Prayer

In Washington the Supreme Court won't review a lower court decision that banned a high school football coach from bowing his head and kneeling during prayers led by his players. At East Brunswick the football coach has been known to led prayers with players for several years and now is being told not to. For me this just makes it more evident of the devils work in this world. Trying to take God out of every situation so that people will turn from him. This is one of the reasons i have picked to go to a Christian school and will want my children to because i want them to fell they have the opportunity to pray to God when they feel inclined too. We are in a country that many come to for religious freedom but yet we are telling a coach who is a role model that he can not pray. I feel that we are allowing coaches and other people in power get away with horrible things like sexual assault, selling drugs to kids, so many things and prayer is something that someone is being punished for. I think this story has a huge effect on society because it is telling believers that they are wrong and telling non believers that we don't need God in our lives, when in reality we all need him desperately or we would not even be able to walk on this earth. What harm is the coach doing. I understand if there was a student athlete who was uncomfterbale with prayer and the coach was forcing him on his knees to pray. But this is not the case, the athletes have the right to pray or not, the article said that it was with seven players. a football team has at least 30 so no one was forced to do anything. I think that someone in the court systemes needs to hear this story and take away some of that power that this school district seems to want to use so badly. In my eyes there is nothing bad about prayer, only good can come from it and people need to remember that the foundation of this country was built on religion.

My Testimony

When thinking about my personal testimony, the first thing i need to do is define what a testimony actually is. It's ironic that this question was on of the choices for a class assignment, because my church (Abundant Living Family Church in Rancho Cucamanga, CA) has just finished a series titled Storms. And what my pastor mentioned numerous times was that you have to go through storms to make you stronger. And that our storms, help us with our testimonies that we can share with others, to help anyone who is in the same situation that we are in and also help build the God's Kingdom. My storm started the summer after my Freshman year at Cal Baptist. Life was great! I was taking part in summer work outs for basketball, that would help me improve my game, i just had an amazing first year of college. I had a handsome older boyfriend who had just graduated from CBU and moving to Denver but guaranteed that we would be together forever. My family life was good my parents had been married for 26 years and seemed still happy. I had no complaints about my life at that time.
My nephew Jaylen had his 1st birthday party on June 4 and the whole time my dad was complaining about a terrible head ache, but my dad kept BBQ-ing because that was his job, he was the provider of our family. He was the Vice President at a successful business, and was the head Varsity Girls Basketball coach at my High School, and on the board at our church. My dad had coached me in basketball for years and we were extremely close, i could talk to him about anything, he was my best friend. On the seventh of June three days after my nephew's birthday party, my life and families future was changed. I had just finished a basketball workout and drove home. I was surprised to see my father in the driveway with a co-worker because he should still be at work. I ran to him confused and his co- worker explained that he had fainted and work and wasn't feeling well.
What ended up happening was my dad had a stroke. he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance and after being in emergency the whole night the doctors said he was not going to make it. i didn't understand why God would do that to me, have me lose my father so young and miss out on our families future.
My dad made it through the night and many more and got to the point where he was going to live but be very different, but my family didn't care, we just wanted him alive. My mom blamed the stroke on herself. What she reveled to my sister and i was that before the stroke she wanted to get a divorce from my dad. He had been an alcholic for years, i had no idea of this and he was making so much money and spending even more she just couldn't take it. So she prayed to God that he restor there marriage. and God's way was slowing him down with the stroke and making there relationship stronger through that.
Another thing God did was help me understand that i need him. I would not have been able to get through any of these things if it wasn't for God. My dad was the provider and so we had no money and so many bills we had to pay. Looking to God for the answers and trusting that he had a plan for our lives is what Got me through those tough years. Believing that God can turn situations that we feel are bad into blessings!

