Score more runs...still don't win

That's what happened to us last night. Here's how it went down. The night started off on a funny note in the first place. We only had 4 girls show up so we were only able to field 8 people (instead of 9), which means we got to play the entire game without a second basemen. But that didn't stop us! We rocked the house all night long! Caleb hit the first home run of our young season and Shalae had an amazing catch in the LF in which she ended up flipping over backwards and hitting her head pretty hard...But she still held onto the ball, and she didn't cry!

We were playing great, and at the end of the sixth inning and we're only down 7-6. We're the visiting team so we are up to bat in the top of the 7th. Everybody did awesome and we ended up scoring two runs to take an 8-7 lead! They finally got the third out against us when we heard the ump say "Times up, game over!". At first we all yelled with glee at our first victory...then the ump kept talking. "No, you're not going to like this", that's all she had to say to remind me of a "revert rule" that I had read in the league rulebook at the beginning of the season. Because the home team didn't have an opportunity to bat before time ran out the score reverts back to what it was for the last full inning of play...the sixth inning...when we were down by one run.

So in the words of Wesley Snipes, talking to Woody Harrelson in "White men can't jump"... "Sometimes when you win you lose and sometimes when you lose you win."
We lost last night...but it was the greatest win of our season so far!

Just because the scoreboard says you lost doesn't mean you didn't take something away from the experience.

peace,
glo

Answer God's prayer?

You don't have to hang around Christians for too long before you hear something about God answering prayer or someone wanting an answer for something they've been praying about...and this is a good thing. God likes it when His kids talk to him, just like a natural parent enjoys the relationship they have with their children.

But have you ever realized God prays for you? That you could actually be an answer to one of God's prayers?

In John 17 we see a glimpse of the heart of Christ as He prays for us. Yes, God is praying for us. What did He pray, well read it for yourself, but the just of it is that we "would be one". That we would walk in unity with each other as believers.

Jesus only gave one commandment, to love. To love God and to love others.

So how do you answer God's prayer?

love.

That's what we're going to talk about this Sunday...how do we genuinely love?

love is "the holy grail".

peace,
glo

perfection?

I hate to admit that I am a perfectionist, but I am. I hide it really well, but when things aren't perfect...it bugs me... a lot. Like last night in our weekly softball game. I went 3-4 with 3 RBI's which is pretty good, but the one time I didn't get a hit the bases were loaded and I made the last out. Two unacceptable deeds in one at bat! 1. Don't leave the bases loaded. 2. Don't make the last out. I did both! ARGH! It was a far cry from Mr. Henning's wrestling character.Passages like Romans 3:23 - "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," used to be very difficult for me to accept. Until I understood the context. The message of that passage isn't that we are all doomed. It's that we're all in the same condition and need the grace of Jesus Christ, which is readily available to us.

If we're not careful though we'll spend our lives focusing on the one or two negative things that have happened recently in our lives and forget about all the good things that God is blessing us with. If, no, when you mess up...don't dwell on it. If you did something wrong then ask God for forgiveness, ask others if they are involved and then look forward and thank God for all the good things in your life.

If we wanted to, we could all focus on the negative things that happen to us. But there is so much good, don't let the bad things in your life take the focus away from the opportunities you have to enjoy life and be a blessing to others.

Don't worry about the one at bat when you didn't get a hit, just have fun playing the game!

peace,
glo

Maturing to Childhood

“Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of God.” ~Jesus

Jesus never talked about spiritual "adults". He communicated that the pinnacle of our belief should be to mature into a childlike faith and live it out. This has some serious implications for those who want to be religious. Religion likes to "get someone saved" and then put a bunch of religious adults clothes (laws and rules) on them even though they don't fit.
I had always thought Jesus was talking about going backward to childhood, but He isn't at all. The phrasing that He used in the original language is very obvious that He is talking about a forward progression, not a "going back".

There is no such thing as a spiritual adult...outside of religion. There are only three classifications of spiritual existence in the New Testament that Jesus talks about, we're either spiritually dead, an infant or experiencing a fully mature child-like faith.

I don't have a problem with my 6 month old daughter being an infant. That's what she is supposed to be. Why do we get so uptight when we make mistakes in the "body of Christ"? Because we don't know what our true identity is. We're supposed to be like children. Does that mean simple? No, I believe that Jesus words are more accurately interpreted to mean that we should always be growing and maturing, never thinking we've "arrived".

Be like a child. Don't ever stop growing.

peace,
glo