The Losing Streak is Broken!

If you would have asked my daughter about their junior high basketball team for that past two years, you would have heard the following:  "We've lost every game for two years." 

I can't remember how many games it was - 50 something, I believe.  But, guess what?  Last Thursday night, during the first basketball game of the new season, the junior high girls team won!  It was an exciting night for the girls and for all of the fans, too.

Winning isn't everything, of course, but losing isn't either.  No one wants to lose all of the time.  On the other hand, it's not good to win all of the time, either (shhhhh, don't tell any coaches I said that!).  Being both a good winner and a good loser shows character.  It helps learn to be gracious winners and losers.

The junior high girls kept a good attitude all during their losing streak.  Instead of sulking, giving up, and having an attitude of being defeated, they would go out onto the court expecting to do their best and striving to win each game.  This year with a new coach, they've learned more and prepared more and that hard work has paid off.

Paul talked about striving towards goals and winning a prize.  I referred to his reference to running in this post.  In the scripture below, Paul states that he is pressing on toward the goal.  Of course his goal isn't the kind of goal as the basketball team looked toward.  His goal was heaven...."heavenward in Christ Jesus".

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:12-14

As Christians, our goal should also be heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Jesus is the only way in which we can become a child of God and obtain the goal of heaven.  But, we should also look to Paul's example in the verse above.  He didn't give up or get complacent in living the Christian life.  He did not become arrogant and believe he had done all he could do for God.  No, he didn't look back on the past (ex. past mistakes maybe), he kept his eyes focused on what was ahead of him, and he continued to press on toward the goal.

Basketball focuses on offense and defense.  Maybe as Christians we should do the same.  We're playing defense against Satan.  And our offensive play is taking us toward the goal of heaven.  Our Christian brothers and sisters are our team mates.  God is the "Head Coach".  Jesus is the "Owner" (we're a pro team) - He bought us with his blood. The Holy Spirit is the "Assistant Coach".

Let's Go Team!

AND THE WINNER IS....

Two days ago my husband got a phone call while he was at work.  It was the pharmacy assistant calling from our families' regular pharmacy.  She said, "Joe, you won!"  He asked, "Won what?"  She proceeded to tell him that his name had been drawn in their give-away for a flat-screened TV.  But he told her he hadn't ever entered the contest.  She assured him that he really did win, but he still thought it was a joke and didn't believe it.                

A little later in the day, one of Joe's co-workers was going to Altus (about 30 min. away and where our pharmacy is located) and Joe asked her to pick up some asthma meds for the boys.  He also said, "Oh, yeah, and if I really won that TV, bring it back, too!"  Well, here's proof: Joe won the TV! Now, the reason Joe didn't think it he had really won is because (and I quote) "I never win anything."  Joe never remembers  winning any prize, give away or anything like that at all.  He's typically not "lucky", we could say. 

On the other hand, I remember winning lots of things in the past.  When I was little, I registered to win karate lessons while at the county fair.  I won, but didn't take the lessons (wouldn't have wanted to, either).  Another time I won a life jacket from the county fair.  I do remember using it a few times.  The one thing I won several years ago was a pig canister set door prize at a "Taste of Home" cooking show.  Although I wasn't a pig-in-my-kitchen type, it was a very nice prize donated by one of the merchants sponsoring the cooking show. 

What I remember most about "winning" things was at the annual Lions' Club Carnival in my hometown: Eldorado, Oklahoma.  My dad gave a donation to the Lions Club at the end of the carnival - right before prizes were given away.  He won a TV.  But then, the next year he did the same thing and won again!  So, being the oldest, I got to have the third TV in my room.  It was amazing that he won the TV's two years in a row!  I don't always think I'll win, but I always know there's a big possibility I will if I enter something. I guess its an "optimistic attitude" towards winning.

Some of our children have also won various drawings and give-aways at school and races (running races they enter where door prizes are given away).  One of our children, Zachary, especially seems to win a lot. In fact, it's almost as he EXPECTS to win. Another one, Jacob, doesn't typically win very often (The other two are kind of in the middle!).  But, with Jacob, it's almost like he expects NOT to win.

This whole "winning" thing causes me to think about God and also about mental attitudes.  Do you suppose that since Joe believed, "I never win anything." that he didn't for so long?  Or do you suppose because Zachary believes he is going to win something helps with his abundant success in winning door prizes and awards?  I believe it does.  I believe God uses those simple things - like our optimism and pessimism to teach us lessons and help us grow in our faith.  If you and I believe it, we can achieve it!

Jesus taught His disciples several times about what their optimistic faith could accomplish:  Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:21-22

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

Now, in life, it doesn't really matter whether we win door prizes and giveaways or not.  No "things" don't matter at all in the scope of eternal life.  But, what does matter is our attitude and our faith...not in what WE can do, but in what GOD can do in your life and in my life, but also what God can do THROUGH us.  Just think about all of the ways God could use us if we used optimistic faith every day of our lives!  Just imagine how we could spread the Good News about Jesus if we used this optimistic faith.  More than we could ever, ever imagine.

About the TV.  We only have one TV in our home.  Wonder what we'll do with this new one????

Winning isn't Everything....But Neither is Loosing!

You've most likely heard the phrase, "Winning isn't everything." It is very true, isn't it? However, loosing isn't everything, either! No one wants to loose all of the time. Our daughter, Lauren, will tell you that. Their junior high basketball team has lost thirty-six games in a row! They have not won one game in two years. However, I will say that this year they had a few that were closer and actually were ahead in one or two at the beginning of the games. The junior high girls have high hopes for the upcoming basketball season this fall. They want to break that loosing streak!

Another example is our son, Jacob. His baseball team last summer only won one regular season game. They were so excited and so were the coaches and parents! You would have thought they had won the World Series! Then tournament began and they won the first game and almost won the second one, too. Everyone was still excited because the team as a whole had improved. This year is a completely different story. Jacob's team has only lost twice and it was to the same team both times. They are first in their league and will play for the championship tomorrow evening. Guess who they're playing??? Yep! That same team for the third time! Either way it goes, they've had a great year.

It's fun to win. It's not so fun to loose. However, it's just as important to learn to be a good "winner" as it is to be a good "looser". Some people cannot handle defeat. Children learn to handle defeat and success by watching their parents and other adults. Hopefully they are seeing good examples by watching their parents and other adults, but sadly, often they are not.

Ball games are fun. We understand that there's always a winner and a looser. Sometimes one team gets a prize and the other team doesn't. That's the name of the game. But, there is one prize we all want. Paul talked about "games" and this "prize" in 1 Corinthians.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Yes, the race we are in now is the race or game that can result in a prize that is incomparable to any prize that can ever be won on earth. That prize is the crown of life and a Heavenly home with God for all eternity! That's one game none of us want to loose!