For the Love of Archery >>--->

ARCHERY! ARCHERY! ARCHERY!

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     If you can't tell, I love archery. I did archery before Katniss was cool, lol. My Dad was first introduced to archery by his friend when I was nine, and that's when he started to teach me as well. It is a wonderful sport that we learned together. We are traditional archers through and through.
     Archery is all about self discipline, focus, and being attuned to your surroundings. When I get anxious, stressed, angry, or depressed that is when I go to my bow the most. It reconnects me, especially spiritually. I am forced (in a good way) to slow down, relax/release my tension, connect with my surroundings, and calm myself emotionally. I believe the trick of traditional archery is calm. You can't hit anything when your emotions are raging all over the board. Archery helped teach me to control myself and not let my emotions control me (and with my depression that was greatly needed).
    

     Archery has and will always be an integral part of my life. I remember when I joined the archery program in my 4-H. There was a Senior in high school in the program who was training for the Olympics (I was eleven). That was a huge moment for me. I knew then I was going to shoot for the Olympics one day. Archery is a community. When I got to Jr. High I felt outcasted. I did not fit in the popular crowds and I was decidedly not athletic, lol. Archery was my home though. My father co-founded archery in the neighboring county's 4-H program. So three days a week I was with him and our family friends teaching and helping run archery there. Those were my friends. I made friends there that are still in my life today. Archery even ran through all my relationships, lol. My two boyfriends and I had archery at our core. Then, my husband and I bonded closest once we realized that we shared the love of archery, as well. (I got him converted from compound to traditional-WOOT!) Now we are on the road to teaching our son the love of bow and arrow!

 

 

      About a year ago I started teaching a couple of girls archery. It has been awesome! I miss working with the 4-H archery. I love bringing new kids in to a sport that will last a lifetime and get them through anything!
     I fell in love when I discovered that in the UK it used to be a practice that churches did archery. It was an integrated system! WHAT?! My two loves combined? Thank you Lord! I read an interesting fact about a year ago that statistically more Christians are archers over firearms people. I'm sure you can find a hundred different ways to explain that, but after I read that there is really not much refuting that. It's one of those things that you realize in the back of your head, but don't really put it together until you hear it.

     Since last year I have been working on an archery mission! A way to use the love of archery and connect people to God with it! It has been a healthy challenge to my hobby and knowledge in my faith. I am blessed that my husband is coming along side me to help with this as well. It has taken such a root in our lives (my husband and me) that the weekend of Easter we got our Archery Instructor Certification!!! WOOT!!! A brief drive out of state for a Saturday class, and then last week we received our certificates with USA Archery! So blessed by God's will! I have been working on lessons to coincide with classes! Especially where we live, outdoors is a way of life!

<-- Keep Shooting ---<<<

    
 

Steward

"Oh, Stewardess..."

 

No, not that kind of steward!

 

  

     I received an email from "Trish" recently and it sounded like something that needed shared.
Her email was a reach out for prayer in the specific need of handling the household finances. She is the one responsible for paying the bills between her and her husband. She explained that things had been going really good financially in their family, and she got lax on her diligence of weekly reviewing the bills/income. When she finally sat down to go through things she realized they were in trouble. She got too confident and the numbers showed that they were trending in the red. At the time of the email she was scared; for several reasons. She had no idea what they were going to do. She was scared to tell her husband. She was embarrassed and felt like she failed.
     Have faith, I kept in contact with Trish and her situation is working out! Thank you God!

 

 

 Let's talk money...

 



     I can relate to Trish, and told her pretty much what I'm getting ready to tell you. In our house, I handle the bills/finances, also. (No, it's not a woman-gets-the-money-thing, silly.)  That's our system and that is how it works best for us. That wasn't our first system though, when we were buying the house it came to a situation that we needed a better system for bill paying; so here we are almost 2.5 years later and things have been good. Thank you Lord!

     Nobody is perfect though! Who hasn't made a boo-boo with the bills???? I bet everyone has! As most people I know do, it's the time of year to wait for the tax return to help straighten out some things. Just like Trish, I had a day not to long ago where I hung my head as well; a lot of things happened in December. Let's be honest- who wants to worry about money around the holidays? Not me. 

     I take my responsibility of handling the finances seriously. I do it to relieve a burden from my husband. I failed. Not just my partner, but God. I prayed, "God, I cheated you. Show me what to do."

 

Steward?

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden

to work it and take care of it."  -Genesis 2:15

Webster says that a steward is someone who protects or is responsible for money and property; a person whose job is to manage the property of another person.

     A steward is considered a trusted advisor. Someone who manages things for the master of the estate.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  -Genesis 1:1

     First book, first chapter, first verse... It all belongs to God! My money, my gifts/talent, my time, my life, my mission, my child- everything that I am and that exists is because my God made it so. WE are the stewards. Nothing belongs to us- we are managing all things in this world for our King. Even the money. Think of yourself as a cashier; you are handling the money of your employer. That's the responsibility we are called to. Do you know what it is called when you steal money from your company? Embezzlement: theft of funds belonging to one's employer.

    Managing the finances of your home is a responsibility bestowed by God. Ouch! Do you know the parable of the Bags of Gold (Matthew 25:14-30)?? A man entrusted his three servants with his wealth while he was gone. Two did well and one did not.

     Verse 14: "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them." Who are the servants? We are! Who is the man going on a journey? Christ. We have been entrusted with His wealth.  Do you know what I want to hear when I get to heaven? "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:21, 23)

     Each man was given a different amount of gold based on his ability to manage it. Some people prove to manage finances better than others. It seems presently that finances are a huge problem for everybody. Look at our country, one of the reasons America is a third-world country is because of our mass amount of debt. Do you see the common thread? When we are not taking care of things for our Master, but for ourselves we start dropping the ball. Trish is not alone. I am not alone. YOU are not alone. I have heard my share of couples argue about money over the years. We get caught up in "my money" and "their money" that we forget it is His money. We have to take those moments and refocus back to God. "God show me what to do." More than once while working on bills I have asked Him to bless and guide us. God never cheats us. We cheat Him. It is our duty to take the responsibility of handling the money seriously! We are human. Don't punish yourself horribly when you realize you have mismanaged something. Bend your head and ask Him for forgiveness and help. He will answer you!
 

 

Not just money...

     Keep in mind that stewardship doesn't mean money alone, though. We are called to manage all of His property; our God given talents, our children, our jobs, the Good News, the environment, and the list goes on! People ask how God could let people starve. He doesn't- we do. We are mismanaging His resources.

"This, then, is how you out to regard us: as servants of Christ and as

those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required

that those who have been given trust must prove faithful."  -1 Corinthians 4:1-2

 

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has

been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing

them in the name of the Father and of the Son and on the Holy Spirit, and

teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."  -Matthew 28:18-20

God I ask that you forgive us our debts and how we have consciously and unconsciously mismanaged your property. We are flawed and human, and you love us past all that! Help me to be a steward you can be proud of Lord. Guide me in all ways for Your Kingdom! You provide all that is needed in this world. Thank you God! Amen.

"I will be careful to lead a blameless life—
    when will you come to me?

I will conduct the affairs of my house
    with a blameless heart.
I will not look with approval

    on anything that is vile.

I hate what faithless people do;
    I will have no part in it."

-Psalm 101:2-3