Go Upward Sports

Yesterday was the first game of the season for the Upward league I am volunteering for! This is my second season volunteering for this league as an assistant cheerleading coach. I am volunteering with my good friend, Deanna, who is the head coach. I absolutely love Upward and all the biblical values they aim to instill in every cheerleader and player! They may not keep up with all the fancy stunts, tumbling, and competitions that can go with cheerleading but they keep their focus on the One that matters most. {You can read more about it here} I am so thankful for this opportunity. I admit I am much more comfortable with being a cheerleader {cheered for 6 years in my childhood} than I am being an assistant coach but I get to fellowship with amazing girls and God is stretching and growing me in so many ways that I can't help but be thankful for this opportunity and the time spent with my good friend. I love that we cheer with God in mind. I love that each week we lead the girls to a bible verse to think about and ponder on. I love that we pray during practice. I love that we pray on game days. I love that we have a halftime devotional on game days. I love that not only are we having fun but we are doing it all in the name of the Lord. This past week during practice and game day, we focused on self-control and went over the bible verse

Everyone should be quick to listen.

But they should be slow to speak.

They should be slow to get angry.

-James 1:19b {NIrV}

Self-control as defined in the Upward coaches handbook is "choosing to do what you SHOULD do, not what you WANT to do. No matter how frustrated or annoyed or mad we get, there is always the choice to have self-control." Talk about truth. It really caused me to look within. Sometimes I am so quick to speak and get angry at my parents and bf, that it was a good reminder that I do have the ability to self-control in those moments. After all, they are the people who love me the most in this world. They deserve my best. We will be discussing self-control for two more weeks. I am looking forward to learning more about what the Bible has to say about self-control and I pray that the girls learn useful lessons that stay with them always.