UPDATED- Fotos de Mexico

Here are the updated photos from out Mexico trip, including games and clinics!  Enjoy!

At Aculpoco getting ready to fly back

Me and Kramer in Ometepec for our last game.

Me and Nate working with some kids during one of the morning clinics, we'd do clinics and invite them to come to our games.

Line-up

Shaking hands before the game

Pablo Shedd at the field in Pinotepa

Action photo, good shot of the stands.

Nate was our ringer, he was the Missionary kid we picked up who could play some ball.

Beginning stages of Sr. Bigote

Clinics with the kids during the PE classes.

Party truck we drove around Ometepec blasting music and promoting our game.

Kramer, Pablo, and German with some of the players we played against in Pinotepa- This was after our dinner with them.

Pinotepa game and fans... the fans actually lined up around most of the field but those were the only stands to sit in.

My coach sharing his testimony at half time- Pablo translating

The Crew at our hotel in Pinotepa.

Paul Gizzie- The Don/Grandpa/Abuelo/The Silver Fox... Ready to go.

In Ometepec outside our hotel on the calle (street).

Headless Joe

O.J.

Welcome to Ometepec

Catholic Church in the Center of Ometepc, huge!  John Brooks and Josiah talking with Dr. Norman...

View from the Party Truck- Driving through the Streets.

After our dinner with the opposing teams in Pinotepa.

John checking out the trash on the side of the road-

Same Catholic Church in the center of Ometepec.

Eder gave Josiah, Matt and Myself all signed shirts to remember him by...  Naturally I got the pink one.

The Woods, the Missionary family who made our trip possible!

Me showing off my bigote at the airport before returning home... the 'stache is enhanced when accompanied by a sombrero and musical instruments...  no doubt. 

Learning... a never ending process...

Let's see...  don't even know where to begin this post or what to call it...  I'll have to think of a title when I've finished putting my thoughts down.  I still haven't been able to get a USB cord for my camera to put up pictures of our Mexico trip, hopefully I can take care of that today or tomorrow since I have a bit of free time on my hands I hope to be able to work that out.  

Since the last posting on soccer camps we were able to finish up what I felt was a successful week of camps.  Kids were crazy, but I am bit crazy too so it worked out.  This week we have off from camps since it is July 4th weekend coming up...  This break will be nice and much needed.

Our season so far has been going alright, we sit in 5th position in our region with 6 games left.  We are still very much in the run for post season and within reach of the top of the league but we'll have to stop drawing our matches and start getting some wins.  Currently our record is 3-2-5...  I've been playing well and have been floating around in positions on the the field from defense, to midfield, and even forward...  Coach has told me that playing the Utility role is a bit tough on a summer team with lots of new players every year, and I've noticed where he comes from.  Still I feel I have grown a lot as a player and a "sports minister".   

I've found myself getting pretty stretched between trying to juggle friends, work, and soccer...  Unfortunately yesterday I was reminded about something that tends to wear me down real quick.  People pleasing.  I struggle with saying "no" and as a result get buried in things to do/people to please.  I understand that I can't please everyone, and that I shouldn't live to please people but to please God and God only...  yet for some reason I still struggle with saying "no" to people, especially when they are trying to do something for me.  Which seemed to be everyone yesterday since it was my birthday. 

I am not a fan of birthdays, well I love other people's birthdays but I struggle with my birthday.  I have never been one to organize or lead any sort of big celebration and am very content on being in the presence of good company, hang out or maybe dinner.  But because I never know what I want to do on my birthday, or what I want when people are trying to do something for me...  since they still want to do something for me, I've just made it more difficult on them and myself.  That is what happened yesterday with trying to accommodate all those who had me in mind, and unfortunately my host family got the brunt end of my craziness.  I'm sure my host parents were a bit more understanding, but I struggle with letting kids down and not being here for the birthday dinner they had planned for me would, in most cases, fall in that category. 

So since then I've been wondering why it is I struggle so much with people pleasing?  Or if it's just that I can stand someone being disappointed in me?  It has to be disappointment, because anger doesn't bother me.  Probably because if someone is disappointed in me (or I feel I have disappointed someone if they really aren't) it probably  means I have "failed" on some level.  I also struggle with failure, I hate failing.  However without failure it would be awful hard to get grow or respond to life as we are challenged.  God doesn't want us to fail, in fact C.S. Lewis says that God wants just the opposite, that God desires to make us perfect.  Not only that, but He would... if it wasn't for us always getting in the way.  Someone once prayed for me that God would "Help me fail..." or better understand what it is that God wants us to take away from our failures that shapes us into a more useful tool to do His works.  4 years later I'm still working on it...  And I probably will continue to work on it for a very long time. 

