Persevere and Finish Strong

I'm not even sure where to begin.  I've written this post several times in my head, but now that I'm actually in front of my laptop, my thoughts are like scrambled eggs :) 

But the fact that it took me nearly an hour just to get into my blog to be able to write (due to being logged in under the wrong email address) is all the confirmation I needed to persevere and get this post done.

It feels like I've been on an adventurous roller coaster ride this past week with intense & exuberant moments that have left me exhausted and in desperate need of processing it all.

So, I'll just start sharing, and we'll see where God leads.

For the first time all season, I was FINALLY able to go to one of Tanner's Cross Country meets bright and early on Saturday, October 18 at York Comprehensive High School.

Several people had told me about Tanner's end of the race sprinting skills, but I had not witnessed them for myself - until this day.  And I CRIED LIKE A BABY!  I was so stinkin' proud of him that I'm crying again now as the scene replays in my head!  I have never seen him run so fast!!!  Runners who seemed out of his reach mere seconds ago, he soon passed on his way to the finish line.  His determination and burst of energy were inspiring and led to his fastest time all season!

He persevered.

He finished strong

Way to go, son! 
Love,
Your Biggest Cheerleader


On Sunday October 19, I traveled to Laurens SC (along with a few hundred others) to celebrate the life of my friend Courtney Dover Robertson who definitely ran her race well.  You can read about her here:  a-celebration-of-life-for-one-that-inspired-many

Her race was a difficult one, but thankfully she had the Lord with her every single step of the way, along with her devoted family, friends, co-workers, students etc.  As I sat in her church surrounded by so many who loved her, I watched pictures of her life appear on the big screen.  It was undeniably apparent that Courtney had indeed lived her life well - even as she battled breast cancer for over 15 years (or maybe it was because she had battled cancer for so long - I don't know.)  Courtney loved well, and Courtney was loved well.

(As I stood talking to her family in the receiving line, music quietly played in the background.....it was Dave Crowder's "How He Loves".....ONLY GOD!)

She persevered.

She finished strong.

"Well done good and faithful servant....." Matthew 25:21

Monday 10/20 began our last week of volleyball that entailed practices and the 8th grade county conference tournament. It was an intense and fun week.  We finished 1st in our division for the regular season, and then on Thursday 10/23, we took the championship game down to the third set against an undefeated Dutchman Creek team.  The result - we came in 2nd in the conference.  My girls redefined what it means to "leave it all on the court."  They played so hard that they literally had nothing left to give.  Saying that I'm proud of them does not even begin to express my admiration for them.

The thought of me coaching volleyball still seems surreal :)  I often joke with Faith that when she tells my future grandchildren that I coached her team, they are all going to roll on the floor laughing hysterically, and I'm going to join them! (And then I'll need help getting up!!!)  It is nothing shy of miraculous.  ONLY GOD!  Seriously, I played volleyball a few times in junior high in my dad's backyard on Sunday afternoons - that's it.  Period.  If we played it in PE at school, I have absolutely no recollection of that.  I played softball, basketball and cheered.  No volleyball.

Therefore, God calling me to coach was one of the toughest assignments I've ever been given.  Last year it felt like I had been dropped in a foreign country where I did not know the language and did not have an interpreter.  This year, I knew some of the language but not to the level of comprehension that allowed me to speak it fluently.  Honestly, I did immerse myself in the sport between last year and this year.  However, my brain struggled to absorb it all and gave credence to the old saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks!"   

Let's just say, I am so thankful for answered prayers!  God is so faithful! To Him be the glory!!!  He used YouTube to teach me a ton (especially since I'm a visual learner), and He graciously sent a parent who played volleyball in college to help me for some of the season. Tamara, I am forever grateful for you and the time you invested in our team  You are definitely an answer to prayer! 

Coaching this sport was beyond humbling.  My pride took a few blows on more than one occasion.  You see, I'm a realist and don't like pretending.  I never tried to cover up my lack of volleyball experience.  Instead, I spent countless hours teaching myself the game every single day so I could teach the girls.  I did not want to short change them in any way.  I often begged God to give me insight and understanding into how to help each girl improve.  And because He is faithful, He did indeed answer, time and time and time again.  It was all Him which leaves no room for me to take any of the credit.  Not one little bit. 

Volleyball was just a tool that the Lord used to allow me to invest in the girls' lives.  Volleyball was never the point.  It was merely the process.

