goalball questions

I am borrowing a post I made to a bulletin board recently to help convey some thoughts...
The goalball circus has been in full swing for the past six weeks, and it's been... interesting.
Just before the season started, I got three colds one right after the other (or a mutated version that kept coming back), so when I started practices Ihad NO endurance whatsoever. GRRRR! It's been a tough season so far, but it's also been great. We had the Ontario team come practice with us a few weeks ago,and that was awesome! I've also learned a few things about how to improve my offensive and defensive play.
I've come to a few realizations and have many questions to answer within the next few months:

1) My goal is to play in the 2012 Parolympics in London. In order to do that, I need to really step up my game. The way the qualifications work is thatyou try out for the development team, so you can improve your game, etc., and then you are able to try out for the National team the next year. Realistically,if I don't make it on the development team this spring, I probably won't be going to London at all. I have to decide whether or not to continue goalball next year if that happens, but I am not sure I can continue the traveling back and forth every weekend for six months without anything to show for it (aspot on the development team, for example). The problem is that I have seen marked improvement in my game and in my fitness and want to continue to build the momentum. My husband has been so supportive all the way through, but I don't want to quit because I don't get what I want right away, but the travel is crazy.

2) After meeting the Ontario girls a few weeks ago, it made me question if these are people I really want to spend an inordinate amout of time with. There's lots of drinking, unmarried sex, etc., etc., etc. I can't really explain it, but it kinda put a damper on that London dream. I wonder if I am going to be a light among them, a peculiar person... or if I am going to get dragged down to their level. As I am married, wanting to serve my husband, live a Godly life, and don't drink, I highly doubt I'll fit in or even if I want to (hardly condusive to team cohesiveness).

Decisions, decisions. If I were to ask anything, it's for your prayers.

PIP

Coffee vs. tea

Since I am starting goalball training in a few weeks, I figured that now would be a good time to cut back on my coffee intake. I'm not sure if it's the coffee or the sugar I put in it, but I get really bad coffee crashes.

I have since rediscovered my love for tea. Any green, herbal, rooibos (AKA red) or fruit tea, I am game to try at least once. Black and white teas don't hold much appeal anymore... perhaps it's the sugar I feel I must put in to any of them.

The plus-side to all of this is that I get my caffeine in a hot beverage without the crash seeral hours later. My favorite right now is bamboo chutes green tea from Steeps (I need to find out if The Tea Place has something similar), Long Island strawberry green tea from Glenn's Tea House, and (the ultimate in making you feel better from the symptoms of a cold, a bad day, etc.) ecanasia (Sp?) Yurba Mate from The Tea Place.

Since the Tea Place is opening up a new location, they are having a sale on their teas next week. I'm determined to drink the stuff I'm low on and refill my tins.

Enjoying Crime of Passion Green,
PIP

Funny quote

"Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in themorning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake!" Edna Rogers-Williams

Please note: I am questioning the Biblical basis for this quote. is it Scriptural? The one Satan fears is Jesus Christ, and He alone. But we are engaged in a spiritual battle, and Christ has given us the weapons we on earth use to fight.

PIP

prayer for finances

I recently received an E-mail from a coworker who is a professing Christian. As we have different lunch hours and because up until quite recently I have been too much of a coward, we have not talked much about the things of the Lord.

The E-mail text was the following:

Prayer for Finances
I claimed it for you - now claim it for me.
God has more than a thousand ways to provide for us, that we know nothing about.Here is your financial blessing!
It's a simple prayer, you got 30 Seconds?
Don't sleep on this....Someone recently read this for the first time andReceived exactly enough for a $0 balance on all credit cards.
If you need a financial blessing, continue reading this e-mail.
Heavenly Father, most Gracious and Loving God, I pray to you that youAbundantly bless my family and me.
I know that you recognize, that a Family is more than just a mother, father, sister, brother, cousin,Husband and wife, but all who believe and trust in You.
Dear GOD, I send up a prayer request for financial blessing for not only thePerson who sent this to me, but for me and all that I have forwarded This message to.
And that the power of joined prayer by those who Believe and trust in you isMore powerful than anything!
I thank you in Advance for your blessings.
God, deliver the person reading this right Now from debt and debt burdens.
Release your Godly wisdom that I may be a good steward over all that youhave given me GOD, for I know how wonderful and mighty you are and how if wejust obey you and walk in your word and have the faith of a Mustard Seed that you will pour out blessings.
I thank you now Lord for the recent blessings I have received and for the blessings yet to come,Because I know you are not done with me yet.
In Jesus name Amen...
TAKE 60 SECONDS and send this on quickly and within hours, you will haveCaused a multitude of people to pray to God for each other. Then sitBack and watch the power of God work in your life for doing the thing That youKnow He loves. Peace and Blessings....
Have Faith
8 angels are sent to you,
You should forward them on to 8 people .
In 8 minutes you will receive something you have long awaited.


My coworker, in a comment of her E-mail, stated that she just felt wrong for praying about money. We recently chatted about this, and she views somethign like this as worshipping the money rather than God. Her comment was something to the effect of, "Well, God's gonna say something like, 'you want to worship money? okay, enjoy your money in hell.'"

This whole prosperity gospel thing grieves me.

PIP

Self-control.... ANYONE?

I recently came across this article

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,538701,00.html?test=latestnews

Sorry, I can't seem to figure out how to make it look all pretty...

I have heard this argument before, primarily in more charismatic circles. Sex is a temptation, yes. But I have found that catchy phrases (true love waits, for example), deal with the symptom rather than what is underlying it.

My husband and I didn't get everything right, so please don't jump down my throat in saying that I have NO idea what I am talking about. When you treat sex, having sex, not having sex, getting married so that you can have sex, as the only issue, then you are missing the point.

What ever happened to living a holy life?

To self-control?

To having God be the focus of your relationship?

I think the young woman quoted at the end of the article has it right.

Is God in control of the relationship, or not? Or are we so focused on getting our own needs met that we lose sight of Him and focus instead on what WE want RIGHT NOW?

beading and other things

As a hobby, I bead mostly bracelets, but have been known to make an anklet or a necklace in my day. Perhaps my forrays into bead shops recently, with beads in every conceivable shape and size and colour, have prompted me to ask this question:

1 Tim. 2:9-10 and 1 Peter 3:1-6 (emphasis on 3-5) state that women are not to adorn themselves with expensive clothes, pearls, and fine jewelry. I understand the meaning not to be vain, but is simply looking pretty wrong? Even the oft-quoted "Proverbs 31 woman" is dressed in fine linen and purple....

So, obviously, we don't "dress to impress," as it were, and beauty is fleeting. We are to show our beauty with kindness to others, a meek and quiet spirit, a loving relationship with Jesus Christ and our husbands.., friends, etc. So.... is it wrong to dress well, in modest, understated things that happen to be pretty?

Beading with blue,

PIP

first post

It is two weeks after my 25th birthday, so I figured I would pick up a blog... probably more to vent, question, muse, what have you, than anything else. I am glad I have those with whom this journey of life can be shared.

Let me make a couple things perfectly clear at the outset. I am a Christian seeking to follow Christ in the best way I can. This will mean that I will mention Christ openly in this blog. What I intend not to do is sound more spiritual and together than I am, in the hopes that the fullness and sufficiency of Christ can be shown through my weakness.

I am also intending to keep my identity private, so those of you who know me, I respectfully ask not to use my name when commenting or what have you.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me!