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![]() This will have two story parts to it. The first comes from a mini vacation I was able to take in early July. One of the greatest feelings in the world is laying in a hammock looking at the sky; but it is even greater when you know your dearest friend is near by doing the same thing. In complete Reyna fashion I just started asking random questions to be answered - but this one hit different. ¨If you could get rid of one kind of weather what would it be?¨ - I guess I kind of meant element. I don´t like the wind, but know it´s necessary and I can´t handle cold rain, but I also know we need it. However, since I worded it differently her answer: probably something catastrophic - tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis.. and right then and there it hit me. That is a really good analogy for life and I love analogies. What I have gone through is not anything catastrophic - it has been raining for sure - but much like the plants we need rain to grow. Fast forward a couple weeks to one of those nights where I just could not get a grip on my emotions. I am usually not a crier, but within the last year it sure has happened more than I would like. I was just laying there staring that the wall - because that is normal right. I was sad, scared, angry all in one. Certain feelings and situations and emotions come up now and again. So, as I was staring at the wall I noticed a sign in my apartment different than I have ever looked at it before. It was from my Grandma´s apartment with Philippians 4:13 painted on there. But there is text in the background that I never have paid attention to before and it says ¨Look up¨. Naturally, I looked up. And above that sign I saw my huge canvas that says BLESSED on the wall. That moment was all I needed to shape up and get myself right. It was a reminder that I very much am blessed. That caused the flash back to my time in the hammock: this is not anything catastrophic. Recently, I feel like there have been people around me going through a lot of hard times. People injured in accidents. Family members passing away. Different obstacles that are catastrophic to individual lives. Those are the people we need to be praying for. Those are the things we need to be paying attention to. What I have gone through has hurt me for sure, but it has just been a lot of rain. Do not worry about me. I am blessed. ![]() When something shatters, its never impossible to put it back together. However, it can never be put back together exactly the same it was before it was broken. It has been almost five years since I wrote my last blog post here. For the last five years I have been dedicated to my craft: my craft being basketball, That Girl on Fire, investing in those I lead and teach and coach. As I kept growing professionally, I decided to take a leap of faith in a job that felt like it was my landing spot. I basically put the rest of my life on hold to chase this dream. I left the place I knew for four years to move into a new community that I thought was going to be a long term home. I will not lie to you. It was so much fun. I had a blast. I was convinced it was shaping up to be one of the best years of my life. However, without real warning it all came crashing down. I always thought that I would feel my first raw heartbreak due to that dreamy guy who was not meant to be mine. I never in my life imagined it would be professionally. There is no other way to explain what I have felt recently than utter heartbreak: to be so sad that it feels like your heart has cracked inside your chest. If my heart was a vase, it shattered when someone took a hammer to it that one day in April. Because of that the water that flowed from it ran out and the joy that bloomed because of it quickly died. Someday, that story will be told, but I want to focus on where I currently sit. I currently sit still like a fresh stab to the heart. I sit in random moments of flashbacks of that day that completely shifted seasons of my life. I sit in moments of being excited for the future. I sit in moments of fear, doubt and anger. I sit in times of thankfulness for all that has come before; and then I sit again in the hurt of having to live a life that I never wanted to live. I sit in a phase where I am diligently and grudgingly picking up the pieces. It took a while for me to even try to understand; and I do not think I will ever understand it fully. However, I need to trust this is the journey the Lord wants me to take. I need to trust that there was a greater plan in one year than what I can currently see. I need to trust that the best is yet to come, and I do that by each day picking up more and more pieces to put the fiery and faithful heart back together. So that is where I sit. I sit in a season of picking up the pieces of a life I once knew and trying to figure out who I am supposed to be again. I remind myself whose I am and that is who I am. The largest blessing is the people who have been reminding me all along and who have been my heart for me in the low moments. I stand firm on my life verses Galatians 6:9 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 and Romans 8:28. Nothing is wasted. It is time to write again. It is time to grow again. It is time to live again, and I will do that the best I can. It won´t look exactly like it was before it broke, but I am putting my heart back together. Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. or our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28 ![]() Think about how you're going to need to use the pick n' roll in your daily life, but when you try to drive off the screen, and the defender steps in the way, you don't want to have to think about what to do next; you should stop and dish without even hesitating to consider the next move. That scenario is a lot like life. You can be running the perfect plays, chasing your dreams, but the second a plan doesn't work out, the way you expected it to, you should not have have to think about what's next. That is the moment you should pick up the ball and immediately dish it out to Jesus to get the ball through the net, so you can continue to play the game. Now that I have your attention, and you pictured yourself hoopin' with Jesus, I just want to tell you that I write this with a heavy heart. Sometimes, I get too caught up in what I do that I forget who I am, and this is big. One thing I do a lot of is coach basketball, but if there is one thing I've been reminded of lately it's that basketball isn't about basketball. In 2018, I received a text from one of my best friends that said this: "Ya know losing sucks but basketball isn't actually life, and I have a God who loves me so who's the real winner here?" "Me, the answer's me." So I typed this series of tweets that next night after we lost a game: "A friend of mine put this in perspective last night, win or lose basketball isn't actually life - we have a God who loves us and that makes us the real winner. There comes a day where you are no longer known as the basketball player, but just as you. The cool thing is, We have a God sitting on the side of eternity saying that's all you need to be. Basketball is not meant to define you, but is a skill and a game as a platform to enjoy while you're on earth and make his name known. As coaches, that's what we need to strive for. Not to make the girls think winning or losing is all that we care about, but that when the basketball player title is stripped away that they will be just fine being themselves. Sports are all about preparing you for life. Win or lose as a coach, if your players learned that or see themselves in a better light as they walk away from your program because of that then you totally won the championship, even if you don't have a trophy to show for it. #lifelessons" The night I tweeted this, I realized my coaching philosophy. I realized that the dream I was chasing of being a college coach wasn't all that important, all I wanted was for the girls I was coaching to know that if the ball got stripped away and they could never dribble, wear a uniform or lace-up again that they would be okay. That tweet created lash back that I never expected to get, but this is my coaching philosophy; and I'm not sure if a coach that coaches only because of x's and o's is even a good coach at all. You are a good coach if you teach them your players that basketball isn't necessarily about basketball. This week, the basketball community lost a good coach. I didn't know him, but the way my heart aches I feel like I did. I feel like I should have. My heart aches for the girls who have to start a season without their leader. My heart aches for his family members that won't get to spend Christmas with him. My heart aches for the assistant coaches that are now left without him. My heart aches for all the younger girls that will never know what it was like to be coached by him. He coached the 'rival' school of where I currently coach, but this has shown that none of that rival 'crap' matters. Basketball doesn't matter. Life matters. In the last few days there have been multiple testimonies on social media, in news articles, and spoken of who this coach was to those he coached. None of them truly referenced how good he was at drawing up an inbounds play in a timeout or what a wonderful job he did explaining each drill they did daily, but they did mention qualities like how much he believed in them and inspired them and other memories they had with him along the way. According to everything I have seen and heard, Coach Zolinski lived in a way that those girls will keep a part of him forever. Because of who he was and how he made them feel, those girls will never step on the court feeling incapable. Because of how he believed in them, inspired and supported them, those girls will be able to live life knowing who they are as a basketball player means nothing compared to who they are as a person. I want to be like Coach Zolinski. Though it's important to win games - I'm convinced basketball doesn't matter. At the end of the day, lives go on. At the end of the day, what kind of counter move you use to beat a defender is not what you are thinking about when you're trying to decide what kind college will help you get the career you desire, or what kind of treatment you should receive to help battle the cancer you have. Basketball is just a small picture in the eternal picture of life, but boy am I thankful for it because it's taught me a lot about life. I may be a Viking, but as of recent I feel like a Falcon. This sport divides us, but life connects us. If you're reading this, know I am praying for you, and I believe in each of those girls on that team because I know their coach did, and I know each one of them are going to be successful inside more than just the painted lines on a hardwood floor. I am so thankful for all this sport has given me, all the girls I've coached, the coaches I've been coached by, and the life that it continues to give, but I know it's not the only thing that matters. One day, the ball will stop bouncing. One day, my heart will stop beating. Until then, I will do the best I can to show my girls that basketball isn't actually about basketball. I believe that is what a good coach does. RIP Coach Z. Thank you for being about more than the game, and reminding me of it as well.