These were just some current thoughts that I felt putting on paper would do me some good...  I know that failure is inevitable... that I am not perfect... but it is also something that I easily forget.

Thank you all again for your prayers and support...  We have a game coming up wednesday and I've been seeing quite a bit of playing time, pray that I stay healthy and that I can be used by God wherever He has me...  Blessings!

-Cyrus

Team Yaaaa mooonnnn! Go Jamaica!

Thanks to "Intern Ashley" (that's what I call her) working for the Seahorses we have some great photos from camps that I can put up...  So far camps have been going good, this is our first week and we are just getting into the camp routine, but things are starting to smooth themselves out.  

My group of kids meets by the Jamaican flag, so we have decided to call ourselves "Team Ya Mon", naturally...  I'll be sure to add more photos and update more information as the weeks go on camps but they have been great.  We get participate in crazy sock day, crazy hair day, favorite jersey day, and all sorts of fun stuff that a big kid like me loves to do.  As you can see they keep me smiling and hopefully these young ones will walk away from camp with Jesus on their hearts and in their minds.  

Everyday has a theme verse that includes a skit during "half-time" followed by a bible story-  the theme and verse for the week of camp is "All My Might- Colossians 1:29 and for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."  

It really has been an awesome experience being able to work in an environment like the Seahorse organization...  can't tell you all how much I've learned already in my first month of being here.  We have a game tomorrow night so I'll be sure to update you all as soon as this camp schedule allows.  Blessings,

-Cyrus 

Me being the Commissioner for World Cup- I make the trades.

Brian sniffing his ball during warm up.

Crazy sock day.

Scott- He's my little Ukranian Baller.

Rockin Raquel

Mateo!

"Ball on your head shows me your listening!"- what i tell the kids when they are running all over the place.

Golden Holden

Team Ya Mon!

Sunz out gunz out!

Sleep tight, don't let the Sharks Bite... That's Snot Funny...

June- 15th 

Apparently my chances of being attacked by a shark are about as good as me being struck by lightning...  Thanks to Rob (my host dad) I've still somehow developed a fear of Sharks and of lightning....   last lighting storm there were two people who were struck by lightning in LA, which means my chances for getting struck by lightning just went up, along with me getting bit by shark...  (We are doing some sea kayaking in the harbor tomorrow for camp training, that's why we've been discussing this.)  Now Rob tells me, "Sleep tight, don't let the sharks bite"... where I reply, "That's Snot funny" (another one of Rob's response to my booger joke).  

So it's been nearly a week since we got back from Mexico, and already I've been down and out a good couple days with a cold...  and now I think that I may have passed on my cold to Melanie (my host mum).  Hopefully she doesn't hold it against me...

Fortunately I was still able rest up enough to play in last night's game...  We won 3-1 over the Lancaster Rattlers... moving us from 7th to 5th in the region.  We played well, and I felt I had a relatively good game considering my recovering.  After the game I was able to share my testimony, which is something we have at all of our home games.  Our "featured" player will welcome everyone down onto the field and give there story then close the evening in prayer... and last night was my turn.  

I'd write you guys my story, but I believe I included most all of it in the posting below from Mexico...  Only thing that I would include here in front of the Seahorse fans is how my story is constantly being added on too, where God has me now and where he seems to be taking me. There is no telling where I will end up, but if there is anything that God has taught me these past couple of years is that there is no use in worrying...  as long as I'm being diligent in what God has blessed me with (talents, resources, and such...), He will take care of me.  

What I've been challenged to think about this week is in correlations with Ephesians 2:8,9 and James 2:14-25

Summary:

Ephesians 2- It is by grace you have been saved, through faith- not by works so that no man can boast... 

James 2- Faith without works is dead...

Well then, if we are saved by faith and not by works... yet faith without deeds is dead... how is it that we are not saved by works.  I have heard once before this being brought up as a "contradiction" in the Bible and failed to look into it a bit further and had completely forgot about it until now.  But last week in small group we came to the conclusion that they aren't contradictory... they are complimentary.  When you read them in parallel, joined by a simple conjunction- "It is by faith you have been saved, not by works BUT faith without deeds is dead..." it makes sense. 

Now the tough questions are when to distinguish whether our works/actions are a result of our faithful obedience to God or done selfishly and impulsively.  Can we help others and not be acting out of faith?   I do not ask this to discourage myself or anyone to not help people, it is more of a challenge to truly understand the nature of our actions and if they are spirit led or not.  But to answer my previous question, I think it is possible to help others and not be acting in accordance with our faith...  That is why Ephesians states we are saved by grace through faith, and it isn't a list of good works that gets us to heaven.  Understanding and believing God's gift of grace through Jesus is all we need... yet there is that conjunction- BUT - James (the brother of Jesus) tells us that simply believing that we are saved yet failing to show it in our actions is not good enough either.  I think what James is challenging all believers to feel a sense of conviction, if we truly believe that we have been saved by grace, through faith, yet fail to show the love of Jesus to others...  how will they believe us when we tell them about our faith?  Or is the result what we see today, the label that many Christians receive because of what they claim to believe contradicts what they do- "hypocrites".  

So my questions- is there really a contradiction in these two verses?  How do we "act out" our faith?  

More to come!

June 19th-  My family is bigger than yours...  I guarantee it!

Currently I'm spending the weekend in Illinois for my cousin Patrick's wedding, I had to miss practice yesterday and will be missing our match in Bakersfield tomorrow...  unfortunate timing for me considering I had been playing well, hopefully this doesn't affect my standing in the lineup for next week.  However it's been six years since I've seen many of my cousins (27 on my mom's side), aunts, uncles, and grandparents...  I'm super excited that I get to see most all of them, minus a few, this weekend.

I just wanted to update everyone as to where I've been since I got back from Mexico and had meaning to publish this last post but failed to finish it till now...  so, continue to keep me in your prayers as well as a happy wedding and blessed wedding for my cousin Patrick and his bride to be Sarah.  

Blessings,

-Cyrus

They call me.... Sr. Bigote!

Senor Bigote-  Translation "Mr. Mustache".  Yes, I went to Mexico and grew a Mustache...  

Sorry for any anticipation, we went to Mexico and made it back safely...  I was unable to access the internet during my time down there and have so much to tell all of you  that I just don't know if I can do it in one sitting...  We'll see how this goes.  Also, word on the street is that people are having trouble leaving comments so I will look into that as well and can hopefully get some info up here shortly that might help with that.  

As for MEXICO y "los Caballitos del Mar"  (little horses of the sea) as they called us...  It was amazing.  When going on Missions trips I try to have the mind set that God is always working and not to enter into any missions opportunities with my own agenda.  Meaning that I feel that showing up with a set plan, and believing that this is what will happen, (or if it doesn't I am going to continue like it does) really is entering less prepared than those with less planing and much more flexibility.  That is what missions are all about flexibility.  Luckily for me the last few missions trips I have been on I have not been sure of what to expect, which helps me to remain flexible and open to any "unexpected" happenings.  

First things first...  We flew from LAX to Mexico City where we had a 5 hour layover before flying into Acapulco where we were met by the Nathan and Tim Wood (Son and Father of the missionary family who we were partnering with)... from there we had to drive another four hours to Pinotepa where our first two matches were going to be played, it was about an hour away from Ometepec, the second city we stayed in...  From Acapulco to Pinotepa, we counted (in spanish of course) speed bumps or "reducires de trafico"...  119 in the four hours we traveled.  We played four games...  started off with a couple draws in Pinotepa...  And in Ometepec we finished up with a win and a loss.  

Leading up to each game we advertised by passing out flyers in the street with little information about some of our staff, the team, and what we believe to be true about salvation on the back and how soccer is a means for us to glorify God all over the world...  just like there in Pinotepa and Mexico.  We did clinics at schools during the week and at the stadium on saturday, we played with the kids, told them about the games and about our team and were often able to share our testimonies of how God has called us into Sports ministry.  The welcome we got from the kids was amazing and with the little that they had I was humbled to see how much joy they still had in their lives.  Sometimes the clinics were a bit chaotic, but in the end we had a little bit of organization and a lot of fun...  the two favorite games we played were "Delanteros y Porteros" (Forwards and Keepers) and "Robar el Jamon" (Steal the Ham)... Sometimes we would end up with hundreds of kids and only 4 or 5 balls to occupy them for an hour or so...  

Our first day in Ometepec we drove on the back of a big truck that had a large flatbed and we rigged up speakers with a generator and had a mix that one of Nate's friends put together that was mainly Techno and included information about our Game...  "Los Caballitos Del Mar Contra Selecionados de Ometepec"  It was the party truck, we drove all over the city and passed out flyers of the truck bed and invited people to the games.  

In each city were had dinner with the opposing teams and were able to perform a short song and skit... the song- "Jesus is Lord" and the skit was about the Wiseman who built his house on the Rock for the rock was sound.  My roll in the skit was the river, and had to do the worm across the stage in front of the house....  but it wasn't nearly as cool as the rain dance that our goalkeeper (forward on this trip) pulled out "when the rains came"...  haha.  

The games were great, the fields took a little getting used because of their lack of grass, but when the final whistle blew we were able to meet a lot of the people we had invited and had the Gospel of John available to pass out with information on local churches for anyone who wanted them.  The conversations were not always easy, even though a lot of my teammates used me to translate as best I could, I don't know if I was always able to get my point across.  The first game was a highlight for me, my friend John and I were able to talk with a group of teenagers who asked us great questions about being Christians and Athletes and the struggles we have...  the cultural differences that we may have the they don't understand...  and why we think it is important to have God as the center of all aspects of our lives, including soccer.  All these questions really caught me off guard, so we tracked down Nate Wood to translate for us since I didn't have the vocabulary in spanish to get my point across fully.  In the end this proved to be a good choice, Nate really had them understanding how God has changed our focus from soccer first... to God first.  

The second game I shared my testimony at halftime with my friend Paul Shedd translating for me...  Much of my story includes God challenging me to learn how to not let competition ruin everything that God has blessed me with.  It took me a long time growing up before I was able to balance competition and God, and I will admit that it is something that I still struggle with.  Winning to me was all that competition was about, and it wasn't until a friend of mine told me how different I was at soccer than when we were hanging out that I finally realized that my competition had hurt quite a few of my relationships, and most importantly my relationship with God.  Our last game I was really challenged to remain in control, we played a game that was very fair in its officiating and ended up playing 2 men down due to red cards...  I can't find any justification for any of the 10+ cards we received...  in the end we still lost, but it always seems to leave a sour taste in your mouth when you lose something that seems unjust.  And I was reminded that to be angry is not a sin, however to act out of my anger IS a sin, and is very hard not to do.  

The best part about it was after our last game, and losing 2-0, the people just came pouring down onto the field... Tim Wood asked the questions later in our debriefing it we had felt that had we won would the people have just come down onto the field like they did to meet us.  I was able to invite a group of teens to join us for church, meet with a lot of the players, and give a little encouragement to a few of the kids there who said they were christians... they said that being a Christian there in Ometepec is rarely easy, and I just pray they can be encouraged by our presence there to keep searching for Truth.

Being in Mexico and being able to share my story and how God desires a relationship with us really reinforced the verses I've been studying in I Corinthians 9- 

"To the weak I became weak, so as to win the Weak.  I have become ALL things to ALL men so that I by all possible means I might win some..."  We must meet people where they are at, that is the most powerful means of reaching them.  Soccer has given us the opportunity to meet a lot of people where they are at in mexico....  but at the same time I had to become aware of the cultural and economic differences to reach others.

Being able to share this time and this opportunity with my teammates was an experience in itself outside our ministering.  We challenged each other to love life like God intended us to and to get to know each other and learn from each other.  God gives us all very different gifts so it was great to see everyone using their gifts as much as possible.  Just to top our amazing week off, we drove back to Acapulco where me and a few of the guys went and played on the beach till 2:15 in the morning before we topped of an amazing night with ice cream sandwiches and street tacos...  mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmm....  love it.

I want to continue to thank all of you for your prayers and support, I can't tell you how much this experience has meant to me and the directions that God continues to take me is motivation enough to get up every morning.  Thank you... or as we say in Mexico... Muchas Gracias.

Prayer requests:

-For all the gospels that were passed out to be read and used.

-For all the people in Ometepec and Pinotepa who we met.

-The Wood family, that they'd be able to find the help they need to run all their ministries through their church, school, soccer club and camp.  

-For me and the Seahorses as we want to continue to share God's love with these people and showing them God cares by returning on a regular basis.

-For the season and our ministries here in LA, that we continue to glorify God in all that we do... especially soccer.

One tandem bike ride down imperial highway later...

This last week has been a bit crazy, I wish I blogged a little bit more so I don't have so much to write about when I sit down to do it....  

