How God Used Basketball

Last night, we went to two basketball games. One, a middle school game, the other a high school game. The Lord used these games to help my heart, mind, and soul be rekindled about life:

1. Life isn’t always fair, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t play fair.

Just because the ref calls or doesn’t call the shot or foul doesn’t mean that you stop playing the game. Just because life throws you a call you don’t like doesn’t mean you stop living life.

Remember that saying, “when life throws you a lemon…come on say it with me, MAKE LEMONADE!”

We get so caught up with the ref’s in life that we miss out on life, on the blessings of life — on the blesser of life, our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

That lemon will come, that ref will come, that thief will come…but Jesus, He has already come that we would have LIFE.

OH, but wait, not just life….that we might have life more abundantly.

Life is not fair, sadly. We live in a sin-filled world and it will not stop until we reach Heaven. So be prepared, the lemons of life, the refs of life, the thieves of life, are coming — but Jesus has already come — He already won! He already conquered life itself for us. And as His child, you are already on His winning team!

  • The question is, will you allow the lemons, the refs, and thieves control you or will you allow Jesus Christ to take the reigns of control and lead you to victory? The choice is yours.

2. The battlefield of the mind is real, strong, and alive. The devil uses it for his advantage. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are told, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

We are our worst enemy. If you don’t think so, you are deceived. The devil knows this about mankind and uses it against us.

  • Our minds are a battlefield. A battlefield of thoughts (intellect), emotion, and will –are we not created in the image of God?

I saw this happen last night. These boys are awesome basketball players. They know how to play the game. They know the rules, the moves, the positions. They are slick, smooth, and right on. They know the game –did you read me, they know the game!

They have great coaches, but last night, there was a battle in the mind, emotions, and will.

  • Battle of missed shots.
  • Battle of lost plays.
  • Battle of missed calls.
  • Battle of wronged calls.
  • Battle of wrong thinking.
  • Battles…

Honestly, hear me out, it was even hard for me to watch and I don’t have a son that plays in those divisions. Yet these young men played hard, they fought the fight of the game, and they finished even though their flesh wasn’t happy with the outcome.

Why? Because it matters how you finish.

In 2 Timothy 4:7 it says, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” Basketball is not a spiritual matter but your testimony playing basketball is, integrity playing is, keeping Christlike character above the flesh is…

Matthew says, …”Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful…”

I stand proud of those young men and their coaches, but more importantly we desire the approval of our Heavenly Father above all else.

  • The question we should be asking ourselves is this: who am I allowing to control me? Someone or something will. Our worst enemy is ourselves. The battlefield of the mind starts with self. Who’s it gonna be? God, self, or other?

The winning team chooses God! Hands down.

Whether we “feel” like we won or not, to choose God over anything else is choosing to win. God never loses.

The choice is yours.

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

Dedicated to the teams of young men that have touched my heart in ways I am eternally thankful for. May you look to Jesus and serve Him all your days. Jesus is worth your life! He died you yours. Matthew 6:33

Sorry, It’s Not Hollywood or Hallmark

The two go hand in hand; the author of love, is God. Sorry, it is not Hollywood or Hallmark.

  • Do you want to love another — look to God’s Word; He is the example.
  • Do you want to be cherished and loved — look to God’s Word; He will show you.
  • The how-to’s on love, it’s all there. God didn’t leave us in the dark: whether it’s toward our neighbor or our spouse, our children or boss…it is all there.
  • Go ahead start digging. See for yourself. Maybe your love language will see a necessary change, and those around you will be blessed for it.

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

Happy is the Man

How often do we thank the Lord for His correction or chastening hand in our life?

It be safe to say, not all that often, but it should be.

  • Thank you Lord for not allowing me to continue on that path…
  • Thank you Lord for stopping me from doing…
  • Thank you Lord for preventing me from…
  • Thank you for protecting me…

The list goes on my friends.

The loving, correcting hand of God brings joy not grief in our life.

Maybe, we should spend some time thinking about how God has delivered us, spared us, rescued us, saved us by creating a list of thanks for His inflicting pain that brought His binding relief; for through His wounds, His hands heal us.

