Will I ever learn?...UGH!

I woke up a bit anxious today. Until now I've had a tremendous peace about my health situation but when I woke up this morning I was just wishing it was Tuesday. Waiting to know stinks. So into my quiet time with God I went and I must admit, not with the best of attitudes.

I started with a Charles Spurgeon devotional called "Morning and Evening." The name of the devotional was TRUST. "It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man." Psalm 118:8 Spurgeon: "We have all been tempted to trust the things we can see rather than resting only on the invisible God. We often look to friends and associates for help and counsel and thus ruin the noble simplicity of relying on God. Tonight are you worried about the cares of the day? If so, think about this. You trust Jesus for your salvation. Then why are you troubled? This is a promise: "Cast your burden on the Lord" Psalm 55:22. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God" Philippians 4:6. You can trust god to handle your present problems. If you cannot trust Him with your present problems, how can you trust Him for your soul's redemption? If you trust Him for your soul's redemption, you can rely on Him for smaller mercies. Isn't God enough to meet all your needs, or His all-sufficiency too little for your needs? Do you want another eye beside the one that sees every secret thing? Is His heart faint? Is His arm weary? If so, seek another god. But if He is infinite, Omnipotent, Faithful,True, and All-wise then why run around looking for another foundation when this one is strong enough to bear all the weight you can ever build on? Christian, do not mix your wine and water, do not blend your gold of faith with the dross of human confidence. Wait only on God and let your expectation be from Him alone. do not covet Jonah's plant but rest in Jonah's God (Jonah 4:6). The sandy foundation of earthly trust is the choice of fools. "The wise man built his house on the rock and the rain descended, the flood came, and the wind blew and beat on the house; and it did not fall for it was founded on the rock" Matthew 7:24-25."

Will I ever learn? What a dope I am. How can I so easily forget these truths at times like this? Why can't I "live out" the righteousness of Christ in more of my day each day? I think it's time I give those Israelites a break. I thought they were some of the stupidest people on earth, EVER! But then I stumble and fall just like them....over and over again. What a mess I am! THANK GOD FOR A GOD WHO LOVES ME AND YOU UNCONDITIONALLY! WHOSE MERCIES ARE SO DEEPLY APPRECIATED BY THOSE OF US WHO ARE SUCH A MESS!

The rest of my day has been Awesome! I wore black today rather than for my 50th tomorrow...ha ha! I hear that 50 is the new 30! Got love that.

BD

Johanna's Prom

Wow, was our "little one" looking so beautiful for her first prom (pictures on both hers and danielle's facebook). The difference in her appearance between the night before as she participated in her basketball championship game for Arborbrook to Saturday's prom night was stunning! Her "bigger" sister yet smaller sister Danielle came down to buy her accessories (she found Johanna's dress as well.......$398 bucks.....but she got it for $65...that's Nell!), fix her hair and basically whip her into "beauty" shape. What a job she did! Johanna had a wonderful time as she decided to go with a big group of friends than with a handsome young man. Fine with Dad.

Brian's health update

I have been pricked, poked and put into all sorts of positions to have tests and scans to determine the cause of my lymph nodes being swollen as well as some "tissues" in my throat. Something in my throat is large and causing me swallowing, gaging and at times breathing issues. Originally I was going to wait to inform partners of ours in ministry till after the results of the recent biopsy in my neck was provided (which I will receive on Tuesday, March 9th), but then I decided that I needed all the prayer warriors I can get right now.

The tumor/cancer ENT specialist from Charlotte will deliver the results to Chris and I at 2:45pm on Tuesday. Lymphoma or squamous carcinoma are the odds on favorite, but we are praying for something less serious. Most of all, we are praying that if it is cancer that it has not spread to other parts of my body. As many of you know, my mom had lymphoma in her neck that spread to her liver just about my age. She passed at age 52. Neither Chris and I are living in fear or unreality about the serious of the situation. We believe that our lives are all about being used for our Heavenly Father's purposes on this earth. Therefore, whatever circumstances, challenges and crisis we face, we believe they are all allowed by God to serve as an opportunity to draw us to greater dependence on Himself as well as to glorify His name in such times of trials & suffering.

Nobody desires to suffer or wishes difficulties upon themselves. We are no different! Yet we trust and have so much faith in our Lord Savior that whatever he chooses for us to go through, we stand ready in the power of the Holy Spirit to battle. Cancer is called the big "C," but as my sister says, the big "C" is found in Christ and the little "c" is known as cancer. His ways are not always our ways but they are the very best ways. His grace is always sufficient.

We appreciate your prayers for us. Romans 8:26 -28, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those called according to his purpose." I love God!

