57 Blue - 57 Blue - Hike ..... Touchdown!!

All my life, because of the men in my life, I've been around football and have learned to be a fan. My dad is a Hall of Fame star for Clay High School Eagles, my Alma mater, played for Woody Hayes at Ohio State and was a head coach for many years for the Start Spartans in Toledo, OH. "Hi Dad - Go Bucks!!" This weekend, we actually got to watch, hoot, holler, cheer and groan for some of our favorite teams, the Sooners, (couldn't get the Buckeyes) Broncos & Cowboys, Packers & Vikings, and of course ... the Sartell Sabres - Go Si!! His game is tonight (7th Grade).

As I was thinking about what to write this week, I'm not sure why, but I thought...football. Crazy I know - but there are many things I see in this sport that come along side my desire to follow God and become stronger in my faith. For one, these guys go after that ball with everything they've got! Focused, strong, powerful, fighting...never giving up! All the while, having fun, encouraging their teammates and talking though the tough plays that didn't quite turn out the way they planned - getting back up and doing it again. While we were watching these games and some highlights, we scream with excitement as our team intercepted a pass or took the ball right out of the hands of the opponents and ran for the end zone! If you think about it, this is a great example for our faith. Living with the power and strength needed to go after God with everything we've got! But not only going after God - but also, intercepting the attacks of the enemy - totally taking the ball right out of his hands!

The other night, one of those attacks hit me again ... anxious fear. Jacob, our middle son, was sick and my mother's heart worried over him late at night. I couldn't sleep thinking, wondering, would he be okay as he slept. Fear began to pulsate in my chest and I actually heard in my mind ..."What if he doesn't wake up!" Well, that's enough of that! I know where that thought came from so I got up, prayed, battled, stood in faith - focused, strong, powerful, fighting ... never giving up until that "ball" was taken right out of the hands of Satan and I ran it back into my "end zone" - peace, calm and the assurance that all would be well. The Holy Spirit was right there with me, encouraging me, talking me through that tough night, helping me to pray and believe. I stood there amazed and brought to perfect peace knowing that He intercepted the enemies plan by interceding with me and the enemy was defeated! Awesome!

Writings From Life Through...To A Shout of Joy

The Battle for Joy

James 1:2 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials;

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."

Hebrews 2:14 "...so that through death He might render powerless

him who had the power of death, that is, the devil."

Wow, Jesus Christ rendered the devil powerless the moment He died 2000 years ago! Yes, the one who comes to steal everything from us and destroy our health, relationships and finances, the one who will do anything he can to kill us or kill any chance we have for eternal life, he now is powerless in the life of a believer because of the death and resurrection of Jesus! There is nothing he can try to do to us that we cannot overcome or even nullify for "no weapon formed against you shall prosper." He may attempt to attack us but by no means is what he plans to do set in stone so that it must happen. He may form weapons to come after us, but the Word says they will not prosper in our life. No more does the devil have rule and reign over our lives. No more does he have power over us. We are the redeemed... "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4.

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See you next week!