Five months ago I sat in an office crying, actually bawling. I am not going to say what office, but for those of you who know me, I am no crier. It takes a lot of build up for me to let it out, so this was a pivotal moment. All I can remember is Autumn Goggin telling me that God is good and He will use me however, wherever, whenever. (Probably not those exact words, but basically.)
5 months later, and I am now literally laughing at how much God has taught me in this span of time. As of December 2016, I thought this life was all planned out. I would student teach in the spring, graduate, get a job, start an organization, get plugged in with a church while having a long list of helping hands and mentors along the way. However, for some reason, that changed in January. I started student teaching at one school and within 5 days for reasons undisclosed, was removed from that placement. I sat for two weeks in January unaware of what I was doing or where I was going. I actually sat through a whole church service telling me to "Bloom where I was planted" & the whole time fought whatever God was trying to tell me. As transparent as I can be, I sent my parents and friends multiple texts exclaiming why I didn't want to student teach and multiple plans of how to work around it. When I got the email on January 24 that my new placement was set, I didn't really account for how much my life was about to be impacted. Blooming where I was planted was what I set out to do; and let me tell ya now, Northwest School District is a special place with special people, and will always have a special place in my heart! Honestly, you never really know how much something impacts your life until it's over or gone, and I'm convinced that during my time at Northwest I was taught more than I actually taught. I had two wonderful mentor teachers who despite my circumstances took me under their wing and showed me the way of actual teaching. Not only were we able to talk about teaching, but we talked about serving and doing it all for the kids. I knew that their source of strength was the same as mine. I met loads of wonderful students who I loved seeing every single day. The turning point was one day, honestly I don't even know what I was teaching, I think I was introducing some vocabulary and it was one of the first days I took over my 6th hour English class..I was at the board being super enthusiastic and passionate about some definition or example of a word and one girl said "you seem pretty comfortable here now" and I responded "yea, I really like you guys." It took a moment right then for me to realize that I actually was enjoying the path that God had sent me down! Beyond the teaching part I was able to coach track and field. Each day I faced a great group of girls ready to work hard and run fast. By the end of it all, everyone was crying (except me because I don't cry, remember), throwing parties, snap catching with me in the hallway, and it got to the point where I couldn't take two steps down the hallway without saying hello to somebody. NW became a special place to me. I learned to love Mountie Nation and all that it stood for. I loved the Staff, the Students, the Administration..every single part of it. I'm inserting my shoutout to Mountie Fam here! As I was finishing up my time in the Northwest District I often laughed about the what if's of my first opportunity. What if I stayed at the original school, I would not have anything I did now. To think about not meeting the people I met and teaching the kids I taught does not make me feel very well! That's a scary thought, yet now I stand with confidence that God did it for a reason & he has got it all figured out. So what now? I think that crying bit was necessary, the doubts were necessary and even the ridiculous texts sent each day were necessary because it taught me a lesson. I learned to Trust God in a more faithful way. Ya know, I have a passion for people, and my time at Northwest proved that no matter where I go or better yet where I am placed, God will use me. I received a letter from one of my runners actually before I left, and she said "I learned about God from you, whether you tried to teach me or not" and that was just the icing on the cake. God puts us where He knows we need to be. I like to think I needed to be at Northwest more! I hope this encourages you to remember God really knows what he is doing. So if you are doubting, confused, or disappointed that something hasn't turned out the way you had planned, hold onto the truth that God works all things together for our good. Hold on for now, do your best where you are at and I'll pray someday soon you get to see the rainbow at the end of the rain as well! Be blessed, people! Dear Team, Thank you for being you. You probably don't realize how incredible you are & definitely how much you mean to me. Usually, when you hang up your shoes, it means it's over forever. Thankfully, for me, that wasn't the case; and team, I just need to thank you. I need to thank you for showing me unconditional love. I need to thank you for reminding why sports are important, and why basketball can change lives. Thank you for reassuring me that it's not about the wins and losses but the people you battle with. Thank you for bringing me joy every single day. Most of all, thank you for taking me under your wing and letting me become part of the family. I accepted the manager position in June of last year. I wasn't really sure what to expect, all I knew was I had two friends, Coach Frost said we were going to Arizona and that I'd be part of the team (those are the two things I remember from our initial conversation) and