Jesus is our Sheepdog

Team on three! I love our huddle of hands as each hand is unique and diverse. I love these players who come from all different backgrounds.

Half time talk. They look sharp in their uniforms which were my old ones from high school. We need to work on getting East Central off the back but other than that they look great! I had everyone and the guard or driver, literally trying to help with the game.

Well hopefully with my animation, they are getting the point. I don't think they are paying attention but I am trying!

Our lovely field is lined with Charcoal. My two guards did it for me. I am so blessed to have their help.

This is a random picture but it shows in the foreground one of my injured players, Mr Crosby the director who loves soccer and puts in his two thoughts, and one of my players who has a patch on his head because he scraped some of his hair off after falling on the rocks. Alright, it isn't the best playing conditions, I do miss the grass, but it works!

This is a picture of my kids getting ready for a corner kick against them. I like this picture because I ca tell who i marking and who isn't! A coach always has to analyze everything!

Some of you might be wondering about the title of this blog but don't worry I will explain it to you. We have been doing the sh sound in class this past week and one of our words was sheepdog. One of the girls automatically said Jesus is our Sheepdog, well I guess that works instead of Jesus as our Shepherd. I was telling them that a sheepdog protects the flock and rounds them up to take them from one place to another. That is exactly what Jesus does for us which makes sense in a 7 year old mind. Then one of my girls said Jesus takes us from our home here to our heavenly home. Amen! So there you have it, the theology of a second grader; Jesus is our sheepdog who gently keeps us on tract so he can safely lead us from the pasture to our eternal home.

This was an exciting week for soccer as we had our first game of the season. My parents graciously sent us old uniforms from my high school that I wore and even though it was a fiasco to get them out of the post office, we are able to put them to good use. They really feel like an actual team and I like seeing them have pride in themselves. Well, I survived the game even though I was a nervous wreck! As a single coach, the games are nerveracking. Well, at least I wasn't giving directions alone. I had drivers, the cleaning men, my guards, past players, parents, and friends trying to help me out. During the game I could hear English, Twi, Korean, and French. No where else can you experience this! It was getting a little out of control. I do love the diversity of it all as you can tell from the pictures how diverse we are but how we can be united through a great sport like soccer. This is definitely Christ's international community. I love that we can pray before games and even talk about our responsibility to play for Christ and play clean. Although not all of my players are Christians, they know where myself and others stand which is an amazing platform to share Christ. We are a hodge podge of people but we managed to tie 3-3 which was a huge accomplishment for the kids since we had lost the other two last year. One of the new kids said, "Did we win?" We said no but then he asked, "Why are we all celebrating so much?" Well, because we didn't lose! I am excited that my kids were pleased with themselves although we have a lot of work to do before our next game on the 20th.

On Friday night, some of us went to a cafe to play games. We were playing phase ten when all of a sudden the lights went out(nothing new). We automatically got out our cell phones with flashlights on them(best invention ever) and continued to play. We then laughed about it later as the darkness didn't even bother us. I was thinking about this funny event when a realization came to me. This is how I need to be in Christ! When I am walking in Christ's light and all of a sudden I am faced with a difficult situation that leaves me in the dark, I can't allow myself to stay in the dark. I need to without faltering, get out my light and keep going on with God's business. It sounds much easier said than done but God has given us the necessary tools like a flashlight on a phone to help us keep away from the darkness I just have to remember to pull it out right away like pulling out my cellphone from my purse. As we are doing God's work, the devil tries to pull out all of his tricks but I am learning the importance of spending time in the scripture and memorize His Word. I am a work in progress but being here as really helped me rely on God for every aspect of my life. God is amazing and we need to sing His Praises on High continuously!

I was in the market on Saturday morning and mud got splashed on me. Right away everyone said sorry and then offered their towels to clean my foot. It wasn't a big deal but it just shows you the compassion of people here as they are willing to help and be of assistance to make you comfortabe. There are even people who walk around waiting to carry your purchases. We feel bad using them as it looks like a servant following us around but at the same time it gives them an income and don't worry we tip them well. I hate using people to make our lives easier but it is a way to give back to them. Still don't know if it jestifies it but it is food for thought.

Today, Sunday, are taking the high schoolers to Pram Pram for them to lead Sunday School which is great so we don't have to come up with it on the way there! Also, it gives them a chance to be involved and give to others.

I will leave you with some scripture. Thank you for taking the time to read this and God Bless! Keep in touch! I hope you find the connection in it!

Psalm 95 1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice, 8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,[a] as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. 10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest