...CROSS COUNTRY TIME Y'ALL (YUNS)
Our schedules are crazy this time of year but we cherish every minute that the Lord gives us to build relationships and invest in the lives of teenagers! I don't think I had any idea (even though I thought I did) the pressures and junk of this world that teenagers face every single day until I moved here and began living day to day life with each of these teens. I don't think I had any idea (even though I thought I did) the importance of the home being set up and designed the way God intended it to be and how far we have gotten from that picture. I don't think I had any idea (even though I thought I did) the selfishness of parents when they deem their life more important than their child's. Often times I find myself scared to death to parent a teenager one day because I see firsthand what they are faced with but then the Lord reminds me of Deuteronomy 6:4-9:
- 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD
our God, the LORD is one.
5 Love the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
6 These commandments
that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
7 Impress them on your
children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up.
8 Tie them as symbols on
your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
9 Write them on the
doorframes of your houses and on your gates. -
My job as a parent is not to raise a perfect child or teenager. My job as a parent is to teach and train them in the ways of the Lord - and that means DAILY - not just once a week by taking them to church. To talk about Jesus when we get up, when we walk along the road, and when we lie down. What a privilege! To daily live a life that is exampled after Jesus to the best of my ability. Loving parents will model a loving God! I see so often how a child's perception of God is primarily developed by their parent's example. Parents have been given the privilege of being stewards of their children’s
lives for a very short time, but the teaching and training they provide is
eternal.
Back to cross country - I take my role as a coaches wife very seriously too. I often times feel like we have about 40 children already so when people ask Rance and I constantly 'when are you two going to have kids?' - I want to say 'oh we do, we have about 40 already and that's enough!' Cross country season isn't about winning gold medals and being the best and winning a state championship. Those things are fun and the Lord definitely wants us to give our best in all that we do; however, Rance and I would rather a runner be the very last at every race and know that they have not only trusted Jesus as their Saviour but desire to live for Him and know Him more - than to be the very best runner and the first in every race but NOT have a personal relationship with Jesus.
I think I say this every year - but the middle school & high school teams are such a special bunch this year and I love each runner to pieces. The season began on August 1st and the teams are studying Hebrews 12!
Just to share a little bit of the fun & craziness with you...
We began the season with a team overnighter at Whisper Mountain! This was an incredible time of bonding the teams and starting the season study!
 |
| *Meet the Middle School Girls* |
 |
| They are a HOOT! |
 |
| Whisper Mountain - I love this camp & especially the camp staff! |
 |
| More of Whisper Mountain |
 |
| The Cabins |
 |
| *Time in God's Word* |
 |
| Game Time |
 |
| Campfire SONGS! I have never laughed so hard in my life! |
 |
*SMORES*
The middle school girls served everyone! |
 |
| Ahhhhh yeahhhhh!!! |
 |
| Who doesn't love smores?! |
 |
| yummmmyyyy! |
 |
| I love this COACH! |
 |
And we cannot forget...
THE AMAZING PRAISE & WORSHIP
You Rock Jeremy! |
*The first cross country race at Darnell Farms*
 |
Coach, Shawnda & me!
*YAY for NEW uniforms* |
 |
| Lil Frank, Coach & Shawnda |
 |
| Middle School Gals |
 |
| Will Hooper is the funnest kid! He has the white shirt with the big grin & thumbs up! |
 |
| Shawnda is an amazing athlete! |
*Then we had a HOME race which included RUNNING through the creek as part of the course!*
 |
| Warming up on their HOME course |
 |
| Lil muscle action right before their race began |
 |
| LOVE the seriousness of the high school boys |
 |
| These two moms ROCK! Their sons ran cross country in previous years and have now graduated from high school; however, these two moms still came out and volunteered at the HOME race! How cool is that?! |
 |
| Coach Shuler making announcements! |
 |
| Running through the creek! |
 |
| GO IRVIN! |
 |
| A LOT of SPECTATORS watching! |
 |
| Shawnda is a BEAST finishing 1st! |
 |
| Middle School girls are dynamite too! |
 |
| Love them! |
*Our first XC race with a complete High School girls teams! :) YOU GIRLS ROCK!*
 |
| Praise God for a team now! |
 |
| Coaching the girls! |
 |
| Giving them pointers! |
 |
Kinsley rolled her ankle during the race boooo.
Side note: She is the toughest girl I have ever met! |
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
I love the way that Scripture talks about running so much. Rance questioned the team on whether they could really run their race effectively and their very best if they had weights tied to them and if they wore heavy clothes & sweatshirts, etc. Of course not! Oh how this relates to us spiritually! We must lay it all aside so that we can RUN FREE!!!
