Hello, Friday and welcome to another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. In today’s edition we are going to get “caught up” with all that has happened over the last few weeks. As I was looking back over the other posts, I realized that I have not shared anything from FIVE THINGS FRIDAY since the first of November. So much as happened in that time. So, without further ado, here is this week’s edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
SOCCER CHAMPS!
The Kool-Aid Jammers won their soccer championship defeating the Palletown FC by a score of 3-0. It was by far one of the coldest nights I can remember. The temp that night was somewhere around 49 degrees at the start of the game. However, they persevered through the cold weather and reminded focused on finishing the season strong. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the soccer season. It is so much fun watching these young ladies go out and compete each and every week. I am really excited about spring soccer because so many of them will be playing against each other through their middle school teams and as a coach, I cannot wait to watch those games! As a fan and parent, go GRANDVIEW!
CHRISTMAS PARADE SEASON
It is officially Christmas parade season and our church had the opportunity to be a part of the City of Hickory Christmas Parade. The weird thing is that the parade was the Friday before Thanksgiving, so it didn’t quite feel like Christmas time. But being a part of the parade and seeing all the floats and people in the streets definitely brought the Christmas spirit alive! As you can tell from the picture above it was a little chilly that night. I think the “dancing dinosaur” was one of the biggest hits of the parade! Overall, it was a fun way to kick-off the holiday season and I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas season!
TURKEY TROT 5K
The morning after the Hickory Christmas Parade, my family got up and participated in the Hickory YMCA’s annual Turkey Trot. And yes, as you can tell, it was super chilly that morning. Not only was it a little cold, we were all extremely tired from the night before, so our energy level wasn’t quite up to par for this race. However, Gracie knocked it out of the park and recorded her best time ever for a 5K. Jana and I stayed even with our times, although I felt a lot slower than what my official time said. We are no where near “expert runners” but I am glad that we enjoy running races together. It makes for a fun family time considering that our schedules are some what a little busy at times. We are already trying to get ready for our next race in December when we run the FROSTY 5K. Pray for us as we mentally and physically prepare for the cooler weather. Some people like running in cooler weather, they say it’s easier for them to breathe. I’m not sure if I agree with that yet or not, but I will keep you posted.
Along with running more, I have also purchased a new 21 speed bike that I have been trying to ride more. I don’t know the science behind it, but I can tell how riding a bike as helped my breathing and speed as a runner. I attempted a challenge over the week of November 20th -26th where I was supposed to ride a total of 66 miles… yeah I missed that challenge by quite a few! But, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to try it again!
ANNUAL YOUTH TURKEY BOWL
Last Sunday our students competed in our Annual Youth Turkey Flag Football game. This is a tradition that is now 13 years old. It is always a fun time and I love to see our students compete against one another. The best part is they get out and play regardless of their skill level. They just enjoying being together! The High Schooler’s beat the Middle Schooler’s/College by a score of 63-42 this year. As you can tell by the score there was no defense in this game. I think one of Gracie’s highlights of the game was intercepting a pass from her dad! She still “brags” about that, but I will give her the small victory for now. 🙂 After the game we came together for a FRIEDNSGIVING meal, Turkey Bingo and devotion from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 which says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
What is something that you are thankful for today? As believers, we have so much to be thankful for, but we sometimes take the things that God has blessed us with for granted. I want to challenge myself to be grateful for the things that God has given me and my family each and every day. Sometimes, I fail at that, but I am trying to be more aware of those things that He has given me.
BASKETBALL SEASON IS HERE
Well, this is a first for our family! We thought that things might slow down a bit after cross country and soccer, but then our girl ended up making the basketball team for her middle school. I was surprised seeing that she has never really played basketball. I mean, she plays at the church with the youth, but that’s about it. Needless to say, we were very proud of her and excited about this opportunity she has been given. We are two games into the season and some of the nerves are starting to go away. She works hard in practice and she is not embarrassed to ask the coaches questions if she doesn’t’ understand the specific play they are working on. She also helps encourage her teammates when she isn’t in the game, which I absolutely love about her. But another thing that she has helped me to remember is that it’s ok to fail. She has never played basketball, but she hasn’t let that stop her from trying to learn the game. Too many times when something is difficult or we don’t understand it, we get frustrated and quit.
As a believer, that is a lot like our Christian walk. There are going to be moments when we don’t understand, we may get frustrated over things, but God calls us to be faithful and walk with Him each and every day. Think about the last time you tried to share the gospel with someone else. How did it go? Did you allow your fear of the unknown to beat you instead of trusting and being faithful to the Spirit’s leading and help? God promises us in Joshua 1:9, “that the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” That is why He sent us the Spirit to guide us and to help us. What is it that you are afraid of today that you are not trusting God with? Maybe you haven’t trusted in Him because you are afraid that the things in your life will change. Well, yes, they will change. We will live to glorify God instead of self. Maybe, you haven’t been to church in a while and you’re afraid to step back into the church doors for whatever reason. Maybe the Spirit has laid it on your hear to share the gospel with a coworker or friend. Or, maybe there is something else going on in your life that you’ve been hurt too many times and you simply cannot “trust” God to help you in those moments. All I can say is that I empathize with you! We all have things that have happened to us. But I can say that all the things that have happened to me have been to bring about God’s glory and how He demonstrated His power, grace and love in each and everyone of those situations.
I look forward to sharing with you how this basketball season will go and keeping you up to date on her progress. But, I also look forward to hearing from you about how God is demonstrating His power, grace and love in your life today. Thanks for reading and we will see you next Friday.
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