from there it was all in. From the day I met most of you at that open gym in June, except Nelson because she forgot about it..good first impression Nels, to the final buzzer in February, I knew that God had prepared me for such a time as this. He knew that my time with basketball wasn't up & he knew that my childhood dream, too, was going to come true. It's weird to think that all along, God knew that I'd end up with such oddballs like you. Those first days were a little weird. I had to room with Lindsey before the shootout, but with a trip to MIS and another open gym, I got to truly get to know you all. I got to see Faith's belly button, almost die in the car with Karly and Gabby, witness everyone at the early hour, and see how they react to stress and long days of car racing. If it weren't for being stuck in the concession stand with Audi, working under Nelson, or being thrown into that big, hot, miserable tent, I don't think we would have bonded so quickly. Once preseason came along, I couldn't wait to be a part of the team. Those long yet short days of Syracuse, Stations, and of course, Kettle-bell were rough and wonderful. I got to see you go from in-shape to really in-shape. We got to scrimmage, and run and puke together. The long distance scavenger hunt, and the early morning beep tests were all moments not just of exhaustion and hate but of unity. We did it together. We did it 'for Iowa'. The season was long, and it didn't look like the picture we painted. I hope that you realize it was the picture God painted. Through injuries and scuffles, to desperate prayers and long talks, we became a team that wasn't just playing to win the game. We were playing because we enjoyed it. We played because we enjoyed each other. Through our pre-conference games, trip to Arizona, and well into conference play I think it took us a while to come to grips with what we were here to do. It sucked a lot of the times, and many times I wanted to come home from games and cry for you just because I knew how much you cared. But eventually, we got it. I think about the last few games we played. We played because we enjoyed the game, and we played because we enjoyed each other. God blessed us with that gift, and though we knew we weren't going to win any championships, we did it because it was we were called out to do. I think that alone says a lot about you all, the legacy you'll be leaving. Thank you for trusting that. Some of my favorite memories include Nelson swatting my ball all the way to China in a scrimmage, my shoe flying off during one of Audi's shots against St. Francis, and all the little moments I got to spend with you. You became people I could laugh with, cry with and be real with. From the ridiculous locker room dance parties, balls poems, to the bus rides and the group messages. From the cards against humanity nights, team dinners and christmas break nights, you reminded me what a team is all about and the importance of it. I knew through the season that 'one day life won't be like this'. That eventually again I wouldn't have a team to practice with and yell with and dance with. I wouldn't have a team to go to Mount Vernon with on a Wednesday night, or a team to sit by at church or get Snapchats from "Da team Da team Da team" and now that it's not like that, I realize how much those little moments meant to me. I want to thank you for that. Before I conclude, I need to address y'all: Audi, (one time I told you it might be a while until I could call you that) your yells and your laughs are something special, but also your determination each day is something that not many people have. Hating losing more than liking winning is a gift. Hold onto it, because I'll miss seeing it. KB, who knew a scream as loud as yours can come from a little thing like you. Also, who knew you could last all 40 minutes the way you do. You are on of the best leaders I've ever met, and someday you'll be one of the best coaches. Keep leading in all you do. You're a solid human. Aimee K, your resilience was huge. Though you might come across as scary at first, your deep love for your teammates will be hard to replace. Kaitlyn Shields, if anyone can repeat what they say the way you do, i'd be impressed. You brought a lot of spunk to the team, and you're about to have a bright future. I feel bad for the next manager that needs to hold the pad on you. Dreezy, I had no idea you'd become my mom too. Thanks for always looking out, paying so much attention to detail and always getting the job done. You do it with such poise and grace. Plus that walk when you get mad, I'll miss that about you. T, No one else I'd want to sit by on the bench. We had some great conversations, and I'll miss the bruises and question marks that came with it. You are a special teammate. Gab, read the last sentence because that's you too. You embrace your role, and you work hard. You bet darn well one day you'll be rewarded for both your effort and your love for the game. Teammates matter. You matter. Trust the process. C-Money, for some reason I always felt like I could goof around with you. I loved your pre-game sayings and your dances on the bench. I also truly enjoyed the heart you had, and the energy that came with it. K-Towns, the way you lead made me want to hold onto every word you ever said at practice or in a game. You took your dream and you worked your butt off to make it a reality. Though you're one of my best friends too, I truly loved being your teammate while it lasted. Linds, wassupp! Thanks for keeping the team young, and fun. I know this was an eye-opening first season for you, but look around - in a short year you'll be calling shots and running the