Let me first just catch you up to speed on all that has been going on this past week since my last posting...  

Between training sessions, SMT (Sports Ministry Training), meetings preparing for our Mexico trip (we are leaving tomorrow), leveling for the pool, a couple chapels, a good afternoon with a few of my teammates that involved an hour and a half at Homestyle Buffet and a tandem bike ride down Imperial Highway (not the safest thing I have ever done), a couple more clinics, a unique learning experience about AIDS in Africa, and a soccer match this evening...  I am certainly ready for Mexico, mainly because I can focus my attention on one task and get away from the business of L.A.  

Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed my nearly two weeks of being here...  but in that time I look back at all that has gone on already and can't even believe it hasn't even been two weeks...  perhaps the weeks prior to me getting here were a bit crazier with getting my house ready, finishing school, graduating, and traveling were not of much help either.  

We played a game this evening against the L.A. Legends and lost 2-0, the good news is I have finally joined the roster and got to play in my first game as a Seahorse this evening.  Even though it wasn't a win, I did feel I played well... which is a start.  Coach gave us three words to focus on during the game, the 3 p's...  Proactive, Positive, and Peculiar...  The one that stuck out most was "Peculiar".  Apparently this one of Coach's favorite words and it stuck out to me as well, being set apart and distinguished... not necessarily in an unusual sense, but it could be that too.  He challenged us to play in such a way that would set us apart, not with the intentions of being noticed, but to be glorifying.  Hopefully the result would be to be noticed, yet that shouldn't be the goal, because it is something we must train ourselves to be always... even when no one is around.

Sadly, I don't think we accomplished our goal of being peculiar to the fullest extent, or in terms of a team effort... we fell a bit short.  We'll just say the reffing seemed a bit off, yet that was enough to distract some of us from the game and our goals as a team.  

The other two "P's" were more related to how we were to play...  we didn't seem to accomplish those to objectives either.  Which takes me back to the passage I've been thinking about as of last week.  My friend Jim got back to me on an important part of my last post, I had written a piece that said...  "Some people don't think Christians should foul or play hard..." something along those lines.  I must not have read this carefully because it's true, no one should foul... intentionally.  However I think I also put a little to much emphasis on the idea that we as Christians are called to win, win at all costs... that doesn't mean we can't lose.  If someone has earned it, then I must simply re-evaluate what I have done... did I really deserve to win?  If so, why didn't I?  Did I really earn it?  

In every game someone will lose... that doesn't mean one team is more spiritual than the other... it probably means that one team is more disciplined and has put in more time than the other time... however the real battle is if we all can truly say that we did everything we could have and played our best, not just going through the motions.  For me, it took me a long time before I could really balance competition and every day life...  To me it was win at all costs (not to the point of cheating, but I did hate losing more than anything else) and it was this mentality that hurt quite a few of my relationships when I was younger... sure I was young and it probably didn't mean much.  Fortunately God has helped me learn to balance these things and has allowed me to still compete, without letting it consume me...

Paul writes, "I beat my body and make it a slave to myself..."  This doesn't reflect a win at all costs attitude, it reflects an attitude of self-discipline and complete control over one's actions... and that is what we are called to do.  Work our very hardest... to do our very best... and at the same time practicing a self-discipline that is second to none (simple to say, yet very hard to do).

Well...  We leave for Mexico at midnight, so keep us in your prayers.  If internet Access is available I will try to keep the blog up to date, however no promises can be made at this point.  

Pray specifically for health and safe travel, that those of us going will prepared in mind, body, and soul to share God's love with everyone we encounter, and that the people we encounter will be open to hear and receive God's love for them.  

All the best and God's blessings,

-Cyrus

Meet you there...

So I wanted to reflect more about the passage I mentioned in my last blog, not just the one verse but all of the last 9 verses together...  Any and all responses to this passage would be much appreciated since I feel a lot of what I will learn this summer (and a lot of what I have already been learning) is directly related to what Paul has written.  The first 18 verses seem to offer a good understanding of why this letter was written, Paul wants reminds the Corinthians that they should be listening to him in regards questions about Christ and Christianity and he spends a bit of this letter explaining why he is qualified to tell them these things...  and they shouldn't believe everything about Christ from just anyone, specifically in their case other Israelites.  Of course there is a lot more to these 18 verses, but it's the last 9 verses that have been on my mind for awhile.