Our season started with a splash....when we accepted the ALS ice bucket challenge from Coach Amanda Scott at Banks Trail Middle School.

 

From there, we faced our toughest opponent in our division for our very first game of the season.  I had prayed for the Lord to give me a creative way to build team unity and motivate the girls to do their best.  Inspired by our school mascot, I did a little research on mustangs and found we (as a team) had several things in common with our name sake.  From this, we adopted MUSTANG STRONG as our team motto and emphasized that we are stronger TOGETHER!

 

 Interestingly enough, we played our first game on 9/11...How fitting!

Of course with unity as our focus, it should come as no surprise that it was our unity that came under attack from every direction imaginable.  Honestly, halfway through our season, things became so challenging that I lost more sleep than I care to admit, and I literally thought I may have an ulcer.  Let me be clear, my physical symptoms had nothing to do with the game of volleyball but rather everything to do with these girls, their self-confidence, their relationships with each other, their need to learn how to deal with differences and conflict in healthy ways, and their ability to work together as a team by learning to appreciate each other's strengths rather than feeling threatened by them & being divided by them. 

Again, the Lord gave me creative ways (characteristics of mustangs, puzzles, gifts & gaps, Starbursts, Hersey's kisses) to demonstrate a few important life lessons.  The girls probably think I'm crazy, and that's okay as long as they remember at least one life lesson and take it to heart :)       

I am happy to report that through it all my girls stepped up and shined!!! 

They chose unity and to cheer each other on.

 

 They chose to BE a team - not just a group of individuals wearing the same jersey.

They chose to work hard and push through.

They chose to be ALL IN and play their hearts out - TOGETHER.



 

They persevered.

They finished strong.

Mustang Strong!


As the Lord would have it, Beth Moore's newest Bible study was offered at church during volleyball season.  It was perfect timing. It began at the start of our season and ended last Wednesday, the day before our last game.

 

God used this study to meet me exactly where I was at and to teach me new things about Himself and His Word - things that took on new meaning because of the current season I'm in.  So many times during the course of the study, I was awed by God and how He tied lessons from the study to lessons I wanted to teach my team during our few months together.  He taught me what I was trying to teach them.  Of course, the busyness of life tried to interfere with me digging into God's Word through this study.  But by God's grace and mercy,

 

I persevered.

 

I finished strong.

 

My life has been forever changed by the power of God's Word.

 

 

On Friday, I had the privilege of going to Ridgecrest (near Asheville NC) with my friend Tracy in preparation for our upcoming women's retreat. 

The retreat has been in the works for about 2 years now.  The Lord birthed the desire for it in the hearts of several different women, and He is bringing it to pass in His perfect timing - Nov. 14-16.

At the retreat, I'll be leading the Saturday morning session on prayer that will involve taking a prayer walk and spending some quality time alone with the Lord.  My soul cannot wait :)

When we first started planning this retreat, we knew that it was prompted by the Lord. But we did not know when it would happen.  Lots of details had to be sorted out and several obstacles overcome.  Thankfully.......

 

The retreat plans persevered.

 

We are praying for it's purpose(s) to finish strong.

 

We are praising God in advance for the lives that will be impacted.

 

 

Friday night was Senior Night for fall sports at the Nation Ford High School (NaFo) vs. Northwestern football game.  It was also "Pink Out" for breast cancer.

Check out God's beautiful rendition of His own Friday night lights....stunning!  Shawn was out of town with work so Faith and I were Tanner's escorts :)

It's so hard to believe that Tanner is a senior and will be graduating soon. 

 

Persevere, son.

 

Finish strong.

 

The Lord has amazing plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11-14a.)

 

 

Saturday morning, we slept in.  Unapologetically, we sure did.  That evening Tanner, Faith and I went bowling - courtesy of a free Groupon from my friend Tina. Thank you my friend!

 

At the bowling alley, I was reminded of how important it is to laugh and have fun together as a family.  Too often we get caught up in so many other things and neglect the most important thing - those closest to us.  Recently, while praying for "balance" in my life, I was convicted of something.  Sometimes I minister more to other people's children than to my own - OUCH!  What this means for me is that I have to be intentional about teaching my own children what I am so passionate about teaching other children (in my youth small group, volleyball, on mission trips, etc.)  And to make this happen, I will have to say no to some things so I can say yes to my own family - without feeling guilty.

 

I'm praying to persevere in my priorities.

