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Practicing or Playing . . .

8/28/2021

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I grew up playing sports. When your father is a coach and your mother loves anything athletic, it’s kind of a given. I loved it.

I would spend hours in our driveway shooting baskets or hitting a tennis ball against the garage door (which now that I think about it must have driven my parents mad). For me, practice was just as much fun as playing. I loved those hours spent in the driveway.




Even in school, I would look forward to practice. Though I didn’t particularly care for the running drills, I definitely enjoyed feeling stronger. Though I didn’t particularly like the repetitive hitting drills, I definitely appreciated the results––muscle memory and increased confidence.

And then there were the games and matches. The opportunity to see the results of all that hard work, which is why we had practiced, so that when crunch time came we could actually use those skills.

There are some people who love to compete, but would rather not have to deal with the tedium of practice. Ironically, others would prefer just to practice . . . to learn the skills, know the game, but not have to deal with the heat of competition.

But practicing and playing is a symbiotic relationship. For ultimate performance, both are required. And as Christians we need to remember that. Many of us love Bible studies and devotions. We love learning about God’s word, but we really don’t want to have to put it to the test. We don’t want to have to live it in the real world where our weaknesses might be exposed. Sharing God’s word and work in our lives makes us nervous. Conversely, there are others who would prefer to jump right into the arena without proper preparation. 

There are many verses encouraging and/or commanding us to study and meditate on God’s Word (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2) and preparing ourselves (I Timothy 4:15; 2 Timothy 3: 16-17). But we are also commanded to put that knowledge into action (Philippians 4:9; I John 3:18).

We need to know the basics, but we also need the arena and all its uncertainties––different lies, obstacles, uncertainties––to hone those skills. Knowledge in a vacuum leaves us far short of wisdom.

While sports offers us a safe middle ground––pick up games with friends––Christianity doesn’t. As Christians we can’t stay sheltered and safe, living our Christian life just among our Christian friends. For our Christian life to me meaningful, it must be lived in the real world.

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Tim Challies . . .

8/21/2021

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This past year I have spent some time reviewing Christian websites, reading Christian bloggers, and reaching out to Christian book reviewers. Recently, I came across the website of Tim Challies (rhymes with valleys). It didn’t take me long to decide to subscribe to his posts. His website is wonderful, so I thought I would take a moment and share what little I know about him as well as share his website. I am sure as our online “relationship” continues, I will learn more and more about him and his heart for God.

Professionally, Tim is a Canadian pastor, writer, blogger, and reviewer. Personally, he is a husband and father––a father with a broken heart, as he lost his only son (his firstborn) suddenly in November of 2020 (Nick Challies). His post (I Miss My Son Today) I think will speak to many who have lost someone special, but in particular to those who have lost of child.

What I love about Tim’s website is that it is so thorough. It deals with timely as well as timeless issues. He is an avid reader and researcher and vets then shares what he finds with his readers. He is a very talented writer, bringing clarity to difficult issues and putting words to unspeakable feelings. 

I encourage you to take the time to peruse Tim’s website (www.challies.com), and if so inclined, subscribe so you can be blessed daily with his insights and encouragement.

I would like to close this blog the way Tim begins many of his posts: "May the God of love and peace be with you today."

Photo taken from www.challies.com




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The Olympics . . .

8/14/2021

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The 2020 Olympics are now in the books. Yes, it took an extra year to make happen, and even then there were times these games looked perilously similar to the struggle to possess the Promised Land. Multiple nay-sayers and only a few faithful.

But they did take place, and despite fewer people in the stands, these games were still rich with improbable victories and heartwarming backstories. But I think my greatest takeaway this year is what the Games’ symbolism could offer us Christians.




In the past year and a half, Satan has had a heyday, especially in the church. I read somewhere (and I really wish I could remember where) that sometimes we forget the real source of evil––Satan––and start attacking each other. Sound familiar?  All Satan had to do was plant a few seeds of division, step back, and watch the destruction begin. And boy, did it.

So in the wake of the Olympics, I would like to look at the three Olympic symbols in light of our Christian walk.

