"...with freedom and with confidence."

Current State of affairs:  Basketball season has officially begun.  Basketball season is a great time at our house because all four kids play so everyone understands and really gets into the game.  Everyone enjoys watching each other, though that is fairly rare.  The downside is that with 90 games in 95 days, Phil and I do not get to see everyone play every game.  That is STILL difficult for us.  This year we have actually mapped out a schedule to make sure each of us get to see each child play around the same number of games.  I think maybe we get to be at the SAME game three times:(  So if you only see one of us at the gym, or neither of us, please cheer for the Newman who is playing and know we are watching another child somewhere else.  

Hannah's primary sport is basketball and we all admire her hard work, including getting to school at 6:15 or 6:45 for practice three days per week and staying til 6 most days, all of which has made her a stronger better player.  She will be playing with Oakland's varsity this year at  guard, and is a definite shooting threat.  Oakland's team has worked incredibly hard conditioning for this season, and what they lack in size they have in speed.  We are amazed at the progress Hannah has made.

Because everyone plays, the kids work together to get better in the driveway, in the garage, and whenever possible at the PCA gym.  Peter and David sometimes get to help with Cameron's practices.  Peter will often say to Cameron, "let's go outside, I want to show you something you could do."  Peter has learned to "teach" in a manner that is easily accepted, that does not feel like criticism.  

 

Peter is playing on the first PCA High School Boy's team as an eighth grader and also on PCA's Middle School team with David.   There is something wonderful as a parent about seeing two or more of our children working together on an athletic field, like the fast break last week when Peter made a strong pass to David who completed the lay up.  It really is very special. Peter is working hard for both teams and it is requiring a great deal of time.  We have to be careful that everyone has enough time for school work and SLEEP.  David is a solid addition to the PCA Middle School team as a guard.  David has also developed a habit of getting up early before school to hit baseball's off the Tee in our garage, baseball being the first love of both David and Peter.    

 

Cameron is playing on a 5th and 6th grade team for PCA and also on a team of 5th and 6th graders on a competitive team that will play together fall and spring.  Basketball may emerge as Cameron's primary sport as well.  He is fun to watch, I think because of all the time he has spent playing with and trying to keep up with Hannah, Peter and David at home.  

  

We talk constantly at our house about playing for God's glory.  What does that mean?  Is it just a thank you to God at the end of a great game, giving Him the credit?  It is certainly that, but is it only that?   I have come to believe that a large part of playing for His glory lies in freedom.  The freedom to succeed or to fail, the freedom to play with abandon regardless of the outcome because your purpose in PLAYING is to honor Him with your gift, your health, your body, your life.  This mindset frees my children from fear of a mistake, fear of "letting the team down",  fear of  correction from a coach (or parent for that matter).  If our identity lies in the freedom we have in Christ, then our identity is not affected by our performance in athletics or any other endeavor.  That is the freedom Phil and I hope for our children, and for ourselves.  

 

Well there you have it.  This season consists of crock pot dinners eaten at odd hours, meals out after games, homework in the car and whenever possible, working hard to get enough sleep, constant stream of uniforms and practice gear to wash,  never enough underamour, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat and the goal of playing with abandon in freedom as a Child of God.  I would only hope the very same freedom for us all.  

"In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and with confidence." Ephesians 3:12

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."  Galations 5:1