TROPHY WIVES

The Best of Me

2012-01-24T14:49:00.003-06:00

I realize I confess a lot on my blog and today is no different...I guess I hope that in someway God will use my stories to get through yours. I read one little verse that hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce." Proverbs 3:9.
The part that hit me and made my mind race was..."honor the Lord with the best part of everything. The questions I started asking myself were "who or what gets the best part of me?"..."who gets the best part of my time?" "who gets the best part of my patience?" "who gets the best part of my attention?" I humbly had to admit that it wasn't the Lord. I often give him the leftovers. There are even times in my quiet times with Him that I have also planned the next days activities or this weeks family meal plan. So where does my best go? The ironic thing is my best goes to the ministry I have been given and the family I have been entrusted. For you it might be your work outside the home, or your kids, or your friends, or your tv, or your workout schedule. None of these are bad things, but when given our best time, attention, effort will always keep us from being our best for which God has called us to.
God knows that without giving Him our best then it is impossible to be the best at all he has called us to be...wife, mom, sister, friend, minister etc. It is all a reminder, once again, that I am called to "Be still" and sit at the feet of Jesus so that I can serve as the body of Christ.

My Word for 2012

2012-01-03T15:31:00.004-06:00

I have a confession...I am a fixer. Can you relate? I am the person that likes to "fix" the problems. When my kids come to me with a problem...I figure a way to fix it with a kiss or bandaid. If my husband has a problem...I figure a way to fix it with a letter or scripture. Being in ministry, People come to me daily with their problems and I immediately go into "OK, lets come up with a plan and see if we can fix this thing." It is my way of controlling the world in which I live in because if I can control it then I can fix it and everything will be ok. I don't like seeing people hurt and/or in pain so the easiest thing to do is try to fix it. Well, over the past couple of months my heart has been so overwhelmed and broken with all the problems I can't fix....like the pain my friend is going through in her marriage and nobody even knows it or the friend who is struggling with the most likely death of her TWO children or the girl that has struggled with years of abuse and the only way "she feels" loved is in the arms of another girl and on and on....
Well, I was laying in bed crying out to God about how I could help or "fix" them...I finally looked up and there on my wall were the letters I had put a few months back that read..."Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
First, he calls us to "Be Still"...not do more...not serve more....not fix more but be still. Why? Ask Mary and Martha (Luke 10). I have always felt bad for Martha because all she wanted to do was serve. There is nothing wrong with serving in fact, we are called to serve. Jesus himself said, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and and to give his life as a ransom for many." What Martha was doing wasn't wrong she was just doing it in the wrong order. We are suppose to sit then serve. Sit at his feet so then we can serve. Sit at his feet so we know how to serve. Sit at his feet so we know when to serve. My prayer times were so filled with praying for the needs of other people that I forgot to just sit and marvel and who He was. I forgot to sit and be filled up. I forgot to sit and just "be still."

The second part of that verse reminded me that He is God and I am not. I was never intended to save anyone from their problems or even fix their problems. That is a weight I was never intended to bear. I was trying to be what only Jesus can....their Savior. We are not called to fix problems just LISTEN and point them into the direction of the ONE who can....Jesus. He is God, comforter, leader, provider, healer...ALL that we need.
So....My word for 2012 is Still. When there is a need...be STILL. When there is a problem...be STILL. When I am angry....be STILL. When I am overwhelmed....be STILL. This is not going to be easy for me, but in the words of Bethany Hamilton,"I don't need easy, I just need possible."
I would love to hear your WORD for 2012!!

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Great Expectations

2011-12-09T10:17:00.002-06:00

There was a study done by a Psychologists by the name of William Marsten. In this study, Dr. Marsten asked 3,000 people "What do you have to live for?" What he found was that 94% of the people were living for the future. Some couldn't wait for a vacation...Some couldn't wait until their kids went to college....Some couldn't wait until they could retire....Some couldn't wait to get married....Some couldn't wait to have kids. We go through our entire lives waiting for what might happen. When we are 10 we can't wait to be 13...When we are 13 we can't wait to be 16...When we are 16 we can't wait to be 21 and then after 21 we wish we were 18 again. There's got to be more to life than enduring the present to get to the future. Right? If we look to tomorrow, we are going to miss what God wants to do today. Jesus said, "My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." (John 10:10NLT) He never intended for us to "just get through" this life so we could get to the next. No!...there is purpose in this life....there is purpose in this year of your life...there is purpose in today...there is purpose for every season of our lives that will lead to a "rich and satisfying life." And it starts with today! In 1 Peter 1 it says "Now, we live with great expectation...". Now not later,but now! We can expect great things from God today because of what He did for us yesterday. It's time to live life to the full...today!
I encourage you...stop looking for your purpose in tomorrow and ask God what His purpose is for you today...because tomorrow never comes.
Have a great week!

Retweet Please?

2011-11-22T11:17:00.002-06:00

Hello my name is Sarah Roberts and I am Twitterholic. Not really, but I do love me some twitter. I love posting what God is doing in me and through me, funny things my kids say, and how I love my Husband. lol I also like following people that inspire me, provide wisdom, or just make me smile like Pastor Steven Furtick, Sheila Walsh, Elisabeth Hasselback etc...Each time I get on my twitter there is one thing that jumps out at me each and every time and it really bothers me. They are the people begging to get a "retweet" from someone famous. Now, I am not talking about those who are trying to get the word out about a sick child or a certain cause. No, I am talking about the people who constantly ask movie stars, athletes, and even well-known pastors to simply retweet them. It bothers me because I feel like they are looking for validation that "they are somebody" if only a famous "somebody" would acknowledge their existence.

Do they not know that the God of the universe who loves them? Do they not know there is a specific purpose for their lives that is greater than being retweeted by Kevin Durant? Do they not know they were created by God for God? Do they not know they may feel like they have been overlooked by man, but have been handpicked by God! The thing is I know these things, but sometimes I forget...can you relate? We may not be asking for a retweet, but we still search for validation in other ways. Maybe yours is....You can't say no because you don't want to let anybody down. Maybe you are the one that is always going above and beyond for that extra pat on the back. Maybe you feel like you can't speak up about your faith because you don't want to feel the rejection from people. Maybe you have to have the perfect look with the perfect body to feel accepted by people. If you can relate to any or all of these.....
I want to encourage you with the story of David (1 Samuel 16:). God told Samuel that the next King of Israel was at the house of Jesse. As Samuel looked at each of the tall, dark, and handsome 7 sons of Samuel, he said (vs 6) "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him" for anyone would have picked these men of great features and stature. They were impressive to the world's eyes. But God said (vs 7), "Do not look on his appearance or on his height of his stature, because I have rejected them. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons and Jesse said yes, BUT he is the youngest and is keeping the sheep....aka....Yes, but you surely you don't want him he just tends sheep....he's just a little guy. They brought David in and God said (vs 13), "Arise, anoint him, for this is he." The one the world overlooked is the one that God chose. Isn't that great news?!!!! When you feel like you have been overlooked by the world, all you have to do is look at the cross and know you have been chosen by God. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16. And once you realize that you have been chosen by God...you need to know that you have been chosen for God. There is something that God wants to do through you! "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6
Consider this blog post your retweet from God....that he is acknowledging you...that he does love you...that he does see you....and he has chosen you...and there is something he wants to do through you!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

My biggest struggle

2011-11-07T13:51:00.003-06:00

This was a day my son and I had talked about for weeks. He wanted me to bring him lunch from a restaurant and have lunch with him at his school. We finally settled on a day and we were both super excited. He got up that morning (I didn't even have to wake him up) and requested Sonic for our special lunch. I picked up lunch and walked into his school promptly at 11:30 pm. I felt really good about myself as a mom at that moment, but that did not last long. I walked into an empty classroom that was suppose to be filled with noisy 1st graders getting ready to have lunch. It was Empty... except for my sweet Cale crying his eyes out while his teacher is trying to console him. As my heart dropped, I rushed over to him just in time for him to look up at me with those tear-filled eyes and say, "momma, you missed it." I turned to his teacher and asked what time lunch was and she informed me it was 11:15-11:30. I had thought the whole time it was 11:30-11:45. I had crushed my little boys heart into a thousand pieces. I apologized and apologized, but still felt like the worst mom ever. I left the school as I cried and cried! I couldn't believe I screwed this up. And even after he had forgiven me and I took him his favorite lunch later that week...I still couldn't let it go. I couldn't forgive myself. I know you may be thinking "It was just a lunch...he will get over it...it's not that big of deal...you are being too hard on yourself." That is my problem. I am actually better at forgiving others and offering grace to others than I am myself.

For some reason...I hold myself to an unrealistic standard and when I fail...I tend to hit rock bottom. Even though I know in my mind that nobody is perfect, I live my life as though I am going to be the first. I want to be the perfect coaches wife my husband says, "Yep! she is mine." I want to be the mom my kids tell their friends about. I want to be the friend everyone turns to because they know I will always have something wise to say. I want to be the one that young people look up to in their faith and on and on and on. If this is you, you understand how stressful and overwhelming this can be, but once again God has used his Word to offer me HIS PEACE, HIS JOY, and HIS GRACE.
I read this verse today and I was broken, "I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of Course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ." -Galations 3:5

God doesn't work through me because I have obeyed every law...No! It is because I have a RELATIONSHIP with his son Jesus....GRACE
Cale doesn't love me because I do everything right as his mom...No! He love me because I have a relationship with him as my son....GRACE
People don't look up to me because I have done everything perfect on my life...No!!! They look up to me because of my relationship with Jesus....GRACE.

The craziest thing is... I speak on this topic all the time...and it is the area I struggle with the most. I have to remind myself daily and some times hourly....I don't have to be perfect because I am loved by perfection. Honestly, it is my prayer that I can go everyday and 1)not think to highly of myself (humility) because of what I have done and 2) not think to lowly of myself because of what I have done (grace).

Thanks for letting my confess to you today and maybe my struggles will help you get through yours!

Dealing with your Judas

2011-10-11T11:23:00.002-05:00

So...I sent a devotion to all my coaches and coach's wives yesterday from a Max Lucado book. I got sooooo much feedback and replies that I knew I had to write a blog post about it. Everybody, including the coach's family will feel like they have been betrayed as some point. It may be your friends who betray your trust or the parents of a player who love you one minute but don't the next or the administration that doesn't back you or maybe it is your own family member that has betrayed you. At one point, we will all feel betrayed. How do we deal with such thing? Look to Jesus....

It would be hard to find someone worse than Judas. Some say he was a good man

with a backfired strategy. I don't buy this. The Bible says, "Judas...was a thief (John 12:6)

The man was a crook. Somehow he was able to live in the presence of God and experience

the miracles of Christ and remain unchanged. In the end he decided he'd rather have

money than a friend, so he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver...Judas was a scoundrel

a cheat, and a bum. How could anyone see him any other way? I don't know, but Jesus

did. Only inches from the face of his own betrayer, Jesus looked at him and said, "Friend,

do what you came to do." (Matthew 26:50) What Jesus saw in Judas as worthy of being

called Friend, I can't imagine. But I do know that Jesus doesn't lie, and in that moment

saw something good in a very bad man...He can help us do the same with those who hurt us

Max Lucado

There are going to be times in our lives where we will be betrayed and we have an opportunity to be bitter or to be better, to fight or to forgive, to put up another wall or choose to see the good in something bad. Believe me, I am the first to admit, I am not the best example in this area especially when it comes to the betrayal of someone I love like my husband and children. My first instinct is to fight back and then put up a wall so they can never betray me again. You know the saying, "betray me once...shame on you. betray me twice shame on me." I will not be a fool. Right? Was Jesus a fool? No! He was able to see the good in what the world saw was bad. He did this in everything from his death on the cross to the ultimate betrayal of one of his own disciples. Once again Jesus isn't asking us to do something he hasn't already done himself. But He is offering to help us do the same when it comes to dealing with our own Judas. "I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength." (Phil 4:13)

Here's to seeing ALL as friends...or at least frenemies (just kidding:)).....

Words I don't like to hear

2011-10-04T09:44:00.002-05:00

There are always words that I don't like to hear....For instance, if I am in the other room and I hear the words "uh-oh" or "oops" or "sorry momma"...I know it is not going to be good. I do not like to hear those words. When I my husband says the words "We need to talk" I know I have done something wrong. I don't like to hear those words. When my sister says, "What are you wearing" I know I have just committed a fashion faux peau. I don't like to hear those words. And when Jesus says, "In this world you will have trouble..."I do not like to hear those words. It's inevitable, you, me, and everyone else WILL have trouble in this world. Why? Because "this world" is not our home. We will have trouble in our jobs, we will have trouble in our marriage, we will have trouble with our friends, we will have trouble with our children. I am really not trying to depress you, but on the contrary...I want to encourage you.

It is kinda like when my kids decide they are going to jump on me. If I know it is coming, I can brace myself, prepare myself, and it never hurts quite as bad. But if I have no idea it is coming, it definitely hurts a lot more! If we prepare ourselves for the troubles to come...we can brace ourselves and not fear the "if" but get ready for the "when." So how do we prepare?

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

First, your joy comes in the hope we have in Jesus. The hope that He will work our trouble for the good. The hope that He will never leave us or forsake us. The hope that there is NO wasted tears. Second, we must be patient during the storm for "this too shall pass." Maybe you are waiting on an answer from God about your job...be patient. May be you are waiting on your children to come back to God...be patient. Maybe you are waiting on your husband to lead spiritually...be patient. Maybe you are waiting for your house to sell...be patient. Third, be faithful in prayer. Never stop praying....it doesn't have to be these highly spiritual prayers. Many of my prayers are ones of questioning, anger, doubt, confusion and guess what? He hears these prayers just as loud as the Lord's Prayer. That is part of the relationship we get to have with our heavenly father. He is not this "Big man who lives upstairs." No...He is the one true God who is fighting in the trenches with us and for us everyday!

No I don't like the words..."In this world you will have trouble..." But I do love the words..."But take heart! I have overcome this world! (John 16:33) My Jesus (any yours) has overcome this world and because He did, we have the hope we want and the patience we need to get through the troubles we will face.

The Understanding Wife

2011-09-28T09:22:00.002-05:00

As a wife, we tend to go through times with our husband that sounds like this....
"I will never understand him" "I will never understand how his mind works" "I do not understand why he does some of the things he does. As a coach's wife those times tend to come more often during the season because during the season you are trying to understand how you are going to get the kids from carpool, homework done, dinner made, get to the game on time, baths done, bed time...Oh and then the laundry, pay bills, clean house, take your own shower all in a perfect, timely manner. Right?
Well, hopefully I can offer you some encouragment when it comes to understanding your husband! I was reading in my quiet time this morning and I came across a verse that jumped off the page. It is from Proverbs 19:14, "...but only the Lord can give an understanding wife."
God knew that we needed to understand why our husbands do not take out the trash, but instead tries to stuff more in it. God knew that we needed to understand why our husbands works so long and hard. God knew we needed to understand why it is so hard for our husbands to share their heart. God knew we needed to understand why our husbands do not understand us. God knew therefore...our Help comes from the Lord....can I get an amen?!
As I reflected back on my own experiences and my own marriage I found that the times I am struggling with understanding my husband are times when my walk with Jesus has taken a backseat to everything else going on in our lives. And the times I am seeking God daily, I am more understanding of what my husband might be going through on the football field or with parents or with administration or with his own personal struggles. I found that when I am spending time with my Savior, I am able to see my husband through my Savior's eyes...I am able to see him the way God sees him. I am able to see that God created my husband in His Image just like He did me. So if we want to understand our husband we must go to the one who created him.
I looked up what the word "understanding" means and here is what I found..."a superior power of discernment." I loved that! That is exactly what I need as a wife..."a superior power of discernment". I need this superior power and I know the only way I can get it is from the Lord. So my encouragment to you as a wife today is "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and then all things will be given to you as well" (matthew 6:33) including understanding your husband.

SEEING the Good, which means SEEING God

2011-09-19T13:15:00.002-05:00

I had the amazing opportunity to be a speaker this past weekend at the Kansas State FCA conferance. There was almost 700 students, athletes, and coaches in attendance so I was quite humbled to be a part. I had prayed and prayed about what God wanted me to share and I was confident and super excited to do just that. I was waiting back stage, they got me all set up with my cordless mic, I am listening to the praise band and praying intensely, they do my introduction and it is go time....I am ready to bring the Word! I go out on stage with a great welcome,especially when someone in the back yells "boomer" and I obliged with yelling back "sooner." Yep, God was definetley in the room:) I begin the message and I can feel the Holy Spirit just speaking through me and the response from the crowd was just so overwhelming that it gives me goosebumps even now as I type.....Everything is flowing and then I see it......two girls right in the center, right in front of me sound asleep. ASLEEP? I don't just mean nodding off....I mean they have their heads back, mouths wide open, and think I saw some drool too. As much as I tried to focus on the 698 people that I felt God was speaking too, I couldn't stop staring at those two girls that were sound asleep.

I would like to say this is the only time that I have ever focused on the 1 negative thing in the middle of a thousand positive things. Can you relate? If I have 9 out of 10 people say something nice, I will focus on the 1 that didn't. If my husband does 9/10 things right, I will gripe about the 1 thing he didn't. If my children get 9/10 right on their spelling test, I will focus on the one they didn't. If I have 9/10 great qualities, I will focus on the one that isn't. If God blesses me in 9/10 areas, I will focus on the one "I feel" he isn't.
I have been studying the book of Psalm, and I am encouraged by the man in which God called..."The man after God's own heart"....David. David had a lot of negative going on in his life during this time: People were trying to kill him, he was on the run, and hiding in caves....and he wrote these words..."I am still confident of this:I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13.
We have a choice each and every day whether or not we are going to "see the goodness of the Lord" or not. I believe in the goodness of our Lord and I believe there are positive things all around us....we just have to choose to see it! When you choose to see the Good, I am confident that you will then, see God. And the more we see God, the more we see that even when the negative things pop up... God will work, even in those, for the good (Romans 8:28)
I am laying down the challenge to see the good in the annoying co-worker that sits next to you, to see the good in the husband that sleeps next to you, to see the good in your school or workplace, to see the good in the burnt dinner you just pulled out of the oven, to see the good in YOURSELF.
Yes, it is easier to focus on the two girls asleep, but when we do, we will miss the work and the blessings that God is doing all around them:)

My unbelief

2011-09-06T11:49:00.003-05:00

Trying to explain what God has been doing in me over the past month would be hard because, to be honest, I wasn't sure. There is a song with the line..."it seems like its chaos, but somehow there is peace." This seemed to explain it pretty well until I read a story in Mark 9 that explained it perfectly. Let me set this up for you...A man comes to Jesus and tells him that his son is possessed with a spirit that affects his speech and makes him go into seizures. He then goes on to say that the disciples tried, but could not help the boy. Jesus says,

"Oh unbelieving generation, how long shall stay with you?

How long shall put up with you? Bring the boy to me."....vs(21) Jesus

asks the father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood,"

he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him

But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

"If you can?" Said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Immediately, the boy's father said, "I do believe; help me overcome

my unbelief."

I am part of an "unbelieving generation" that still questions God and his goodness everyday. A generation that thinks we were put on this earth just to be "happy." A generation that thinks we are entitled to anything and everything the world has to offer. And when those things do not happen, we question the goodness of God. Honestly, I think we all do. Maybe you have prayed and God isn't answering your prayer the way you thought he should. Maybe you have asked God to remove you from a situation and you are still there. Maybe the relationship you thought God had for you, isn't working out quite like you had imagined. We all deal with unbelief in almost every area of our life, but everyday we must choose to believe that God is good even when our circumstances are not.

My favorite part of the story is when Jesus says, "if you can?" It is almost like he is saying, "you have got to be kidding me. I am the God of the freaking universe...and you are going to come at me with "if you can?"
We have to believe that God CAN do anything we ask of him, but more important, believe that when he doesn't, it is because His way is different....it is better. Isaiah 55:8 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways declares the Lord." When life is hard as a mom and wife, I want to believe in the goodness of God. When ministry get me overwhelmed, I want to believe in the goodness of God. When I am surrounded by what seems like the impossible I want to believe the "Possibles" of God.

Lord, I do believe...Help me overcome my unbelief:)

Let's Talk about It

2011-08-19T14:09:00.002-05:00

As far as I can remember, my mouth has gotten me in a lot of trouble. From the time I was 10 years old and I lied to my father about my coaching calling and cancelling softball practice so I could go to the movies to the time I was 25 years old and said some pretty ugly words to a parent in the stands of one of my husband's games, and yes, everything in between...gossip, criticism, inappropriate speech, flattering, complaining, exaggerating, bragging, resentment etc. I would say my mouth is my greatest gift and is also my worst enemy. We as women, in general, use our words to fight battles instead of our fists. The Bible says it this way...."Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God." James 3:9 The same mouth that we praise and worship God, himself, is the same mouth that tears down the very people that God, himself, created. If the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10), I would argue a close second are the words that are spoken from our mouth.
Psychologists say that women speak double the words of that of men each day. The question is how are we using those words? It would be awesome if we were using them to doubly encourage one another, or doubly speak truth, but unfortunately I do not believe that is the case.
God has really working on me in this area especially when I read this:
"Indeed, we all make mistakes. For if we could control our tongue, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every way." James 3:2
Wow...if we could control our tongues we would then be able to control ourselves in every other way to, leading a life we all want...perfection.
HOW?
1) Simply shut up:)
I say that with all the love in my heart...really! Proverbs 10:19 says, "Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut." When you want to criticize, keep your mouth shut. When you want to lie, keep your mouth shut. When you want to gossip, keep your mouth shut.
2) When you Speak, let your words praise God and Man (or woman)
There will be times when you will need to speak up: "A time to speak up and a time to be quiet (Eccl.3) But when we do..."Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear him." Ephesians 4:9 When you want to boast, boast in how great God is. When you want to complain, praise. When you want to be resentful, be grateful.
3) PRAY, PRAY, PRAY
We are not able to this on our own. It goes against our natural instincts, our fleshly desires. Believe me I know how hard this is...I am a coaches wife. But I also know I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength...including controlling my tongue. I want to be different than the world. I want to handle things different in the world. I want to be Christ like!
Will you join me? Will you join me in this fight to encourage one another...no matter what?
To God be the Glory:)

Still learning "mom" lessons...

2011-08-15T16:19:00.004-05:00

My baby girl has turned 5! I can't believe it. I love my Chloe and she is truly a blast to hang out with, but man the drama. I am starting to think Pre-teen begins at 5. I have found myself asking God...Where does that drama come from...or the attitude.. or the rolling of the eyes...or the insecurities? These aren't anything I have told her how a princess of God acts. And then it happened...

A quiet whisper of my heavenly father, "What you want your daughter to become, you need to be." Wow!!! He is exactly right! I can tell her all day how to be, but if I don't show her by example, she will never buy into it. It is just plain hypocritical!

1 Corinthians 11:1 says, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

I am her example. If I want her to find her security in Christ, then I must find it first. If I want her not to be disrespectful, I must not be disrespectful first. If I want her reflect Christ, I must reflect Christ first. If I want her to speak uplifting words, I must speak them first. If I want her not be materialistic, I must not be materialistic first. If I want her not to care what other people think, I must not care first. If I want her to pursue righteousness, I must pursue righteousness first. If I want her to love what she sees in the mirror, then I must love what I see in the mirror first.