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

Beloved, Love

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

That I May Finish My Course with Joy

My audience is One; to fulfill one purpose, His!

  • Who is your audience?
  • God desires, longs to be your number One!

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

Coal, Sand, Worms, God and You!

  • The coal never questions God and look what it becomes.
  • The sand never questions God and look what it becomes.
  • A worm never questions God and look what it becomes.

Let it be said of us…the human never questions God, and look what it becomes.

  • God loves you beyond a piece of coal, sand, and a worm; beyond their transformations.
  • That’s why He sent His Son…for you, because you are worth it. Your transformation is worth it to Him.
  • Don’t sell yourself short…He didn’t with you.
  • God loves you!

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

–Matthew 6:33–

Something to Ponder…

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

Is Jesus Enough?

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

What’s Your Prayer?

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” Acts 20:24.

In Jesus name, Amen.

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

With God…

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

The Masterpiece of God: You!

God is faithfully steadfast in His work in you, my friend.

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

Listen. Listen. Listen.

Whosoever will listen…

  • God hasn’t left us (Hebrews 13:5).
  • He is just the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Listen. Listen. Listen.

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

So Walk.

Proverbs 2:1-11

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

  • Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

    • For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
    • He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
    • He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

    Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

  • Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.

Was It Really Mary’s Magnificat?

I don’t know about you, but I have read over this passage many times before. Sadly, I had just seen Mary through the lenses as a “good girl” –the young, sweet, willing, obedient, submissive, yielding to the Lord’s calling in her life –the “good girl.”

  • These are precious, godly, character traits to possess –please don’t misunderstand me, but there is more to Mary than that.
  • Reading through this passage, I saw Mary in a new light.
  • I saw her relationship with God.

In Luke 1:46-55, many call this passage “Mary’s Magnificat” but is it really, “Mary’s?”

As I read this passage today, words started popping off the pages of Scriptures. I had to stop and start again. As I began to reread the Lord started His work in my heart…”Look Colleen, See.”

When you read Luke 1:46-55, you will begin to experience the inner most depths of Mary’s heart. The intermost being of who she is –who she was. You will quickly come to realize that, for Mary, it was never about Mary, even though she was a huge part of the situation. Nothing never pointed to herself, yet everything pointed in praise to God alone by word and deed from Mary.

This kind of verbal praise can only come forth outwardly when it is brewing forth inwardly. Her relationship with Christ was already overflowing before God sent an angel, before God did anything… Mary’s outward praise was just an outflow of her inward heart.

Because of her inward heart already prepared, already in fellowship with her Lord, her focus was already aligned. Centered. She wasn’t sidetracked by herself, on the great anointing or privilege of being “chosen” by God Himself, but rather on who and how great God is!

Her focus was God alone– ALL glory, ALL praise, ALL honor –past, present and future –is and was to and for God alone. It was just that simple. There was no other thought.

*Verses referring to the God:

  • (46) the Lord
  • (47) in God my Savior
  • (48) He; His
  • (49) the Mighty One; Holy is His Name
  • (50) His Mercy; Him
  • (51) He; His; He
  • (52) He
  • (53) He
  • (54) He; His; He
  • (55) He; His

*Verses referring to Mary:

  • (46) my soul exalts
  • (47) my soul
  • (48) His bondslave
  • (49) me

My thoughts on Mary today are much different. I am not putting Mary on a pedestal, but her example of godliness is well taken. If she was sitting down with us right now she’d be the first to say, “I’m no saint. But this I am –a child of God, saved by grace, in need of a Savior” with a sweet, humble spirit– I think.

I want my life to be about God.

How about You?

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

*NASB

Psalm 119:145-152

“I cried with all my heart; answer me, O Lord! I will observe Your statutes. I cried to You; save me and I shall keep Your testimonies. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words. My eyes anticipate the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word. Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; revive me, O Lord, according to Your ordinances. Those who follow after wickedness draw near; they are far from Your law. You are near, O Lord, and all Your commandments are truth. Of old I have known from Your testimonies that You have founded them forever.”

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

Sinning & Praying: both active choices

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

9.5 Weeks That Changed My Life

Ten years ago today (01.28.2009-01.28.2019), we stepped into the doctors office filled with immense sorrow and great hope for the future.

Exactly a week before that visit, my sweet husband’s mother entered into Heaven’s gate. She was only 67 years old.

I remember that day well. I was pregnant, 9 weeks and caring for our two little ones while my husband was at the hospital with his siblings. The call came, it was 8:35 pm “I was reading in Psalms about entering heaven and Mom entered” my husband spoke quietly.

We lost greatly that day and in the tomorrow’s that followed, but heaven gained richness filled in a woman called Marguerite Ann.

That was Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

A day and a half later, I noticed some spotting. As the next days continued our concerns grew. We made the phone call. Being 7 hours away, Mom’s viewing and funeral that Friday and Saturday, we stayed. In silence between ourselves and God, we did a lot of praying, watching, resting, and giving it to the Lord in the midst of loss, dealing with extended family, and grief.

As we sat in that office (01.28.2009) we still clung to life. By this time, the spotting was lessening. Hoping against odds we never expected to hear the next words…

“There is no baby.”

“Wait. What?
What did you just say?
How can that possibly be?”

That is impossible!

  • I had felt this little one for weeks.
  • I had questioned if I was further along then we thought because of all the movements I had felt.
  • This was impossible.
  • There IS a baby!

Again, those words pierced through my soul…

“There is no baby.”

  • “Maybe you already miscarriaged, or maybe you will in the next day or two.” The words were so cold. So removed. So lifeless.

We walked out of that office with a scheduled appointment in two days.

Numb.
Shocked.
Grieving.
Filled with questions.

What took place in the following days, the Lord kept us in the palm of His protective hand.

The next day included an ER trip which we were told, “I see a sack.” Hope was restored which created more questions.

Later that evening, I did not feel well. I thought maybe a shower would help. In that process, severe pain struck my body like a torpedo exploding into a battle ship. The hit was so powerful that it paralyzed me. The struggle to breathe was intensive and my body turned into a board.

We called for a sitter.

By the time we left the house for the ER, my body had calm down enough that I was able to walk out of the house. When I took that first step down off the porch my body released itself from it’s grip and I was covered in blood, and my breathing became much easier. Later we found out why this happened.

The trip to the ER we spent in prayer giving our little one to the Lord and our lives into His hands. Praying for a miracle. Praying for strength to accept His will. Praying what words could not express or speak, but Jesus Christ was our advocate and we knew it.

We saw a cold, lifeless, removed doctor turn into a compassionate, caring, patient man because of Jesus Christ. They took every concern or every care we had for our baby, for my life, and doubled, tripled checked on our behalf. For this we are incredibly thankful for.

  • Through a exploratory surgery (01.29.2009), it was discovered that I had an ectopic pregnancy. My right fallopian tube ruptured sending blood all throughout the inside of my body causing the severe paralyzing pain and inability to breathe. We take comfort that by this time, our little one was already safe in the arms of Jesus.
  • Our little one spent almost 10 earthly weeks with us. Some find it hard to believe, we don’t question God’s time.
  • We thank the Lord for every week we had with baby Woodruff #3. God has given me the blessings of feeling, not sight, with this little one. For weeks, our little one was alive, alert, and very active in my right fallopian tube; this gift was from the Lord, a treasure I cherish.

Today, and for the past ten years now, our little one walks on streets of gold because of Jesus Christ! The assurance of eternal life through Jesus Christ is a priceless, gracious, and merciful gift from our Lord. The hope we have in Him, that one glories day we shall see Christ, our child, Mom, and others –heaven is sweeter!

God is the author of life.

We were told that if we didn’t conceive within the next year are chances for future children would drop to 12%.

A year and eight months later, we were with child with baby #4. This didn’t come without fears or learning to trust God with this child. Her name means, “God has answered” because her two older sisters prayed every night for “a baby in Mama’s belly” for a year and eight months…and GOD ANSWERED!!

  • God hears.
  • God answers…in His time.
  • God hears the broken hearted.
  • God comforts & heals the grieving soul.
  • God never forsakes His own.

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

Pro-Life: It’s More Than 9 Months

This is written by: Hannah Sibert Schopmeyer

As I scroll through my social media and see all the posts about the abortion law that was just passed in NY, I am flooded with the same emotions that I had at a recent pregnancy resource dinner I attended.