floor. Keep working hard, because I believe the best is yet to come for ya. AP, you are the sweetest heart, sorry for asking you about Jesus the first time I met you, but also I'm glad I did because you are such an encouragement to me, and you are that quiet but deadly basketball player. Nels, the gained appreciation I have for you came and I don't think it'll leave anytime soon. I like the way you play basketball, but also the way you scream with Karly freaks me out. Thanks for keeping me on my toes, and never surprising me. JoFa, keep your head on straight and gear up for the senior year ahead. From that first time at MIS to now, I've been thankful for you and your non-homeschooled self! Ry, You keep life so interesting. Thank you. I love talking to you about everything, but also love the way you play basketball. You are the true definition of hard-work and selflessness. Thanks for being a prime example of putting team-first and I know spring arbor will honor that your final 2 years. Gee I love y'all. Thank you. Thank you for giving me something more to believe in. Thank you for giving me a team that I loved so much that I wouldn't let anything come in between. Thank you for giving me a family. You were there for me in all my moments on top of your own, and supported me through it all. You let me put you through practice, when really you had every reason to not go hard - I feel like you went harder. Thank you for letting me serve you. You let me have my own locker in our locker room and let me not do my job a lot of the time so you could do it too. When I would think that I wasn't important you showed me that I was. When I look at you guys, I don't see a bunch of different girls like I once did. I see girls who mean a whole lot to me, and will mean a lot to me for the rest of my life. Thank you for giving me people I can call in 10 years and talk about Memphis with. I hope you know how proud I am of all of you. You put a different meaning into basketball, a whole different meaning into teamwork and a whole different meaning into family. Thank you. Love you all a long time. Sincerely, Reyna
"Visualize a cave man. Visualize a cave man who lives in a cave surrounded by a beautiful canyon. However, he never goes outside. He only uses what is in his cave to survive. For nourishment, he traps rodents and picks plants that are already in his reach. If the cave man were to ever step foot outside, he wouldn’t know how to react to what was surrounding him. He never understands nor realizes that right outside of the cave is so much more than he could imagine."
I wrote this in the opening paragraph of my personal testimony in 2013, and now that it's 2017. Since I wrote this testimony, I've experienced a lot of life. I was able to form a solid relationship with the Lord, start school at one of the greatest schools in the world and gain multiple relationships with amazing humans. On top of that, I've started forming an organization that will one day impact more than Mid-Michigan, I'm about to receive a degree in Spanish/English Education and take a couple steps forward into the future. Life is crazy. This last week I've been on a trip in Arizona with the SAU Women's Basketball team. They are a group of girls who have quickly become like family. We played two games, and were able to live together in a huge house for a week while also taking a trip to the Grand Canyon. I think this week can put my walk with Christ thus far into perspective. The reason I described myself as a caveman is because growing up all I cared about was basketball/sports. It was the life. After high school though, I always had a feeling of needing something more; and I quickly realized what I thought was the most important thing in my life wasn't: Jesus was. Through that time, I was able to grow with Jesus knowing that basketball wasn't all that mattered. Once I started living like that, life became more clear, I had a lot more peace and I realized where I stood. I took time to try new things. I even took a drumming class, acted in a play, bought a guitar, got involed in youth groups, learned to love the outdoors, and took up running. However, when I got to Spring Arbor I made a couple friends who encouraged me to step back out and be the manager of the team. I was nervous to do this because in the first 2 weeks, I had feelings come back that I hadn't felt since high school. As time went on, I felt God saying it was okay. When I stepped back in, I knew that I was doing this for Jesus because it's a gift and passion he had given to me. This week in Arizona was a great one with moments I'll never forget. I just want to publicly confess that my teammates are crazy, but beyond that fact, we had two games. We lost the first. It was really disappointing for a lot of the girls, and though I realize basketball isn't the most important thing anymore, it still bugs me to lose and bugs me to see people upset. It was tough to swallow, but a quick turn around caused us to look ahead and prepare for the next day. We won the second one! it was a great team win, and we got to celebrate by seeing the Grand Canyon the next day. This amazes me because of what I wrote in the final paragraphs of my personal testimony in 2013. " Now, I'm taking complete advantage of what is outside of the cave. I’m right in the middle of the beautiful canyon." This trip was affirmation that we weren't in Arizona for basketball. Sure, basketball took us to Arizona but then allowed us to grow with one another, have some good devo time, laugh together, lose and win a little, and then at the end of it all experience God's beauty by seeing the Grand Canyon. It's an imperfect analogy for life - we