I cant simply point her to the example of Christ, Nope, I must be the example of Christ in order to show her Christ. She needs to see encouragement in me. She needs to see being a servant in me. She needs to see purity in me. She needs to see modesty in me. She needs to see, holding my tongue, in me. She needs to see Jesus in me!

In the words of John the Baptist, "I must become less, and He must become more."

Here's to setting the example.....

Bring it!!!

2011-08-11T20:06:00.003-05:00

Have you ever received a gift you didn't like? I have...I was probably around 10 and my grandma got me a sweatshirt with snowmen all over it. As far as I was concerned, I wasn't a baby anymore and that was a baby sweatshirt. aka...I was too cool for that gift. My mom quickly put me in place about what it means to be thankful when you are given a gift. Did you know that you have been given a gift and/or talent that was given to you by God to be used for God? Yes...You! It is hard to see our own gifts when others around us seem to have much better gifts...Right? Just like everything else, we tend to compare ourselves to others and most of the time, do not like the gifts we were given. Maybe you don't think it is significant...or maybe you don't see how God could use your gift or talent...or maybe you don't even think you have any gifts. As humans, our thoughts on gifts are similar to those on sin...worldly. The world puts sin into categories:bad, worse, worst. The world also puts gifts into categories: good, better, best. God looks at sin as sin, there are no rankings. He also looks at gifts the same way, as gifts. He doesn't see gifts with more visibility any more significant those those gifts that are behind the scenes. He just wants to know that you are using them to your full capability and for His glory, not for yours. Let me give you some encouragement from God's Word...
One of the most well-known miracles Jesus performed was the feeding of the 5000 found in Matthew 14:13-21:

(15) That evening the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and

its already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and

buy food for themselves." But Jesus said, "That isn't necessary-you feed them"

"But we only have five loaves of bread and two fish!" they answered.

"Bring them here," Jesus said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass.

Jesus took the five loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who

distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward,

the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed

that day, in addition to all the women and children!

Jesus told them to do something, and their reply was, "BUT Jesus we only have this to offer, it is of no significance" Jesus says bring me what you have and watch me work. He wants to do the same for you and me.

-But God, what do I have to offer? Jesus says bring me what you have and watch me work

-But God, my gift is of no significant? Jesus says bring me what you have and watch me work

-But God, I am nothing special. Jesus says bring me what you have and watch me work

If God can feed over 5000 people with two fish and 5 loaves of bread, just imagine what He can do with your gift...if you bring it to Him.

You can do one of three things with the gift God has given you: Hide it, Resent it, or Bring it.

In the celebration of the starting of a new football season, I challenge you to Bring it! Bring it to Jesus and watch him work. Your gift is important to the Kingdom of God whether you think it is or not.

Let's Bring it!!!

I'm Back From War...

2011-07-27T14:46:00.002-05:00

Hey all!!! I am back from War!!! Well....sorta:) I have been doing FCA camps all summer and I am back in front of my computer again. Oh how I missed you! Was I really in a physical war? No, but I was in a spiritual war. It always seems to be a little bit more intense heading into camp season. Why? Because the enemy knows God is getting ready to move in the lives and hearts of kids across Oklahoma.
So what does it mean to be in a spiritual war? Just like any other war, we have an enemy who is out to still, kill, and destroy you and me (John 10:10)
The Bible says it this way in Ephesians 6:10-11:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God

so that you can take stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against

flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this

dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

The first thing we have to recognize is that, as followers of Jesus, we ARE in a war. You don't have to be in full time vocational ministry, but simply a follower of Christ. YOU and I have been waged war upon because God loves us and Satan hates God.

The second thing we need to know is the tactics of our enemy. Before anyone prepares for war, they always look for the tactics, the weaknesses, the tendencies of their enemy.

TACTIC 1) He will always exchange the Truth for a lie

Common lies we believe are:

Lie-God could never use me, I have messed up too bad

TRUTH-God can use ALL things to the good for those who love Him and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Lie-I will start living for God later, I've got time

TRUTH-You are not even guaranteed tomorrow. James 4:14

Lie-I am worthless, ordinary, nothing special, not beautiful

TRUTH-You are fearfully and wonderfully made Psalm 138:14

Over and Over we are fed lies about who God is, about who God says we are, and how God views us. Know the TRUTH and the Truth will set you free!!!

TACTIC 2) Minimizes our sin before and Maximizes after

I know this one and seen this one very well. You've been there....you justify your sin with "everyone is doing it" or "its not that big of deal" or "this makes me happy". Your spirit convicts you and you realize you are living a life not pleasing to God and you ask Him to forgive you. Then....the guilt and shame kicks in. Thoughts go through your head, "God will never forgive me" or "How can anyone love me after this" or "I will always be messed up" "I have asked for forgiveness so why is God not forgiving me, why do I still feel guilt and shame?"

Please know those thoughts and feelings are NOT God not forgiving you, It's your spiritual enemy not letting you forget. The TRUTH is as far as the east is from the west, your sins are far from you and there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Know the TRUTH and TRUTH will set you free!!!

TACTIC 3) Makes us think God is holding out on us.

We want to see what the world has to offer because what God has to offer is just not enough. God is holding out on us, He just doesn't want us to have any fun. No sex before marriage? Boo! Don't drink to get drunk? Boo! Don't tell off someone who has hurt me? Boo! Don't get this purse because I don't have the money to pay for it? Boo!

The second part of that verse we started with in John 10:10 is...."I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full." THE FULL!!! Not half, not part way, not a little bit, but the FULL! With Christ you will have everything you need: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Isn't that exciting??!!!

God is not withholding anything from you, but is willing to give you the fullest life we can imagine. We only have to believe the TRUTH.

We know we have any enemy and we know His tactics so what's next? You FLEE and you FIGHT! When you are being tempted with sin, you flee. You run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. When you feel like you getting beat down by life, you Fight as hard as you can. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:13:

"Therefore, put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to resist

the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will be standing

firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth, and the breastplate

of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows

of the devil. Put on the helmet of salvation and take the sword of the Spirit

which is the word of God."

Our one weapon is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Bible. We can defeat him every time if we know what the Bible says. Know the Truth and the Truth will set you free!

So as you prepare for another school year and new football, basketball, baseball opponents, don't forget to prepare for your life opponent. I look forward to another great year!!! Whoop! Whoop!!

Why?

2011-06-01T13:02:00.002-05:00

Why? This is the question we, here in Oklahoma, have been asking for the past week. There has been so much devastation and loss of life due to the Tornadoes that ravaged through our state. One story that has particularly burdened my heart was the story of the Hamil family. This was a mom of 3 (5,3,15 months) and pregnant with her fourth who was at home with her children while her husband was at work when the tornado hit their home in Piedmont, OK. Although she had taken precautions and had the kids in the bathtub, they were all sucked out of the house and scattered. The mother, 5 year old, and the 15 the month old were found immediately and taken to the hospital where the 15 month old was later pronounced dead. The 3 year old boy was missing for 3 days and although there were so many prayers from all over the country that he would be found alive, he went to be with Jesus. And then you here similar stories from Joplin to Alabama, so much heart ache and pain that it can be really overwhelming. Maybe you have been personally affected by these storms or maybe you are asking God "why?" for other reasons: Death of a loved one, a job not working out like you thought, a sick child etc. Why? Why? Why? Trying to answer this questions just leads to more questions..... Have I done something wrong? Am I being punished for something? Did I bring this on myself? Why do bad things happen when we serve such a Great God? So many questions...
Although I don't have the answers to all these questions that will make complete sense and make us totally understand..there is one story in the Bible that helps. Helps the questions, not necessarily the pain. It comes from John 9:1-3

As he (Jesus) went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked

him, "Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?"

Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so

that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

This story shows us, first, that bad things do not happen simply because we have done something wrong and this is our punishment. That is the enemy at his worst. As followers of Christ, we must find comfort in the fact that when God looks at us, He sees His Son, Jesus. No matter what we have done, Jesus covers it all. (Can I get an Amen?) Second, When bad things happen we are asking the wrong questions. I think it is one of the hardest things to do, but instead of asking "Why God" our question should be "What God." What work do you want to display in my life God? What do you want to show me? How can you be displayed in this tragedy? We have to remember that God is "Kingdom minded".....Always. There is no wasted pain! There are no wasted tears! There are no wasted trials! Trials and heart aches don't just happen to happen, but to further God's Kingdom....somehow. Romans 8:28 says, "God works ALL things to the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." All things includes tornadoes. All things include death. All things include tough jobs. All things include people born blind. God works ALL things for the good...that is what makes him such a great God!

If I can pray for you in any way please let me know!

Ordinary

2011-05-25T14:02:00.003-05:00

Do you ever feel like you are just ordinary? There is nothing special about you, nothing that makes you stand out. You might think you don't have any special gifts or talents or think "I'm just a wife or a mom" or " I go to work, come home, fix dinner, give kids baths, go to bed-nothing special." And then you see those people who "look" like they have it all-all the gifts, talents, the breaks, the glory etc. but you, you are just ordinary. Do you ever feel like that? Me too! Well, I've got great news for you and it comes from Acts 4:13:

"The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness

of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with

no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men

who had been with Jesus."

God uses ordinary people like you and me!!!! In fact, he prefers it, because when he uses ordinary people, they know they can't take credit of the work of an extraordinary God. Peter and John were ordinary men who were not special or trained in anything spiritual, but literally, changed the world. How? They had one thing going for them: they "had been with Jesus." That's it! They didn't have any special gifts, go to any special school, from any special family....they simply walked with Jesus. And because they walked with Jesus they understand that God could take the ordinary and do things that were extraordinary. The same power that created the earth was with them. The same power that parted the Red Sea was with them. The same power that raised Jesus was with them. "For if God is for you, who can be against you." (Romans 8:31) Nothing was going to stop them, not because of their own power (for they were just ordinary), but because they had God Almighty with them! So if you are in the valley of ordinary, keep being with Jesus and watch Him do extraordinary things in you and through you.

Ordinary? Why yes, yes I am....and I wouldn't have it any other way!

One of Those Days....

2011-05-16T10:36:00.003-05:00

So...this morning was one of those mornings. Case, the youngest, didn't sleep last night and was super cranky all morning. I was either holding him while trying to fix my hair or brush my teeth or he was screaming bloody murder while I was trying to make the kids school lunches. Cale, my oldest, was in the "dream world" that he sometimes goes to when he needs to be putting on his shoes or getting his teeth brushed. We were running late so we hurried and had our bible time, which was very spiritual (hint:sarcasm:)), and go out to the car and can't find my keys. As I mumble under my breath, "You have got to be kidding me," I called my husband and snapped at him because I knew he had to be the one who lost them, right? We finally found the keys, locked safely in the car. My husband came and picked us up so that we could get to school 20 minutes late and reminded me that I had let Chloe look for her bracelet in my car last night. Why leave her out? I had yelled at everyone else in the family. We get everyone where they are suppose to be and then I go to work, where I get to put on the "Happy" face and tell people how much Jesus loves them when the people I love the most just saw No part of Jesus in me this morning.
You ever have those days?
And then the remorse sets in. Why did I act like that? Where was my patience? In the big picture was it all that big a deal? What lesson did I teach my family today? It makes me feel pretty darn rotten and I beat myself up. Why do I do the things I don't want to do?
Then in my quiet time today I read Romans 7:15-24

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what

I hate, I do....I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I

do is not the good I want to do;no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep

on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is not longer I who do it, but

it is sin living in me that does it....What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from

this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Yes! this is me. Paul knew exactly how I was feeling. We will all go through times where our flesh will rear its ugly head. We will do things that we can't believe we did them. We will do things when we know they are wrong. We will do things that actually hurt the name of Christ. Our flesh still leans toward sin. But how do we see past this part of our life that we can't seem to get away from? Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!!! You see, we don't have to live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. The same spirit that lived inside of Jesus lives inside of us, so when our flesh "acts up" the spirit takes over. We asked God for forgiveness and know that, "Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1. Can I get an Amen?

I want to encourage you when you have "those days," remember, you have all the power you need to get through bad days and still show Jesus, and if you fall short, God will always be there to pick you back up, dust you off, and give you a nice little pat on the rear and say, "lets go."

Oh and yes....I am good with the family too:)

The Little things

2011-05-09T11:18:00.002-05:00

So...I was watching one of my favorite movies this weekend: For Love of the Game. It is a baseball/love story with Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston. I really do love this movie and as I was watching it, there was one part that just got me thinking (my mind is always thinking). It was toward the end of the movie and he was trying to pitch a "perfect" game. His shoulder was hurting, but he knew he couldn't quit, he was just too close to this amazing accomplishment. And then he began to pray (I may not get it word for word, but it is close):

"God, I know I promised I would never involve you in a baseball game.

It always seemed silly because you have bigger things to worry about, But

if you could make the pain in my shoulder go away for the next 10 minutes,

I would be grateful"

As I heard him pray that little prayer, I thought to myself, DOES God care about baseball or football, or basketball, or buying house, or my work problems etc. After all, there are a lot bigger things he should be handling like people who have lost loved ones, or have very sick children, or famines, tornadoes, earthquakes, wars etc. I know my problems seem so "little" compared to these things, but they seem "big" to me.

I think I missed the rest of the movie contemplating these thoughts, but then God reminded me of a "small" story in the Bible that I had just read to my kids. It is only 4 verses and I remember thinking, This is kind of a random story. What is it's significance?

So the prophets and Elisha arrived at the Jordan and began cutting down

trees. But as one of them was getting a tree, his ax head fell into the river.

"Oh, sir!" he cried. "It was a borrowed ax!" "Where did it fall?" the man of God

asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the

water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. "Grab it," Elisha said

And the man reached out and grabbed it. 2 Kings 6:4-7

Oh God and His timing:) The significance? To show us that God DOES care....about everything-even some one's lost ax head. God cares about baseball, football, basketball, jobs, families, houses, bills, relationships, your dog on and on and on....Why? Because you do!! And you are His Child!

My oldest is playing t-ball and my youngest thinks he does, so t-ball is a big deal in our house. Before last year, had I ever been to a t-ball game since I played? Nope Did I keep up with the t-ball games in our area? Nope. After my kids are done playing, will I still go to t-ball games? Nope. Because t-ball doesn't really matter to me, but it matters to them;therefore, it matters to me. They think t-ball is very important, therefore I think t-ball is important. Why? Because they are my kids and I love them. If something is important to you, it's important to God because you are His kid and He loves you! Whatever we face in our everyday lives, it matters to God because He knows it's all about the Relationship-The relationship He has with His children. Go to God with the attitude that he loves it when we bring everything to him, even the "little" things.

Facing the Giants

2011-04-20T15:08:00.003-05:00

Facing the Giants is one of my favorite movies. I love the "feel" good movies anyhow, but then you throw in God and football, it should have won the academy award. Well, at least the "Fighting Heart" award. We love the stories where the "underdog" beats the powerhouse giant. That's why one of the most beloved stories in the Bible is David and Goliath. Most of us have heard this story of the little boy who defeated the Giant, but I want to talk about the less talked about story of God's people being defeated by the giants before the battle ever began.

This story takes place in Numbers 13:

(v. 1)The Lord now said to Moses, "Send out men to explore the land I am giving you,

the Israelites...(v. 3) So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He sent out twelve

men. (v. 17). Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the

land:"Go north through the Negev into the hill country. See what the land is like, and

find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many..."

(vs. 27) This was their report to Moses: "We entered the land you sent us to explore, and

it is indeed a bountiful country-a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit

it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large. We even

saw giants there... (v. 30) But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before

Moses. "Let's go at once to take the land. We can certainly conquer it." But the other men

who had explored the land with him disagreed. "We can't go up against them! They are

stronger than we are! So they spread this bad report about the land...(Numbers 14:1)

(v. 3) "Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to die in battle?" (vs.7) Moses said to all the people, "The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us." (v 10) But the whole community began to talk about stoning them...Ad then the Lord said, "How long will these

people treat me with contempt? Will they ever believe me, even after all the miraculous signs

I have done among them....(v. 21) Surely as live, and as surely as the earth is filled with

the Lord's glory, not one of these people will ever enter that land."

God was giving them this land. He said, "send them out to explore the land I am giving them." The God of the universe promises these people this land, land flowing with milk and honey. Land like they have never known, but yet they never got to experience it because they chose to focus on the Giant and not God. It sounds crazy to us right? Wouldn't you believe the God of the universe? If God is for you who could be against you? What could giants do to you when you have God telling you, "Im giving you this land." It's sounds crazy, yet we do it ALL the time.

Jesus said, "I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full." (John 10:10) That is our promised land....and life to the fullest, more than we can ever imagine. But then there are the Giants.....

-Giants of fear

-Giants of depression

-Giants of disappointment

-Giants of regret

-Giants of discouragement

-Giants of doubt

-Giants of failure

-Giants of being overwhelmed

-Giants of thoughts of inadequacy

And Giant after Giant after Giant....all keeping us from entering the promised land of life to the full. So...how do we become a David and defeat the Giant and not an Israelite, wondering aimlessly because of the Giant? We don't tell God how big our Giants are, we tell the Giants how Big our GOD is!!!!!! God asked, will they ever believe me after all the signs? We must choose to remember time and time again that God has been faithful in the past and will be faithful again in the present and future. We remember all the little victories on this journey of life and trust God that more Victories will come. We will Believe God when he says, "I have come so that YOU may have life, and have it to the full!" We were not created to just stroll through life, but have it to the full. We were not created to just survive this life, but to have it to the full. We were not created to just "put up" with this life, but to have it to the full!

What Giants to you need to kill in order to have life to the full?

HOPE

2011-04-11T10:47:00.002-05:00

So I was reading the book of Romans and I came across a passage that God used to speak to me and HOPEfully to you too. It is on HOPE. I have written messages on Faith and Love, but can honestly say never hope. It is a word that didn't enter in my vocabulary unless it was something like, "I hope my baby sleeps tonight" or "I hope we win" or "I hope that dress goes on sale." I don't think this is what Paul meant when he said, "So now Faith, Hope, and Love remain..." Where do I learn about Hope? Then I read Romans 4:18-21

"Even though there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping-believing

that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him,

"That's how many descendants you will have!" And Abraham's faith did not

weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as

good as dead-and so was Sarah's womb. Abraham never wavered in believing

God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.

He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises."

Have you ever felt hopeless? No matter what you say or what you do or how much you pray, your situation just seems hopeless? If you said yes, like me, then I pray you find strength and encouragement in Abraham. Abraham had "no reason to have HOPE." He was too old, Sarah was too old, but he had one thing that kept him HopeFULL: "For God had said to him."

His situation seemed hopeless, but his HOPE didn't come from his situation, but from His God's Promise to him. Whatever your situation might be, a struggling marriage, an overwhelming job, a sick child, an inability to have children etc., you CAN find HOPE in the promises He has given you. Yes! God has given you promises!

For God had said to her....."I will work ALL things to the GOOD for those who love him and are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

For God had said to her...."The righteous call on the Lord and the Lord hears them, He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in Spirit." Psalm 34:18

For God had said to her..."being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

For God had said to her..."The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." Romans 16:20

For God had said to her..."If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

For God had said to her..."Therefore, there is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

For God had said to her..."He will remain faithful even if we are faithless. 2 Timothy 2:13

For God had said to her..."In this world you will have trouble, But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

And there are sooooo many more!!!! In God's Promises we know he is working for us, that the enemy has no place in our lives, no matter we have done-we are forgiven, we know that we are loved, and that he will be faithful. And because of these promises we have HOPE. HOPE that good things can come out of a broken marriage. HOPE that God is watching over your child. HOPE that God will give you the strength in your job. HOPE that God will lead you when you just feel like wandering.

YOU have HOPE because of the Promises God has given you in JESUS CHRIST!!

The Question

2011-03-28T09:59:00.005-05:00

I love to ask questions to anybody about everything. I love asking serious questions, funny questions, pointless questions, and really any question that comes to my mind. Here are some of my favorite questions I like to ask and maybe you would like to answer: "If you had a dinner party, what 5 people would you invite (no friends or family and they can be dead and alive)? If you were on death row, what would be your last meal? If you could follow anyone around for one day, who would it be? What event in the Old and New Testament would you like to have been at? Why do I like questions? It's not the questions I like, but the different answers people give. It tells me about their personality, their likes, their passions, etc. Questions provoke thought and discussions and though you may be talking about nothing, you really are talking about something: you. I love questions! And even though I ask other people questions all the time, there is one question that I ask myself almost every day.... Is Grace Enough? Knowing that God saved me from what I deserve, is that enough? Knowing that because Jesus was beaten, hung on a cross and died a painful death so that I could have a relationship with His Father, is that Enough? Knowing that Jesus went through rejection from man so that we would never have to go through rejection from God, is that enough? If God never did anything else for me again while on this earth, would the Grace He gave me on the cross be enough? I ask this question to keep my emotions in check for if I focus on what He did do, it's harder to focus on what I "feel" he's not doing. I ask this question to keep my mind on the eternal perspective and not the momentarily happenings. I ask this question to thwart off any thoughts or ideas that I am entitled to more than what He has already given me. Does asking myself this question work in every single one of these areas every day? I would love to say yes, but the answer is No. There are days when I throw my child-like temper-tantrums and answer the question with...No it's not. And it's these days that I find out a lot about myself and my relationship with God. I realize that I am a sinner who still needs that Grace everyday. It is my prayer, that no matter what trial or circumstance I am facing, I can answer everyday,with complete humility.....Yes! Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." ~2 Corinthians 12:9 Today, Is Grace enough for you?

God speaks through Twitter?

2011-03-21T11:30:00.002-05:00

God speaks through Twitter? That was the question I asked myself this weekend and my answer was....Yes! He can and he did!

I was having a rough week in the ministry. I was so burdened and overwhelmed by the hurt, struggles, and pain those I was visiting with were facing. I was meeting, this particular day, with a female athlete who was struggling with hurts and sin. My heart broke for her as she shared her background and the fact she struggled with the homosexual lifestyle. (I would like to say this was my first time with this kind of conversation, but it was far from it.) As we sat there, I could just feel the spiritual battle that was going on and man, did I have my full armor of God ready to go:) For the next two hours, I shared with her how much God loves her, how he wants to have a relationship with her, and that God had plans for her. We prayed, cried, laughed and I believed God wanted to do something in her and through her (and still do:)) Physically and Spiritually exhausted I got into my car, I listened to a voice mail message that I had received. It was from someone questioning FCA and our judgement in bringing former First Lady, Laura Bush, in to speak at our FCA All-State Event. I went back to the office and found out we had received some of the same questions at the office, some were even down right mean and hateful. Unaware of some of the things that she had been quoted, I sat there beat down because the very thing I was just battling with this young lady was the same thing FCA's integrity was being questioned for: Our stand on Homosexuality. On one hand, I was angry because maybe we shouldn't have brought her in because we could be sending mixed messages, although I knew she was coming to encourage these kids by sharing her faith in Christ. On the other hand, I was angry with these people's emails because they had no idea how much I minister to girls on this very issue. We ARE fighting this battle in the trenches. Not with hateful emails or picket signs, but with the Love of Christ. I was torn.

Then God used Twitter. I follow Rick Warren's tweets and he posted this:

"U don't have to dislike someone because u disagree with them! Love is

NOT a compromise of convictions. It's Christlikeness!

Wow!!! That says it all right there! It was so powerful for me! Maybe you dislike someone because you disagree with their politics or beliefs. Maybe you feel like you would be compromising if you became friends with someone who lives a different lifestyle. How will they ever know Jesus? We don't just tell people about Jesus, we show them Jesus. We talk like Jesus talked. We walk like Jesus walked. We loved like Jesus loved.

He ate with sinners, he talked with sinners, he walked with sinners, but He never left them the same. The tax collector paid back all his debts and followed Jesus. The prostitute gave up the industry and followed Jesus. The Samaritan woman who worshipped pagan gods and had lived with 5 different men left everything and followed Jesus Why? Because of how He loved them

John 1:17 says, "For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." We sometimes forget that we need both GRACE and TRUTH when sharing Jesus and I believe there is a reason GRACE is mentioned first because it must be given first in order to share TRUTH.

People don't here the "Good News" of Jesus Christ by picketing outside the state capitol or yelling at young girls going into abortion clinics. They hear the "Good News" of Jesus Christ when we show them the Love of Jesus Christ.

How does God want to use you to show His Son's Love today?

Submitting to your Husbands

2011-03-09T10:58:00.002-06:00

Yep! I am going there!

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands."
~Ephesians 5:22-24

For the longest time this verse made me cringe due to my stubborness, thick-headed ways. This always seemed like a power-trip to me, but God has used this verse to teach me some amazing lessons about me, my husband, and above all HIM!
First of all, I am so glad I only have to submit to my "own husband" and not anyone else's:) Can I get an AMEN?!!
Second, after almost 13 years of marriage I am still learning to submit "in everything." I love my husband and he is a great leader, but Everything is a lot! Can't I just have something? What if he's not leading the way I thought He should? What if I am hearing God and He isn't? What if I could do it better? Aren't these the questions we, realistically ask ourselves in the heat of the moment?
I had one of these moments just a couple of weeks ago. We have been living in our duplex since August and life in the duplex is cozy with the 5 of us. I just knew whenever we sold our house we would finally get to move out of the duplex, immediately. Not that I am not grateful for the place to live, I am just ready to stop living out of boxes. Well, we finally sold our house. Yay!!! And I was all ready to go looking for the new Roberts' family home. Chris said he felt that we should not get in any hurry, stay in the duplex, and save up our money for awhile. Well, that went in one ear and out the other for me. I had a realtor, pre-approval for a loan, and house visits set up. He would go look at them with me, but he still felt this was not the right time. And so the tension began....There were frustrations, silent dinners, and more frustrations. Until.....God showed me I was not submitting in "everything." So, I went to Chris, humbly, and shared with him what God was showing me and that I submit to where God was leading him in leading our family. The tension, frustration, silence was immediately gone. Our circumstances hadn't changed but my heart had. It wasn't that I didn't trust my husband, it was that I didn't trust God to lead my husband. We think it is about laying our individual selves down to her husbands, but it is actually laying down ourselves to Christ.
If your husband is not leading the way you think he should, I have one piece of advice for you: Shut up and Pray!! We think we can change our husband when we didn't create our husband. If you want a change in the man, you can't go to the man, but to the one who created the man. And I promise if you commit to shut-up and pray you will see a change in him and you. Our calling as a wife, is to submit to the leadership of our husband so that we can come along side him and help him be all that God is calling him to be as a man of God.
And because I have committed to submit to my husband's leadership of this family, I have seen him step-up and seek God more and more. One of my favorite parts of my day, is when I walk into the living room or kitchen in the morning to catch my leader in his quiet time with His leader.
Will I give my opinions? Absolutely. Will I share my mind? Sure thing. Will I like everything? Probably not. But ultimately I trust my God with everything including my husband's decisions for our family. So, here is to the crazy journey of wife submission......and ultimately to God's plans for the Roberts' family!

God's Game Plan For You

2011-03-02T10:41:00.003-06:00

What is God's plan for you life? Isn't that the million dollar question? We all want to know what God has created us to do, where he has created us to go, what purpose am I for etc. We all want to know God's will for our lives. Much like everyone else, we too, ask those questions as a coaching family. Is this the job God has for us? Is this where we are suppose to be? If this is the plan you have for us, then why is it so hard? Can you relate to any of these questions?

We know that the Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Give you hope and a future."

I love that verse, but it is missing one thing....the part about filling us in on the plan. Don't you just wish God would lay out the blueprint for you life and say this is your PLAN. Here is where I am going to teach you this and this happens so I can teach you that, but Nope he doesn't.

So....where do we go from here to find God's Game plan for us? The Bible...of course:)

I have found two places in the Bible that have helped me when asking these questions.

First, "Be joyful, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Ummm..he does lay it out there in pretty plain and simple terms: Be Joyful, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. This is God's plan for our lives, but we try to complicate things by expecting God to micromanage our lives. God can use us wherever we are and we don't have to worry about where we are and where God wants us to be because as long as we are being joyful, seeking God in prayer, and giving him thanks for where we are, then we are in the will of God. If God wants us to make a move then He will open the door, if not then he will give us strength and power to stay where we are. Now, doesn't that take the worry, stress, and fear away? Well, for a little while anyway.

Second, I was reading in the book of Acts and I came across a Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel. I had never heard of this guy before, but, man, he was wise! After Peter was arrested and questioned for speaking the name of Jesus to the people of Jerusalem, he was preaching before the counsel and as the counsel was getting more and more enraged with Peter, Gamaliel, who was a teacher of the law and "held in honor by all the people" stood up (after giving some examples vs 36-37) and said, "if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail, but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God."

We must ask ourselves this question whenever we are searching for God's detailed plan in our lives, "Is this plan that I am wanting to happen for God's Glory or for mine?" Because when it is for God's glory then it is a God plan, not just a good plan and God plans will not fail and nothing will be able to overthrow them.

So, if you are searching God today and feeling a little lost in this great big world-know that you were created for plan and with purpose: Being Joyful, praying continuously, and giving thanks. And when we follow this plan your eyes begin to open, doors begin to open, and a clear-path begins to take shape that God is leading you on and you just enjoy the journey.

Praying that God is leading your families today:)

Who are you?

2011-02-23T09:36:00.002-06:00

Our church is doing an awesome series called "Who do you think you are?" It really has opened my eyes to who I am in Christ. You should check it out at lifechurch.tv!
I have noticed that there are many times, my view of myself does not match up to how God views me.
I had the to opportunity a while back to give the prayer at the Lakers/Thunder basketball game. It was a really neat experience, but something happened during the experience that has stuck in my head ever since. My husband and I were walking down the tunnel to the court where I would wait until they called me to center court. This tunnel was also the tunnel that the Lakers players walked through as well. As we were walking through we heard fans above us say, "Wait, Wait here comes somebody." I was feeling pretty good about myself-yep! I am somebody.....that lasted for about 5 seconds. As we were coming out of the tunnel, we then heard them say, "Nah-it's nobody." Wow! I just went from somebody to nobody in the matter of 5 seconds. What changed in that 5 seconds? Was I really a nobody? Well, yes to the crazy Laker fans I was, but to the King of Kings I was still somebody!!!
We all go through those times of identity crisis of Who am I? Our identity can get wrapped up in being a mom, wife, teacher, friend, supporter, cheerleader, and sometimes feeling like a nobody. These are not who we are, they are what God has called us to do.

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons (or daughters) of God.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you

have received the Spirit of adoption , by whom we cry, "Abba, Father!"

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

and if children of God then heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ..."

Romans 8:14-17

We are loved, beautiful, and above all.....somebody!! Oh and not just anybody, we are daughters of the King of Kings-princesses if you will! We are co-heirs to the throne with Christ Himself!

Last night, I was at an FCA event where Landry Jones, quarterback for the University of Oklahoma, shared his faith and there was one thing he talked about that hit me like a rock. He was explaining that when Jesus was baptized, the first thing God says is, "This is my son." Jesus then when into the wilderness for 40 days. After the 40 days, Satan came to him to tempt him 3 times and the first thing the enemy said was, "If you are the son of God..." If our enemy can make us doubt our identity then he can make us doubt our purpose. And if we doubt our purpose, we miss out on all the things God want to do in and through us. Jesus came out of the wilderness defeating the enemy because He knew who he was and therefore, knew his purpose. The bible says he then came out of the wilderness filled with the Holy Spirit. How we respond to the wilderness determines if we come out empowered by the Holy Spirit. Isn't that powerful?!!!!

Do not let the enemy make you doubt who you are! You are God's Daughter and you do have purpose!! Be excited...You are somebody!!!!!

Day of Love

2011-02-14T09:22:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentines Day, girls!!

I woke up this morning so excited about Valentine's Day-I love Valentine's Day because it is a day set aside to celebrate those we love! Ready to start my day of love, I turned on the radio to hear people talk about how they hate Valentine's Day. I then get on facebook and read post after post about how they hate Valentine's Day too. People hate it because they are single, they hate to buy stuff, they hate it because their spouse will once more disappoint this Valentine's Day. I've been awake 3 hours on this day of love and I am depressed! What!! This is crazy!

We are suppose to celebrate LOVE today and the Bible says God IS Love so why are we not celebrating God today? Girls, it is time to change the focus on this day to the way St. Valentine first intended-celebrate the love God has for us and that we have for others!
The bible says in 1 John 4:19, "We love each other because God first loved us." And how did he love us? Well...."God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. I don't care if you are single, married, divorced, or separated, you have something to celebrate today: You have a God that LOVED YOU so much that He was willing to die for you! Jesus gave his life so that you could spend eternity with him. Does love get any better than that? You are loved! Celebrate!

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:11

Notice it didn't say since God loved us, we should sit and wait for others to love on us too. No!!! We are to go out and show each other the same love that God shows us. You may not get flowers today, but you can sure send some. You may not have big dinner plans, but you can sure take some one to dinner. You may not feel loved today, but you can sure show love today. I am super excited to show love to a friend today who lost her husband to cancer 6 weeks ago by taking her to lunch. I want to love on her because she needs it. There is someone in your life that could use some love shown to them today and you could be that someone.

In the letter to the church of Ephesus in the Book of Revelation, Jesus tells them they have abandoned their first love-Him. This day is not about flowers, chocolates, or cupid etc. It is about returning to our first love, Jesus. I do love my husband, but He is not my first love. I do love my children, but they are not my first love. I love my friends, but they are not my first love. This Valentine's Day, lets return to our first love, the one who laid down His life for us. Then, let's show others how much we love them! This is the day of Love! And God is Love so let's celebrate by loving others!!!

Oh and last thing.........

I Love You!!!

The "Times" and "Seasons" in our life

2011-02-07T09:30:00.003-06:00

Good Morning, Ladies!

Do you know how excited I am to write to you all today? Super excited! Why? Because that means I am not snowed in my house in Oklahoma! Last week was crazy and not the crazy that I am used to. This was stir crazy. As much as I loved the time I got to hang out with my family roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, getting my rear kicked in the Dora Matching game, and watching countless movies-this snow storm was not letting us do what we wanted to do. This storm was not letting us keep our schedule. This storm found us asking,at times, "is the winter season almost over yet?"

Isn't this what we do when we go through storms of life? We want to ask God why this is happening because this was not in the plans that we had. This storm in our life is not letting me do what I want to do. Is this stormy season in my life almost over, God?
The disciples asked Jesus a similar question in Acts 1:6, "So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?"

This was their way of saying, "Jesus, is our storm over yet?" They had waited a long time for Israel to come back into power. In their mind, that is what the Messiah was suppose to do. Jesus was suppose to restore Israel into a great nation once again. The disciples wanted and thought they needed to know if this time in their life was going to be over, this season was going to pass. "Is it now Jesus, is it now?"

We might be asking Jesus, "Is it time for my season of having a struggling marriage, over?"
"Is it time for my season of having a rebellious child, over?" Is it time for my season of having a job I don't like, over? "Is it time for my season of struggling with depression, over?" Is it time for my season of having sick kids, over?

Let the answer Jesus gave to his disciples be the same answer He want to give us today:
"It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..."

If you are like me this is not really the answer we want, but it is the answer we need! He is asking us to trust Him with our entire being and that means with our questions, our hard times, and yes, our stormy seasons.
Here is the encouragement....
Being married to a football coach, I have to get ready for the season mentally, spiritually, relationally, and physically because I become single mom, my husband's number one fan, confidant, cheerleader, and his water girl. As hard, fun, and crazy as it is, there is always one thing that I can count on...off-season. The season does end and there is always an off-season. A time where we get to reconnect, re-energize, and re-load.

We need to be reminded that we may not get to know when the stormy seasons in our life ends, but just that they do and until they do God will give us the Power to sustain and become stronger! I read this statement in a book I was reading and loved it: "We are promised in the 23rd Psalm, that we walk through the valley of the shadow of death-we don't set up camp there."

So... as we prepare for another snow storm this week in Oklahoma, I know this too, will pass and Spring will come. You may not know when your storm will pass, but trust that Jesus does and will see you through to your Spring Time!

I Need to Vent

2011-01-31T08:44:00.002-06:00

Hey girls!

It is a Monday morning and there are things I would like to get off my chest today! I just want to use you all as someone to vent, so here goes....

1) I hate it when that girl says one thing and does another. Doesn't she know the Bible says, Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord." Proverbs 12 :22

2) I hate it when that girl uses her words to hurt the hearts of people. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "Don't let any unwholesome talk come from your mouth, but only that which is used to build people up according to their needs." Ephesians 4:29

3) I hate it when that girl judges people about things she doesn't struggle with. Doesn't she know the Bible says to take the plank out of your own eye before you point out the plank in your brothers eye." Luke 6:41

4) I hate it when that girl thinks she is just a little bit better than some people and then the next minute thinks she doesn't measure up to anybody. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "...not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgement." Romans 12:3 and she is "fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:4

5) I hate it when that girl thinks just because other people do it differently doesn't make them wrong OR herself wrong....just different. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "Having gifts that differ according the grace given to us, let us us them." Romans 12:6

6) I hate it when that girl speaks when she should be silent. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "there is a time to speak and there is a time to be silent." Ecclesiastes 3:7

7) I hate it when that girl doesn't listen to the advice of others and thinks she's right all the time. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." Proverbs 12:15

8)I hate it when that girl looks at other people's children and says "My kids will never act like that." Doesn't she know the Bible says, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord." Psalm 127:3

9) I hate it when that girl open her mouth and all it is is complaining and negativity. Doesn't she know the Bible says, "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18

And the thing I HATE the most is.....

10) When "That Girl" is ME! And Yes I do know the Bible says all those things!

I have been wanting to write a blog post for awhile about the "elephant in the room" -The horrible things we, as woman, do and say. Honestly, I was ready to write it a long time ago because I wanted to vent about what I was seeing in other women, but God showed me with each instance I witnessed (and was extremely angry about) that I, too, had done each and everyone of them and it made me sick. We live in a world where we size each other up and then work to tear each other down when God wants us to ENCOURAGE one another, speak TRUTH and GRACE to those around us, don't get so offended when someone speaks WISDOM in your life, BUILD UP our friends, parents, sisters, husbands, AND enemies. He wants us to ENCOURAGE a mom who might be struggling with a child in a store. He wants us to be SLOW to SPEAK when we really want to share what is on our mind right then. He wants us to SEE people the way that HE sees them-with unconditional LOVE. He wants us to be who HE created us to be and NOBODY ELSE. When we compare ourselves to one another, good or bad, we break the heart of God because that means we are not satisfied with who He created us to be.
I really do hate these things that I do and I know that God does too, but HE still loves me and you!

What it all comes down to is we want to be loved and accepted and I am hear to remind YOU and ME that God loves you and He loves me. So....who can we extend that LOVE, GRACE, and ENCOURAGEMENT, that God so freely gives to us, to today?

Faith of the 3

2011-01-19T10:40:00.003-06:00

Each morning before we go to school I read the Bible to the kids and before we go to bed we do a devotion over what we read that morning. I love hearing how their little minds take in the Word of God. It's never quite how we (the parents) think. This morning, we were reading about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown in the fire by King Nebuchadnezzar because they would not bow down to the king's statue. While I was trying to teach my children that it wasn't because of a superhero superpower like on the Fantastic Four that the reason the 3 weren't being burned up, God opened my own eyes to the Faith of these 3 boys. It was one comment that made me look inside myself and ask "Do I have that kind of Faith?"

In Daniel 3:16-18 it says, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the King, "Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

There were a few things that spoke to me and maybe it will speak to you too:) First, they didn't feel the need to defend themselves. Wow! They didn't defend themselves. They didn't try to talk their way out of why God is the one true God. They showed it with their actions. Do you ever feel like you have to defend Jesus in this world? I do all the time. I feel like I defend the Bible, Jesus, my faith and honestly it feels like I am beating a dead horse sometimes. These boys showed me you don't defend your faith with words, but show your faith with actions. You don't defend Jesus, you show Jesus. You don't defend your church, you be the church.

The second thing I learned was no matter what the outcome was going to be, they chose to see the goodness of God for who He was not for what He could do for them. They believed God was the all-powerful, all-knowing God that was able to save them, but even if He didn't save them, their view of Him never changed: God was still the great God Almighty. Can we say the same for our faith in God?

"God, I believe you can heal my mom, but if you don't you are still the Great God Almighty"
"God, I believe you can save my marriage, but if you don't you are still the Great God Almighty"
"God, I believe you will make me a mother someday, but if you don't you are still the Great God Almighty"
"God, I believe you will provide a new job, but if you don't you are still the Great God Almighty."

I want to have the kind of faith that my circumstances do not change how Great our God is!

Last God showed me its easier to stand up for the things of God when you have people to stand with you! The Bible says in Ecclesiastes, "Two are better than one for they have good return for their work. For if one falls down, they have someone to pick them up, but pity the man that falls and has no one to pick them up."
That is what is so amazing about having a spouse, a friend, a mom, a sister etc. You can pick each other up, spur each other on, encourage one another and when your faith is tested you have someone to stand with you to fight, fight, fight!!
We need to surround ourselves with people that love the Lord and who are willing to walk into the burning furnace with us for the cause of Christ!

When your faith is tested, will you get burned?

One Down Payment you can be excited about!

2011-01-14T13:01:00.003-06:00

Do you like to shop? Oh I do! It doesn't matter what it is for I love to shop! I love to shop for my kids, for other people, myself. It doesn't matter if it is a new vacuum sweeper (which I just got and was so excited) or going to a garage sale, I love to shop. And even though I love to shop, I am also very very frugal. I have read the books, watched the Dave Ramsey videos, and done all my home work on how to be a good steward of my money so when today I read these words in my quiet time with God they just jumped off the page: God gave us a down payment for what is to come. Down payment? That is like a dirty word for those who follow the rules of becoming debt free. You aren't suppose to have a down payment, you are suppose to pay it in full! So I read the verse in its entirety and those dirty words fired me up!

"Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a down payment, guaranteeing what it is to come." 1 Corinthians 1:21-22.

Don't you just love that verse?!! The Joy that we feel as a follower of Christ, knowing and trusting that God ALWAYS has our best interest in mind and is in complete control of our everyday lives is just a down payment for what is to come. The Hope that we feel as a follower of Christ, that even when things are not going so well, He will work all things to the good of those who love Him is just a down payment for what is to come. The Comfort that we feel in knowing the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same Spirit that lives in us is just a down payment for what is to come.
In 1 Corinthians 2:9 it says it this way, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

So whatever you are facing today, good, bad, and everything in between I pray this is an encouragement for you. You can have Hope, Feel Love, and have Comfort because You were paid for in FULL by the blood of Christ, but these are just a down payment for what is to come! Now that is a down payment I can be excited about!

My Word for 2011

2011-01-03T11:42:00.002-06:00

I hope you each had an awesome Christmas and New Years Day!!!

I don't know about you, but usually every year about this time I always think about how I am going to be different. You may call them New Year's Resolutions or life changers, but it is always the same: work out more, eat better, be healthier, spend more time with God and on and on and on. Every year it starts the same, but every year it ends the same too- I have failed.....miserably.

But 2010 was different (the workouts-not so much). I challenged myself last year to just spend time reading the gospels. Soaking all I could of Jesus' red letters through the eyes of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I also picked a word to focus on 2010 and it was humility. Yep-I was humbled. My eyes were opened to how big God is and how small I am, yet He still uses me.

My word for 2011......Fearless. Ironically, this is one of the topics I speak on at Women's events all the time and yet I still am so fearful. I don't walk around looking like I'm in a Wes Craven horror movie all the time. If you were around me you probably wouldn't even know. My fear resonates as worry. I am a worry wort and I am tired of it. Worry is just fear that God isn't in control. I worry about my husband. I worry about my children. I worry that I am not hearing God. I worry about money. I worry about loved ones. I worry about what the world is coming to. I worry about the ministry God has given me in FCA. I worry that I can't do it all and when I can't what will suffer. I worry about being a good wife, mom, friend, sister, daughter, minister. Yep-I worry, but not anymore.

My verse for the year will be Psalm 27:1-3:

The Lord is my light and my salvation

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

whom shall be afraid?

When evil doers assail me to eat up

my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is

they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear; though war arise

against me, yet I will be confident.

I will not worry because that is fear and I will not have fear because the Lord is my light and my salvation. I will not fear what the world has for me this year. I will not fear what the enemy has for me this year. I will not fear the unknown of 2011 because my God is the God of the stinkin universe. My confidence will come from God and God alone. I will live like my God is in control. I will live like the King of Kings is my father. I will live like I am co-heir of the throne with Jesus. I will live like the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me. I will live fearless!

So....What's your word?

The Great I AM

2010-12-10T14:14:00.002-06:00

Do you ever just get in those ruts? You just kinda feel blah. Nothings really going wrong, but nothing is really going great either. I don't know if its the colder weather or the lack of sleep (my baby boy is not sleeping so well right now), but what ever it is I don't like it! I am clawing my way out of this rut and what better way to do it than taking my focus off me and turning it to God. So...That's what I have been trying to do. I read a book by Louie Giglio called "I am not, but I know I AM." Wow! It was an awesome book and I totally recommend it. In it, it talks about Moses at the burning bush. In Exodus 3, Moses asks God, "God, suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me. 'What is His name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God says to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you."

God's name is I AM! I love that!

God is so awesome, He doesn't even have a name. He's just I AM. I started looking in the Bible about all the things I AM is and the more I did, the smaller I got and the bigger God got. The power of I AM is so overwhelming.

When YOU are overwhelmed...........I AM parted the Red Sea
When YOU feel powerless................I am created the universe and yet knows your name

When YOU are sad............................I AM raised Lazarus from the dead

When YOU get frustrated...................I AM went through rejection from man so you would never have to been rejected from God

When YOU start to lose hope.............I AM is Hope

When YOU don't feel love......................I AM is Love

When YOU don't feel accepted.................I AM is Forgiveness

When YOU don't feel purpose.................I AM is your purpose
When YOU feel insignificant.........................I AM created you for significance
When YOU feel underapprciated.................I AM looks at you with proud Father eyes

When YOU feel inadequate......................I AM uses the inadequate
When you feel I AM is No Where..............Remember, I AM is the Alpha and Omega, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

There are so many times when we get in these ruts that we don't feel I AM in the present so we must go back and be reminded of who I AM was in the past. The past gives us hope and power that I AM is working in the present for the future. May you be encouraged by I AM today!

