Coaching

The past four months of my non-work life has been filled with my favorite past time: volleyball.  This experience, however, has been in a completely different capacity than normal.  Instead of playing, I've been co-coaching two 12u club teams.  It has been such a blast!  

I went into the season excited to teach a little bit of volleyball skills to 18 young girls.  Little did I know how much they would teach me, or how much my goals would change throughout the season! I learned that success is not about the skills of volleyball, it's:

• keeping an attention span for more than 5 minutes
• having a team huddle with no one commenting about coach's jewelry,  biting someone else's hand, or singing
• having 16 girls in my house to make their own pizzas without burning down the house, breaking or spilling anything
• no one saying "I can't"
• seeing their face light up when they finally understand what I'm trying to say
• making it through practice without complaining
• not hearing "can I go to the bathroom?" when we're about to start a game
• no one asking "are we winning?", "is this the first game?", or "when will this be over?"
• hearing "Okay, Coach!"
• getting a smile out of a frustrated player
• remembering the difference between a job and a position
• being close to almost-in-base
• yelling "free ball" even if we don't transition
• making it through a game without making animal noises
• serving over the net
• getting a pass-set-hit
• giving 100% effort
• cheering when we do something right
• working together as a team
• having fun

No matter the definition of success, it's been fun.  We went out with a bang, with one team finishing second in their division and the other taking first in theirs - I'm so proud of all of them! Thanks, girls for a great season!

Mid-Valley 12u Black
Jordan (16), Jenna (7), Jasmine (6), Falute (3), Sydney, Megan (9), Sydney (2), Rhyan (4), Taylor (23), and Coach Trish

Mid-Valley 12u Gold
Paris (13), Gwen (1), Anna, Lexi(8), Me, Riley(15), Megan(14), Taylor(5), Caleigh(12), and Mikayla (11)

Both teams (minus the Taylors) at my house for a pizza party

Painting

I tried my hand at painting recently... I was actually pretty pleased with the outcome!  Inspired by their nursery theme, I used acrylics on 12 x 12 canvases to paint a seahorse and turtle for my friends' new baby:

Krissa taught me some easy tricks to make it go smoother.. First, I printed out a picture of the pictures from babies r us.  Then, I drew a grid on the picture so that it was split into equal squares.  I then made a grid on a 12 x 12 piece of paper and copied the picture square by square:

After that, you can shade the entire back of the paper with a heavy layer of pencil.  Place the paper on top of the canvas, and trace the outline of the picture, then paint the corresponding colors!

Congratulations, Katie & Brandon!

Purpose

How quickly my life becomes a whirlwind. We spend our time studying Ecclesiastes and learning that everything is meaningless; everything, that is, except fearing the Lord and glorifying Him. I know that my desire is to "serve" Him, to share His love with others, and to honor His gospel.  Why then, is my life a vortex of busyness? Why do I treat every task as if life or death depends upon its completion?  Why do I stress?


We lose focus.  When I walked the streets of Tanzania, sat in the slums of Nepal, and hiked the hills of Haiti, I had one clear target:  share the gospel through love.  There were no distractions, no second thoughts, no other possibilities.  My purpose in living in those moments, was to love.  Back in real life, there are bills to pay, mouths to feed, jobs to complete, people to satisfy. What changed?  We lost sight of the real purpose.  The purpose of Jesus.


Philippians 2:5-11 beautifully illustrates the purpose of our life:


"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

When you grasp the fullness of the entity of Christ, all other things fade away.  My life seems so trivial when I meditate on his holiness, humility, and servanthood.  Look at God's plan.  He perfectly planned for His son to suffer the ultimate humiliation and excruciating pain by death on a cross, to rise again in all his glory and purity, that we, sinners, may be saved for eternity.  Who am I to question God's plan for my OWN life?  He has the whole world's life planned.  Why would I question His perfect timing for my desires?  He knows everything before it even happens.  When my eyes are fixed on Jesus Christ, I trust.

Joy

Thanks to Small Fry for introducing me to this band, Page CXVI:

Such a perfect illustration for having joy when times are hard. 

Feminine Appeal... Continued...

Life so quickly gets away from us... I find it ironic that my quiet time focuses on being a Godly wife and mother, and as I try to spend quality time with my Lord and Savior, I get too busy attempting to be that Godly wife and mother! The bread is baking, the yogurt is steeping, the laundry is serenading, and the dishes are being washed, and in the midst of my day devoted to homemaking, I hear the still, small voice, reminding me to sit.

I haven't reflected on here as I've been reading the latest chapters of my devotional, but there is so much wisdom packed into the simple passage this book is wrapped around (Titus 2).  I've read about the blessings of loving my children (my unborn children at this point in life), the safety of self-control, the pleasure of purity, and the honor of working at home.  While there is an abundance of guidance, direction, and wisdom, two vital truths stand out amongst all the words:

1.  My only genuine source of refreshment comes from God.
2.  Everything I do should have the purpose of glorifying God and honoring the gospel.

It is so easy to get caught up in the BUSYness of life (especially this particular chapter of the Ovenell household), which eventually leads to being run down and engaging in unhealthy habits (whether it be physical, emotional, or relational).  If my foundation is not built upon the rock of God, this life will tear me apart.  I will be burnt out, short-tempered, irrational, all which are and lead to sin.  I must find the time to bask in the love of my Savior, and be refreshed by the promises of my Creator.

Secondly, my actions quickly become a result of selfish ambition.  Whether it be the activities I'm involved in, my eating/exercise habits, the way I care for my home, or the relationships I build, I need to constantly evaluate my intentions behind my actions.  My priority must always be to glorify God and bring honor to the gospel.  "The promotion of the gospel is the impetus behind the commands in Titus 2".  Even writing this blog needs to be about promoting the gospel rather than highlighting myself as a "good learner".

The author of Feminine Appeal makes a point in the chapter regarding our children that I feel encompasses my focus from this passage.  While she speaks specifically of our children, this philosophy can have a massive impact on all around us if we choose to live this way:

"What is the ultimate purpose of a phileo kind of love?  It is nothing less than the salvation of our children's souls.  This is the chief end of mothering [and life!].  Our goal is not that our children be happy, fulfilled and successful.  Granted, we may desire these things for them.  But our highest objective should be that our children [and neighbors] would repent from their sins, put their trust in Jesus Christ, and reflect the gospel to the world around them."

J.C. Ryle is also quoted:
"This is the though that should be uppermost on your mind in all you do for your children [and friends].  In every step you take about them, in every plan, and scheme, and arrangement that concerns them, do not leave out that mighty question, "How will this affect their souls?" ... the chief end of [their lives] is the salvation of [their] soul[s]."

Chapter 2 - Feminine Appeal

"The Delight of Loving My Husband"

I still consider myself a newlywed.  Mac and I have enjoyed a blessed 2+ years of marriage, and it seems that we should still be in "honeymoon" stage.  What I find, though, is that as time goes on, not only do I find myself continually loving him more, but I find my love growing and changing.  It has become so much more of a deep care for him, a need to protect and nurture him.  It is important, though, to continue enjoying him and cherishing him.

The "love" used in Titus 2:4 when it talks of teaching the younger women to love their husbands is from the Greek word phileo:  the love between very close friends.  It emphasizes enjoyment and respect; it is characterized by joy and delight.  Often times, I think this is the first aspect of love to fade when times are busy or stressful.  No longer is it about enjoying the other person, but instead becomes a battle to keep everyone fed and rested.

It is so important to focus on the wonderful characteristics my husband portrays and the things he blesses me with when times are hard.  When my affection and tender love diminishes, I am quick to blame it on his actions (or inaction, most often).  Instead, I need to check my own heart.

God has wired women with an amazing natural "alert system" through our emotions.  When our emotions run wild, it often means that their is sin present and we need to make a change.  I take the blame off my husband and put the praise on him instead.  I want to continue loving him more and more, that I might bring honor to the gospel of Christ by following His example.

Feminine Appeal

My lovely friend, Michelle, challenged me to read a book called Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney.  The focus is on the seven virtues of a godly wife and mother found in Titus 2:3-5-

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.  They are to teach what is good, and o train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."

As I study my way through this book, I hope to reflect on it and enlighten others each day.  There is so much wisdom in finding a mentor, someone who has done life, who has gained wisdom, and who is willing to spread a little on to you.  I'm so thankful to have a beautiful role model in my mother, who has shown nothing but love to all she interacts with.

This first chapter talks about adorning the gospel with our lives, because whether or not we realize it, people are always watching us.  We have the chance to illuminate and draw attention to the untouchable, gracious word of God by our choices, our words, and our actions.  Our conduct has a direct influence on how people think about the gospel.  When I stop to think about my own actions, I would hope that they "adorn" the gospel, that the things I choose to do and say cause people to wonder why I'm different.  Sadly, I don't think I always do a great job.  Not only do my actions falter, but I realize that if someone were to find out some of the thoughts I have, they would be appalled.  My desire is to accept the amazing grace of God and to continue to be changed, transformed, and moved to better reflect his glory and his holiness.  I desire to be a Titus 2 woman.