Swing for the Fences

Hello Kingdom Coaches!

Hopefully your summer is going well! We will all be seeing each other soon enough on the road! Looking forward to hearing how you are doing!

One thing that God keeps reminding us is that His loving heart desires ALL people to be saved! “This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) He sent His only Son to DIE for us, so that we might be saved and not perish!! (John 3:16).

As we gear up for July recruiting, may we be reminded that we may be the only person in someone’s path who will tell them about Jesus! May we be emboldened to share about what Jesus did for us, and how we are now sons and daughters of God! Perhaps this story will help you do just that! In light of baseball season being in full-swing (J), here you go:

Bob and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord's team was playing Satan's team. The Lord's team was at bat. The score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate whose name was Love. Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single because Love never fails. The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love. The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass. Ball one! Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked, because Godly Wisdom never swings at what Satan throws. The bases are loaded. The Lord then turns to Bob and told him He was now going to bring in His star player. Up to bat stepped Grace. Bob said, "He sure doesn't look like much!" Satan's whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen. But Satan was not worried; his center fielder let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing to the ground. Then it continued over the fence for a home run! The Lord's team won!!! The Lord then asked Bob if he knew why Love, Faith, and Godly Wisdom could get on base, but could not win the game. Bob answered that he did not know why. The Lord explained, "If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game, you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, Faith, and Wisdom will get you on base, but only MY Grace can get you home. MY Grace is the only thing Satan cannot steal."

******I also wanted to make you aware of two opportunities for Kingdom growth in August:

1. Missions Trip to Guatemala City! (August 5th-11th)

A few colleagues have been working over the past few months to start a non-profit organization, which is now up and running! Praise Jesus! It’s called Play BOLD! www.playbold.org It was developed for collegiate women's basketball players to have a platform to do missions and humanitarian aid work in under-privileged countries. Next year, we will likely open it up to male basketball players, as well. We want to show God’s love to people by giving back and by being present, active agents of change. The members of our board have taken athletes on several trips abroad and the impact has been an amazing thing to witness. We want more of that for you and our athletes!

Our trip this year is August 5th-August 11th to Guatemala City. We are partnering with Sepal www.sepal.org.gt to do basketball clinics for underprivileged kids, working with an AIDS orphanage, and doing building projects. We will have an itinerary for you soon, but the schedule for the week will include about 3 days in the city and 3 days in countryside areas, specifically Hylands.

Cost of the trip:

· Flight to Guatemala City (arrange your flight to arrive BEFORE NOON on August 5th)

· $90 per day for food/lodging/transportation (Lodging arrangements—B&Bs and Mission Homes)

· $100 to go towards Play BOLD for projects. (This money is due closer to the trip.)

· Valid Passport (no visa/no vaccinations required)

If any of your schools would like to donate left-over or gently used shoes/gear/basketballs (whether you join us on the trip or not), we will be taking those items over for the kids! Let us know!

If you have any athletes that would like to come on the trip, please have them reach out to me (205-561-9538) or Melissa D’Amico (631-255-4919). Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else! Thank you for the support and interest in this. It means the world!

2. IGNITE AMERICA (August 3rd-6th)

As we continue to pray and ask God to transform our campuses, there is a GREAT conference that will help equip you to do just that! It is called “Ignite America,” which will take place at Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, KY. It provides a place to gather God’s people together to praise and worship Him, pray for a move of God to sweep through the land, as well as hear testimonies from some of the people who are currently bringing change to the places where God has called them. I have personally gone for the past 2 years, and it has been life-changing!

Cost of the trip:

· $125—includes on-campus apartment accommodations, as well as all meals.

· A complimentary shuttle will be provided to and from the Louisville International Airport.

Register Online: www.igniteamericalife.com

We would LOVE to have more coaches and student-athletes attend (from ANY sports program!!). IF you are looking to come with a group of people, let me know and driving transportation with gas paid for can be arranged. Spread the word! The transformative opportunity there in God’s presence is an amazing one! If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact me!

Enjoy your 4th of July weekend!