The Olympic Rings:

These five rings represent the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world. Despite the historical, cultural, and political differences, the nations and their athletes joined together for a common purpose.

As Christians, despite our differences, we have only one purpose: to bring glory to God. We are to do that  through our words, our actions, and our endeavors both individually (Phil. 1:11; 2 Tim. 2:15) and collectively––“striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27).

We would do well to remember that this is what we are supposed to be doing––bringing glory to God. Period.

The Olympic Torch:

A Washington Post article says that “The Olympic flame symbolizes the light of spirit, knowledge and life. By passing the flame from one person to another in stages, the Torch Relay expresses the handing down of this symbolic fire from generation to generation” (The Washington Post).

That is Christianity in a nutshell. Jesus tells His followers that they are “the light of the world….Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:14). Our lives should radiate the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His eternal life-giving sacrifice.

And, just as the flame is passed from one person to another, so are we commanded to pass on this good news (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19).

The Olympic Motto:
The original Olympic motto––Citius - Altius - Fortius (Faster - Higher - Stronger)––was changed this year to read––Citius, Altius, Fortius - Communiter  (Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together).

I am sure that each athlete who attended the games wanted to win, but each also wanted to run faster, jump higher, or be stronger than he or she had before.  But for me, the most memorable parts of the Olympics are the times when an athlete sacrifices that win or personal best to help a fellow athlete. As a whole, these athletes understand what each of them had to sacrifice in order to be at the Olympics, probably even more so this past year with such adverse training conditions. Together they have prepared for these games and together they will compete.

Paul challenges each of us “run in such a way to obtain the prize” (1 Cor. 9:24) but we should do so in light of the two greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. . . . and the second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Math. 22:37-39). Run as to win the race, but do it together.

We are called to be unified despite our differences, be God’s light in a dark world, pass the torch of Good News, and bring glory to God: our rings, our torch, our motto.






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Legacy . . .

8/7/2021

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I recently took part in a surprise birthday party for my uncle who turned eighty. It was perfect. Beautiful outdoor venue. Mild weather. Delicious food. And plenty of family and friends.

The evening was divided into three parts. The first was conversation and a page-long questionnaire to see how well we knew my uncle. Most of us abandoned the “do it alone” directive and went straight to the “cooperative” method, pooling our table’s knowledge. It is amazing how little you know someone whom you have known all your life. Who would have guessed he was binge watching Monk. Go figure.

The second part was to fill in those blanks and reveal a little more. My cousin did the honors of roasting and toasting his dad, and between his quick wit and my uncle’s equally amusing replies, we guests were properly entertained . . . aka . . . a lot of laughing interspersed with looks of surprise. (FYI: Our table did incredibly well. All but that Monk answer.)

But it was the third part that made the biggest impression. The ten grandchildren took to the mic to tell a story about grandpa. The youngest revealed that grandpa bought her candy––with his own money! The next youngest loved going in the truck with his grandpa, but let it be known that grandpa listened to really old music––like the eighties. (My guess was it might have heralded even a little bit further back than that.)

As the ages increased so did the sophistication of stories. The lesson in economics from their farmer grandpa––you don’t pick ripe fruit off the trees for a cousinly “fruit fight.” The consequence? Eat or pay for the fifty avocados you destroyed. The voice of reason––any drama? Drop it at the feet of grandpa to help sort out. The spiritual example––here was a godly man we can emulate. Here is our example.

In the public forum, legacies often come in the form of hospital wings, literary tomes, artistic portfolios, and other physical manifestations of a person’s contribution to society. When we see them, we remember, and most often our lives are enriched.

But the most important legacies take place in the personal realm, those values handed down from one generation to a younger generation. The power and peace of a deep faith. The importance of working hard and wasting not. The life grounded in compassion and reason. And yes, sharing really old music with someone you love, and buying that grandchild candy––with your own money.


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    Author

    Jody Eileen Solinski spent her career teaching in the California public school system where she enjoyed helping young adults take their place in society. A native Californian, she enjoys the outdoors and so loves living in Northern California where she can enjoy the beauty of God’s creation up close.

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