 

I'm asking God to enable me to finish strong in parenting my teenagers.

 

Dear Lord, help me to be 100% present (mentally, emotionally, spiritually) when my family and I are together (physically.)  Help me to make the most of every opportunity, especially when it comes to Tanner and Faith.

 

 

Sunday night, our church hosted its annual Trunks and Treats for the community.  Our ABF class used "Despicable Me" as our theme.  Lots of yellow shirt minions running around :)

 Tanner and his senior class were Fishers of Men from Matthew 4:19

The 8th graders' theme was Toy Story, and Faith was Stretch the Octopus. 

 

This event is about more than games, candy and costumes.  It's full of opportunities to meet new people, connect with them and invite them to church.  As an added bonus, it's also a time of fellowship and fun as a church body.  May we...

 

Persevere for the sake of the Gospel.

 

Finish Strong for our Faith.

 

Never stop reaching out and loving others. 

 



Yesterday, Monday October 27, we had our volleyball team pictures taken, and then we celebrated the end of our season with a little party.  We had an amazing cake made by one of our talented parents (Thanks Debby!)

After spending nearly every weekday together since August, I already miss these girls!!!  It was such an honor to spend the last 2 volleyball seasons with them.  This is a very special group of young ladies with very bright futures!  Keep shining girls, and don't let anything steal your sparkle!!!

 

 

Wow, the past week has indeed been eventful and roller coaster-ish!  It's no wonder that I needed to do a little blogging to help process everything.  Thanks for joining me. 

Just remember, no matter what's happening in your life, whether things are wonderful, difficult, hectic or seemingly mundane...Choose JOY.  Choose GRATITUDE.  Choose SACRIFICE.  Choose UNITY.  Choose TRUTH.

Choose to PERSEVERE.

Choose to FINISH STRONG - in HIS STRENGTH, not your own.

"In a race everyone runs, but only one person gets first prize.  So run your race to win.  To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best.   An athlete goes to all this trouble just to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears.  So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step.  I fight to win.  I’m not just shadow-boxing or playing around.  Like an athlete I punish my body, treating it roughly, training it to do what it should, not what it wants to.  Otherwise I fear that after enlisting others for the race, I myself might be declared unfit and ordered to stand aside."  1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Faith Like a Child

At our house, we love to fill shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.   We have already turned in several boxes through the children's ministry at our church, but my kids wanted to do more.  Faith Wrenn grabbed 11 empty boxes from church last Sunday as a matter of fact.  And this Sunday night, our youth will be filling tons of boxes as they compete by grade level to see who can fill the most.

Last year, Tanner's 8th grade group packed over 500 boxes!!!

It was so much fun that some siblings & some 7th graders joined in too. 

Faith Wrenn and I can't wait to help out again this year.

And God birthed the goal of 500 boxes in the heart

of this sweet young lady, Danielle. 

Look what a difference one person can make

when she chooses to TRUST GOD & OBEY HIM! 

The other night I was on-line making a donation to OCC to cover the cost of our boxes when I saw the option to print out labels with bar codes to track our boxes.  This would allow us to find out what country our boxes went to.

When I mentioned this to Faith Wrenn, she said, "Mom, you know where our boxes are going.  You know."

Me:  "So are you saying we don't need to track our boxes?"

Faith Wrenn:  (Rather matter of factly) "Exactly.  We don't need to track our boxes because we KNOW where they are going." 

She was referring to AFRICA!!!

Oh, to have faith like a child!

We actually ended up doing 12 boxes instead of 11. 
This way, we were able to do 2 boxes for each age group & gender.

There's still time for YOU to do shoeboxes too.  Just click here to find a drop-off location near you. What a great way to share the love of Jesus with children all over the world. 

Remember, one person can make a difference in the lives of others when she/he chooses to trust God & obey Him.

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy

This Is What Motivates Me To Pray

After my friend Sheri moved into her new ranch style house, she gave me her fire escape ladder since our bedrooms are upstairs.  I put it on the floor in my bedroom until I could figure out the best place to store it.

One morning, Faith Wrenn comes into my room and spots the box.

Faith Wrenn: "What's this, Mom?"

Me:  "It's a fire escape ladder that attaches to your window sill so you can climb down to the ground in case of a fire."

Faith Wrenn picks the box up, puts it on my bed, and opens it.  As she's taking the ladder out, she says, "This thing is loud."

Me:  "If there's a fire and you have to use it, no one's going to notice how loud it is."