Final Blog

This year i have learned a lot about myself, and am trying to be focused on being thankful for the things i get to do(not have to do), because everyone doesn't have the opportunities that i do. At times this year when i would look at what is on my plate and feel overwhelmed. In angelos we have several deadlines and sometimes it was hard communicating with the photographers, designer's, and getting a hold of people for the stories we are trying to cover. Then i have my other classes that I'm trying to stay on top of so i can graduate in May. I am captain of the women's basketball team and at times my coach asks a lot of me and i feel overwhelmed with that. Then on top of that i am getting married this summer in June so i am trying to plan the wedding of my dreams. SHUT UP NICOLE! is sometimes what i feel the Lord is saying to be. I need to be thankful. This reality hit me earlier this year. In October a basketball player from Vanguard University was paralyzed after diving into the ocean. Her whole world was turned upside down. She may never be able to play basketball or let alone walk again and here i am complaining because I'm tired of running during practice. I had the privilege in meeting her the first week of December, her spirits where so high and she still was smiling despite her disabilities I just broke out in tears after the meeting and i felt so convicted and like an ungrateful brat. I am blessed to be at a great University who is focused on living ones purpose. Even the fact that i have the opportunity to attend college, there are people my age who wish and pray everyday to have the ability to learn and i continue to not take advantage of the resources i have. And in yearbook my advisor made a great point when she said we have the opportunities to publish something that will be looked at years down the road, we need to take more pride in our stories and continue to make them better each time. So that will be my challenge this coming up new year, to really be thankful and blessed with the path the Lord has chosen for me, even though at times it seems hard, someones situation is always worse so I need to praise him and give him all the Glory!

I Need Africa More than Africa Needs Me.

I need Africa more than Africa needs me. To many this statement sounds backwards. when , looking at this Globally isn't Africa the country that is going through so much turmoil, poverty, and hurt. People are starting to understand that Africa is a country that needs assistance from other nations that are better off, but what this statement does is help one understand that Africa could be the Nation actually helping us. How so? I think people can learn from Africa and it's people. About what is really important in life. here in the United States many citizens ultimate goal is to have that "American Dream" Live in a great home, drive a nice car, and have a career that provides for your family. All of that i feel is a great goal to have, but Africa goals are much simpler than that because of the lack of resources. Surviving and having a meal each night, and being able to take care of themselves and one's family if one becomes ill, are more important things to that Nation. I don't think this statement means that we don't continue to help Africa. There is so little that we can share that will help people in the nation tremendously with things we take for granted here in America. So yes i need Africa, to keep me humble to help me remember that as a christian it is my duty to reach all the Nations and do what i can to spread God's goodness, and to help me realise how fortunate i am to love in a place where i have endless freedoms to do as i please and the resources to become all that i can be.

Lakers

I Love The Lakers Our Project was to find Blogs of Interest then write about. I sat for a while and thought, HMMM, what do i love. Well i love My God, My Family, My fiance, and the Lakers. It is kinda sad how intense i get when the NBA season rolls around. Last season when the Lakers made it back to the NBA finals in a classic rivalry against the Boston Celtics i was almost in tears of Joy in Jubilation's. But then those happy tears quickly turned into sad one's, and so much anger when they lost. I couldn't watch T.V. for about a week, or read the news paper because i didn't want to see any news on how the Lakers had failed. It was nice to find other bloggers who share my same passion. One blog i found was interesting and made some very key points about the Lakers past and present. Where they have been and how many never saw them going back to the finals after the Shaq and Kobe spilt. I agree when the author said how it is hard to compare the old school lakers will Magic, Kareem, and all of the other superstars from the decade when they were ridiculous but i think this new era with Kobe can do big things as well. Especially considering that they have a great coach in Phil Jackson.
Another Blog i read about the Lakers was about how Bynom is an intrical part in the Lakers future and that is why he just recieved a new million dollar, 5 year contract. I would have to say i might disagree with him a lilttle. Bynum is young, yes and has very much potential but the writter of the Blog said the Lakers organization will be built around him in the years to come when Kobe is gone. Don't get me wrong i feel that he is a great player but someone who is going to have a professional organization built around him should have all of the qualities. A leader who everyone respects, have great court awareness, and i think he does but it is hard to be a great leader on the court when you are a post player, and last i think you need to have some age on you, well except if you are Lebron!
Lebron is the topic of the next blog, and it was actually a thing Kobe vs. Lebron. The thing i like about Lebron is he understands his role. Yes he is going to be the best when Kobe is done but right now he can't finish games and does not have all the experience yet, although his appearance makes him a little older. But i completely agree with the author who said that Kobe is the best right now. He has the total package especially from winning the Gold with the USA team in China because he became a better defensive player and rebounder which will only help the Lakers even more this year. I love the lakers and will argue with anyone who thinks otherwise because i will bled purple and Gold till I die!

First Time for Everything

It's hard for me to know now that i am like many others in my age group. I don't have a myspace or a facebook, because i am not into that stuff. I feel i talk to the people i want to talk to face to face and i don't want to have any fake conversations online. But because this is a class assignment that i must take part in I'm joining the crowd. Maybe this will be good for me to get some of my thoughts out there and give people a chance who don't know me to kinda understand what i am about.