you remember that you are a teacher. I hope you grow in God and teach others about him.

   Image from here.

Winning is Not The Purpose: Soccer Lessons

"Winning is the point but it's not the purpose."

   Why do people play sports? Some people play for fun. Others play because they want to stay in shape. Still, others play because they are competitive. Being competitive isn’t a bad thing. In fact, being competitive helps us survive sometimes (you know, if you are in a jungle or in a classroom filled with preschoolers who just had cupcakes :D There are people out there that take being competitive too far. They believe that winning is everything. That's not a good attitude to have.

   That's why I began saying, "Winning is the point but it's not the purpose." We play sports ultimately to win. That's the point of the game. But, winning isn't the purpose. Sports teach us so much more that help us in life. Pat Summitt put it this way: "Winning is fun... Sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you've done is the point." Sports help make us better people. They help teach us to never give up. If you lose a game you can choose to wallow in grief or you can choose to get back up and do better the next time. That's why winning isn't the purpose. The purpose of sports is for us to learn lessons that will help us go far in life.

   We may not feel like we are winning in life. But, winning isn’t the purpose of life. Besides, we are not required to win in life. Jesus already won for us. 1 John 5:4-5 says: "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" The point of our lives is to accept Christ as our personal savior. That's why we are here. But, once we do that, we then have a greater purpose. Our purpose in life is to spread the word so that others can be saved and to grow closer to God. We have overcome the world in Christ. We should want to share that with others so they can be winners and saved as well.

   So, do you believe that winning is everything? Do you know what your purpose in life is? Have you accepted Christ as your personal savior?

   Image from here.