live, we win and lose some, and we see God's beauty. That's why I don't think God wanted us in Arizona for basketball, but he wanted us in Arizona for Him. This experience weaved up my life full-circle. God has taken me around and set me back down where I began. Together I've went from basketball to Him to basketball with Him while being reminded that He is all that matters. If I wouldn't have walked away, I wouldn't have experienced Jesus the way I have. If I wouldn't have come back, I wouldn't have truly understood the way God has worked in my life. I almost want to say that God gave me the caveman analogy because he knew that this part of my life would bring it around and reveal His glory. Can you imagine the first caveman coming out and seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time?! I want to say that's how I felt when I first met Jesus, and that feeling has yet to go away. I wanted to share this story, and realization as a reminder that God has our plans already figured out. The fact that life is back where it began keeps me wondering if it's the end of a chapter or the beginning of the new one, but all I know is God has used it all to assure me that His work is good, and life with Him is the best life we could ever live. If you're living in a cave right now, take the courage to step out, you never know the beautiful canyon you could see. There's more out there than we could ever imagine. !It has been a really long time since I've written a blog post & that upsets me because usually that's the best way I reflect! I'm going to do a better job, especially after the life changing semester abroad and summer I have had. I want to take the opportunity right now to challenge you with your Prayer life.
Sometimes we forget how POWERFUL prayer is. In just the two weeks back at school prayer has surrounded me, enveloped me and truly been the core part of my strength. I have tried to do a better job at being continuously prayerful as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray Without Ceasing." If you are unaware of what I am doing now, I am in final preparation for student teaching & currently serving as the manager for our Women's Basketball Team at SAU (Which I'll probably be blogging about often!). To give you a bit of overview In the last two weeks I've been able to pray with these girls daily. I have a Teacher Preparation class where our professor stresses the power of prayer and gives us time before class to pray together and for one another no matter what we may be striving for. Yesterday, as I had a meeting with a potential teaching mentor, He mentioned his posture of being on His knees daily. All these instances I have not pieced together until now, but I truly believe that I have been overwhelmed in this conversation of prayer to remind me that God is here. He is working & He is powerful. Of all experiences, one this morning moved me the most. We had a short 6:00 am practice with a team meeting afterwards, but the team meeting was nothing more than a time of prayer. I'm not a very emotional person but as our Coach was speaking, and I definitely wanted to cry. We recently were blessed with a new locker room that is just ours. Coach challenged each of us to not only use it as a place to play music and get dressed, but as a sanctuary and more importantly a 'War Room'. A place where we can grow together, cry together, laugh together and most importantly PRAY for eachother. Not only are we called to 'go to war' on the court for each other but we are called to 'go to war' together against the things of this world. I have a firm belief that praying together and coming together before the Lord whether it is by yourself, with your team, or with your family, it will change your life. It will change the lives around you, and it will change the way people see you and you see them. Prayer is POWERFUL. I truly have seen it completely change people's and lives and situations. God is strong and able; He loves when we talk to him. I have absolutely loved my time devoted to prayer so far this semester, especially as I walk around our War Room and lift up my teammates & I don't plan on ceasing anytime soon. I want to challenge you in whatever your battle is or whatever you or those around you are facing, Go to War! Don't give up. Get Praying!! ![]() I want to take a second and help you remember high school Reyna. During the summer I would attend multiple basketball camps. I played basketball year around. I was in the gym almost everyday. On every goal sheet I made it included "college basketball, be a leader, score a lot (that changed over time)" I had so many goals, but all of them pertained to basketball. I love the sport so much. Its beautiful. It has given me so much and continues to give me opportunities. I'm grateful for the relationships, the memories and the years I had running the court. However, after all those years I realized, what I wanted so badly was not what God wanted for me. During my senior year of high school I remember specifically feeling a thirst for something more. I knew there was something I had to strive for but I could never comprehend or find the quench for that thirst. I've come to understand we all have purpose in our lives. I'm a very firm believer that God has created each of us for a specific purpose. I'm reading a book right now that says "If you don't have burning passion and desire in you about something" then that probably is not the Lord's purpose for your life yet. I know people preach all the time about purpose and the Lord's plan. Jeremiah 29:11 and all of the above. I'm not about to do that but I want to tell you about what I realized this week. First