Pray for Chris, the kids and I to be strong and courageous. Pray for others to see Christ in us so that they will be drawn to His ways and unconditional love.

***We will update this blog on Tuesday evening with the results one way or another. To receive the news you will have to sign up to be a follower of this blog so that you are notified. It's real easy to sign up just go to the top left hand corner of this blog and you will see the word FOLLOW. Click on that and then click again on follow which is down below the explanation. Thank You. This makes it easier for us to ensure everyone who wants to be updated is. Thank you all for your faithful partnership with us in ministering to the youth in Africa and Asia through the platform of sports connected to local churches and church planting efforts. To God and God alone be the GLORY OF THE IMPOSSIBLE!

Delayed or Cancelled?

If you did not receive a letter sent out by Chris regarding our future plans to move to Ethiopia being on hold then please e-mail me at brian.davidson@sim.org or go right to the source at cdafrica@gmail.com Thank You.

Liberty Team Heads to Ethiopia

On Thursday, March 11th John and Danielle Puig with Lee Marthers assisting them will lead a group of 16 students to Ethiopia. It is the first initiative between SIM and Liberty as the two organizations signed a long term partnership agreement in 2009. Sports Friends will play in-country ministry host to the team and will focus their efforts towards leading a camp for youth from our ongoing church centered sports ministry projects. They will also learn about our orphan ministry, visit the shelter for our girls that use to live on the streets, see the Hope for AIDS ministry, visit a medical clinic, see the house of hope, a school visit in a Muslim community and meet some of SIM's missionaries living in Ethiopia. Please pray that the students would be moved to action: 1. that some of the participants would consider an internship with SIM in the future, or would be interested in serving with SIM in Ethiopia after graduating from Liberty 2. pray for protection from the enemy 3. pray for their singing, drama's and informal game times with the Ethiopian youth. That these youth would sense God's love through the Liberty students and the truth of God's Word shared. 4. For Danielle who is pregnant that she would encounter NO health issues. The group returns to the States March 21st.

Sports, Family and life as a follower of God.

Kyle was excited to be selected to run the mile in his 2nd NCAA D1 meet which will take place at Penn St. 11:30am this Sat...he does his wholehearted best and leaves it at that! Johanna has a rec. level B-ball game today but is probably more excited about the ride up and back with her friends and their planned after game pizza party then the game itself. Two different levels but both enjoying the sports they participate in and the teams they are on, win or lose. Hmmm...wish I could have been like that! It was life or death for me. I took it all way to seriously. I was a junkie! Addicted to winning! My identity, self worth, and significance was all tied up in my performance and achievements. Sick! I'm sooooo glad I fell in love with God, so in depted to the Holy Spirit's work in my life (so much left to do but grateful for the progress and life long commitment to help me) over the eyars and happy I married Chris who had a strong biblical foundation in her life as well as life's priorities properly ordered. Ahhhhh.....sports, life, and God's purposes that I'm called to serve.....WHAT a JOURNEY!

Stay tuned to this blog if you want to know more gory details and the spiritual life lessons I've learned from the Trinity, as I "open up" about all God has, and is continuing to do in my life through serving Him as a sports minister the last 26 years (and as a follower of Christ for 32 years). I pursue "living out" the virtues of Christ that He modeled for me, but my sinful selfish heart so often gets the best of me. Not sure of the rating that will be attached to this revealed content yet (because half is really gross and sinful while the other is clean and wholesome-Hmmmm...does that make it RPG?).

Pursuing glorifying God with my life....the Impossible is possible but by the grace, mercy and power of the Holy Spirit. thanks be to God!

Brian

Fasil has gone Home. March 9, 1982 to Jan 7th, 2010

Berhanu called me early yesterday morning, Ethiopian Christmas day, to tell me that Fasil went home to the Lord at 4am. A large group of friends and family including the Addis Ababa girls team (Fasil was the founder) had gathered at his home by 7. Berhanu and his best friend Drey (who many of us have prayed for for so many years) were two of the first to arrive at his home to comfort his Mom (Fasil was her only child). The pain of death is so real. It's hard to comprehend that Fasil won't be there at the airport in March waiting for me like he's done so many times previously. My heart, along with Christine's, is honestly broken with his passing. He was like an adopted son to us. We loved him so much! He will be missed greatly. Thank God for redemption and eternal life. Thank God he acknowledged his sins, sought forgiveness, and had his heart transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. For today Fasil is in the presence of our Lord and Savior, not because of any works he has done, but because of Jesus Christ dying for His sins & conquering death on his behalf. Thank you Son of God, Savior of the World. Brian PS highlights of our time with Fasil coming in our next blog.