Tag Archives: basketball

Angels & Thunder


The Takles had a laid back weekend.  We attended the Saturday evening service at Lifechurch.tv making for a lazier Sunday.  I briefly felt like a heathen, because, well….old habits die hard, and my Sunday mornin’ church-attendin’ roots run deep.

It was nice having Kris home this weekend.  John Henry had his last basketball game.  Since John Henry’s idea of blocking the opposing team members includes some sort of dance, I’m pretty sure we’ll be retiring his Thunder jersey.  Yes, his team was called the Thunder – just like Oklahoma City’s first ever professional team.  Apparently, everyone was so excited to have a pro ball team, they decided to call ALL young basketball teams “Thunder.” 

Clever.

jh-bball-wp

Anna informed me that I was “wearing her out.”  I haven’t a clue where she’s heard that one.  She then insisted that we call her “Angel.”  She failed to appreciate the humor I saw in her requested new name.

“It’s not funny, Mom!” 

“You’re name is Anna, not Angel.”  I told her.

“Not anymore,” she said.

Oh.  Okay. 

Later, I tuned into The Oscars.  I avoided the red carpet this year due to not losing those last few pounds.  Carolina Herrera will just have to wait until next year to dress me. 

Kris did manage to watch the Oscar-nominated The Wrestler on a recent trip.  “It was horrible.”  His words.  Not mine.  Mickey Rourke is a strange one.  But, I’m sort of fascinated by him.  Of course, not nearly as much as I am by Hugh Jackman.  He is, after all, Wolverine.  And, if you don’t like the X-Men, who are you really?

And, that about sums up our weekend.  Pretty rowdy, huh?

Did you watch the Academy Awards?

 

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Guest Blog – Brittany Thoms: “Free Throw Shot”


I’ve known Brittany (B Shaw) Thoms since she was a tot.  Throughout Britt’s adolescent years, she considered me a mentor.  Now, we mentor each other.  You’d be hard pressed to find another girl with greater passion for Jesus.  And, I couldn’t be more blessed to call her my friend.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Brittany Thoms.

“Free Throw Shot” by Brittany Thoms

It’s hard to imagine thinking the way God thinks.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts [higher] than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:9

But I feel like every now and then, God gives us glimpses of what it really means to be made in His likeness. Parents know this very well and as a soon-to-be mom (November), I’m crazy excited about learning more about God through my son. J

In his book, “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day,” Mark Batterson writes:

One of my most memorable moments as a parent happened during my son Parker’s rookie season in little league basketball. His team hadn’t won a single game all season … [and Parker] had a 98 percent air-ball percentage from the free-throw line.

So Parker got fouled and went to the free throw line. And to be perfectly honest, I felt bad at first because I knew my son had a 98 percent chance of being embarrassed. But I prayed like it was the day of Pentecost! I wish I could say that I prayed that Parker would make the free throw, but I didn’t have that much faith. I just prayed that he would hit the rim. But Parker stepped up to the free throw line and renewed my faith in the power of prayer. Parker defied the odds and made the first free throw of his career.

                And I cried.

There is tremendous joy in watching someone achieve greatness.  Why do parents rejoice when their children do something right?  Why do moms carry around “brag books?”  Because, our Heavenly Father is no exception.  Don’t you think God rejoices all the time when His children operate in the gifts He placed inside of them?

The other side of this coin is sorrow.  I think of God more and more every time I consciously forgive someone.  Forgiveness isn’t second nature.  It hurts.  And what’s worse?  We are constantly reminded of our wounds and have to forgive the same person for the same thing multiple times – whether it was 20 years or 20 days ago.

And I think, “Wow. God, you REALLY love us … because we do stupid things that hurt you all the time.”

Consider this:

                My sins nailed Jesus to a cross.

                I bet that hurt REAL bad.

                Yet, He still loves me.

                Wow.

So, when I’m reminded of wounds where others have scarred me, I think of the scars on Jesus and how it drives His love for us to an even deeper level:  unconditional.  And when I catch someone being great, I’m equally reminded how much God gets excited over us.

But most of all … I want to love like Jesus loves.

 

 

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Filed under God Stuff, Love