Just for a little extra encouragement, Go listen to Nicole C. Mullen's song I AM and get your praise on:)

Being Different

2010-11-29T12:22:00.002-06:00

We've all heard the saying "Be in the world, not of the world." I have heard it my entire life, but I believe now more than ever, He is not just asking me, He is calling me to be different from the world. At first I thought, "Different? Are you crazy, God?! I have worked my entire life not to stand out, but to fit it. Nobody wants to be different. The "different" kids got made fun of. The "different" kids rode the short bus. The "different" girls weren't cool. That is not the life I want God!"

"If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me." Mark 8:34

As a follower of Christ, I must be willing to give up the things I want, the worldly things, for the things of God. I may not get to have all the clothes I want or the house I want or the trips I want or the car I want and having these things are not wrong But the Love of those things is. And I Loved those things! (and sometimes still do:)) My deepest desire is to know God more and more so that I can become less and less. Because when that happens people start noticing the "difference" and that difference in Jesus and I do have Love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Can you see these things or live in them or wear them? Nope, but you and everyone around you can feel them. It's different:)

I had the opportunity to have lunch with Miss Oklahoma the other day and she was such an amazing young woman. She was absolutely beautiful inside and out. Her face lit up when she talked about her relationship with Jesus and I loved it! She said a statement that someone had told her before she went out to Hollywood that just stuck in my head. She said, "Something is wrong when our lives (as Christians) makes sense to unbelievers." I love that!

We are called to be different from the world!
The world says love those who love you. Jesus says love those who hate you and pray for them.
The world says have the most and then you will be the best. Jesus says the last will become first.
The world says live so that you can have servants. Jesus says live to serve.
The world says do what makes you happy. Jesus says do what makes you Holy.
The world says what you wear, live or drive makes you happy. Jesus says if you have me, I will make you happy.
The world says you can love God plus love things. Jesus says you can not serve two masters, you can not love me and money.

So how do we do it? I can't tell you how to do it because I don't know where your weakness is, but I can tell you what mine is and how I am working on it. Yes, working on it! I am still a work in progress. I read a verse in Luke 11: 34 and it says, "Your eye is the lamp of your body. when your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness."

If my eyes are the key of making my body full of light then I had to be different in what I watched and looked at. For me, I had to stop watching the TV dramas like Desperate Housewives or Greys Anatomy. For me, I had to stop reading US Weekly and People and OK magazine because I was obsessed with the Hollywood world. I am not telling you this to show how great I am, but just the opposite, I am that weak. I can't watch and read anything and everything and not be affected. Comparison kills contentment and when my eyes saw these things my contentment with Christ and Christ alone was gone. Now, have I obtained this being content 100% of the time? Nope but my Light is getting brighter and brighter every day.

I read this devotion by Max Lucado the other day and loved it! And it says exactly what God has been putting on my heart and hopefully yours too: To be different.

On one side stands the crowd. Jeering. Baiting, Demanding

On the other side stands a peasant. Swollen lips. lumpy eye. Lofty promise

One promises acceptance, the other a cross

One offers flesh and flash, the other offers faith.

The crowd challenges, "Follow us and fit in."

Jesus promises, "Follow me and stand out."

They promise to please. God promises to Save

God looks at you and asks, "Which will be your choice?"

One Thing

2010-11-08T14:40:00.004-06:00

Do you ever read stories in the Bible over and over and then one day you read them and something jumps out at you that you never noticed before. It happens to me all the time and today was no different. I was reading Luke 18:18-30 about the Rich man who asks Jesus, "What must I do to inherit the Kingdom of God?" Jesus talks about the commandments and the man insists that He has kept all of them since youth. But then the statement that crushes the man: "There is one thing you lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me." The man walked away sad because he was very rich. I had always read this story and thought do we really have to sell everything to follow Jesus. It was one of those things I didn't understand.....until today (it sometimes takes me awhile to get it). The statement, There is one thing you lack, is what made it all click for me.

It wasn't the money that was the problem, it was the love of the money that was the problem. It was the one thing that the man loved more than God. It was the one thing that the man put before God. It was the one thing that became an idol in his life. It was the one thing he wasn't willing to give up to follow Jesus and Jesus knew it.
We have to know that God is a jealous God. He is jealous of anything that comes between us and Him. He longs to have all of us, all of our heart, mind, and soul.

Do you have a one thing? Is there one thing that keeps you from going all in? Is there one thing that gets in the way of you and your relationship with God? Is there one thing that keeps you from following Jesus with everything in you?
I encourage you to ask Him today!

I have been praying this verse and I encourage you to do it too, "Search me Oh God and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. If there be any hurtful way in me (my one thing), lead me to the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23
Maybe its a relationship you don't want to give up. Maybe its the love of money that is an idol to you. Maybe its the shame of a past sin that you can't let go of. Maybe its a current sin that you aren't willing to let go. Maybe its pride and/or selfishness . Maybe its laying your own dreams and desires down for God's. Unfortunately for me, I'm not sure it is just one thing, but maybe a few things. I am praying through it and asking God to reveal them to me and more importantly give me the strength to change.

Here is to laying down our "one things" in order to have the life that God intends us to!

Bullet holes

2010-10-25T09:35:00.002-05:00

So....I was driving to my husband's football game and a very interesting car passed me. Ok, I will be honest, it wasn't eye candy at all. It looked like an early 80's Buick that had been driven across country about a 100 times. But that wasn't the thing that caught my attention. It was the fake bullet holes along the side of the driver side door. You know the fake things that you can get to go on your car like the fake baseball crashing through your window and the "leftovers" of Rudolph the red nose reindeer that go in the grill of your car (that is my personal favorite-it really shows the Christmas spirit:)), and of course the fake bullet hole stickers. There is nothing like saying, "How can I make this car that barely runs awesome? Ah yes, fake bullet holes. That will do it." Although it makes me laugh, it also got me thinking about the things we do to make ourselves look and feel better about ourselves. I truly believe that we all live with insecurities, I know I do.
Honestly, I fight insecurities everyday. Everything from physical insecurities to personality insecurities. I fight the thoughts that if people knew the "real me" they probably wouldn't like me so in a sense I wake up thinking, What bullet holes am I going to put on today.
Maybe it is the bullet hole that I have to dress cute so that people will notice my clothes and not me. Maybe it is the bullet hole that I have to act perfect so that no one will no that I am covered with imperfections. Maybe it is the bullet hole that I will do more things for more people because I long to hear praise from people not just my creator.
Do you walk around with any of these bullet holes too?
We try to cover a sinner with these bullet holes in hopes that we too can "appear" like something we are not and weren't created for.

In John 5:44, Jesus says, "How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God."

We were not created to receive glory and praise from one another, but to testify to the Glory of the one true God! Let me say that again, YOU and I WERE NOT CREATED TO RECEIVE GLORY AND PRAISE FROM ONE ANOTHER, BUT TO TESTIFY TO THE GLORY OF THE ONE TRUE GOD!!!
We don't have to cover ourselves with bullet holes because we are covered by the blood of Christ. We don't have to be perfect because we are loved by perfection. We need to believe God when he says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We need to believe that we were made in his image so we are covered with the fingerprints of God-not bullet holes!!!!
I want more than anything that when people see me they see Christ and they can't see Him when I am covered in bullet holes.
I will not let my insecurities keep me from testifying about the one and only GOD!
Will you?

His Autograph

2010-10-15T12:11:00.002-05:00

Hello Girls!

Did you ever wait after a game or concert or even see someone famous in a restaurant and ask for their autograph. The writing of a person's name is so huge these days. People pay a lot of money (ridiculous amounts of money) for the signature of some one's name. Now, I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy getting them from a few of my favorite people. I hang them up in my office or a few are hung up in my two boy's room. One of my favorite autographs is from my sweet daughter, Chloe. Why? Because it is written everywhere! Her name is on everything: I open up my journal, she has written her name on every page. I look at her toys and blankets and her name is written on all tags to claim that they are hers. I look at the head rest behind my seat and right there in big black letters is CHLOE. Her dad and I were even shown where she lays down for rest time. How did we know it was her spot? She had written her name on the wall next to her mat. Yep!-There is no mistake about where Chloe has been because her autograph is written on everything she comes into contact.
This reminds me of a couple of verses in the Bible: Romans 1:19-20.

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

This verse explains that just because God seems like He is invisible, His power and divine nature are not because He has autographed everything we see around us. How can we question God's power and divine nature when you are in the mountains of Colorado? How can we question God's power and divine nature when you are standing on the edge that over sees the grand canyon? How can we question God's power and divine nature when you see your child being born?

God has written his name on everything we see so that when we go through hard times and rough times of questioning if He is real or not, we can walk outside and see a beautiful arrangement of wild flowers and say, "Oh there you are, God." Or you can see the kindness of a stranger and say, "Oh there you are, God." Or you can hear the laughter of your spouse and say, "Oh there you are, God." Or you can see the childish writing of a little girls' name on a piece of paper and say, "Oh there you are, God."

Last, but not least, God has written His name on you! You are his greatest autograph. The Bible says we were created in HIS image. Just like Chloe writing her name on her toys to say they are hers, God wrote His name on you to say that you are HIS. You are an amazing masterpiece of the God of the universe. What you see as a blemish or a problem, He sees as another autograph of His that makes you special and unique. I see it. Do you?

I challenge you this week to go out and notice God's autographs outside your door!

View of God

2010-10-08T09:23:00.003-05:00

So....I was listening to Klove this morning and they were talking about a new article in the USA Today titled "How America Views God." In this article, researchers surveyed over 2,000 people on what their view of God was and how that view affected their life choices. They found that America put God in 1 of 4 categories: Authoritative, Benevolent, Distant, and Critical. We are a country where 94% say they believe in God and yet we are still trying to research the face of God, the name of God, and the character of God when He has already given us the answers to every single one of these questions: Jesus Christ.

We live in a world where we want to separate the two, Jesus in one corner and God in the other corner. We want to write articles and talk on TV about God, but without the name of Jesus. I had the amazing opportunity to give the opining prayer at the Thunder/Lakers game last season and in my "rules" of the prayer I could say anything about God, but not mention the name of Jesus.
Growing up, I had very different views about God vs. Jesus. My view of God looked like a billboard I see around town. You know the one with the black background and the white "quotes" from God. This particular one says, "Don't make me come down there. -God"
That is exactly how I viewed God. He was the all-powerful, all-knowing, authoritative, disciplinarian, distant, critical God that obviously everyone else thought He was too. Then there was Jesus, the "Jesus loves the Little Children" guy, the "dining with sinners" guy, the "make you feel all warm and fuzzy" guy. As I got older and my passion became God, the two started to merge into ONE GOD.

We have been asking these questions (name, face, character) about God from the beginning of time and God came down on this earth and answered them. God's name is Jesus. God's face is Jesus. God's character is Jesus. God showed us everything we needed to know about Him through His Son Jesus. We don't have to ask anymore "Is God a critical, judgemental God?"-the Bible says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
As followers of Jesus Christ, we don't have to wonder what our view of God is anymore. There is no "view" of God, only do you know God. There is no believe in God, only do you believe God. Our view of God should be KNOWING God. Knowing that when God sees the adulteress, he sees a woman who needs love and forgiveness and freely gives it (John 8). Knowing that when God sees sisters who have lost their brother, he cries with them because He is compassionate (John 11). Knowing that when Jesus meets the woman at the well who has searched for love in all the wrong places, he says let me have your heart and He changed her with His love (John 4). Knowing that when our view of God is skewed, His view of us is not. (John 15:12-13).

How do I KNOW all this? Not because I just read it in the Bible, but because I have lived it. I was the woman who needed love and forgiveness. I was the woman who needed God to show compassion and cry with me. I was the woman who needed love and have God change me. I know it must break the heart of God to see His children so confused about who He is. I don't just have a view of God, I KNOW God. Do you?

"I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me....I and the Father are one." -John 10:25-27, 30

Encouragment

2010-10-04T11:50:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends!

If you have kids in school you know that at some point you are going to be on some kind of committee. I usually dread committees. In my head it is just one more thing I have to do, Oh sorry, get to do:) Every year it is like a race over to your child's classroom so you can be the first to sign your name and not have to be stuck with the crafts at their class parties. Committees, Committees, Committees! There are committees for everything: to read to the kids, make copies, the PTF committee (parent/teacher fellowship), party committee, fund-raiser committee etc. None of these are bad and all have really great purpose behind them, but very few make me want to run as fast as I can to sign up, except one. I am on the Kudos Committee. This is a committee where you are given two names from the school to write and encourage them. I love this committee because we ALL need to be encouraged!

The Bible says, "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Unfortunately, we live in a world where we, sadly, take pleasure in watching the downfall of some of those around us. Whether it is a girl you don't like at work fail or your rival football team lose, we all take delight in seeing someone fail. This breaks my heart when I see others tear each other down and it makes me sick when I do it. God says we are not to let any unwholesome talk come from our mouths, but only that which is used to build each other up according to their needs. (Ephesians 4:29). We ALL need to be encouraged. So...I am recruiting. I am recruiting YOU to be a part of the Kudos Committee this month. I want you to pray and ask God who you can encourage this month. It maybe that girl at work you don't like or the wife of the opposing football team or your own husband. You may know someone who is going through a divorce or just needs to be loved. There is someone God wants to use you to show them His Love and His encouragement. Let's use our words to build people up and watch God to something amazing!
Happy encouragement!!!!

Lessons from Mrs. Marcum

2010-09-17T13:59:00.003-05:00

So....I was helping out at the OU softball tournament and they had my working next a 75 year old lady, Mrs. Marcum. Oh-we had the best time! For 3 hours we talked about our families, our jobs (Yep-she still works because she loves it!), and our relationship with Jesus.
She is so in love with Jesus! The way she talked about Him made me want to get saved all over again. When talking about her family, she could have shared if they were great athletes or if they were smart or what they all did for a living, but Nope-she shared with me how each one came to know Jesus. As I was soaking in everything she had to say, we were interrupted by a woman wanting to buy a shirt. This "interruption" became an amazing divine intervention. The customer was writing a check for her shirt and asked what day it was. Then she asked what month and year as well. She then apologized for so many questions and added that she was suffering from a terminal brain tumor that caused her to say and do silly things. Without missing a beat, my new friend said, "Honey, do you know Jesus?"
I couldn't believe her boldness (this-coming from someone who is in full time vocational ministry). She didn't care what people thought, she just wanting to make sure this young lady had a relationship with Jesus. They proceeded to talk about what all the ladies tattoos meant and how she lost her son to suicide in February and I watched in awe of how compassionate, sincere, and loving Mrs. Marcum was to someone she had never met and would probably never see again. I truly believe I got a glimpse of the meaning "What would Jesus do?"

The customer left and I couldn't get enough of Mrs. Marcum's heart and wisdom. She then began to talk about her husband of 56 years!!! She was so open and honest about marriage and how it wasn't always perfect and sometimes she had to give 100%-there is no 50-50 in marriage. Oh, but how she loved her husband!!! I asked her if she could give me one piece of advice in strengthening my own marriage, what would it be? She winked and simply said, "Honey, I never had a headache a day in my life." We just burst out laughing. Wisdom and sense of humor? This lady has it all!

If I could impart some of Mrs. Marcum's wisdom on you I would encourage and challenge you to 1) Be bold for Jesus today! Our relationship with Jesus is personal, but it should never be private!
2) Look for an opportunity to show someone Jesus. God may want to use you to show His Heart, His Love, and His Compassion!
3) Love your Spouse, pray for your spouse, encourage your spouse, even when it is hard. Marrieage is not easy, but it is worth it and the rewards are a love for 56 years (and maybe a few less headaches:))

The Rock

2010-09-08T11:56:00.002-05:00

We hear almost everyday lately about the storms and hurricanes that are impacting our nation. I have been hearing a lot about Earl, lately. I watch the news to see people running around preparing for the storm and it reminded me of this little Methodist church I grew up in and a song we use to sing, The Wise man and the Foolish man. It went something like this (and be glad I'm not singing):

The wise man built his house upon the Rock

And the rain came tumbling down

The rain came down and the floods came up

And the House on the Rock stood firm

The foolish man built his house upon the Sand

And the rain came tumbling down

And the house on the sand went SPLAT!

Now that I have that song stuck in your head we can continue:) As I was reading the verses this song was based on (Luke 6:46-49) there are a few things that stuck out to me that maybe God wants to use to speak to you today. In Verse 48 it says, "And WHEN a flood arose..."

This verse doesn't say "IF" a flood arose, but "WHEN" a flood arose. It is inevitably, we will go through storms of life. You may be struggling in your marriage, you may have lost your job, you may have lost a parent, your child may be struggling, you may just be wondering what your purpose is on this earth. Whatever your storm is-Whatever flood has hit your life, the Bible says in these verses there is one way and only one way that we will stand firm and not get knocked over-THE ROCK! You can't stop the storm from coming, but you can keep it from knocking you down by laying your foundation on the Rock, Jesus Christ. So, how do we do this?

Jesus says in verse 47, "Everyone who come to me and hears my words and does them..." First, we must come to him. That sounds easy enough...Right? Well, if you are anything like me Jesus, sometimes is about the Fourth on the list. Often times when I get hit with a storm, my first phone call is to my husband, my second phone call is to my sisters, my third phone call is to my parents, and then I will come to Jesus. Our foundation is laid when we go to Jesus first...always!

Second, we must hear God's word. How do we do that? Being faithful goers of a church and getting in the Bible and actually reading it ourselves. God's word is the weapon we have against the enemy. How do we expect to face our enemy in the storms of life without our only weapon?

Third, Jesus says we must do them. We can't be merely hearers of the Word, we must be doers of the Word. We don't do these things to check off a list, but so that we can build our foundation because, Ladies, the storm is coming.

I share with you these things not to make you fear or worry about the storm, but encourage you to focus on the Rock, after all Jesus says those who have laid their foundation on the ROCK, the storm "could NOT shake it."

Lesson from Vince Lombardi and Jesus

2010-09-01T11:08:00.005-05:00

Hello Ladies!!!

I really hope you are having a great start to a new school year!!! The smell of fall is upon us: leaves changing, cooler weather, and oh....football! That is really all that is talked about or watched this time of year in the Roberts' house. As a coach, one of my husband's favorite coaches is the legendary Vince Lombardi. There is a quote from Vince Lombardi that God has used to speak to me and my relationship with God and others. The quote is, "Some people find things in the game that don't exist, but football is only 2 things-blocking and tackling."

God used this quote to challenge me in my faith and help grow me as a follower of Christ and maybe He wants to do the same for you too. How? Well, I always thought that to be a more mature Christian you had to know more about the Bible, memorize more scriptures, you had to do more things, or not do more things. You had to understand the book of Revelation, know apologetics so that you could defend the Christian faith, know theology by studying different commentaries people wrote about the Bible. None of these things are bad things and really can be positive, but these things became the focus of my faith, And when it did I often found things in "the game" that don't exist. I became legalistic, judgmental, and religious and not just towards other people, but towards myself as well. I was so hard on myself and others that there was no freedom. You see, I was making the gospel, the good news, into a list of things I could do or should do, couldn't do or shouldn't do. Then, I read Luke 6:27-36:

But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good

to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray

for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the

cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away

your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone

who begs from you, and from one who takes away your

goods do not demand them back. And as you wish

that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those

who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners

love those who love them. And if you do good to those who

do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners

do the same. And "if you lend to those from whom you expect

to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners

to get back the same amount. But love your enemies and do

good and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be

great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the

ungrateful, and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

When I read these verses and realized these words of Jesus was telling us that the "Game of Life" is only about 2 things: 1)Accepting God's LOVE through His son, Jesus Christ. 2) Giving LOVE to others. Anything else is finding things in the game that don't exist. As a follower of Christ and person in the ministry, my life looked nothing like this and that bothered me immensely. How could I go on to study and learn and try to understand the rest of the Bible when I couldn't understand and live these 9 verses in Luke. I truly believe if every person who claimed to be a follower of Christ would live according to these 9 verses, the world would be changed for the Kingdom of God, starting with me. But how could I love like that? I am not capable and even when I try I fail miserably. Then God simply whispers in my ear "You're right you can't, but I can and I live in YOU!!"

In 2010, I have committed to just read the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and get as much Jesus as I can. It has been 8 months and God is doing some amazing things in me and through me. I truly believe God is giving me His eyes to see people the way He sees them (most of the time)) and I am still working on seeing myself the way that He sees me.

Now, after reading this I challenge you to read Luke 6:27-36 again and let God speak to your heart!

Water girl

2010-08-25T10:26:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends!!!

So....I get a phone call from my husband yesterday and his words to me were, "Sarah, can you be my water girl for games?" Believe it or not, I was super excited! I have always been a Knight because I was a fan (#1 Fan:)), but now he is asking me, not just to be a spectator, but to be a part of the team! Is it a glorified position? No. Will anyone really notice me? Probably not. But all you have to do is watch the movie, Waterboy, and you will know it is an important job (and you might laugh a little bit too).

As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are now on the team. And as a member of that team God has something specific He want to accomplish through YOU!
1 Corinthians 12: 4-6 says, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone."

You may think "I don't have any gifts or talents" or "does anyone even notice what I do?" or "does what I do really matter?"

YES!! You do have gifts and God wants to use them to do something great for somebody. YES!!! God notices everything you do. YES!!! what you do, no matter how big or how small, matters to God and to the people He has called you to do it for.

If God is stirring something inside of you right now, I challenge you to open your Bible and read 1 Corinthians 12 and read about all the gifts and talents that God gives people and then pray and ask God where He wants to use you. Whatever it is, just know it was created for you!

Just remember, before David killed Goliath, before David was a soldier and before David was King, he was first shephard and WATERBOY for the army of Israel:)

I know my job as the new Crossings Knights' watergirl is going to be fun, simply because I am not standing on the sidelines but a part of the action. Ladies, it is time to get in the game!

Silent Treatment

2010-08-16T15:48:00.002-05:00

Hello Ladies!

I know it is that time again.....School!!! We are starting our second year at Crossings Christian School and still haven't sold our house. Boo! However, after much prayer we are living in a duplex in Edmond. Yay!! Even though it is small, we are so thankful that we live closer to work and school. I have to admit leading up to this decision was a hard road. Do we move or not move? Are we not being patient with God or lacking in Faith? Are we hearing God or missing Him? Did God actually lead us to this school or did we hear Him wrong? Such a range of emotions, I am sure you have went through similar situations.

Have you ever seen the movie Dirty Dancing? Come on be honest:) I have to admit, I love this movie! There is a scene where Baby goes to talk to her dad out on the deck. She is crying and upset and says, "You can't keep giving me the silent treatment!" There is nothing but silence..... and scene. I have to be honest, I think I have said those exact same words to God so many times over the past year and probably even yesterday. There have been so many times that I feel like I hear God, see God, and feel God in every area of my life. And then there are those times when I feel like I don't hear, feel, or see Him. Maybe you can relate. Here is something that has helped me along this path of silence.

In Luke 4 Jesus is the Chapter where Jesus is tempted by Satan 3 times, but the part I want to focus on is Luke 4:1-2:

Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan

and was led by the Spirit in the desert where for forty

days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during

those days, and at the end of them was hungry.