Faith Wrenn:  "Yeah, but how I am supposed to sneak out??!!!"

OH. MY.  She's not even a teenager yet!  SHE IS ONLY TEN!!! 

Now, you know why I pray ALL the time!!!

Obviously I won't be storing the ladder in her room :)

"Pray without ceasing!"  1 Thessalonians 5:17

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,

Nancy

The Writing on the Wall

I co-lead a 5th grade small group on Sunday mornings, and my daughter Faith Wrenn is in my group.  This month, we have been focusing on creativity - using your imagination to do something unique.  This morning, our Bible lesson came from Matthew 5:13-16 - the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus said,
   “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
   “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

During our small group time, I had my students share some of their favorite verses from the Bible.  Then, I had them use their creativity by graffiting the verses on the walls.  (Don't worry, we have permission to decorate our room any way we want & I can't think of a better way than with God's Word :)

Faith Wrenn told me she wanted to put all of Psalm 3 on the wall.  I asked her to just pick a couple of verses instead.  So, here is what she wrote...

"Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.

From the LORD comes deliverance.
May Your blessing be on Your people." Psalm 3:7-8

I'll be honest with you.  When I first read it, I thought to myself "Oh my!  Verse 7 is a rather vivid & strong verse. Ummm, I don't know if it should be on the wall for 5th graders to read each week.  Not to mention that it was the teacher's daughter that wrote it!"

(Yes I know.  I sound rather prideful.  Don't worry, God took care of that before I ever left church this morning.)

After church, I was standing in the parking lot socializing.  My friends Sean & Mendy pulled up beside me in their car to talk for a minute.  Then, my sister pulled up behind them.  Meanwhile, my children were in the van waiting on me so we could leave.  Nearly everyone else had already gone.

Well, Faith Wrenn got hot and wanted to turn the air on in the van.  So, she walks over to me to get the keys.  As soon as I handed them to her, she takes off running in front of Sean & Mendy's car heading back to the van.  Out of the corner of my eye, I see a blur of blue.

It took a second for everything to register.  But, I soon realized that the blur of blue was a young man driving very fast around my sister's car and around Sean & Mendy's car.  I knew Faith Wrenn couldn't see him & he sure couldn't see her.

So, I screamed at Faith Wrenn!  Loudly!  Repeatedly! 

Thankfully, she stopped and looked back at me!!!!  One more step and she would have been hit by that fast moving car!!!!  I still want to throw up just thinking about it as I type this.  It was that close.  It was way too close.

Once I stopped shaking, God brought Psalm 3:7-8 to my mind.  He said to me in my spirit, "Nancy, I fulfilled those verses for Faith Wrenn today!  I struck her enemy (satan) on the jaw and broke some of his teeth just now!  I delivered your daughter from her enemy who was prowling around looking to kill, steal, and destroy!"

I was speechless. And VERY, VERY GRATEFUL!!! 

You see, as Shawn & I have been preparing for Africa, the level of spiritual warfare has been on the rise.  Just yesterday I had a heart-sinking feeling and a moment of fear when  I thought about what satan may do to try to keep us out of Africa - like targeting my children, for example.

Then, Faith Wrenn was almost hit by a car in the church parking lot today!!!  BUT GOD CRUSHED HER ENEMY AND DELIVERED HER!!!  THANK YOU LORD!!! 

Needless to say, I will never look at Psalm 3:7-8 the same way again!  Each week when I see it on the wall, it will be a reminder of how God fought for my daughter, protected her and safely delivered her from harm.  I am so thankful that according to Exodus 15:3, my God is a warrior!!!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy

Maybe she IS listening

I teach my daughter Faith's 5th grade Sunday School class, better known as small group these days.  I actually had this group of great kids last year in 4th grade too.  So now they have the "privilege" of hearing my same soap boxes for another year.  I especially feel for my daughter who gets enough of this at home already.  Poor thing.   I often imagine my voice must sound like Charlie Brown's teacher to her :)  You know, all muffled and easily tuned out.

But then, God gives me a little glimmer of hope.  The kind that keeps me motivated and determined to teach these kids what He has laid on my heart.  Even if I sound like a broken record or Charlie Brown's teacher!

He gave me a little glimmer last night...

During dinner, my husband asked us a Bible trivia question.  True or False:  People were healed just by having Paul's handkerchiefs touch them.

We went around the table and each gave our answer.  My husband then told us that the answer was TRUE. 

