"New Kicks On The Block"

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

My friends and I joined a local sports club. Of the sports offered, we chose to partake in kickball. My friends were creative in brainstorming team names; we went with the name New Kicks On The Block. =) Awesome, right?!

The sports club is a not a Christ centered organization. All the more reason my friends and I wanted to join. What a great outreach opportunity to share the gospel. This sports league has been such a joy since the beginning. Our team has been improving so much each week. Although we rarely win, it's such a super fun time of fellowship. There is definitely progress in the building of relationships with others in the league. Our biggest weakness, in my opinion, is getting others from our community to come spectate and join in the fellowship.

I was most encouraged recently when a couple from the league, N & E, invited me to a game night. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend due to work. :/ However, I was tickled pink that they thought to invite me. :) And through this invitation I learned N & E enjoy board games. So now I know to invite them to join my friends and I at our game nights. It's another opportunity to invest in them and build a relationship with them. This was just total encouragement to me that the Lord is at work with in the sports club. And when others in the league are drawn to us, they might not yet realize it but it's really Christ in us that they see and are drawn to.

Let brotherly love continue. Hebrews 13:1

Anthem

Yeah :) This is totally my life anthem right now. Rock on!

 

Take Heart!

Take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

I moved to South Carolina with expectations for myself and I have yet to meet any of them. When I examined my life to see I have not completed anything I set out to do, I became really discouraged. My thought(s): I'm failing. -The lie the world was feeding me. :(

I wanted to please God; not disappoint him, which I felt I was doing by not yet meeting my expectations.

I took my angst to God. I was encouraged by Scripture; in addition to family and friends, as I shared my concerns with them.

My expectations are not God's expectations, just like his ways are not my ways. God's ways & his expectations are better, although I hardly ever realize it until after the fact. God rarely ever does things the way we would expect (He's full of surprises that way). :)

When everything we do is done with the intentionality to glorify God, He is pleased!

So what! I'm not where the world says I should be.

I am where God wants me! ;) I am doing my best to be obey him, please him and glorify him.

I might reach my goals eventually. And if I don't, God's has something better in mind. He has purposefully thought it all out- Although, I do wish he'd share it with me sometimes but I guess that's what makes my journey an adventure. =D Besides I like surprises anyway. Without the mystery there's lack in surprise.

So, bring it on!

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. -Hebrews 12:11

Set out with perserverance & and endurance.

Less of me, More of others

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. -Philippians 2:3-4

I have been so bummed by my inability to keep up on blog updates lately. Its not that I am super busy, although I have been a busy bee, but that I have limited Internet access making it difficult to make time to get to the library to post updates. This is a real bummer for me because I have been having so many blog worthy experiences and life altering lessons that I so much want to share with the blogging world.

I have been wrestling with trying to decide what I should fast or give up for lent. I have come to the decision that for this lent season it is not necessarily going to be about what I will give up or not do but what I will take on and do more.

I am going to make an effort to blog once everyday for the next ~40 days. In addition to trying to do more things for others whether it be holding a door for somebody, letting somebody go ahead of me in line, helping my aunt and uncle around the house, cooking a meal for somebody whom might be having a tough or busy week, or praying for others. These are just a few ideas. It's not how small or big the deed or even the quantity of the deeds, but that I will be thinking less about myself and more about others.