off all, my friend shared this the other day. Bre Frasher played basketball too. She did the same things I did. We have such similar hearts. She is a gem. I was able to sit down and talk with her the day before I left for Guatemala, and that conversation left my heart glowing. Afterwards, she shared these words along with the following link: "It took me until about 10 days ago to really let go of these facts. I was talking with a friend (that I met through basketball) at a basketball game, and honestly we were so engrossed on catching up with each other that we kind of stopped watching the game. After the game, she sent me a text and we kind of exchanged similar thoughts: It's funny how two people who used to live and breathe for basketball can now sit in the stands, with happiness in their hearts, knowing we've crossed that finish line and are headed to do bigger things in this miraculous world of ours. For anyone scared to leave behind a sport, be scared and worried and sad, feel a little lost. But eventually I hope you feel rejoiced you had the opportunity and even more so I hope you find something in this world that you're just as passionate about and you go and do that with all the effort you used to put into those sports we left behind." http://theodysseyonline.com/sacred-heart/open-letter-the-sport-left-behind/269523 ![]() Now fast forward to this week, before dinner. I saw that Spring Arbor was playing and I decided to watch the live stream (Shout out to my boss Chris Bauman for always working hard to make livestream happen) . It turns out it was a super close game, so I was thankful that was the one I chose to watch. Introducing you to my friend on the left, Kylie Townsley. She has a jumpshot as beautiful as a starry night, a heart pure as gold, a passion for basketball stronger than many that I know and also a love for God that is more on fire than the current volcano fuego in Guatemala. . The first time I met Kylie at SAU, I think was at breakfast. It was after she had a nasty blackeye last winter, and I remember making some kind of comment to her. It's funny because we'd both recognized eachother but were unsure where we've interacted (and her grandparents live in my hometown). We assumed on the basketball court. It's even funnier because this last fall we actually got some breakfasts together (along with the amazing and just as wonderful Karly Bender). Sorry to leave you hanging, but SAU won their game against Huntington by 4, with a shot by Kylie to kind of seal the deal! After that game I had a thought that Kylie's purpose is the purpose I wanted, but I'm beyond words glad she is there and not me because I wasn't created for that. In 11th grade I remember talking to Spring Arbor's coach, but that's as far as I went in trying to attend. Now I see Kylie wearing #21, my favorite number on the court that I could have played on had I continued my career. It made me thankful I'm not out there. I'm thankful God put me where I am because in the time I might have been pursuing what I thought was my purpose, I have encountered so many lives, so many opportunities and so many memories that I would have not had if I pursued the game I love. On top of that, I've been able to still use my love for basketball in different ways through coaching and other missional outlets. He still uses me. I'm reading a book currently called Live Sent. It might be my favorite book of all time. There is a quote I absolutely love that states, "Why would anyone ever be intrigued by the way we live our lives if we don't live in such a way that it is apparent we think God called us off the bench into the National Championship game of life? We must treat it as though He's given us the most important mission ever given." It's important to remember that God has our plans laid out for us. It's important to trust in what the Lord wants and not what we want, even if it's hard in the present time to understand that. I have seen the Lord's faithfulness through and through on the path I've taken, and I'm not sure If I would even pursue the Lord the way I do now if I would have walked the other way. Kylie is playing the game because that is what the Lord has called her to do. She's jumping off the bench both literally and hypothetically to be a vessel and play for the Lord while using the passion that has been placed inside her. I'm jumping off the bench hypothetically and playing for the Lord in everything I do. I'm thankful for the passion he has laid in my heart for people, for teenage girls and for life because my thirst has been quenched. Quite frankly, Kylie does it better than I ever could have and It fills my heart with joy to see how he continues to use her and where he continue to calls me. Better yet, he has allowed us to connect and together share our greatest passion which is of course serving Him in all we do. I'm thankful for Kylie Townsley and her love for the Lord - and I'm thankful to be able to watch her play the sport we both love wearing the greatest number. She is a one of kind gal, and if you were to get to know her you could see the passion too. Folks, as I sit here in Guatemala where I never thought I would be I want to tell you that God's purpose that he places in your lives isn't some joke. It's not a one time adrenaline rushed feeling. It will fill you with endless joy and passion when you pursue it greatly. I hope that if you haven't found it yet that you can understand your purpose and find your passion one day soon. Be encouraged people - find the Kylie Townsley in your life. Praise God, thank God for her; Thank God for letting you be somebody different. Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 |