One of the things I sort of promised myself was that I was going to try and blog during the basketball season. No, it's not that I don't have enough to do with my job, my family, Powerhouse, coaching girls varsity and general goof-offery. I just thought that it would be a good idea to remember the ups and downs of the season.I have an amazing team. The only thing we're missing is a girl that can dunk. We have scorers, rebounders, defensive stoppers, speed demons and all around athletes. We have an amazing opportunity to be in thick of things come playoff time. I've implemented 2 big changes this year: man-to-man defense and the Triangle offense. NO ONE in our conference plays man-to-man full time and the triangle is a simple yet effective way to run an offense. We'll still have some sets (that's another subtle change, we're running offensive sets with plays instead of the traditional 1 play, 1 set that high school ball is used to).
My girls are troopers. They're really embracing the changes and they seem really excited about the upcoming season. Our theme for this year is "Commitment". Everything they do, they need to do it 100% baseline 2 baseline. Commitment to basketball, their team, grades, family and of course God. That's where 2tim47 comes in. I love reading about Paul and all the amazing things he did to further the cause of Christ.
In 2 Timothy he's writing a letter to Timothy. Just as a brief background, Paul is writing in Jail shortly before he is to die. He knows this. Let's stop there for a second and really think about that. This guy is put in jail for TALKING about Christ. While the Bible doesn't specifally say, it was custom back then to cut his head off as a punishment for being a Christian. Instead of the "oh, whoa is me" attitude he could have had, he starts writing letters to fellow believers. Again, not the "I'm about to die, feel sorry for me" stuff... no, he wrote words of ENCOURAGEMENT. Dying to himself to help those who need it most.
He writes in 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." In the face of adversity he gave 100% to get the job done. He could have stopped at any time and succummed to the evils of the world. He could have given it a half-effort and he would have lived longer and some people would have been saved. A decent number. A number that would have been considered good by some traditional churches that are happy with half-efforts. Not Paul. He took his commitment to God seriously and completely SOLD OUT to Him.
How would the body of Christ transform if Christians, true Christians whose heart it is to seek out the lost and to show love and compassion like Christ did, if true Christians would embrace this mindset of fighting the good fight, of finishing the race, of keeping the faith. The mindset of seeing things through to the end. Not giving up. Putting every ounce of effort into loving your neighbor.
That's what I want from my girls this year. At the end of the season, at the end of the game, at the end of practice, at the end of the school year, at the end of the day I want them to be able to say, "I have done all I can. I've put my whole heart into task, I've given my all."
That's all I'm asking for, everything.
