Gracious & Football

If you have read my blog for any length of time you know all about my absolute LOVE for football.  My first love is high school football - that stems from years and years of walking with my dad on the sidelines of Perrin High School football.  Then that love just escalated with Nephew One hit high school and our dedication and admiration for Graham Steer football began and I suspect will never end.

We have laughed, cheered, yelled, and we have cried.

This year I also got to see graciousness on the field of play.

Nephew Three is a Graham Steer.  He is also the perfect example of what preparation can do.  He played football for Perrin and really had a great freshman and sophomore season.  Then his junior year he started both ways for Graham on the junior varsity team.  He was moved up to varsity and finished the season as a slot receiver for the 2013 Graham Steers State Semi-Finalist.

Junior Season

Nephew Three with Coach Brad McCoy (My boys' football coach)  & Dillon Cobb - Nephew Three's coach from Colt Camp.  This was after JV game against Abilene Wylie in the Junior Season.

Grandson One wearing the helmet became a tradition in the Junior Season.

The helmet wearing continued into the Senior Season.  

Back to that "what preparation can do".  

The summer of 2014 our #33 spent the entire summer working hard to prepare for the Senior Season of football.  If you want to know how to truly be a part of a winning football team - then ask #33.  He spent day and day in the weight room and practicing 7 on 7.  In fact that Graham Steer 7 on 7 team won the State 7 on 7 meet for the 2nd year in a row!!

Nephew Three & Coach Son Two - State 7 on 7 Champions!

Then came the Senior Season - of which there is much to write about!  Nephew Three was a running back and receiver - played on both the kick off and return teams.  And scored touchdowns!!  It was just the most awesome season and we had so much fun watching him play as a Graham Steer.

Nephew Three with Dillon Cobb again - Wylie football game - 

we won (we beat them twice this year!)

Funny thing about high school sports - there is an ending.  Even though we WON on my birthday - that second win against Abilene Wylie - WON again while playing a tough Stephenville team - even if we could have won that game on December 12th - the season was going to end.

Ours ended one week earlier than what we had hoped.

But in the midst of all of our tears - mine included (I simply hate the ending....).  I witnessed graciousness.

Gracious defined --- very polite in a way that shows respect, showing consideration, showing a natural kindness - thoughtful (prepare2prosper)

One more time he posed for the traditional picture....

That's how one prospers in life - live graciously.  Nephew Three showed that -

Nephew Three knows Jesus.

Nephew Three lives as Jesus instructed and prepares each day for that living.

Nephew Three is a Graham Steer - 2014 State Semi-Finalist.

Always, May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14.

Church in the Kitchen

The title was originally Live What I Believe ... but let's be honest - "Church in the Kitchen" catches your attention a bit more!!

Live What I Believe....

Or is it believing what I live?

I think that is where I get caught so many times....

I believe what I am living and that is just not the right way....

I must Live.What.I.Believe.

What do I believe?

That might take a while to answer.  But I believe in Jesus - I believe in His Love - I believe He in his death, burial, and resurrection.

But what do I believe?

If you are joining me from Prepare2Prosper - then you already know about Russ Lee's song - "Live What I Believe".  I simply think it is enough.

Please take some time to listen to the song and particularly the lyrics.

Live What I Believe by Russ Lee

These are the days....Now is the time for the light in us to shine on whoever is around...

One Life Can Be The Proof of the HOPE That Is You!

And LOVE like we mean it...

One would think I would not struggle with this - but I certainly do.  It is because I get the order mixed up.  I start believing what I am living instead of living what I believe.  It takes more work - more study -  more purposeful actions to live what I believe.

When we went to church in East Texas I learned the phrase "having church" - and one can "have church" anywhere that the Spirit resides.  So I can "have church" in my kitchen.

That's what happened this morning..... church in the kitchen.  A rather messy kitchen I might add - Kerry said this morning that he thought we had the pantry in the kitchen - like everywhere in the kitchen.

He was right.

I am secretly hoping the picture is too dark for you to grasp just how much the pantry is in the kitchen!

But before I clean up that mess - it was important to remind myself to live what I believe.

Our M&M jar - one can still find it in the messy kitchen!

And this area on the staircase is free of pantry clutter!

What if I am the one?  What if my light is meant to be shining and I miss the opportunity because I am busy believing what I am living instead of living what I believe?

... hanging on my chalkboard door - maybe it will help me remember!

Church in the kitchen.  I am not sure how one can sing the song and not "have church".  

Now to clean up that kitchen.... and straighten up me to living what I believe.

Always, May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14.