#hoops

Happy New Year! I pray this sticks with you as we enter a new year of blessings, and really glorify the Lord in all we do.

I recently shared an article on the Face book about how people who are obsessive about celebrities tend to be less intelligent. I don't know how true that is, but as someone who doesn't really care about celebrities outside of Jesus, I found it comical. 

The internet has come a long way since the days of dial up... and the content has gone even farther.... (not sure how good that is)

It went from making things like essays and reports easier to write, connecting on myspace, and burning CDS off of Napster, to having literally everything at your fingertips. 

 "Viral" back then meant you clicked the wrong pop-up, and now your computer had a virus. Today, something someone posts online- usually tends to be controversial- BLASTS OFF and gets hundreds of thousands of views, likes, comments, etc. 

Don't worry, this is going somewhere <3

The past few weeks I've been blessed to have been in the loop of some pretty amazing things God is doing in my sister's life. Actually, I have a few friends who are seeing BIG blessing because of obedience. As my one friend pointed out while we were hangin out on NYE, the things that are happening are ONLY because of God's hand in it all. He also made a good point that although God orchestrated it all, he had to do his part in it-- be obedient. 

Thanks to that crazy internet, we can glean a few positive things as well! A meme I recently saw was an older gentleman standing in a large field, leaning on a shovel. The caption said "God is in control, but He doesn't expect you to lean on a shovel and pray for a hole."

How true is that?? I think ALL of us can look at that man, and be like, well obviously God isn't going to just plop a hole in front of him without him doing anything.... but yet we do that all the time!

Just recently I was praying for another stylist to join my team, but I wasn't doing ANYTHING about it. No job postings, social media posts; no footwork at all. Just praying they would fall into my lap. I pray my headaches go away, but make another cup of coffee before I fill my water bottle. I do this silly stuff all the time. I'm not proud of it, but when I confess it, it helps me address it. 

I say that a lot^^ "confess it and address it".  Mostly because when I share/teach something, I find that is the greatest source of accountability for me, which will increase the likelihood of me seeing a positive change. I asked a few of my friends if there was anything I say a lot, or have said that has stuck with them or made a positive. Everyone said something a little different, but they all came back with something about "just doing the thing, and doing it well."

"Shoot your shot" if you will. 

Are you wondering what someone is thinking or feeling? ASK. Shoot your shot.

Are you feeling discouraged that you aren't doing something "perfectly"? Perfect is reserved for God. Just do the thing and do it well. Shoot your shot. 

Have you been wanting to do or try something new, but are afraid? Just do it. Shoot your shot. 

It's a lot easier said than done, isn't it? When you're in a relationship, it's so easy to just tell someone to message the other person, or go say hello as you're "secure" in yours. But when the tables are turned and you are afraid to have a hard conversation at work, and they're saying "just do it, you can do this!". All of a sudden they're crazy and just have no idea how hard this really is!?

Even though we (usually, I hope) mean well when we're encouraging one another, it's easy to think our situation is different, unique, "harder", and they just couldn't possibly understand. As much as I love to help my friends, and am getting better and better about asking for help myself, at the end of the day, there's only one friend who really knows what it's like to be in our position. And that guy is Jesus. 

Maybe you're like me:

I find myself in a situation that requires action, so here I go to take on the world in a game of 1 on 1. I may consult some people along the way, but it's me against the world. But it never feels like 1 on 1, it feels more like 1 on every single person of the world. I go down in defeat more often than not, and tell myself "next time, I'm going to ask Jesus to be on my team." When I do put my ego aside and invite Jesus in on the game He's ready and waiting for- everything changes. It's one thing to shoot your shot on your own... but when you shoot your shot with Jesus and everything He brings to the table?!?! 

Things start to look up. 

Going back to what I was talking about earlier: things going viral on the internet.

As much as I cringe while I'm scrolling, I also see a LOT of positive things that make my heart swell with joy. I see redemption happening in homes, I see revivals happening in youth, and I see people forgiving and letting go of decades of hurt. That got me thinking... how can we make things like that viral in real life??

Posting pictures online doesn't affect your encounter at the gym, and sharing memes doesn't impact your conversations at the grocery store. So I'd like to leave you with something you can remember and cling to when you're out in the world, as a follower of Christ, hoping to spread the love of Jesus like wildfire.... Something you can visualize to make the kindness and love we should have for our neighbors go real life "viral".

#hoops

think of that hashtag when you're out in the world. Visualize yourself playing basketball (doing life), with the ball (love, encouragement, asking a question, doing the thing, whatever that looks like for you) and you're ready to shoot. You have to decide if you actually shoot or not. It'd be nice to say that if it's God's will, it'll go in, or if it isn't, you'll have to jump in for the rebound. One thing I've learned in this life, though, is that even if something aligns with God's will, it isn't a guarantee that it'll be smooth or easy. Sometimes the bumps and obstacles are PART of the goodness He has in store for us. So we take the good with the bad. (He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:10)

So we shoot our shot. If it goes in, we quickly celebrate, then hustle back down the court to play defense. If we miss, we do our best to rebound and try again. But we must remain in Him; trusting that even in our darkest moments and painful struggles He is with us. 

So next time you're by another person, your kids and spouse count, think of #hoops, and let Jesus's love go viral. You won't see a million "thumbs up" icons, or get all kinds of comments saying how wonderful you are, but God sees. And the effects of the love you show, will show up to others, and from them others, and from them others. We'll find out in Heaven how well we did at making Jesus's love go viral, but until then, get out there and spread that love. 

YOU are the 1 He left the 99 for. Shoot your shot. Show His love.