Sports

People who know me know how I feel about sports.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ABrL-4s57BVM0pTegQ_eqTG7zhSW1rve

I am relatively active; but not a competitive athlete anymore.

However, in spite of the fact that I am not a HUGE sports fan, I DO have a genuine appreciation for all the mental, physical, and in some cases even spiritual, benefits that sports provide!

I will definitely need to update this post with some pictures of my babies playing tons of sports (especially soccer/futbol) growing up when I am able to do so.

For now, I will share with you some of the impacts sports have had, and continue to have on my life personally.

Years ago, my then husband and I enjoyed watching the popular tv series Friday Night Lights. Today, my NOW husband and I enjoy watching the tv series All American (recommended to both of us by my former husband.) Both husbands immensely, passionately enjoy watching the FOOTBALL training/games/practices/ranking/politics/etc. Whereas I enjoy the social-emotional dynamics with the PEOPLE as a result of football experiences. It's a WIN-WIN for all involved.

I invested many years attending UCLA football games from the time I was a student attending the University with my then husband, until the time of my divorce. Our family created a multitude of wonderful lifetime memories and friends as a result of those season tickets. My former husband and his NOW wife still do. :) Perhaps when UCLA plays Michigan at The Rose Bowl we will all attend that game together! It actually wouldn't surprise me a bit based on our family dynamics.

This past Sunday, our lead pastor Daniel Bishop at The Grove Community Church shared with us that our "Sports Pastor" will officially be retiring in December 2023 after 17 faithful years excelling in that role. As a result, they are currently actively seeking to hire an apprentice to fill his shoes when that time comes. I'm quite sure the pay is not great, as appears to be the case with most paid ministry positions at our church. Daniel showed us the stats and how our community soccer program has grown from 120 kids to over 1200 kids in the past several years, in spite of COVID.

As soon as Pastor Daniel announced this vacancy, I immediately thought about my former husband. In spite of the embarrassingly low pay and high needs/demands, he would be perfect for it! ...Except for that ONE thing. He knows what it is... and I will continue to pray for that ONE thing everyday for the rest of my life. His Earthly father (also a HUGE sports fan) who recently passed on to be with our Savior in Paradise still wants that ONE thing more than anything as well.

It was the most important thing we had in common which created a special bond between the two of us as not only Father and Daughter, but also as Brother and Sister in Christ. Today, I get to share the same mysterious relationship dynamics with my NOW husband as well. We are husband and wife AND brother and sister in Christ. Crazy mysterious good stuff right there!!!