03/19/2022 – “Choosing God Over Basketball” (James 1:12 / Jeremiah 29:11) // Amazing story – A young lady that walks her talk in steadfast courage….
** Note link is “quirky” , try clicking on the link just below. It is a read only article.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/college-basketball/
Short testimonial:
Tool up , even in so called “little things”, akin to my recent Mother Teresa post.
Two personal examples for me. When I cut them out due to more pressing priorities, it invariably seems that I pay an unacceptable price :
- Don’t get caught up in media and cellphone noise. Search out mentor warrior stories that motivate, not worldly noise that is designed by the Devil and his minions to do the opposite. One “mother Teresa small” example: Instead of watching a “fun” movie, I watch a documentary movie on medal of honor winners.
- We have a couple of really steep hills on the county road right out our front door. I decided post retirement that it was the perfect daily training hill. Doctors were freaked out a few years ago by my CT calcium scores, pointing to a severe artery plaque issue. They wanted to put me on Statins to which I resolutely declined. (See “health and covid” post category: Big pharma money just like the vaccines! ) From Dr. Mercola on the web, one of my select “good” doctors, I surmised my life-long habit of mouth breathing constantly was not a good thing given my plaque issue.
- So, small issue that it is, I decided I was going to build up to breathing through my nose entirely on those hard intense hill runs. It was (is still) like controlled suffocation! haha But in a wierd way, but not insignificant, it helps me to battle the world spiritually every day. And that is a bigger issue, regardless of whether or not I keel over with a stroke near term. I joked to a men’s bible study brother at work that it was right up my alley, the coward’s way to go (* below) : in a split second, you are dead before you even hit the ground. (God has a sense of humor so I think I am ok on that one) A serious comback note: I think we need to all pray ahead of time to the indwelliing Holy Spirit in preparation for a contingent martyr’s death. (separate needs and wants from a kingdom perspective, not a worldly perspective!)
(*) : To quote Woody Allen: “death is glorious, it is the dying part that I would rather skip, thank you very much!” (I tweeked the quote abit haha)
- Other tip: When your Christian “mojo” takes a temporary hit, do not go to a daunting long term God project on your list, but then might be an opportune time to first go to a smaller short term, easier accomplishment God project. Why? It gives us an overall momentum boost that carries over for a great efficiency choice. In other words, seek to relentlessly pursue “ramp it up!”, regardless of yesterdays “gains” and “losses”. This is just one aspect that I submit sets special forces troops apart : They don’t get caught up in the devil’s “woulda coulda shoulda” trap game. (By God’s grace alone, regardless on whether or not they are “current” Christians.) So, I should have prefaced with: Here too, pray before reflecting on selections of choices.
We rise to His glory!; Soli Deo Gloria!
Blessings!
Love,
Your brother in Christ,
Jimmy