That's when my daughter said, "I have a question.  Where is that found in the Bible?"

I almost fell out of my seat!  That is one of my soap boxes!  I tell my 5th graders ALL THE TIME how important it is to have their Bibles with them, especially even at church, so they can look things up for themselves.  They need to see what God's Word says with their own eyes and read it for themselves!  I really try to instill in them not to automatically take someone else's word for it.  They need to read the Bible and allow God to speak to them personally through His Word. And He will!

The only way to know if something is false is to KNOW THE TRUTH!!!  And there is nothing more true than GOD'S WORD!!!

I warned you.  This is one of my soap boxes.  I'll try to slide it out of the way and finish my story.

So, my husband got his Bible and read Acts 19:11-12 to us which says,

"God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled."

(I hope you are reaching for your Bible right now to see if what I'm telling you is true :)

*A Quick Soap Box Note - I grew up in a wonderful God-fearing church.  But some things I was taught as a child "from the Bible" by people with great intentions were actually NOT in the Bible.  I did not find this out until I was studying the Bible for myself as an adult!  When something like that happens, it can make you doubt other things you were taught too.  So to help avoid this, I teach my kids to go directly to God's Word.  Investigate.  Ask God to show them the truth.

I'm not being paranoid.  I'm trying to equip these kids with the Truth.  As a matter of fact, our lesson this past Sunday was on Jesus being tempted by satan in the desert.  Jesus used Scripture as His weapon against each of satan's temptations.  On one occasion, satan actually used Scripture himself and tried to trick Jesus with it.  But, because Jesus knew the whole Truth in its context, it did not work.  If it happened to Jesus, it can certainly happen to us as His followers.  We MUST be prepared.  We MUST prepare our children.

Let me slide my soap box out of the way one more time and finish my story!    

After my husband finished reading the Scripture to us and we had some discussion, Faith said, "There is another question on the table now.  I have another question."

Then she asked, "Who shared the Gospel with someone today?"

W.O.W.

You see, each night at dinner we have a standing question at our table - "What did you do (nice) for someone today?"  This is how we hold each other accountable to make sure we are thinking of others throughout the day and not only ourselves.

But, Faith just took our dinner time question to a whole new level!   

W!O!W!

So, maybe.  Just maybe Faith is listening to me and actually hearing my heart each time I repeat myself.  Either that or she heard someone else say it one time and it stuck with her!  I'm fine with that as long as she gets it!  As long as she gets God & His Truth!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy


   

Time Flies So Make The Most of Every Opportunity

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."  Ephesians 5:15-17

Last night, I was listening to the radio and heard the DJ ask, "How many summers do you have left with your children before they leave home?"

I don't even want to think about that!  But, as a parent I need to.  I need to understand that my children will not be young forever.  They are growing up every single day, and one day (soon) they will be old enough to leave my home & live on their own.  So I have to be intentional about how we spend our time together now.

I need to be keenly aware of what I'm teaching my children - with my words but more importantly with my actions. 

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:5-6

I want them to love the Lord, have a heart for Jesus, and serve others through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

I want them to experience God's forgiveness and be able to forgive others.

I want God's opinion of them to matter more than man's. 

I want them to "get God" and worship Him openly and unapologetically. 

I want them to pray continuously and trust God wholeheartedly - in good times and in bad. 

I want them to desire God's will for their lives instead of pursuing the American dream. 

I want them to make the most of every opportunity God gives them.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."  Galatians 6:9-10 

While I can't make these personal decisions for my children, I can demonstrate for them what a life totally surrendered to Christ looks like.  I can let them see the lasting joy and peace that comes only from a personal relationship with Jesus, in spite of our circumstances. 

Since school ended yesterday, I've got to start preparing for my intentional summer with my children RIGHT NOW!  While we have some big plans already, my focus will be on the small, daily things.  Nothing like Tanner's 8th grade recognition ceremony and the last day of school for inspiration.

Tanner marching in 

Tanner posing on the football field after the ceremony

 One day our children are here...

until time goes by so fast - like a blur...

And then they are GONE!

All grown up and living on their own!

After the ceremony, we had lunch with some other 8th grade graduates from church.

If only we could keep the boys on one side and the girls on the other side until they are 30!!! Lol!

Of course, we had to celebrate at a new skate park

in Concord

Goodbye 4th grade and 8th grade

HELLO INTENTIONAL SUMMER!

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy