Remember the Titans!

I don't know why football seems to be such a theme in my daily devotions lately...HELLO, I'm a girl...I didn't even play football. That being said...I love the sport. I love it! I love Monday Night Football. I love Thursday Night Football, Saturday College Ball and we LIVE for Sundays for football. Since my husband is crazier than I am for the game we are perfectly matched.

We LOVE football movies - Radio, Rudy, Facing the Giants, We Are Marshall, Varsity Blues...waaay back to The Longest Yard and All the Right Moves. One of my particular favorites is Remember the Titans. Ever seen this movie? The passion for being the best in football, in life, in relationships is shown so well...alongside the challenge of racial integration in Alexandria,Virginia. The white coach is put aside as head coach for the black coach. The players have to combine white and black in the turbulent South. The team heads off to football camp and since they are away from family and town folk influence really begin to bond as teammates and friends. Once they are again immersed back into the reality of living in their hometown - the rivalry and prejudice starts again. The story has a bittersweet and happy ending though - the team becomes a true team that supports and builds each other up. The two coaches become friends and gain enormous respect for one another. The town realizes that the old attitudes are going to have to change and begins to support the black coach.

What on earth does that have to teach you might ask? Well I realized that as a Christian, I have that same struggle every day. Old vs. New. Sin vs. New Heart. I made a decision to put aside Coach Self for Coach Christ. Now, Coach Self really doesn't like that much. Coach Self thinks that she knows it all. I've gone away to camp - ladies retreats and really felt my old and new self were getting along and becoming a team. It was exciting to deeply "feel" the Holy Spirit take hold and coach my heart team. I didn't have the outside pressures of the world pressing in. BUT - All retreats come to an end and I have to come back to the real world every time where the enemy would use the town folk - prejudice, self doubt, replaying of sins that were already forgiven - to tear me down and to cause my team to fall apart.

Now I am not saying that Coach Christ and Coach Self are going to go out and become best friends and share equal credit for my eternal salvation - THAT'S ALL CHRIST'S GRACE AND MERCY but Coach Self is learning that Coach Christ has great plays for my life. He's got a plan and it's a good one. Coach Self has respect for Coach Christ and is realizing that it's best for her to take a backseat to Coach Christ. I'm going to have a happy ending because I am saved by the blood and will go to Heaven. It's just reassuring to me to know that Coach Christ recognizes that though Coach Self has brought me a lot of grief...she's still part of my nature. Coach Christ doesn't expect perfection from me. I am perfected because of HIM. Perfected. I'm not perfect but I am made perfect because He died for my imperfections. One day, Coach Christ will have me come to the Hall of Fame and I hope He'll say..."Well done good and faithful servant." - not because I overcame the world but because I continued to strive to be like my Coach Christ while in the world.

It's All Wrong...but, It's Alright!

Ron used to work with a guy by the name of John Anderson...really great guy with a couple adult kids and some grandkids. I remember when Camdyn was just about 2 and into everything Ron would tell John about Cam's misadventures. John taught Ron the phrase..."It's all wrong but it's alright." As of late I have been reminded of this phrase as the boys and I adjust to Daddy being home while he is between jobs. The little ones are THRILLED to say the least to have so much of Daddy but they have a way of getting into his stuff and causing chaos. It's all wrong, but it's alright.

Ron's job search isn't easy. The economy certainly isn't what it was when we left Washington last year. Ron said the other day he had a feeling around April of last year that maybe Jacobs wasn't the company for him. He was feeling discouraged and voiced regrets of not just cashing in his chips then and coming back to Washington. THANK GOD for the Holy Spirit. It was that still, small voice that reminded me to remind him that we had already made the decision to follow God's direction and move the Oklahoma BEFORE God provided the job at Jacobs. We chose to be obedient and provision was made. Now that job is gone. The office Ron worked at in Washington is gone now too. A season of unemployment was on the horizon of whichever path we took - leave and obey God or stay in Washington and be disobedient. Is it hard to be without the income? Yes. Is it hard to watch my husband struggle with doubts? Yes. Do I know that we are suppose to be here and that our obedience will be counted as righteousness? Yes. See, It's all wrong, BUT It's alright - God has it covered.

Life's Volcanoes

Ever been to Hawaii? The big island is beautiful. It's so lush and green and yet some areas are just black volcanic ground. We visited the big island in February 2003. One of our favorite excursions was to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We went at dusk and drove down the Chain of Craters road to the ocean. As we started our hike we noticed a sign that said "New land flow September 2002". We were walking on ground that had come from the volcano, been cooled by the ocean and was now a new part of the island. That's pretty awesome. One of the rangers informed us that they had lost 100 acres of unstable new land into the ocean the month before. God giveth and God taketh away was my first thought.

Hot lava pouring into a cold ocean produces a large plume of steam which is spectacular by day and breath-taking by night. Imagine...all that mixing of hot molten earth with cold water to create a place that seeds will eventually land on and will flourish. Creation from chaos and destruction.

Isn't that just like God? He takes our heavy earthly burdens and tries them by fire. He pours our circumstances out into a cold world and creates a landing place for new growth and life! He trims away our unstable parts to make way for the new land. In the end, when the race is run we become beautiful, lush islands teeming with life.

Praying for abundance and life from your volcanoes.

But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. The wild animals in the fields will thank me, the jackals and owls, too, for giving them water in the desert. Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed.~Isaiah 43:18-20

Friday Night Lights for the Kingdom

Ok, so everyone knows I am married to a football loving guy - after all, he went to college on scholarship for football. (Go Loggers) Yesterday was a rough day. We found out Ron was being laid off from Jacobs - now that's pretty serious since he's our sole income and we have 3 kids that would require daycare if I worked. I was in a low place last night. Off we went to God's house and the love of our church family - I do NOT believe it to be coincidence that we found out on a Wednesday night.

THANK YOU GOD for the women in my bible study and for Joyce Meyer. Only God knew that I would need a study called Never Give Up. Only God knew that I would need her message of hope last night - that week's video was for me! Only God knew that the scripture on the wall during the Dwell prayer service would need to be Phillipians 4:6-7 (my mantra scripture).

How does Friday Night Lights fit into this you ask? Well let me tell you. We live in a small town here in Oklahoma. When you are driving the roads around Piedmont there are two things you can usually see from a distance - one is the Baptist church's tower and the other is the stadiums lights. Think about every movie or every little town you've driven through (especially if you've been in the mid-west states or Texas). Friday night you'll see the lights of the football field shining bright in the dark fall night. Big, bright, wonderful lights calling you to watch a battle on the gridiron. Opposing forces line up against each other heading down a path to defeat the obstacles in their way and using every ounce of energy to do so. Most people would say the quarterback is the hero of the game since he's the leader on the field but I ask you...who tells the quarterback what plays to call? The coach, of course.

The Cardwell family is being given a rare opportunity to be Friday Night Lights to all those around us. The boys and I are putting on our pads and helmets, learning the plays and ready to charge onto the battlefield led by our quarterback, my wonderful husband. We are blessed to have close friends acting as cheerleaders and fans in our seats watching as we line up to defeat the enemy and reign victorious over this crisis in our lives. God is our coach and boy, we couldn't ask for a better one! He has the best defensive line ever when the enemy decides to try to go on the offensive and attack us. He has the best offensive plays - The Word - to gain yards as we move toward the goal to score a new job for Ron and ultimately to win the battle and victory when we head through the pearly gates to our permanent home in Heaven.

Thank you dear friends for suiting up with us, for cheering us on and Thank You Lord for leading the charge!!!