Let the BOWLing Begin

Saturday at the Upward Flag Football fields we will be hosting thirteen bowl games. The kids are pumped, the coaches are syked, and the sponsors are here!! The days activities will be filled with sponsorships from community businesses, cheerleaders throwing out footballs, three national anthems being sung, introduction of players, and bouncables for all!

I would like to thank our sponsors:

• Advance Lawn Care
• beagoodsteward.com
• Dorns
• Entrust Federal Credit Union
• Grand Graphics
• Ironworks
• KSKA
• Moores Electric
• NetBank Audit
• Performance Physical Therapy
• Trendline Capital
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe
• Upward Sports

Thanks for all the players, parents, coaches, and volunteers for another great season of Upward Flag Football!

FYI - Upward Basketball evaluations start tomorrow as well - Cool Spring Rec Center 8-noon.

Calling Out

Over the last year it has been great to see God working in the lives of those participating in our Outdoor Ministry. Whether it was been through hunts, fishing trips, sportsman's expo, or bible studies. All of the above have allowed for spiritual growth and relationships to develop.

Recently I had the privilege to talk with fellow outdoorsmen Greg Edmonds. In our conversation he shared with me how God has moved in his life. From just being an outdoorsmen to using his gifts and passions for serving in ministry through the outdoors. Greg is following God's call on his life and is responding in obedience to seeking God's direction for Outdoor Ministry. For the next several months and steps in his journey, I am excited to have him on our staff to walk alongside of him in discovering ministry. To hear more from Greg Edmonds, visit his blog http://trophytalk.blogspot.com/.

What this reminded me of was that God is still calling. Calling people to himself for salvation and grace, as well as calling his people to service for the greater purpose of introducing others to a life change through Christ. In each of these areas, we have two options: to answer or not to answer. Typically the process for us will be to not answer. And that decision will ultimately lead to frustration. But when we answer, we are freed and renewed in Christ. We come alive as we accept forgiveness and live in our passions and callings.

God may be calling you. Calling you to love your neighbor, give to those in need, accept his gift of forgiveness, or serve through a specific ministry. Whatever it is, respond. That's always the next step in our spiritual journey.

Thanks

Philippians 1:3-5 “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

Giving thanks is part of our lives. For many it is given before meals each day, written in expressions of cards, shown through acts of kindness and gifts, and said to many when simply cared for or helped in time of need. Being thankful is an act of spiritual worship. Saying “thanks” recognizes and yields to God’s blessings on our lives for daily breathe, salvation through Christ alone, health, wisdom, and provisions are just a few expressions.

Today, I would like to say “Thanks.!” Thanks to God for providing a group of children and families to walk alongside of during this football/cheer season. God has provided new relationships through football / cheerleading experiences for many. Thanks to the many coaches and volunteers who gave a minimum of two days a week to invest in children and teach sport and God’s plan for their lives. Thanks for the parents who committed their time each week as part of investing in their kids.

One special thanks I give today is to Ernie Leistner, Upward Football Director for the past six seasons. Ernie will complete his time of service next weekend and I invite you to celebrate his service to Upward Sports. Ernie’s service is in response to his life being impacted through Upward Sports and changed because of Christ. As you see Ernie at the directors table, walking the fields, out at practice next week, and cheering on the bowl games next weekend, offer him a word of thanks.

Thanks is a powerful word. It’s the greatest expression to acknowledge God’s goodness towards us and the gifts of others.

Family Weekend

Headed up to George Mason University for Family Weekend. Kicking it off with a large gathering of families and food and heading to Mason Madness to watch the official first practice of the Men's and Women's basketball teams. Doc Nix will be rockin' it with one of the top voted pep bands in the country according to ESPN. The weekend continues with other events on campus, dinner in DC, and purchasing more than we need from the bookstore!

This will be a good trip to spend with Tyler. He will have time with his grandparents, brother, parents, and his significant other - Rachel. While away, I'm looking forward to new sites, sounds, and worshipping in Tyler's choice of church.

Let the weekend start.............................NOW!

Think....

On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, through our Outdoor Ministry we have been offering the class entitled, "The ME I Want to Be." This is a book series by John Ortberg (see July blog for notes I posted). This past week we were focusing on Renewing the Mind.

As I was reading through the material and thinking, Matthew 22:37 came to my mind, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind..." I couldn't help but wrestle through this passage. For the most part, we do a good job of understanding the heart issue and the soul issue. But the mind? The word "all" speaks of us fully engaging all three. We are to be fully engaged with the heart, soul, and mind. The heart represents the volitional and emotional side of our faith experience and the soul represents our human life as a whole. The mind is our thinking capacity. It's the place we wrestle, question, ponder, explore, and stretch as we seek to follow the life of Christ.

In his recent book, Think, John Piper says, "Loving God with all our mind means wholly engaging our thinking to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things." This is a great expression of thinking. While we enjoy hearing and reading the words of people we agree with, we have to learn to read and hear the thoughts of others so that we can discern and understand what the will of God is. It's the thoughts of scripture and others that challenge us and allows us to fully engage in a process that awakens our thoughts. Thinking also allows us to remain connected to God and have a greater love for God. In order for us to love God, we have to know God. Therefore, thinking and loving are a connected spiritual practices.

God has given us the mind to think. And he ask us to fully engage the mind through thinking. By thinking, we can "know the truth and beauty and worth of God through Jesus and treasure him above all things and spend our lives expressing this in as many ways as our minds can pursue." Engage the mind God has given you. Stretch your thought process through the scriptures, writings of others, and learn to love Him fully.

Pondering the WOW

Recently I have been reading the book of Acts found in the New Testament. It has been a refreshing reminder of living in the WOW.

As I have been reading, it has reminded me that we do not have to live in the mundane activities of our daily tasks. In fact, we are invited to live in the exciting life that God has planned for us. And in that life, we are treated with WOW moments....especially when we are looking for them.

Early in Acts people were wowed and amazed. The "wowness" of these people created a desire to wow others (share their wow stories of repentance and love). They were wowed by a life changing experience found in Christ Jesus and they were wowed by the miracles that were performed before them that reflected the love and gracious of Jesus. The "wowness" they were experiencing also created a desire for believers of Jesus to unite in all things - food, fellowship, worship, and Christian action that again would reflect Christ love and graciousness.

It's an awesome thing to be wowed. Think about it. Reflect back to a time when your spouse, a loved one, or friend wowed you. The butterfly stomach of excitement probably set in for a moment, you expressed a great sense of appreciation, and you couldn't keep it a secret. You were overwhelmed with being wowed!

If you are a follower of Christ, remember when you met him or experienced him for the first time? Wow. Or remember yesterday when he provided for you? Wow. How about the time His Spirit lifted you? Wow. The day he met you in the midst of difficulty? Wow. Your worship with Him today? Wow. You see, in all things, God is there and is wowing us.

As a Christ follower, go and WOW someone today with your story of you have been wowed by a loving God who has your life close to His.