In reading this I have broken it down into two segments, 19-23 deals with how we can reach people and what it means to make ourselves "slaves to everyone".  The second portion 24-27 speaks how Athletes (or anyone) should address life as well as faith...

Is Paul asking us to act or behave in certain way as to get a desired result from someone?  Or is telling us that we should meed people where they are at?  

So you don't have to look it up to follow along, here is the passage in which I am talking about:

19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.  To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (thought I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.  I have become ALL things to ALL men so that by ALL possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

24 Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefor I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

In the past months I have come to the understanding that we are called to meet people where they are at, because more often than not they do not come to us (while I wish all men are drawn to us and the love of Jesus in us, it is not always the case.)  In discussing this passage further with a good friend, I was also presented with the idea that some may read into these verses as being "manipulative", in order to win someone to our way of thinking.   Thinking about what Jim had told me, I realized I that I have been thinking a lot about that perspective as well, just not in my bible reading...

I've been reading a book by Dale Carnegie which I am sure many of you have heard of, "How to Win Friends and Influence People".  A good friend of mine said he wished someone had told him to read it while he was in college and challenged me to do the same so I have taken him up on the idea.  While I find a lot of the books content to be simple logic that not many people think about when dealing with people, and much of it can be backed by biblical examples of Godly men dealing with people...  there is an "edge" to the book that seems manipulative to me like Jim had mentioned. 

I think it is important that people should know how to "handle" or "influence" people, however it should not be because we wish to be successful or because we want a certain outcome.  I don't want to learn how to "love" people in order to get what I want, but I do want to learn to love people no matter what I get in return (nothing or possibly even at the expense of being hurt).  I only include this because I think "love" is something that is easy to "put on" yet at the same time, it is easy to realize when it has been "put on"...  if that makes any sense at all.  Jim also commented that we cannot actually "handle" anyone, but we can influence them... as people, all we can do is influence because in the end it is not our decision to make.

To me, I Corinthians 9:19 only makes sense to me when understood as being called to meet people where they are at.  How else am I going to reach someone who at this point in their life would not be caught dead in the back pew of church, let a lone one in the middle or front.  I also see it as one of the ways to influence people, when they know you are willing to be with them, help them, or just hang out with them where they feel comfortable.  Who knows how long it may take them to come around, if at all.   But would they ever get to that point of we decided to spend all of our time in the front row of church and never with them?

In doing our clinic at Paso Robles this last weekend and working a street soccer tournament yesterday, I can only say that the idea of meeting people where they are at is only being reinforced in my being here in California.  Also, soccer is all over the world and proves to be one of the greatest tools in meeting people, especially when trying to meet them where they are at... foreigners or locals, rich or poor, everyone all over the world (except in the US) wants to play soccer.  I feel like there is much more to learn about how soccer and sports can work to reach peoples lives... which leads to the next passage, 24-27.

Some people think that as Christian Athletes we aren't supposed to foul or if we knock someone over we should stop and help them up even if we are within the rules of the game.  According to this verse Christians are called to "run (compete) in such a way as to win the prize".   If you want to put it in more simple terms, we are called to play our best always...  we are called to win.  How much more are we drawn to successful athletes who walk in humility?We are drawn to their success and their humility.  In comparison, what do we think when someone stops playing because their opponent has fallen over and may have been fouled?  We think, "What is that guy doing???"

So is it accurate to say that I am called to be the best, not only sports but in all aspects of life and faith?  Absolutely. But does that mean I have to compare myself to the next person in all aspects of my life?  Absolutely not...  There are areas of life that need not be compared but are between us and God only, yet we are called to be the best.  In competition we are called to do our best, even if we end up losing.  

Paul finishes with a very strong statement, "I beat my body and make it a slave to myself so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."  I won't even try to begin by saying I know exactly what Paul is saying, but I do think that Paul touches on a the point of discipline... which relates to all areas of life.  Yet this statement refers to that prize which is eternal, that is the prize we do not want to be disqualified from.  It is extremely difficult to be glorifying always, actually impossible...  if we learn discipline in life and in faith we can build a "platform" from which people will listen to us, it is those that are undisciplined (myself in many areas as well) that may end up disqualifying us from the eternal prize.

Wow, sorry for the weeks worth of mental processing all in one post... but the important part is that I was able to find a morning to include all of it.  I will be meeting tonight for preparing for Mexico which we will be leaving the 1st of June so continue to pray for our Mexico trip and the different areas of LA that I am being plugged into for the summer.  Blessings,

-Cyrus