Can you be full of the Holy Spirit and still end up in the desert? Yes, Jesus did! Can you be alone and hungry and still be in the will of God? Yes, Jesus was! This was no doubt a very difficult time for Jesus, but if you read on you will find He clung to one thing, and it wasn't hearing from God, or feeling God, or seeing God, but it was with God's word! He made it through the desert with the promises of God's Word. He made it through the temptations of the Enemy by God's Word. And it wasn't until after He went through the desert was it time for Him to begin the purpose for which He was created: To become the Messiah. We have to remember that through the silence, through the desert, through the temptations there is something God is preparing you for, whether it something He is doing in you and through you. There is purpose for being led into the desert. Are you prepared with God's Word? I'm working on it-will you join me?

I got Jesus yes I do. I got Jesus how about you? (Sorry, it is officially football season, so everything is a cheer:))

Have a great week!

Lessons from Mom's of the Bible #3

2010-08-09T13:43:00.003-05:00

Hello Girls!

Our third and final Mom of the Bible that we are going to look at and learn from is the only woman that can claim (and it be true) she raised the perfect child. Yes, we are going to look at Mary, mother of Jesus. How can we talk about mom's of the bible without talking about the ultimate mom, the most famous mom of the world-after all she did raise the son of God. We are going to look at this amazing mom in Luke 2:41-46.

Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.

When he was twelve years old, they; went up to the Feast, according to

the custom. After the Feast was over while his parents were returning home, the

boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking

he was in their company, they traveled for a day. Then they began looking for him

among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to

Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple

courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Three days! Three days! Mary lost the son of God for three days! Can you imagine that prayer time:

Dear God, I know you trusted me with the raising of your

son but I have seem to have lost Him. Can you help me

out?Can you find him for me? So sorry. My bad

Amen

I'm sure it was something like that:)

The lesson we can learn from Mary is: Was she an amazing mom, Yes!! Was she a perfect mom, No!!! God did not choose Mary to be the mother of Jesus because she was going to be the perfect mom and God did not choose YOU to be the mom of your little blessings because he thought you were going to be the perfect mom.

If you are anything like me I know in my head nobody is the perfect mom, but there are some who look pretty darn close and they look nothing like me. We are so hard on ourselves as mom's sometimes like when our kid won't eat their vegetables, or they throw a fit in the middle of Wal-mart, or you leave them at Wal-mart:) We need to learn from Mary that we don't have to be perfect because we are loved by perfection, Jesus. You see, Mary is the most famous mom in the world not because she was the perfect mom, but because her son became her savior.

So whenever you have those down days about not being the "perfect mom" just remember Mary and let God love on you!

P.S-I love your feedback!

Lesson #2 of Lessons learned from Mom's of the Bible

2010-07-29T10:42:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends!

So...how have we been doing letting go and letting God? Just remember life is a marathon not a sprint. It is an everyday process:)

Our second lesson from Mom's of the Bible comes from Sarah. Nope-not me, but Sarah the wife of Abraham. In Genesis 15 we read that God promises Abraham that he will be the father of many nations even though he didn't have any children at the time. The Bible says that Abraham believed God, but then days, weeks, and years went by until Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100 and still there was not one child born to them.

We pick up the story in Genesis 18:10-15.....

Then the Lord said, "I will surely return to you about this time next

year and Sarah, your wife, will have a son." Now Sarah was listening

at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah

were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age

of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn

out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" Then the Lord said, "

"Why did Sarah laught and say, 'Will I really have a child now that I am old?'

Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time

next year and Sarah will have have a son."

As we read on we find that God does indeed give them a son named Isaac at the promised time.

The lesson we can learn from Sarah is that: GOD IS FAITHFUL EVEN WHEN WE ARE FAITHLESS.

It 2 Timothy 2:13 says, "He will remain faithful even when we are faithless for He can not disown himself."

There are promises He has given to you and to me throughout the entire bible. You may say where? Well.....

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

God works all things to the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

As far as the east is from the west, our sins have been removed from us. Psalm 103:12

Just in these short 4 verses of the Bible you find the promise of giving you the desires of your heart, working bad situations into good, plans to do great things in and through you, and the promise to forgive ALL your mistakes.

Like Sarah, we go though life with doubts about these promises and so many more, but learn from Sarah God will be faithful to YOU even when you lose faith in Him!
How can we be sure? We can be sure because God has already began fulfilling these promises by sending his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus meets our greatest desires, Jesus gives us hope in hopeless situations, Jesus guides us as we pray about his purpose for our life, and Jesus is the reason God can look at us and see purity.

Whatever you're are going through today, please know God is working. Even though you may not hear him, he is there. Even though you may not feel him, he is there. Even though you may not see him, he is there. God is working in you and through you while fulfilling all His Promises to YOU!
God IS Faithful even when we are faithless!!!

Yes I am here:)

2010-07-22T14:06:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends!

You might be wondering...Where has she been? Well, not at a computer that's for sure! When you work for FCA, summer is crazy with camp, camp, and more camp! Camp season is officially over but it was amazing! We saw lives changed, walls broken, marriages strengthened, and new believers in Christ. Yippee! God is great!!! Now that I am back, will you join me on this continuing journey we call life, I mean busy life, I mean crazy life....And everything in between. There are so much God is teaching me and I can't wait to share it with you!

So let's get caught up and back on track.......

I was the guest speaker at my parent's church over Mother's Day this year. As I was praying and preparing about what God wanted me to share God used 3 moms of the bible to speak to me and I knew that was what I was supposed to share: Lessons from Mom's of the Bible.

The first one was Hannah. Hannah was married to a guy by the name of Elkanah who also had another wife named Penninah. Penninah was not very nice to Hannah at all. You see, Hannah did not have any children and Penninah did. Penninah pretty much rubbed that in Hannah's face each and every day. There was one day that Hannah was so sad, frustrated, and distraught that she wouldn't eat and went to the temple to pray. You can pick up the story from here in 1 Samuel 1:10-18.
You will see that as Hannah poured out her heart to God and she was so visibly distraught that the Priest thought she was drunk. If you keep reading, after Hannah prayed and spoke to the Priest she left and she was different: she went and ate and there was no sadness.

As mom's, wives, daughters, sisters, friends etc. we have all cried out to God during hard times with a heavy heart just like Hannah. Maybe it was a death in the family, you couldn't find a job, you couldn't get pregnant, you lost a baby, prayed for a loved one to know Christ, we have all cried out to God in Prayer but there is one lesson that we can learn from Hannah: Let Go and Let God. Even though we go to God in prayers, if you are like me, very rarely do I leave it with God. So often I will pray and then pick it up and take it with me.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your cares on Him for he cares for you." The word "cast" literally means to throw or hurl. So many times we cast our cares like we cast our fishing pole, we eventually reel it back in. No! we are supposed to "hurl" or "throw" our worries and fears so that He can take care of them-all of them!

Even though Hannah's circumstances hadn't changed her attitude did. The only difference in circumstances was that she left it with God! Ladies, the same God that heard Hannah's prayers and pleas is the same God who hears yours!
He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the End, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
We need to learn from Momma Hannah to Let Go and Let God!!!! What do you need to let go of today?

Stay tuned for lesson #2 of Lessons learned from Mom's of the Bible!

Need some rest?

2010-05-03T10:16:00.003-05:00

We as women, moms, and wives live in a world of craziness. Our days consist of getting kids dressed, ready, fed, and bathed. Being a taxi, counselor, prayer warrior, cheerleader, listener, and boo-boo fixer. All while trying to be a wife that is an encouraging, submitting, and honoring to our husbands. Then you add friend, daughter, sister, home-room mom, house-cleaner (I use that term loosely:)), bake-sell baker, church volunteer, and if you work outside the home, job. All while trying to be the best at every single one of these things. Wow!! It can be overwhelming so many days. I am tired just typing all these things we do and are. Does God really understand everything we do and go through as moms and wives etc. Yes!!!!!! Jesus understood and lived it! But even more importantly shows us how to handle it.

In Mark 6:30-31 says, "The disciples gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

Coming and going, so many people, so many needs, not time to stop and eat...Yep-that sounds familiar. Then Jesus says to them the same thing he wants to say to you......"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Quiet? Rest? What?

You see, Jesus tells us through his disciples that we can't be all that God wants us to be unless we COME TO HIM AND FIND REST! Jesus, himself, after doing healings and teaching to so many would often retreat to be by himself and get alone with God. Ladies, if Jesus the Son of God can't do it all without getting alone with His Father, what makes us think we can??!!!
Our time with God has got to be the most important time of our day. Unfortunately, this thing we need the most is the thing we do the least. Jesus says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you." If we seek God first, then we can be a great mom. If we seek God first, then we can be a great wife. If we seek God first, then we can do ALL that God has called us to do and be!
Ladies, it is time to "Come with me, by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
Let Jesus fill you up today!

Subway

2010-04-12T11:34:00.003-05:00

So...we were on our way home from Church Saturday night and my husband asked if we just wanted to stop and get something to eat and take it home. "Not cook?" I thought, sounds perfect to me. We decided on Subway that is located inside our Loves store. Chris announced to the kids that we were going to Subway and they could each pick out one piece of candy too. My son replied, "Yes! We are so rich!" Chris and I looked at each and both said simultaneously, "Yep, we are!" It was such a great moment that I will never forget and it just reminded me of how rich we really are. Sometimes we get so focused on what we don't have that we lose sight of what we do have. I am so thankful that we all have closets full of clothes, we each have beds to sleep in, and we even get to go to Subway every once in a while. I want to ask you-What are you thankful for today? I want you to think of 5 things that God has provided you and your family and say a prayer of Thanksgiving! Wouldn't it be awesome if God got flooded with prayers of Praise!
Ladies, We are so rich!!!!

Amnesia

2010-04-05T11:20:00.002-05:00

Hello my Friends!

I hope you had a great Easter with your family and celebrated the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ!!!
One of my favorite things about Easter every year is the watching of the classic movie The Ten Commandments (No, I was not watching the Final Four-my bracket was shot). Even though I have watched Charleston Heston year after year lead the Israelites out of Egypt, there was one thing that kept jumping out at me. It was the fact that the Israelites kept getting amnesia. They were witnesses to some of the most amazing miracles in the Bible from the plagues, to being freed, to water coming out of a rock so they could have something to drink, Oh and the small miracle of parting the Red Sea. Are you kidding me? They walked on dry land with a wall of water on both sides of them! But yet they still doubted, questioned his presence, and even started worshipping a golden calf when they didn't hear from God immediately. I was just amazed at the lack of faith "God's people" had in God.

I started thinking about my own life and my own trials and I realized I have done and still do this same thing. I often ask "God where are you?" "Are you still there?" "Do you even hear me anymore?" And have even tried to do things my own way when God just wasn't moving fast enough. All this when I, too, have been a part of some great miracles in my life from healed marriages within my family, 3 miracle babies, God working out situations in coaching etc. He has shown his faithfulness time and time again. The bible teaches us that God IS faithful even when we are faithless. Praise the Lord!!!

Whatever you are facing today in your family, marriage, school, job, relationships, it is time to get your memory back and remember that God has been faithful before-He will be faithful again and again and again!!!

Great night!

2010-03-22T12:54:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to share with you what happened in the Roberts' house last night. We were doing our night time ritual of prayers and reading the bible with the kids and the story was Jesus getting baptized. We were just asking them questions about baptism and if they knew why people get baptized. It was really just normal night time conversation about our bible story before going to bed. After the potty, drinks etc. everybody was in bed and I was in Chloe's closet getting her clothes out for the next day when I heard,
"Mommy."
"Yes, Chloe?"
"I want Jesus to come live in my heart."
As tears ran down my face, I yelled at Chris to come here. I told her to repeat to Chris what she had said and she did. We looked at each other and knelt down beside her bed. Chris asked her why she wanted Jesus to come live in her heart and with the most innocent, sarcastic voice she said, "Dad, because He doesn't live there now."
We prayed the prayer to ask Jesus to come live in her heart with her in her bed.
Does she fully understand what exactly it means to be saved or born again or even grasp what Jesus did so she could ask him to come live in her heart. No She doesn't, but God reminded me
of the blind man who was born blind and Jesus healed him. The Pharisees were questioning him to find out what exactly happened-trying to find fault in Jesus in some way. When they asked the man about Jesus and what Jesus had done for him they said, "Give glory to God, we know this man (Jesus) is a sinner." The healed blind man replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind and now I see!"
He didn't fully understand what was going on, but what he did know was that he was blind and now he sees. Chloe doesn't fully understand the decision she made, but what she does know is that Jesus wasn't there before and now He is. Praise the Lord!!!!!
I never thought I would have a happier day than the day she was born. I was wrong-I have joy like I have never felt before-it is the day she was born again!

The best quote ever!!!

2010-02-17T12:41:00.003-06:00

So...I was on facebook and I ran across a guy who was in my youth group back in the day and had this as one of his favorite quotes: God never said it would be easy. He just said it would be worth it! I love it! That quote hit me right between the eyes. Is this not so true in every aspect of our life?

Wait for the right person to marry-It will be worth it

Wait to have sex before you get married-It will be worth it

Wait on the job that is perfect for you and your family-It will be worth it

Wait until you have the cash to pay for something-It will be worth it

Wait for God's direction and not your own-It will be worth it

Wait for God to answer your prayer-It will be worth it

It may be hard being bold for Christ in your work, home, friends-It will be worth it

It may be hard staying true and faithful to your family-It will be worth it

It may be hard living in a world that rejects God-It will be worth it

The Bible teaches us that if we lose our life we will gain it. Giving up our life is suppose to be the most freeing thing, but we like to make things difficult and make it the most trying thing. Francis Chan, pastor and author of Crazy Love says that when things go wrong or get hard, we tend to hold on to them a little tighter instead of giving them fully over to God. Why? Because when things are going great-God is doing a great job with my life. But when things start getting a little tough, we think God must need a little help and we grab the wheel back and try to take over. The Bible says that God works ALL things to the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Yes, even the hard times!

I want to encourage you each time you have a bad day, month, or even year resist the temptation to take the reigns back in your life. God never said it would be easy-He just said it would be worth it!!!!

Be encouraged today!!!!

Have you sold your house?....Nope

2010-02-12T09:53:00.002-06:00

Have you sold your house yet? I probably get asked that question at least once a day-every day. And every time, I reluctantly I have to mumble out the words...Nope not yet. When you are in the coaching profession, you kinda have to sike yourself up to move...again. You get tired of moving, but as for me, I am ready to move-now! I have to admit, I am all over the place in my prayers-I sometimes pray that our house will sell or that he would give my patience until it does or even ask for forgiveness for questioning God's whereabouts in all this. I just sometimes don't understand why God would lead us to this coaching job (which we love) in the town where I work, we go to church etc. and yet we still live somewhere else. You may have felt this way at some point or even right now. I will tell you something that helps me each time these thoughts creep into my mind.
I am encouraged by the story of David as a young shepherd boy. After God rejects Saul as King of Israel, He sends Samuel to the house of Jesse because "He had chosen one of his sons to be king." Samuel went to the house of Jesse and looked at all the older sons and even though they were very tall and handsome, God tells Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Samuel asks Jesse if he has any more sons and Jesse says, "There is still the youngest, but he is tending to the sheep." Sure enough, David is brought in and He is anointed to be the next King of Israel.

Even though David was told and called to be King by God-it wasn't time yet. So David went out and continued to tend to the sheep. He was then later called to play the harp for King Saul, killed a giant, fought in many battles, had to flee to live in a cave because King Saul wanted him dead, all while knowing that He was suppose to be King someday. I am sure at some point David was saying, "I am not sure what you are doing, God, but I will continue to go where you send me." Each one of these setbacks were actually set ups for what God was preparing to do in David and through David. Each test prepared David a little bit more to be the King God wanted him to be.

When David finally was seated at his calling as King of Israel, God said these words to him,

"I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. ....The Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you....Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me, your throne will be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:8-15

Wow!! That gets me every time! I believe God is with us, preparing us for great things. May you too, find comfort in the story of David. God is faithful-even if we are faithless! Be encouraged today

New Year, New You

2010-01-08T12:33:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!!!

I hope you each had great Holiday season with your family and friends. I have never been one that made new years resolutions, but this year our pastor challenged us to pursue God in asking for one thing this year. Maybe its "one thing" you desire from God or "one thing" you lack or "one thing" you need to let go. Whatever it is I want to challenge you, like our pastor challenged us, to answer at least one of these questions. There is something God wants to do IN you while preparing to do something through you. Now for me, I could easily ask God to SELL OUR HOUSE!!! That could be my one thing, but what fun is that.
So, after much prayer and thought I have decided what my "one thing" will be this year: To be bold for the name of Christ in TRUTH and GRACE while having complete humility. Now if you know me, you might think, "Being bold is not a problem." Well, you are partly right:) I am called to be bold with truth and grace. There are times when I want to speak only truth without the grace, which comes off as being judgemental, but then there are times when I speak grace with little truth and it comes off being passive. The bible teaches us in John 1:17 that Jesus came in Truth and Grace and if I could show the people around me both-that would be awesome! Now, I added the last phrase "with complete humility" because I know myself. The moment I can fully understand showing both truth and grace, I want to remind myself it wasn't on my own, but with Christ and Christ alone! Galations 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives within me." OK, now that I have been real with you I want you to be real with me. What is your "one thing" for 2010? Let me know!!!

Trying to sell the house

2009-12-18T12:34:00.002-06:00

So....Chris has been at his new job for 7 months now and we are still commuting to work because we can't sell our house. I am not going to lie, it has been somewhat frustrating because everything has worked out so great with the new coaching position, except for the house. Do you know how hard it is to keep a house in "somewhat" showing condition with a 5, 3, and 7 month old? I just keep thinking "It would be so much easier if we didn't have to drive almost everyday and have to take our clothes with us if we are doing anything else in the evening." And then the lesson....there's always a lesson:)
I was preparing for the bible study I lead and it was over John 11 and the the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Mary and Martha had sent for Jesus to come and heal their brother, but Jesus waited. He waited until Lazarus had passed away to return to Bethany. He said these words to his disciples, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." EVERYTHING we go through is to accomplish one thing and one thing only: so that you and I will believe and our faith in God Almighty will become stronger. You may have sent for Jesus in trying to sell a house or to save a lost friend or heal family member and it seems as though He is not coming, but in reality He is not coming right now and not in the way we want or choose. But HE will come!! He will come to us as our healer, comforter, counselor, and Savior! May you and I both walk in His timing and not our own!
Have a great Christmas!!!

cheater

2009-11-30T14:02:00.002-06:00

So... we were playing horseshoes in our backyard the other day. I had made a line where we had to stand when throwing the horseshoes to the stake. I went first and then my son followed. He initially started at the line and then decided to take a few steps in front to finish up his turn. Chloe was next-she didn't even start at the line, she simply just walked up to the stake and put the horseshoe around it and began jumping up and down that she had did it. My son was very peturbed at her and yelled, "but she cheated! She is a cheater." I looked at him and replied, "but so did you." "But I didn't cheat as bad as she did," he replied.
That sounds so "child-like" that he would think his cheating was ok because it wasn't as bad as his sister's cheating, but in reality I still find myself thinking those thoughts sometimes as a grown woman. "My shortcomings aren't near as bad as other peoples. People have a lot more to work on themselves than I do. I am overall a really good person." Right? Then the little, still quiet voice replies, "Compared to who? God continues, "Compared to that person-maybe, but compared to me-no! And I am the standard." The good news for you and me is that he made a way for us to live up to his standard and that is our relationship with his son Jesus Christ!
I don't know about you, but for me I want to do as Paul strived to do, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galations 6:14. I know God has a lot more He wants to do in me before he can complete His work through me.
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!!

Mud in your eye

2009-11-06T14:30:00.002-06:00

Do you ever feel like things always get worse before they get better? Things can never just get better. Well, if you have felt like that or are feeling like that as we speak this blog entry is for you! I was reading John 9 where Jesus heals the blind man. Let me just set this up for you. You have a blind man who has been blind since birth and he hears footsteps coming towards him. The next thing he knows he hears the person spit on the crowd and then feels mud in his eyes. I can only imagine what he was thinking-"What are you doing? I am already blind and now you have to rub mud in my eyes made by your own spit. Kick a man why he's down why don't ya" (or something like that :)) But then Jesus said go wash it off and the man obeyed (probably just because he wanted to get the mud off his face) and he was shown a whole new world. He was blind and now he could see. Sometimes in order to reach the top of the mountain we have to go through a valley first. We have to know that God is working in your situation right now. Maybe you can't imagine things getting any better. Know you just have mud in your eyes and at some point God is going to wash it off and your eyes will be open. For you were blind to what God wanted to do in you and through you and now you can see that God truly does work all things to the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Whatever your situation is please know you are loved by the creator of the universe and all He wants to do is get the chance to spit in your eye:) (laugh its good for the soul)

Have a super week!

Sarah

Bring me what you have

2009-10-28T12:03:00.002-05:00

So. . .I am just going to share with you something in hopes that maybe you will come along side of me and pray and with that maybe God will teach you something along the way. I have felt the Holy Spirit leading me to do something and I am not quite sure what it is. I have an idea, but to be honest, the thought scares me to death. It would be a huge leap of faith and totally stepping out of my comforts. I will fill you in more later:) I wanted to start with that because that leads me into my blog thought today. I was preparing for the bible study that I lead and was reading the story of Jesus' miracle of feeding the 5000. Jesus says to the disciples that they need to feed all these people that have come to hear Jesus teach. One disciple suggests that it would basically take 8 months wages to feed all these people. First of all, when I was reading this I am thinking God, the creator of the universe just asking you to do something and your hold up is you don't have enough money? Ummm, wait a minute that is what I do all the time!

Another disciple steps forward and says well, we have these 2 fish and five loaves of bread. Jesus basically replies bring me what you have and watch me do the rest and the rest is miracle history. I believe God wants to do the same miracle in my life and maybe yours. Maybe you are being prompted to take your own leap of faith, but you are looking at your situation and all you have is 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. Jesus is saying to you and me, bring me what you have and I watch me perform a miracle that will blow your socks off!!

Please pray for me and let me know if I can pray for you!!! I will keep you updated:)

The little things

2009-10-12T14:19:00.002-05:00

So our boss had us read a book and share a little bit about what God showed us during the process. The book was called In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. It was an awesome book! If you get a chance (with all the free time you have) read it! The chapter I had to report on was chapter 8 and in this chapter the author talks about having a faith like a child and the reason we lose this important aspect of the Christian life is because we are afraid of looking foolish. This reminded me of a time with my son, Cale. One day we were praying and he asked if he could pray for his gun (his toys are the most prayed for toys on this earth). "Absolutely you can!" After all, that is so cute. Right? Well, days go by and the very gun he prayed for came up missing. We couldn't find that thing anywhere. After awhile I just forgot about it until we were trimming the bushes in our front yard and by golly what did we find in the bushes? THE GUN! As I excited as I was, I was more shocked than anything. Not Cale. Although he was excited, he simple stated, "I knew we would find it because I prayed for it." Here I am with more maturity and more experience and yet my 5 year old son is the one with more faith. At what point in our life do our problems get bigger and our God get smaller? What is it going to take to realize (like a child) that our God is so big that He cares about the little things, even our guns:)

Just say yes!

2009-09-21T13:57:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends!

This post is to encourage and challenge YOU personally! Being the wife of a coach, mother of 3 and in work in the ministry, life can get a little chaotic. You feel like your are being stretched in so many directions. I know there are some individuals out there who can relate. Well, I have always felt like I have been extremely honest with you and will not stop now. My quiet times over the last 4 months have been very sporadic, popcorn prayers throughout the day and even some days non-existent. Those times where I would just sit for hours reading and studying scripture, taking every bit of God in I could was now being replaced with making lunches, car pooling to school, school fundraisers, hauling 3 kids to my husbands games, leading bible studies, speaking engagements and on and on and on..... God got moved to the backseat. Not intentional, but it happened and the crazy thing is I didn't even realize it...until yesterday.

God used the message at church to get my attention. It was like he was standing right there jumping up and down saying, "Hey, Remember me!!! I'm the reason for your family! I am the reason for your ministry! I'm am the reason for YOU!!!

I broke down at church and ask God to forgive me and help me because I had all these life things that could be so overwhelming. I opened my Bible today to study John 5 and read the story of the man who was healed at the pool. This man had been crippled for 38 years and Jesus came by and asked, "Do you want to be healed?" I would think after 38 years if someone asked me that I would emphatically say YES!!! But he didn't. He had excuses of why he wasn't healed. Oh my goodness, that is me!!! Jesus asked me, "Sarah, do you want to spend more time with me?" My answer wasn't just Yes, it was Yes, but.... and it was clear, my answer should simply be yes! Sarah, do you want to know me more deeply-yes! Sarah, do you want to hear my voice-yes! Sarah, do you want me to lead you, yes!

Maybe, you are reading this blog and God is asking you some of those same questions and what will your answer be?

"See FIRST the Kingdom of God and all these things should be added unto you" Matthew 6:33

Hey lady!

2009-09-09T10:54:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends!

So.... I am at a cross country meet watching one of my FCA coaches and as I was heading back to my car a group of girls were coming towards me and one of them said, "Hey that's that lady that came and spoke to our team. I looked around trying to find someone who was much older than me that they had to be reffering to, after all if she was talking to me she would have said, "Hey that's that girl..." Nope, it was me! I was the lady. Was it the marriage of 11 years that made me feel old? nope. Was it having 3 kids that made me feel old? nope. Was it a 7 year career in the ministry that made me feel old? Nope. It was 3 teenagers calling me a lady that made me feel old. Needless to say I was somewhat bummed the rest of the day when God gave me this verse from 1 Corinthians 13:11, "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways."

Alright, OK, I get it! I am not a girl (child) anymore. You don't have to keep reminding me and then my husband's first football game happened. . .

I wanted to correct the ref's call and just let him know that he had made a mistake and he might want to know. OK-maybe it wasn't quite like that, but before I could fly off the handle (which I had every other year and in every other game-at least once) I heard the quiet little voice, "You are not a child. Don't speak, act, or reason like one. It's time to give up childish ways."

Wow! Talk about getting a 2X4 in the back of the head. If you know me, you know my mouth can and has gotten me into a lot of trouble as a coaches wife, and since this is my husbands first head coaching job I believe God is calling me to something higher-to put my childish ways behind me. So, I am saying this to you and to the world so that I can be held accountable-I will (with God's help) act like the lady in which those girls reffered to that day. I will keep you posted:)

Anniversary

2009-08-24T09:53:00.002-05:00

August 24, 1969-This was the day my parents said their wedding vows. Yep-40 years ago today my parents stood before their friends and family and vowed they would stay together-for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poor, til death do them part-and they have. My parents gave me a lot of gifts over the years from cabbage patch kids to bicycles to basketball goals and so on, but the greatest gift they have ever given me was the example they set on having a godly marriage and keeping those vows they said at the age of 19 and 21. Has their marriage been easy-no! My dad served in the Navy and was gone for months at a time, they have taken care of sick parents in their own home, and have dealt with my mom's own cancer battles. These are just 3 of the obstacles they dealt with in their marriage-the point is they dealt with them together. My dad was the spiritual leader in our house that lead the prayers, sunday school lessons, and FCA groups. My mom was the "behind the scenes" servant that made us all look good. Without a doubt, my parents were the ultimate team. My dad was coaching-my mom was cheering. My dad was teaching-my mom was serving. My dad was leading-my mom was following.

So, to my mom and dad: Thank you! It is my prayer that Chris and I are able to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary with as much dignity, grace, and love that you all have shown to each other.

And to you, reading this blog I would love to be able to pray for your marriage so if you have anything specific I can be praying about for you and your husband-please let me know. I have a passion to see marriages thrive-yours and mine!

Old Navy

2009-08-18T15:19:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends,

For most of us, school has started and that means another year of being the wife of a coach. For those of you who are wives of football coaches you won't see your husband for the next few months. As you prepare your family, yourself, and your marriage for the ups and downs of the upcoming season, let me share with you a story that will make you feel like you are not alone when the the world seems like it is crashing down on you or at the least, give you a good laugh.

I picked my kids up and we were going home and I saw the Old Navy store. I remembered I had a gift card from my birthday and I kept seeing those commercials for the $19 jeans and thought it would be no big deal to just run in and see what they had.
Let the tale begin. . .

All three kids were doing great. I had found some jeans to try on (first mistake) and we went to the dressing room. While in the dressing room, Chloe said she had to go to the potty. The restrooms were right next to the dressing room so I hurried and put my clothes back on and took her to the restroom. I went back to the dressing room to finish trying on the jeans (second mistake) and Chloe said, "Mom I have to go poo-poo." OK-here we go. I put clothes back on and took everyone back to the bathroom. We made it! Thank goodness. We headed back up to the front to get the one pair that didn't make me look like I was still 6 months pregnant (third mistake). We waited our turn in line and I gave the sales associate the jeans and as I was giving her my gift card, Chloe starts holding her bottom and I saw the panic her face and then it happened. . .
right there at the check out sat a pile of diarhhea at the feet of my little girl, and then the tears came. It was at this time that I had two choices: freak out or step up. My husband would have been proud because I went into Head Coach mode and praise the Lord for other moms who were willing to help out with the other two kids while I dealt with My Chloe.

I scooped her up (poop and all) ran to the restroom, stopped an associate and asked her to bring us some clothes that Chloe could change in to, cleaned her up, and then spent the next 30 min cleaning up the trail that we had left along the way.

Our quick trip into Old Navy turned into an hour and half later and nobody wearing the same clothes they went in there with. I got everybody loaded into the car to leave (vowing never to return to this particular Old Navy again) and I sat there, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. And then I heard a quiet voice in my head that said "You did it!" "You're right," I said out loud to myself, "I did it!" Whether this was God's intention or not, the lesson was learned. I was just prepared for the upcoming season as a new head coaches wife with 3 kids. I can do it! And so can you! Lets do this year together!

Rain

2009-08-11T11:11:00.002-05:00

I need to get you caught up on the second half of our crazy summer. Right after Case was born my husband took his first head coaching job. We would be moving. . .again:) Even though the thought of selling a house, packing boxes, and moving with 3 small children didn't exactly leave me jumping for joy-where we are going did. He is actually starting a football program at a Christian School in Oklahoma City which is where our church and my job is located. We had been praying for a head coaching job for 2 years and God lead us here. Even though we followed God's lead we are still dealing with some stresses: head coaching duties, starting a program, not being able to sell our house, and commuting with our children.
My husband left the house this morning at 5:30am for his first practice and it was pouring down rain. And as I laid there listening to the rain, I couldn't help but think "Oh I hope our cellar isn't leaking." I drifted back off to sleep and then talked to a friend of mine later this morning and her house flooded. God used these little moments to teach me a life lesson. When it rains if there is any weakness in the house it is exposed. In our house it just happens to be our cellar and in hers it was her roof. When it is warm outside and the sun is shining everything looks strong, but it is when the rain comes that the weaknesses are exposed. The same happens in life-when things are going great our faith looks great, our relationships look great, but it is when the storms of life come that our weaknesses are exposed. Do we really believe God when he says He has plans to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11)? Is our faith really that strong? Are our relationships able to thrive? Well, the storms are here and I say YES! For when I am weak, Christ is made strong. Jesus bring the rain and let the Roberts' family walk on water!

Family Pictures

2009-08-11T10:48:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends,

First of all I have had a request to show a picture of our new addition (I will get the pictures changed of our family sooner or later:)). You all have shared in this incredible journey with me so here is Case Graham Roberts. Thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers. In the Bible, Hannah said these words and I feel the exact same way: "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord." 1 Samuel 1:27-28. May you look at these pictures of Case Graham and be reminded that "God is faithful, even when we are faithless." (2 Timothy 2:13) Praise the Lord!

Still Here!

2009-07-21T11:37:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends,

I realize it has been 2 months since my last post and I hope you are still there. As my husband would say "there are no excuses", but there has been a few things going on-so lets get you updated. First, we have a beautiful baby boy-Case Graham Roberts!!! Yeah!!! He was born on Friday, May 22 at 10:30AM. He weighed 7lb 7oz. (I loved this) and was 20 in. long. He was the missing piece to our family and now our family feels complete. We took him home and I must admit going from 2 to 3 kids threw me for a loop. I think I was naive in thinking "its only one more." Well, that one more was kicking my tail and he was a great baby.
I was starting to get the hang of things when Case was 3 weeks old when Case started getting sick. I had taken all three to FCA camp for the day and while we were there Case threw up, and I mean a lot and he didn't stop. I knew something wasn't right when it would hit the wall behind me. We took him to the Dr. and I wanted them to see what he was doing so I fed him in the waiting room and sure enough he performed right on schedule. After witnessing what he was doing and feeling on his belly, the Dr. said "I am going to send you on over to the hospital and we will probably have surgery tonight or in the morning." My heart sank. Tears started to flow. And I managed to get the words out, "What is wrong with my baby?" She assured me it was a simple procedure, but he had Pyloric Stinosis. This is where the muscle between the stomach and intestine grew too big that it wasn't letting anything go between the two; therefore, since it wasn't getting through it was coming up. The positive was I had heard of this because my husband had it when he was a baby. The negative was I heard horror stories from my mother-in-law about my husband when he was a baby.
We went to the hospital and they started an IV immediately because he was so dehydrated. If you have ever had a child with an IV, you know it is heart wrenching. He was just so tiny with all these tubes and he is just looking at you like "what are they doing to me?"
He had surgery the next morning and it went perfectly. He handled it like a champ, probably better than we did. Four days letter we were finally heading home:) Praise Jesus!
All that to say we are the proud parents of a now healthy baby boy who brings us so much joy! This is only the first chapter of the missing two months. Stay tuned for chapter two!

Passing the Test

2009-05-18T11:34:00.002-05:00

As we approach the end to another school year I keep hearing about tests: Semester tests, final tests, 9 weeks tests etc. Well, there has been one test that we take many times in our lives and that is the testing of our faith. Yes, God tests our faith throughout our entire lives. I feel like I am being tested in my life right now. Tested if I trust Him, Tested if I believe Him, Tested that I have complete obedience to Him, Tested that I completely depend on Him. And if I were to be completely honest with you at the point in the test I am flunking miserably. In my life right now I am extremely pregnant and having more false labor than I ever had with the other two. My husband and I have been praying about where God will take us in the realm of coaching because we just feel that God has something He wants to do through us. We are growing increasingly weary, frustrated, and impatient.

I read this verse today in James 1:2 and it says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers when you face trials of many kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perserverance and let perserverance have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." And I am reminded once again that God won't work through you until He has completely worked in you. I am far from being "perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
So today I will try to pass the testing of my faith and "consider it pure joy" that I am having another baby and that I have an incredible husband who feels the same calling as I do and that I serve a God that no matter how hard I plead and beg for Him to move now-he will not waiver and will never be late.

PS. Don't forget to sign up as a follower at the bottom of the page:)

Imaginary Friend

2009-04-23T19:09:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends,

We have a new addition to the family! No, it is not the baby we have been waiting:) His name is Buster the dog. Buster eats with us, plays with us, rides in the car with us, and does about everything with us. He is the perfect family pet, however, we have never seen him because Buster is the imaginary friend of our 4 year old son, Cale.

We love watching the imagination of our little boy run wild and I have found out that imaginary friends run in the family. My husband had an imaginary friend named Mickey growing up that would play baseball and football with him. I love hearing stories from my mother-in-law about Chris and Mickey.

I can honestly say there have been times that I have felt like God is more like my imaginary friend rather than the creator of the universe. There are those times where you just don't feel Him, see Him, or hear Him. Every person goes though those times. The great thing is that God is the same whether I feel Him or not. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:13 that God is faithful even when we are faithless. Praise God!

There is an Indian legend that says when an Indian boy wants to make the transition to a man he must sit in the woods on a tree stump for an entire night without opening his eyes. No matter what he hears or how scared he might get, he can not open his eyes. For those who pass the test, they open their eyes to find that their father was sitting right next to them, protecting them the entire night. Although they did not feel their father-he was there. Although they did not hear their father-he was there. Although they did not see their father- he was there.

You may not feel, hear, or see God, but I promise you He is not imaginary-He is there!

P.S. I now have a follower list where you can add your name at the bottom of this page. I would love for you to sign up so that I know my husband is not the only one who reads this blog:)

Finishing Strong

2009-04-17T21:07:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends!

Finish Strong-Isn't that a saying that every sports team has used at one point or another? A saying that represents not giving up-playing with your whole heart until the last play of the last game. I am finding that right now I need this saying posted in my house, in my car, in my office, and any other place that I might see it. I am in the stage of pregnancy that I am having those days that it is extremely hard to finish strong. Hard to finish this pregnancy strong without breaking down daily because I am so uncomfortable and getting impatient to meet our little boy. Hard to finish out my work with FCA on a daily basis because all I think about is getting to my maternity leave and spending time with not only the baby, but watching my other two children interact and welcome Case into the family.

I was reminded this last week at Easter services of the last words Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished." If there was ever anyone that we could use as the ultimate example of Finishing Strong it is none other than Christ himself. We sometimes forget that because He was both God and man that He didn't want to go through what He did any more than you and I would. In the Garden of Gethsemane he fell to his knees and ask God "if there is any other way, please take this cup from me. Not as I will, but as you will." He could have quit right there, but He didn't. He could have quit when He went before Pilate, but he didn't. He could have quit when they were beating him beyond recognition, but he didn't. No! He went all the way to the cross and Finished Strong! And Praise the Lord He did!

There has been no other words that have changed the course of history more than these three words-It is finished! So once again, my Savior comes to my rescue and I am reminded that the same spirit that made Him finish strong is the same Spirit that will help me and you finish strong in our everyday lives. Whether it be a pregnancy, an end to another school year, a struggling marriage, a battle with an illness or whatever you may be facing, let these same words resonate with you, challenge you and encourage you to Finish Strong!

Blizzard in the Spring

2009-03-30T14:08:00.000-05:00

Hello girls!

I hope you are enjoying your spring weather! I just wanted to let you know how mine started out-not what I expected. With spring comes warmer weather, beautiful flowers blooming, riding bikes outside with the kids, Easter, new life and I love it, but have yet to experience it. Last week my grandpa passed away and we went up to the Oklahoma Pahandle for the funeral. The funeral was supposed to be on Friday afternoon, but winter reared its ugly head again with a vengence or somebody really ticked off the groundhog. We were in an all out blizzard Friday and Saturday, unable to leave the house because all the roads were closed, and did I mention with 7 kids ages 8 and under. AHHHHHH!!!! Needless to say- it was crazy!!!
Even though I literrally experienced a blizzard in the spring, I really experience blizzards in the spring a lot. Things will be looking great in family, job, children, marriage or all of the above and (as Emeril would say) Bam-a blizzard hits. It could be an unexpected death in the family, an unexpected move or job loss, a child making bad choices etc. Whatever your blizzard is-it doesn't mean there will be no spring. God's delays are not his denials! Spring ALWAYS comes-just maybe not when or how you expected. Know that God is never late and will bring you Spring once again. In Romans 8 it says, God works all things to the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." -Even blizzards in the spring!

P.S.-BABY UPDATE
We are now about 7 weeks out! Woo hoo!!! This baby is kicking my tail! Literally, he kicks so hard:) We will have a talk about that when we meet face to face! I love Him so much already! I am not sure I have told you all the name, but it is Case Graham Roberts! Thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers for this amazing blessing. I can't wait to introduce him to you all.

Love ya!

Being Real

2009-03-13T10:32:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends!

I had the opportunity to speak at a women's conference this past weekend. It was a great time and fellowship with these ladies. I spoke on women of the bible, specifically those who had personal encounters with Jesus and how he changed their lives and how that relates to ours. One thing I have learned about working in women's ministry and, of course, being a woman myself we aren't always real.

It's like a lady who was asked to bake something for her church's bake sale, but she forgot. That morning she was fumbling around trying to bake something real fast and ending up making a chocolate cake, but when she pulled it out of the oven the middle had bottomed out. She was in a panic and an idea came to her head. She found a role of toilet paper put it in the middle of the cake and frosted the whole thing. She gave her husband strict instructions: "when I take this to the bake sale, you be the first one in line and you have to buy this cake." Her husband came home, but with no cake. He said it had already been bought. She was mortified at the thought of who bought the cake. The next day she went to a party at a friends house. When she walked in, she noticed the cake was on the table to be served for dessert. She was making her way to the hostess to tell her not to serve that cake when she overheard another lady complimenting the hostess on how beautiful the cake looked. She then heard the hostess say, "Thanks, I made it myself."

We laugh and joke, but we have all been there when it comes to saving face in front of other women, friends, family, enemies, fans etc. for the sake of looking like we have it all together. Being real is not reality for women these days. There is a sense of perfection that we feel we have to portray to the world. You know we all have those women in our lives who look as though they have it all together: marriage is perfect, children are perfect, house is perfect. I get winded even saying those things. We need to take the masks off and share with one another our imperfections so that God can use those imperfections to fulfill the purpose he has for you and me. When Jesus called His disciples he called the "unschooled and ordinary" not the blemish-free and perfect ones. Yes, I love my husband, but it is hard work sometimes. Yes, I love my children, but it is hard work sometimes. Yes, my house looks like a tornado hit it-most of the time:) We are all a work in progress and to appear to those around you that you have it all together means you are missing out on what God wants to do in you and through you. After all, why mess with perfection?

Chapel

2009-03-04T13:33:00.000-06:00

Hello friends,

Wow! I can't believe it is March already! And with that comes OU softball chapels for me. I serve as the chaplain for the University of Oklahoma softball team. This is my 4 year and let me tell you- this one part of the ministry is more challenging than the other parts combined. We have a chapel on Sundays of home games and do a bible study every other week. We had our first chapel this past weekend and had 12 out of 16 players attended-our best attedance. Woo Hoo!
You all remember this time in our life when we were free to do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, and with whom ever we wanted. You are trying to find out what you believe and if its the same as your parents, grandparents, or none of the above. Its a time for fun and to find out who you are as a person. I once heard that college was "Satan's playground." How scary is that to think about and I think about it often as I deal with these amazing young ladies. All I know is that these girls are away from home, parents, family, friends, and I hope that I can be an outlet to them and give them advice based on the Word and not the World. If you have a child in college-pray for them! If you have a child in high school-pray for them. If you have a child in diapers-pray for them.
One of the prayers that I pray for my children everyday is that God would always put people in their life (friends, mentors, coaches, positive role models) that reflect that of Christ. So even though I may not always be there I can rest assured God is-even if they do go to Satan's playground.
Have a super week!
Sarah

Burdened Heart

2009-02-16T13:29:00.000-06:00

Hello friends,

I write to you all today with such a heavy heart. When you work in the ministry, you tend to see the best and worst of the spiritual battles that each person faces daily. You become well aware of the struggles that the human race faces when living the daily grind of life. I got to see one of the most intense spiritual battles unfold before me last week. I went to visit one of my coaches who is also a dear friend. We have had numerous "God Talks" about what He was doing in each of our lives. This time was different-and not a good different. She preceded to tell me that she had been in a relationship for 11 years with a married man and his divorce was final now, and they were going to try to make it work with them now. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. She was very emotional and the conflict on her was just so intense. I walked out after our 2 hour conversation, sat in my car, and just cried. I called my husband and just poured out my heart broken over hers.

This may sound crazy, but my husband and I have been praying for over 18 months about God's plans for the Roberts' family. We just have this overwhelming feeling that God is preparing our family for something. I asked God that day in my quiet time to show me a glimpse of the the calling He had on my life and 3 hours later I was crying out to him with such a burden for all marriages. I felt like Isaiah when God was roaming the earth, and Isaiah overheard God say, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" I overheard God's calling to intercede on behalf of all marriages. I prayed for an hour for every marriage I could think of-including yours! There is no greater relationship, outside of your relationship with God, than your relationship with your husband. If God gives me the opportunity to go out and speak on the subject I would consider it an answer to the question I heard on that day-"Whom shall I send?"

Praying for your marriage and mine!

Love-Hate relationship

2009-02-04T11:34:00.000-06:00

Hey Girls!

I have listened to people tell me their stories over the past 6 months and although they have different characters in their stories, the context of the stories are the same. People love them one day and dislike them the next. Some people have no idea where these changed feeling are coming from and some know exactly where these feeling harvest. Nobody knows these type of relationships more than coaches and their families. It is because of these relationships that Coaches build walls all around them and only the horns of Joshua could break them down. It can be anything from playing time to not having as good as season as last year. Whatever it is-it causes loneliness for the coach, the wife, and the kids. So, what do we do?

I was doing my quiet time and guess what I read? Jesus went through the exact same love hate relationship with his followers. In Matthew 21 you can read of his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. As He was riding his donkey, people were shouting words of praise, "Hosanna, to the son David. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest." What amazing words of praise and acclimation and only days later would be beaten and crucified by these same people. You hear Peter says things to Jesus like, "Even if I have to die with you. I will never disown you." And as we all know, Peter not only denied him, but did it 3 times. Ouch!
If we want to know what to do when people love us and then hate us, we have to look at the example of Jesus. Jesus said, "Forgive them for they know not what they do." He says we must pray for those who persecute us. He says if someone strikes one cheek, turn them the other.

Are you kidding? Maybe its just me, but it is so much easier to be bitter, bicker, and gripe. After all, they are the ones with the problem-not you. Yes, and these are very human things to think and feel. So how do we follow Jesus' example? We have to remember that although we are human, as Christ-followers we also have the same spirit within us that Jesus had in Him. We can do it because of Christ and Christ alone. Ask Him! He wants to help us become all that He is:) It is our time to be coached by the Head coach!

A world without God

2009-02-02T11:31:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends!

I started my day on a somewhat difficult note today. On my way to work, I stopped by the Hospital to see and pray with my husband's cousin and her husband. He was preparing for surgery to amputate his leg because of cancer. At the age of 30! When I got there the families were waiting in the waiting room-2 going in to see them at a time. I wasn't there 2 minutes when a family member came out and said, "Is there a Sarah here yet? They would like to see her next." Feeling bad that I kinda jumped in line, I walked back there. As I pulled aside the curtain, I saw 2 very frightened indivduals and realized they didn't want to see me, they wanted to feel God right now through my prayer.

I know we all know someone going through such times as these and it may be you! You are asking God questions or just seeking his answers. That was me today! I simply wanted to be reminded of what I had just reminded this young couple: God is real and he is here! I was doing my devotion today and this is what I read:

Think for a moment about this question: What if God weren't here on earth? You think people

can be cruel now, imagine us without the presence of God. You think we are brutal to each

other now, imagine a world without the Holy Spirit. You think there is loneliness and despair

and guilt now, imagine a life without the touch of Jesus. No forgiveness. No hope. No acts of kindness.

No words of love. No more food given in his name. No more songs sung to his praise. No more

deeds done in his honor. If God took away his angels, his grace, his promise of eternity, and his

servants, what would the world be like?
In one word, Hell.

I read this devotion and my questions were answered with one simple word:YES! This couple ,because of Jesus, can have hope! This couple, because of Jesus, can have peace! This couple, because of Jesus, can feel compassion!
And because of Jesus, so can you and I! Woo Hoo!

PS. Baby Update- I am now almost 6 months and feel like I am 9 months. Baby boy is doing awesome and extremely active! Praise the Lord!

Our Children

2009-01-20T11:37:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

My husband and I have started journals for our kids. We wanted to write down memories, thoughts, and feelings for our children as they grow up. We also include things God has taught us in our lives. We hope and pray that God will use these journals to strengthen our children's relationship with Christ. As I was writing in my son's journal, I was reminded of a moment I had with him in November. I had just lost a friend of mine in an accident and I was so upset. Cale asked me if I was OK and I told him I had lost a friend that day. He said, "Mommy, do you want me to pray?" "Oh yes, please! And could you pray for his mommy and daddy because they miss their son." Here was his prayer:
God, could you please get me a horse
So I can take his mommy and daddy up
to heaven to see their son. Amen
I told him that was an awesome prayer and thanked him with a big hug and kiss. He then replied, "Mom, do you think I will get a horse?" I couldn't help to laugh so hard that I now was crying tears of joy. Joy that my children bring into my life.

As I was doing my quiet time this morning, I read Matthew 18:1-4. The heading says, "Who is the Greatest?"
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven?" And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly I say to you
unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever
humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:1-4

Children are the greatest! Yours-mine-all! I have been a Christian since I was 13 years old and even though I am wiser, more knowledgeable of the bible, I still long to have the faith of a child-my child!

The NBA experience

2009-01-08T10:35:00.000-06:00

So. . .I got a phone call from the Oklahoma City Thunder office, the new NBA team, asking if I would be willing to give the innvocation at the game this week. First of all, I didn't even know they prayed at NBA games and second of all, they are asking me? Heck yeah! That sounds like fun. He began to go over when to be there, where to go, what to wear, and "Oh, by the way you can't say the name of Jesus." As we got off the phone, I just sat there. Did he really ask me to pray and then say, but you can't say the name of Jesus. What the heck! I am 0nly able to pray to my heavenly father because of the sacrifice of Jesus. How can I pray without acknowledging HIM! I began to pray and ask God for direction. Would I say it anyway, would I just refer to God, would I refer to Jesus with another name? I honestly didn't know what I was going to do.

Why is it that we can talk about God all day long on TV, on the radio, in magazines, but the moment the name Jesus is brought up, Woah! That is going too far! As Christians, when do we get to exercise the right to free speech? Alright, Alright! I will get off my soap box for a minute and continue.

We had to show up 2 hours before game time to go through the walk through. I was kinda thinking, dude, its a prayer I do it all the time. But I went along with their show. After the walk through they gave us passes to go hang out on the court during warm-ups until I was up. The doors opened to the public an hour and half before game time and we heard the announcement, "The doors are now open, staff, please take your places." Who would show up this early? Well, there were about 12 men ranging from 30-60 who raced in to get there prime spot to get autographs. You might ask, "Did they have kids with them." And I would have to say, "No!" Just their magazines, basketball cards, balls etc. And anytime a player would walk by they would just yell at him like the player had the only cure to cancer by the touch of their pen,and if they would only sign their card, they would be cured. It was quite amusing to watch. It just made me realize the influence the athletic world has on the everyday world. It doesn't matter if you are talking the high school level, college level, or the pro-level, the athlete has more influence than any other person in the school or professional world. That is why I do what I do so that I can help use the platform of athletics for Jesus Christ.

Well, here was a platform. . .What did I do you ask? I walked out to center court, closed my eyes, and let God to the rest. I prayed to my heavenly father and asked those things in "the name above all names, Amen!" Right or Wrong, God heard my prayer through the relationship that I have with the name above all names, Jesus Christ!

Have a super day!

Girl or Boy?

2009-01-05T14:39:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas! I know we did! One thing I love about Christmas is the traditions you create as a family. When we first found out we were pregnant with our first child we sat down and discussed how we wanted to do Christmas. Santa or no Santa, a lot of presents or a few, etc. We got an idea from a friend of ours and made it our own. On Christmas eve, we read the Christmas story from Luke and discuss that tomorrow is Jesus' birthday. Santa brings 3 gifts because that is how many gifts Jesus received from the wisemen when He was born. We then wake up on Christmas morning, eat birthday cake for breakfast, and open gifts.
Oh! It was so awesome! I would love to hear of your family traditions!

Over the Christmas break, we also had our ultrasound to found out if we were going to have a boy or a girl. Yes, I am one of those who needs to know. I have a lot of friends who don't ever find out and I always thought that was so awesome, but could not do it. We tried with our daughter, Chloe. We had them write it down and put it in an envelope. My sister had convinced us to let her know and then she would decorate the nursery. The problem was we didn't see her for a few days and the envelope was just sitting there saying, "Open me!" Chloe got her way then and has been getting her way ever since:)

All through break our families would take polls on what they thought it was. Well, do you have a guess?! The verdict is. . .Boy! Yes, we are having a boy! We are so excited and can't wait to meet our little miracle baby. We know God has something special in store for this little one.
While you are sharing your family traditions with me, please share any advice about having 3 or more kids. I could manage 2 kids going to football games by myself, but 3 seems a little overwhelming.
Love you all!

Sarah

Bed and Breakfast

2008-12-18T12:04:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas, Friends! It's almost here! Yeah!

I hope this entry finds you doing great and not overwhelmed by all that the Christmas season has to offer. I have found a radio station in our area that plays Christmas music all day long! You would think I would get sick of it, but I don't! I love it!

I wanted to share with you our experience this past weekend. Every year my husband takes me to a bed and breakfast the first weekend after football season is over. It's our "hey, how have you been for the past 6 months" weekend. I look forward to it every year and this year was no different. But this year was different in the experience-so here goes. . .

I get a phone call from my husband on Thursday afternoon. He says he came home from school, sick and he couldn't come to the FCA staff Christmas party. Oh no, it can't be happening this weekend. I came home from the party (yes, I went without him. Free steak for a pregnant girl-I'm in!) and he did not look very good. I went to bed and woke up about 6:30am on Friday morning throwing up. Boo!! I was so sick. We tried to wait it out to see if we felt better and Chris did, but I didn't. I had him call the place and tell them we couldn't come and they informed him that since it was less than 24 hour notice they would have to charge us the full price of the room. He relayed the information to me and I replied, "Give me the phone." I, politely, told the lady that we were so sick and asked if there was anything they could do for us (pay half and we get a discount when we come back) anything at all! We couldn't just be out $200 and say "Oh we will do this again some other time." She, politely, replied to me "I am sorry that is our policy, but maybe if you came, a nice soak in our tub will make you feel better." I, not so politely, replied, "I guess I can throw up in your bathroom as much as I can throw up in mine. So I will suck it up and we will be there."

Yes, I am that stubborn and frugal! I told my husband- "let's go!" Yes, we did go and spent the night at our bed and breakfast with a take out dinner of "Lunchables" and laid in the big nice bed, watching Mission Impossible III between trips to the bathroom. Not our romantic evening I thought we would have, but none the less a memory that some day we will laugh at:)

Hopefully you can get a good laugh! Have a Happy Day!

Samaritan Woman

2008-12-08T10:24:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

I can't believe I haven't written since Thanksgiving! During the Christmas season, time just seems to go by faster than any other time. Well, we finished up our season on Friday night in the state semi-finals. It was a great season and even though I am looking forward to having my husband back again, I could have went one more week:) I am excited, however, for this weekend. Each year, the first weekend after our season ends my husband takes me to a bed and breakfast to basically say, "How have you been for the last 6 months?" It has been a great tradition that I look forward to every year. This was a result of a lesson we learned being a coaching family-we had to do something to keep the communication lines open and the intimacy alive that can be lost during a hard fought season. We are all learning lessons everyday as wives, moms, professionals, and women.

I wanted to share with you one of the biggest lessons I learned that changed my life in each of these areas. The lesson came from John 4:1-44. I would encourage you to read this before reading on in this entry. Here, we meet a woman that isn't given a name, but is so significant to women today. We will call her the Samaritan woman because she was from a town called Samaria. The Samaritans, in general, were basically outcasts from society for their pagan worship and were considered "unclean" by the Jews. The Jews did not socialize with the Samaritans to say the least so the fact that Jesus would stop and converse with one reveals that Jesus saw this woman like nobody else did-His child. (Just like He sees you and me). In verse 7-Jesus asks the woman for a drink and she questions why He, a Jew, is asking for water from a Samaritan. Jesus replies, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that say to you, 'Give me a drink' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." She is confused and asks Him questions about "this water." She finally figures out that Jesus is the living water that will "never make her thirsty again."

He then tells her to go get her husband and she replies, "I have no husband." Jesus then says, "You are right- you do not have a husband for you have had 5 husbands and the one you live with now is not your husband." She believed He was the Christ and was filled with the living water Jesus talked about. I was much like this woman in the fact that I was trying to make my husband fit the role that only Christ can. And still sometimes do. As a woman, we have emotional needs and spiritual needs and we spend our whole life trying to find a man to meet those needs, just like the Samaritan woman, so when our spouse doesn't live up to our expectations we get frustrated and lonely, but the reality is there is only one man that can meet each and EVERY emotional and spiritual need and that is Christ and Christ alone! Jesus, as the living water, makes you never thirst for anything more. Even sometimes today I find that when Chris and I are having problems-most of the time it is because I am trying to put him in a position that he will fail every time because he is incapable of doing only that which Christ can. When I learned this lesson, I promise you-my marriage was better and my relationship with God was better.

I hope sharing my stories will encourage you in yours! God bless you!!

P.S. Baby update- We are now 15 weeks and feeling great!! Yeah!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T14:19:00.000-06:00

What a great time of year! Thanksgiving, for me, can be sometimes overlooked. My decorations for Christmas go up earlier and earlier each year. I am already listening to the 24/7 Christmas music station on my radio. I am really not sure why that is, but I want to take the time and say publicly to the world. . ."I am so thankful!"

I am thankful that even after all the ups and downs of the season, we are still playing. I am thankful that after all the morning sickness, I have passed the first trimester mark and have a little belly to rub:) I am thankful that, although I can't go to my dad's birthday party because we will be playing this weekend, he is turning 61 and is still the best dad in the world! And I am thankful that God spends every day with me, loving me, not in spite of who I am, but because of who I am! Lastly, I am thankful for you! Even though I may not know your name or where you live, I am thankful that you let me come into your lives and let me share what God has done in mine.
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this , that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

The Bell

2008-11-19T10:18:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

I heard this story and wanted to share it with you today.
The story is told in England that at the time of Oliver Cromwell a young soldier was tried in military court and sentenced to death. He was to be shot at the "ringing of the curfew bell." His fiance climbed up into the bell tower several hours before curfew time and tied herself to the bell's huge clapper. At curfew time, when only muted sounds came out of the bell tower, Cromwell demanded to know why the bell was not ringing. His soldiers went to investigate and found the young woman cut and bleeding from being knocked back and forth against the great bell.

They brought her down and the story goes, Cromwell was so impressed with her willingness to suffer in this way on behalf of someone she loved that he dismissed the soldier saying, "Curfew shall not ring tonight."

What a great story! A story of love and sacrifice which we all know as coaches wives. Someone once said the definition of sacrifice is giving up something you love for something you love even more. Know your sacrifice for you family does not go unnoticed. You are loved and appreciated by your Heavenly father! Oh and I love you too:)

Bake Shop Talk

2008-11-12T10:33:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

So I was in this little bake shop yesterday (baby needed some no-bake cookies:)). I was waiting on my order when I couldn't help over hear a conversation that was taking place at the table in front of me. Seated at this table were 4 ladies in their late sixties, early seventies. What I expected to hear was talk that included, "So I saw the grandkids this weekend," or "I loved that quilt you made for the church benefit dinner" or "Did you hear Marge's husband passed away yesterday." You know, the stereotypical conversation of older ladies. Not today! These ladies were talking football-college football! And I loved it. I sat there listening to them talk about Oklahoma State's defense during the Texas Tech game and the match up between OU and Texas Tech coming up in a few weeks. They even threw in there votes for this year's Heisman race.

They called my name to pick up my order and I did not want to get up-heck, I wanted a little piece of the seventy year old action, but the baby won this battle. As I got back in my car and was satisfying my (I mean the baby) craving, I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. I was reminded of what a great game football is and how awesome sports can be, in general. I know we get so bogged down with the ups and downs of sports as coaching families, but I want to remind ourselves of what great games they really are. Our husbands got into this profession for the love of the game. We need to remind them and ourselves of that.

Sports is the one thing that transcends all age boundaries . It is the one thing that you can talk to your grandpa (or grandma) about and it not be awkward. It is the one thing that can bring a family together after Thanksgiving dinner. And it is the one thing that is talked about from TV to Radio to the coffee shop to the bake shop.
SPORTS!! Got to LOVE it!!!!

Great Weekend

2008-11-03T09:52:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

I just wanted to let you all know what a great weekend we had, and it had nothing to do with football:) Crazy, I know. It was great because at 5:00 on Saturday night I witnessed one of the greatest things of my life-my husband getting baptized. Just so you know, because our church is so big we have services on Saturday and Sunday. Family and Friends were there all to support his decision to "take the plunge." I was sitting there feeling like I was getting ready to watch my husband coach in the state championship or something. I was excited, anxious, a little nervous-all at the same time. To set the scene-our church has a big pool they put up in front of the church for baptisms. While the worship music is playing they bring the individuals who have made this decision to get baptized all out at the same time. There he was-the 4th person in line. They bring each one in the pool one at a time, they ask them questions, and then here it comes. . .a pastor puts them under water and then they shoot up a brand new person. For my husband, this brand new person just happened to shoot up back in college, but he never got baptized. This act was an act of obedience for him. I have watched while God called him into coaching and use it as a ministry and he obeyed, I watched God call him to share his faith in front of hundreds of people and he obeyed, and I have watched God call him to get in the Word and he obeyed and i watched God call him to fight the pride and get baptized and he obeyed. With this one act-he encouraged me and inspired me to listen to God and obey! It is a great honor to follow his spiritual leadership for our family.

As I told you in a previous post this hasn't always been the case so when I was watching, I couldn't help but get overwhelmed with emotion. I have been a part of this man's life from when we were in grade school all the way to his baptism at the age of 31 and I can tell you I wouldn't have missed any of it for the world. The good, the bad, the ugly, the great all led to this moment where I got to see God work in him, creating with in him a man after God's own heart. The answer to many prayers, years of prayers happened on Saturday, November 1 at 5:00. Let this be a testimony that God is Faithful!!! Not in our time, but in His! I can't wait to see where God will take him next.

Baby Update: We had a checkup and everything looks great so far!! 10 weeks woo hoo!

Holding your husband's hand

2008-10-29T14:43:00.001-05:00

Ok, so you read the title and you think, this is going to be a lovey, dovey entry. Wrong!! Your husband may or may not be like my husband. Display of affection is made either after a conscious effort or a strong nudge from myself. He tries and has such great qualities, but that is just not his strongest. No, I am talking about something totally different.

There is a story in the bible that is one of my favorites. It is found in Exodus (yes, exodus) 17:8-13. In this story the characters include Moses, Joshua, Aaron, and Hur. God's team (Israelites) were fighting a group called Amalek. Moses told Joshua he would go up to the top of the hill and stand with the staff of God in his hand (vs.9) while Joshua went and fought the Amalek. Starting in verse 11 it says, "Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew tired, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword."

I love that!!!! That is the best story and such an amazing picture of friendship, family, and the spouse relationship. Ladies, whether you are in your husband's season or you are preparing for your husband's season, there IS going to come a time when he gets weary and tired and you are going to have to hold his hands up. He may be tired of his team-hold his hands up. He may be tired of the media-hold his hands up. He may be tired of losing-hold his hands up. How do you do that: Pray and Words of Encouragement. There is nothing that makes a man stronger than a wife that prays for him daily. There is nothing that builds a man up than words of encouragement from the one person that knows him better than any one else.

And believe me I realize you are tired, heck, I am tired, but that is why we have each other. Wives, to pray for each other and build each other up so that we can in turn hold our husband's hand.

Believe God

2008-10-27T10:26:00.000-05:00

Hello my friends!!!

Can I just tell you how excited I am to have such new friends from all over the country brought together by 3 things: faith, family, and football (and/or any other sports-they just didn't start with "F").
First, I want to let you know I received a prayer request from Heather in Kentucky and I want to ask all of the readers to please pray for the Gunner Gillespie family. Gunner was an 8 year old boy who lost his battle with a brain tumor last week. His father is a HS Basketball coach in Kentucky.
God,
We ask that you would please be with the family of Gunner. I know they are hurting right now but I also know that your Word says you are "close to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in Spirit." Be their comfort and peace right now. If there is anyone who knows what it means to lose a son it is you Father.
Amen.

I want to share with you a thought that I often speak about. The difference between believing in God and believing God. There is such a huge difference between the two and I hope by the time I share them with you-you are challenged and encouraged.
Let me start by saying, Believing in God will get you about as far as believing in Santa Clause. Not very.The bible tell us in James 2:19 "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder." Those are some powerful words. They teach us that we can't just believe in God we must believe God. So what do I mean by Believe God?

First, Believe God when he says he has a FUTURE for you. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a Future." In the life of sports you never know where you are going to be, where you are going to live, but He does. He has plans and a future for your family. Believe Him!!!

Second, Believe God when he says he is FAITHFUL! In 2 Timothy 2:13 it says, "if we are faithless, he will remain Faithful, for he cannot disown himself."
There is an old Indian legend that says that in order for a boy to become a man, he has to sit outside on a tree stump, in the forest, all night long with his eyes closed. No matter what he hears or feels, he can not open his eyes or he fails. For those boys who succeed they get to open their eyes when they feel the sunshine and what they find is their father was standing beside them the whole night, watching and protecting. They didn't see him-but he was there. They didn't hear him-but his was there. They didn't feel him but his was there! Whatever you are going through right now, remember, you may not feel God, but He is there. You may not see God, but He is there! And you may not hear God-But He is there. Believe HIM!

Third, Believe God when He says you are FORGIVEN! Psalms 103:12 says, as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us." You may say, "but Sarah, you don't know what I have done." And I will say, God Forgives you! No matter what. You may say, "So why do I still feel guilt and shame." That is not God not forgiving you-that is your spiritual enemy (Satan) not letting you forget. You are Forgiven! Believe Him!!

Lastly, if you miss this part then you have missed the entire message. Believe God when He says, "This is my son whom I am well pleased". . . nobody comes to me except through Him. You see, we don't get to experience God's future, His faithfulness, or His Forgiveness without experiencing His Son, Jesus Christ! This is exciting! We have hope, we have peace, and joy like we never knew before!
I was the biggest Michael Jordan fan growing up. I had his shoes, his posters, his book etc. I knew his stats, career etc. But if I were to walk up to Michael Jordan today and said, "Hey Mike." He would say, "I don't know you." That is the difference. I know of him, but I don't know him.

Believe God today and all that He has in store for you, your husband, and your family!!!

Encouragement to you

2008-10-22T15:17:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

I can call you my friends because we already have an instant connection. Sports! If you are not at a game you are preparing for a game and if you are not preparing for the game, you are talking about the game, and if you are not talking about the game, you are thinking about the game. It doesn't matter if you are in your husband's season or not: There is no off season!

I wanted to address a comment from a coaches wife that is so true, but the desperation in her heart pierced mine. She commented, "I once had a parent tell me that it is just a GAME. I turned and started crying. It's not "just a game," it's our life. It's whether I get to stay in my house one more year. It's whether I get to keep my job, or move my family, or leave my friends. It's NOT just a game for any of us." There is so much truth to these statements, but one of the things I found most intriguing was not the desperation in her words but the devotion to her husband and her family. Even though we are devoted to our husbands this is a hard profession for the exact reasons she mentioned. The thing I want to encourage each of you is, though it looks like our husband's profession is the hands of teenagers, parents, and/or administrators we need to be reminded (myself included) it doesn't! Where we live, where we coach is in the hands of the God Almighty! The bible says in Proverbs 21:30, "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." As Christ followers, God's plan includes your family! What the enemy means for harm, God will always make good come out of it somehow. How awesome is that! We have been given the promise that "He works all things to the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." That includes losing seasons, disgruntled parents, uncooperative adminstrations.

Be encouraged, God is your offensive coordinator. He is in the booth able to see things we can not see on the field. He is in control!!!!

Big News!

2008-10-20T15:04:00.000-05:00

I know I am writing on the same day, but i needed to make this a completely different entry. Today was a great day. So you will understand how great of a day it was I have to tell you our story from the beginning. As you can see, we have 2 beautiful children which we love dearly. Unfortunately, we were not able to get pregnant on our own (I have issues). I had to have surgery to get pregnant with both children. We had always wanted 3 children because I come from a family of 3 girls and my husband comes from a family of 3 boys so when we got pregnant on our own, we were elated. We just knew this was a miracle from God! The bad news-at 8 weeks I miscarried. We were so sad, but as the Natalie Grant song says, "We will not be moved." Two months later I found out I was pregnant again! We couldn't believe it. We knew God was faithful and He was going to give us the desire of our hearts: a third child. We went in for an ultrasound and we saw a heartbeat, a faint one, but there was one. We were pumped! At 11 weeks we went in for a follow up and this time there was no heartbeat. Our hearts were crushed. We couldn't do this again. But in that small room, my husband and I, weeping so hard, made a promise: We were going to praise Him when we win and we were going to praise Him when we lose. Spoken like a coach and his wife:) It was hard, don't get me wrong. I had good days, bad days, and even worse days, but I clung to the verse in Psalms that says, "He is close to the brokenhearted and he saves those who are crushed in spirit." That was us and He kept his promise!

That was September of 2007 and in September of 2008 I had made an appointment with my Dr.'s office because I was having some "issues" again. God does things in a mighty way, let me tell you! I made the appointment content with thinking I would never have another child and we were going to get this taken care of permanetly and left the Dr. with a confirmation that I was pregnant!

So why was it a great day today? We had an ultrasound this morning and we got to see our third child's heartbeat, beating at 162 beats per minute which is great!!! They said everything looked normal and perfect! Scripture tells us that "He will remain faithful, even when we are faithless."
Praise God!!!! Please pray for Roberts' family (all 5 of us:))

I'm Back!

2008-10-20T14:45:00.000-05:00

Hello ladies,

I am back!!! Thank you so much for your sweet messages and and your patience. As you can see, my blog has been under a makeover! I love it and I hope you do to! I have had so much to tell you and just couldn't wait to get back on line. First, let's talk about the season. We are doing pretty good right now in the win/loss column. We are 5-2 which is pretty good compared to some, but (you knew there was a but coming on), but as for young men I am afraid some of them just don't get it. We have guys inelgible every week because they just don't care about the classroom. They could care less they are letting their team down. We have guys jumping other guys in the lockerroom after practice. They don't get to play, but they don't care. Hopefully, there is some of you out there who know what I am talking about. It is just crazy how you can have teams that win on the field, but lose off. And then you have teams that win off the field, but lose on. Unfortunetly, it is only what they do on the field that our husbands get judged. OH Sports! Gotta love it! Any comments on this would be awesome!!!!!

Not alone

2008-09-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

You may read this blog and think 'Someone else is going through what I am.' I want to challenge you to read the comments as well. Coaches and their families are going through situations like this all over the nation. I want you to know "You are not alone." We are all in this together, and we as in you and I, our husbands, children, and the creator of the universe.

I learned a lesson awhile back and I hope it is one that encourages you too. Our spiritual enemy comes at us using two tactics: temptation and opposition. He will tempt you with weakness, trying to get you to stumble in your walk so that the name of Christ for who you stand for will be dragged through the mud. He will come against everything you are and stand for. If you are trying to do the right things and it just doesn't seem like you are, you are being opposed. When you are walking with integrity and their are rumors that you are not-you are being opposed. The lesson comes in how we handle these two tactics. The bible teaches us to flee from temptation and fight opposotion, but we, as humans, tend to do the opposite. We want to fight temptation and flee from opposition.

The enemy tries these tactics on me as a coaches wife all the time. I have been tempted a lot to say things to fans in the stands (nothing that would resemble coming from that of a person in ministry:)) and I think I am fighting that temptation, but once I realized I was to flee from the temptation, I don't sit in the stands anymore. Now, when it comes to being opposed I will fight, fight, fight! But we are not supposed to fight as the world does with more rumors and more hurtful words, no God says in His Word, "Finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against people, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able stand your ground, after you have done everything, to stand." Ephesians 6:10-13

I know I have a long ways to go for these lesson to mastered, but knowing that I am not alone in the fight gives me encouragement. Fighting with you. . .

Round 2

2008-09-26T10:36:00.000-05:00

The paper reads "Kingfisher makes a quarterback change." And so round 2 begins, the father is not real happy about this and my husband is just burdened. Not because he feels he made the wrong decision because he is very much at peace with the decision made to move the starting quarterback to receiver and start a different guy, but that this father is a friend and brother in Christ. We have dealt with parents being unhappy before but never has it entered into our safe place, Church. We are really praying for words of wisdom because what we really want to say are words of emotion and that can get you in trouble.

Being a coaches daughter, I called my parents to seek their words of wisdom and like always, God used them and their experiences to help us through ours. After my dad shared stories of similar situations he went through, my mom said something very profound. She said, "You can view yourselves as victims or you can conduct yourself in such a way that glorifies Christ through how you handle it." Thank you, God, for such amazing parents that lead by example.

I also was doing my quiet time this morning and read Matthew 15:10-20 and Jesus was talking about the words that come out of our mouth are a reflection of our heart. Lord, make my heart like yours. Help me to speak when I need to speak and be quiet when i need to be quiet.

Praying for God's direction for me and all of you out there who are facing similiar situations.

The Husband I always wanted

2008-09-22T10:55:00.000-05:00

So last week after my amazing visit with my parent I thought, could my week get any better. Yes, Yes it could. I get a phone call from my husband and he says, "I just did something a little crazy." Now, at this point this comment could mean anything-"took another job", "moving again", "bought a boat," it could have been anything. So I braced myself for what the next sentence held for the Roberts'family, I heard these words "I just signed up to get baptized at church on November 1." As I sat there and listened to my husband tell me why and how this decision came to pass, tears rolled down my face. He explained that God had really been working on him about this. He became a Christian in college, but never got baptized. He felt God was calling him to take a stand for Christ and this was an act of obedience. Let me just fill you in on our story in hopes that it will encourage yours.

We were high school sweethearts and we got married when I was 20 and he was 21. Yes, we were very young, naive, immature and really had no idea what marriage consisted of. Let me paint you a picture of our first two years of marriage. He was a college baseball player who was a rebel and liked to have his fun. I was a bible-beater, self-righteous, youth minister who read scripture over him as a conviction mechanism. He dealt with feelings of "never measuring up to my standards." And I agreed, not with my words, but with my actions. Where was the husband that I deserved and was a "man after God's own heart?"
I was given a book called "The Power of a Praying Wife." It was then that I committed to pray for my husband and pray and pray and pray. When I set out to pray for the change in him I recieved a change in me. God began to change my heart and in turn began to change his as well. I was making the mistake that I would argue, most women make. I was trying to make him fulfill that which only Christ can. There is only one man that can truly be the love of our life, one man that can be our best friend, one man that can fulfill every need-and it isn't our husband, it is JESUS CHRIST. Once I realized this, the bitter, nagging, resentful wife was gone and in turn God started to create a husband I could only dream of.
I have been married to a man that did not lead his family spiritally and I have been married to a man that has led his family spiritually-they just happened to be the same man. In order for him to lead, I had to get out of the way. Now, he gives his testimony to groups, he speaks to different FCA groups and team chapels, and now is getting baptized at the age of 31. Praise God!! We think God needs our help, just a little nudge every once in a while, but he doesn't. You may be exactly where I was, wishing and hoping for your husband to just pray out loud. When your responsiblity is to be faithful and pray! It is the least/most you can do for your husband. Pray expecting your miracle!!! Until next time. . .

Are you serious?

2008-09-16T15:06:00.000-05:00

OK, Let me just start off by saying "Are you serious?" As burdened as I was yesterday, I am on cloud 9 day. If you don't believe in the power of prayer and miracles then let me be a living testimony today. If I could jump through this computer and tell you in person I would because I don't feel I convey my true excitement over typing(If you know me, you know I am a very excitable person), but I will try. Well, after I shared yesterday I told you I was going to take my own advice and shut up and pray (which again, if you know me is very hard to do). I prayed for our friends and I prayed for us. I received a text from the parent last night wanting to know if I was coming to bible study. I was so excited for this text, but I couldn't go because it was the one Monday that my husband didn't have a JV game so we were spending some family time which you all know is rare during season. After being sad that I had to decline, but so excited for the invitation I invited her to coffee this morning. We met and let me tell you God was present in that little coffee house.

She first opened up about everything she was going through as a wife, mother, daughter, and worker. Her heart was just so stressed and overwhelmed and then here it came. . . "I am so sorry for how I treated you at the game." All this with tears rolling down her face and I just wanted to love on her. All I could think was "if I was going through everything she was at this point in her life I probably would have ripped someone's head off by now." I know it had to be so hard for her, but I am not sure she will ever know to the full extent what that did for me as a Christ-follower and a coaches wife.

This lesson has encouraged me as a coaches wife because it goes to show: First of all, God is bigger than any situation. Scripture tells us "to be anxious about nothing, but in everything with prayer and petition present your requests to God with thanksgiving." I should have went to God first instead of worrying about it for 2 days first. Second, we can never fully know what people are going through personally. She was my friend and I had no idea she was struggling as much as she was. Ladies, we have an opporunity to shine the light of Christ in dark filled world. I pray that this entry encourages you and challenges you to do just that!!!! Parents, administration, etc. are not our enemy. We have one enemy and he would like nothing more than for us to believe they were. Be encouraged when your husband goes through this. God is Great! Until next time. . .

Tough game

2008-09-15T11:41:00.000-05:00

First of all, I want to say thank you so much for your comments. Oh please keep sending them. It encourages me to know I am not alone in this adventure of the coaching profession.

I write today with a somewhat heavy heart. We had our game last Friday and lets just say it was a slaughter and we were the pig. Although I do not like losing that is not the reason for my heavy heart. The heaviness comes from the fact that there are some parents who are quite upset with the coaching staff which includes my husband. Now, I am somewhat used to this phenomenon or at least as used to it as you can be. But what I am not used to, is the fact that it is friends of ours. On one hand, I understand that it is personal because after all it is their son and my son is only 4 so I have never been their shoes. On the other hand, it is personal to me because this is my husband and it breaks my heart that football comes between friends when it shouldn't! They know my husband's heart. They know how hard he works. They know how much time he spends away from his own family. I just don't get it. Maybe someone can enlighten me. It's no wonder that coaches have so many walls built up around them and dont want to trust anybody. And I realize now more than ever that our husbands need us. They need encouragement, they need prayer, they need love, they need support, they need validation, and they need a friend-YOU!!

This actually reminds me of the second lesson God taught me in the story of Job. If you remember, Job's wife said to him, "Why do you insist on keeping your integrity. Curse God and die." Wow! Kick a man while he is down. He just lost his children, servants, everything he owns and that is the best she could come up with. As I reflect on this woman's harsh words I was reminded of how many times I myself have spoke equally harsh words and sometimes those harsh words came when he was down. Our husbands are torn down everyday by other people's harsh words they don't need them from us! Scripture tells us in Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." ACCORDING TO THEIR NEEDS, and our husbands need wholesome talk in their lives. Is this always easy?No! And believe me I
still fail miserably, but I am getting better and you can too!

As for these parents, what I would like to do is drive over to their house and defend my husband, but our spiritual enemy would like nothing more for that to happen so what do I do:PRAY!! Pray for them, pray for us! And above all: stand on the promises of God! I found this verse for all the trophy wives who go through times like these: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in the faith. because you know that your brothers (sisters) throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:8-9

Until next time. . .

A day to remember

2008-09-11T13:44:00.000-05:00

September 11, 2001, a day that can never be forgotten. I can remember exactly what I was doing and where I was when I got the news of the attacks on the twin towers. I was teaching Pre-K at a Catholic school in Edmond, OK. The cook came into our classroom yelling, "We are under attack." "The US is under attack." Not being able to comprehend exactly what she was saying, we all huddled in the director's office watching a little black and white TV and I just couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. My country, that I love, was being attacked by terrorists. The realization was we just arent safe anymore-anywhere!

On this day of remembrance I want to remind you that God was and still is with us in the midst of tragedies. The presence of tragedies does not mean the absence of God and the absence of tragedies does not mean the presence of God. As Christ followers, we are in the grip of God at all times. We are able to find peace that passes all understanding in the midst of tragedy. We are able to find hope that the mind can not fathom. We are able to stand firm when the world is crumbling around us. As wives, moms, friends, sisters we can know that in tough times such as this one, our faith begins to transcend between simply believing in God to believing God. When we just believe in God we don't get to experience that hope, peace, and foundation. Scripture tells us in James 2:9 "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that- and shutter." No, in times like this or in your own personal tragedy simply believing in God will just leave you hopeless and empty inside. When you make that transition to simply believing in God and believing God you are opened to a whole new world. A world where you get to believe God when he says, "He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in Spirit." (Psalm 34:14) You get to believe God when he says, "He is faithful even when we are faithless."(2 Timothy 2:12) You get to believe God when he says, "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and future." (Jeremiah 29:11) You get to believe God when he says,"He works all things to the good for those who love him and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) Promise after Promise that you can stand on when things happen that you don't understand and that you can't possibly see any good.

In coaching terms God is the offensive coordinator in a sense. The offensive coordinator sees things up in the booth that others just don't see down on the field. 1 Corinthians says it this way, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." So as we remember this day and all the lives lost and as you endure what ever trial you may be facing today. Know that you are loved and safe in the arms of your heavenly father because that is what the creator of the universe says and you can believe Him!!

Game night

2008-09-10T13:33:00.000-05:00

I did not intend on waiting this long to write, but life happens (as you all know). I have been wanting to write about our first game. It started with our usual rituals: putting Chloe in her Kingfisher cheer outfit (even though her daddy promises she will not be a cheerleader), putting Cale in the jersey of his choice for the week (this week was the OU jersey), popping pocorn to take with us and the always needed snacks, toys etc. My kids were so excited about the game that when I picked them up from Miss Tracy's it was not an option to go home before the game so this week I took them to Pizza Hut. A big treat to them! We arrived at the game 30 minutes early to get our corner of the field. We don't sit in the stands because as some one in the ministry it is best I stay as far away from parents as I can before I get kicked out of the ministry for my words:) (A topic to be covered later)

Here it comes, one of the best parts of my night. My kids anxiously waiting outside the dressing room not for the football players, but for a good luck kiss and hug for Coach Daddy! The players yelling and screaming, the excitement is in the air for opening night and out comes daddy. My kids yelling daddy, daddy, daddy! Daddy stops to kiss Cale, then Chloe, then momma! I would be lying if I said my excitement comes just from watching my kids. I am secretly and ever so anxiously waiting my turn for my hug and kiss just like one of the kids. I love it!! Has it always been this way. No! That is why it is such a precious thing to me. This act was just the end of many lessons that had to be learned, lessons for me and him. Although we are still learning how to be a coaching family this is just one act that will always been precious. Football season has begun. Yes, we did win! Yeah!

We are one

2008-09-03T21:15:00.000-05:00

So. . .we had a coaches wives nite out for the schools in the Oklahoma City Metro area. I started this last year and has really went over well. So to all my girls-love you! We meet quarterly and eat, have some fun, have a devotion and pray for each other and our husbands. These ladies are just amazing and I love our time together. We met for the first time of the year and you could definitely tell what wives were wives of football coaches. We were all in "game time" mode. The chatter among dinner was "so who do you all open up with this week?" "Do you all fill good about this year?" The usual coaches wives talk the week of opening day. After much laughter, the devotion and prayer time we all went on our ways knowing that this time next week there were probably going to be some husbands who won and some who did not. And I couldn't help my mind from going back and remembering the beginning of each football season, the fear of the unknown. What did the season have in store for us this year.

We are in our 8th year of coaching and I love being a coaches wife. I wouldn't have always described being a coaches wife with the word love. I am still learning. I had to learn to love being a coaches wife when we didn't have kids and then again when we did have kids. It was during one of these learning experiences God used the story of Job to teach me a valuable lesson about marriage. If you look at the story of Job it is not really your typical marriage story, but that is when God is at His best. In the story of Job starting in Chapter 1 you find that God and Satan are having a conversation (if I could have only been a fly on that wall) and Job, a servant of God, comes up in their conversation. Satan tells God that the only reason Job is a servant of God is because God has given him everything he could want. God tells Satan that he can do whatever it wants to Job, but he can't lay a finger on the man himself. Tragically we learn that Job's sons and daughters were killed, his servants killed, and his lifestock killed. The lesson comes from when we hear from Job's wife in chapter 2. His wife says,"Why do you insist on keeping your integrity, curse God and die." I ask the question, "Why is she still alive? Why was she not killed with the rest of the family?" I would argue that she was not killed because God did not view her as a part of Jobs' family, but as a part of the man himself. When God says as husband and wife, "we are one", He means we are ONE!

Coaching isn't just what our husband does, it is a part of who he is. And if coaching is part of who he is I had to learn to make it part of who I am too, after all, we are one. We win as a family and we lose as a family. As a trophy wife, that trophy is just as much ours as it is our husbands!And I don't know about you but I love gold just a much as the next girl:) Til, next time. . .

Life's Questions

2008-09-02T13:39:00.000-05:00

As I said before I work for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Oklahoma. My ministry includes female coaches, female athletes, and coaches wives. And this blog entry has to do with two encounters I had with both a coaches wife and a female coach. The first encounter was in the kitchen of a fellow coaches wife. There were three of us who had gotten together so our kids could play while our husbands took their annual fishing trip. While we were chatting over kids, husbands, and jobs one of the wives brought up a situation at her work. This particular coaches wife is a nurse and she had a nurse she worked with that was pregnant and was told her baby had spina bifida. As imagined they were devastated, but they began preparing for life with a special needs baby. In the midst of their preparation they had family members telling them that by preparing for the special needs baby they didn't have enough faith because if they believed enough, God would heal the baby. As my friend was telling us this story I could tell where it was going and was honestly dreading the question. . .And here it comes. . ."So do you believe that?" I dreaded the question because as a person in ministry you feel as though you should have the answers, and I think on some level others think the same thing. Well, we don't. not even close. As I fumbled through some answer I never forgot the question.

Well, the question came back this week with the encounter with my female coach. This coach has fought an amazing brave battle with colon cancer for 6 years while coaching, while teaching, while being an amazing wife, and while raising 4 kids.And just found out it has returned with a vengenance in her lungs this time. I never have seen her waver in her faith or trust in God. My heart has just broke for this family because I know there is no lack of faith so why is God not answering our prayers. I know he can-He's God. He can do anything. Maybe you have had those same thoughts and feelings. Whether it be with prayers for a sick loved one, prayers for a changed husband, or prayers for a job change. So what is the answer. Well, after this question has lingered God showed me a story that helped me so maybe it can help you.

The lesson came from Matthew 8:1-3 "And behold a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord if you will, you can make me clean. And Jesus stretched out his hand a touched him, saying, "I will: be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. The key statement is: "Lord if you will, you can make me clean." Not can you-not indicating a lack of faith. We know he can do anything-but sometimes he chooses not to. For some reasons He says "I will" and for others for reasons we may never understand he says "I will not." Even though we don't know why we have to trust in the character of God that he does "everything to the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose."(Romans 8:28) Even the "will nots." I will continue to pray for a miracle for Shena, but I know whether he heals her or not it as nothing to do with a lack of faith.
Til next time. . .

Extraordinary Women

2008-08-22T12:47:00.000-05:00

Hello all!
It is August 22, 2008 which for most people it means sending your kids back to school, summer is over, and for a lot of people it is the start of a brand new year. If you are a wife of a football coach it means it is time: time to be a single parent, time to eat dinners alone, time to put on the face paint and the strong face of I am your number one fan, but man I sure am lonely, but I will never let you know that. Yep, it is that time. But I am starting a whole new outlook on going to games-now it is going to games with 2 toddlers. I went to my husbands first scrimmage yesterday with my 2 kids (4 and 2) and was there for 3 hours and didn't see a single down. The multiple trips to the bathroom and the concession stand, the "can I sit on my sister's head" questions, changing diapers did not allow me to be the fan I wanted to be. My husband said he noticed during the game that I had one kid on my shoulders and the other kid on my hip and he turned to another coach and said, "Do you think my wife is enjoying the scrimmage?" The answer is yes!!! Why? because I love my husband more than anything!

Yes, sometimes when the feelings of love have hidden themselves in resentment I choose to love him because that is what we are called to do. I am reading a book called 12 extraordinary women by John Macauther. It is awesome. It takes 12 women of the bible and talks about what makes them great! They were great not because of their careers, but because of their character. They chose to love, they chose to follow God, they chose to be faithful to their family and faith. My favorite part of the book so far is this quote: "The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved." How great is that!!! We are called to be his partner in life, in sport, and in career. Girls, we are in this together. I want to challenge you to choose to be great this year!!!

Best supporting wife goes to. . .

2008-07-22T11:15:00.001-05:00

Best supporting wife goes to. . .
Shouldn't there be an award like this. We all get dressed up with our new gown that was given (key word:given) to us by Versace, and the big diamond necklace from Tiffanys, and our husbands walking us down the isle. All because it is our night-our night to be recognized for the late nights driving home from games with two kids conked out in the backseat with something from the consession stand still stuck on their face, all the baths, meals, homework we do. . .alone, all while being mom, #1 fan, cheerleader, counselor, assistant coach, and sounding board for both husband and disgruntled parents. Yes, there should be an award for best supporting role, but even if there were, I would definetly not get it, not even nominated. Yes, I still do the role, but the difference is I don't always do it joyfully. A lot of the time I am pouting, angry, resentful, and yes, sometimes even jealous. "I am doing all the work at home so that you can get all the limelight in the public." Where's my reward, where's my trophy."

I have a great friend who gave me some sermons to listen to and there was one that really spoke to me. It was on the supporting role. It used the story of David, Saul, and Jonathon found in 1 Samuel 17 and going through the rest of the book. After David killed Goliath, King Saul brought him to the palace and eventually put David in charge of the army, gave him one of his daughters, and made him a very wealthy man. The people loved David and even sang songs about him, but there was one song the people sang that King Saul didn't like. The lyrics were "Saul has killed thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands." We find that King Saul was so jealous and resented the fact that David was getting all the attention, but Jonathon, King Saul's son was an amazing supporting role for David. He helped him escape from Saul, gave him his own armour, and was an amazing supporting role to help make David all that God wanted him to be. Isn't that our job as wives, helping make our husbands all that God has called him to be. We have to ask ourselves are we being Saul or are we being Jonathan.

One of my favorite stories is of former President Bush and his wife Barbara. They had stopped to get gas and the President went in to pay and while he was in there he noticed Barbara was having quite a conversation with the gas attendant. He questioned her about it when they were back on the road. He said, "you really acted like you knew that guy." She replied, "You will never believe, that was my high school boyfriend." The President chuckled and said, "Just think, you could have married that guy." And without missing a beat she replied, "Yes, and would have been President." I love that story because she knew her supporting role helped make him what and who he was.

Your supporting role helps make your husband who and what he is. We talked about there may be some of you who don't like your husbands, they don't help out when they are home, they don't give you or your children the attention like he gives his own players, but before we can deal with the lead role in this story we have to look at the supporting role: us! First, our #1 role is to Shut up and pray for your husband:Pray, pray, pray!!!!!!

We try and try to change the man by going to the man when we should be going to the one who created him. I learned this from experience and what I found was not only did God change the heart of my husband, but He changed my heart as well. I had nagged my husband forever about dipping. We got into some of the biggest fights on the subject. Finally, I realized my yelling and words weren't getting through so I committed to pray and pray and pray until one day my husband was leaving for school and he said, "Just wanted to let you know I have quit dipping and I may need your help." Are you kidding me? I didn't say a word, but my heavenly father did! Your prayer might be for him to spend more time with the family:PRAY. Or maybe to help more around the house:PRAY! Or maybe to appreciate you:PRAY!!! Scripture tells us "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and petition present your requests to God, with thanksgving."

Turning 30

2008-07-12T09:10:00.000-05:00

July 12, a date I look forward to every year: my birthday. I have always been the person that counted down to the big day. Nobody has ever forgot birthday because I have never ever let anybody forget my birthday. When I was growing up I can remember all the birthday cakes that displayed the words "Happy Birthday, Princess Sarah." I have loved every birthday, but would today be the same. After all, I am turning 30. Everyone has that age that when they were little was the "old age." Mine was the big 3-0. I remember going to my mom's best friend's birthday party and she wore a t-shirt that was black with white letters that said, "I'm entering the twilight zone, I am 30." I have never forgot that shirt and the thoughts I had when I saw it: 30 is old. Well, that day has come today. What will my thirties bring? Looking back to my twenties I had a some great memories. I was married at 20. Chris got has first coaching job when I was 22. We had our first child when I was 26 and our second child at 28. That sounds like a pretty darn good decade. Do you feel a but coming on?. . .BUT, as you might understand and agree, new adventures bring change and I am not very good at change. First, the marriage. . How hard could it be? After all, I was perfect and there were just a few things he needed to change and everything would be perfect. Now you see why I like to say I have been married for 10 years, but happily for 8. I had a lot to learn. We will talk more about that later. Having children, again how hard could that be? I have baby sat before and that wasn't so bad. Now you see where my twenties were full of challenges. All this to say, yes I am ready for my thirties. I am older, wiser, and not quite so naive. Bring on the thirties!!!!