As I looked around the room at the hundreds of people who were applauding and cheering for the many babies that the pregnancy center had saved, I could not help but wonder what happened to those babies that were rescued?

What happened to the little baby boy that we pleaded with his alcoholic mother to not abort 7 years ago who now has severe fetal alcohol syndrome? Where were we when the birth Mother lost custody of this child? No loving home would take him, so he was placed in a low income foster home because they needed some drug money. He now spends every evening locked in a cold bedroom with several other foster children with no one caring for them.

What ever happened to the baby boy who we the Church, convinced his Birth mom that her baby was precious and deserved to live, who is now a 12 year old boy, full of hate and now sits in a juvenile delinquent home because he has already been in 15 foster homes and never felt love in any of them. He’s been Neglected, abused, and never once had anyone who cared or believed in him. Where are we now?

And then there was that beautiful mom who came in crying because she feared that her abusive boyfriend would hurt her soon to be baby girl? We cheered because we rescued that baby as well! Today that little girl is now 14 and was just found in a sex trafficking ring which her foster parents were running. Did you know Most Americans who are victims of sex trafficking come out of our own foster system? So where are we now for this little girl and the thousands of other little girls who are trafficked each night in the foster system?

As I think about all of the thousands of foster children in America who are currently without beds or in homes where they are being abused, neglected, forgotten or sex trafficked, I ask myself over and over, “Why?” Why are we not stepping up and helping these children? Why are we not giving them a voice? The years of pain these children are experiencing are far more worse than the few seconds of pain these unborn babies feel.

I ask myself how we the church can stand up and fight for the unborn, but be so unwilling to sacrifice to give these children the loving homes they deserve?

The answers I hear are:
“It would disrupt our perfect family.”
“We are just too busy with life.”
“It’s just not a desire I have.”
“It would be too hard.”
“I could not be a good parent to them.”
“It would disrupt our future plans.”
“My spouse is not on board”
“I’m afraid of how hard it might be”

…the list goes on. (Feel free to add your reason to this list)

What I have realized is that all the excuses we might have to not chose these children are the reasons a birth mother who wanted to abort her children would give! If it’s an excuse for us, wouldn’t it be an excuse for her as well? The answer is NO! Every child deserves to live and to be loved!

We desperately try to talk those mothers out of aborting their babies, but when they cannot take care of them, we ourselves are not willing to take care of them.

So yes, I believe all the mothers that abort those unwanted babies are going to have to answer for that one day. And I know this might seem harsh, but I also believe that we as Christians have all been called to care for these babies that were saved and are not being taken care of. And we, too, will be held accountable for these precious children that we have chosen to neglect and allowed to be abused.

Every single one of us can make a difference in one of these children’s lives!
If every single one of my Facebook friends would help one foster child, that would be be able to touch so many foster children in our country!
Maybe you can’t take one into your home, but you can visit them. You can show them that they are loved, you can be that one adult in their lives that made a difference!

So friends, yes, it is a very sad time that we Americans have allowed this new abortion law to pass. But may we also realize that we the church have chosen to abort the fully born.

May we support life beyond the first 9 months. If we say we choose life, then let’s put aside our fears, excuses, and self and truely save a life!

Dear Friends,

My heart has been challenged through Hannah’s words. Though Hannah and I have never personally meet she has sweetly given permission to me to share what she wrote. I first saw her post on Facebook through another mutual friend. Thank you Hannah for helping us see that pro-life is not just 9 months, it’s a lifetime.

Loving others as Christ.

  • This article reminds me of how the Christian walk of discipleship should be. We desire our friend or neighbor to come to know Jesus as Savior (a good thing) then when they do, we rejoice, and gradually leave them to fend for their own spiritual growth.
  • We drop the ball of the great commission, of discipleship.

Let’s not drop the ball physically or spiritually. Let’s make this one life count for Christ!

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends“ John 15:13.

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

Sin Doesn’t Change God

  • For I am the Lord, I change not…(Malachi 3:6).
  • Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8).

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

Do You Use Your Missile?

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}