Blog Posts

EXTRAORDINARY GIVING

1/22/2020

Bible reading for today: 2 Corinthians 9:615

Does life seem dull and often uninteresting yet there is a deep longing to be extraordinary? This week in our "extraordinary" mini-series we look at how we can put the “extra” in ordinary giving.

GIVE GENEROUSLY...
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (verse 6)

GIVE CHEERFULLY...
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (verse 7)

GIVE PURPOSEFULLY...
This service that you perform is...supplying the needs of the Lord’s people (verse 12a)

GIVE GRATEFULLY...
[With your generosity]overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God...for his indescribable gift...Christ Jesus (verses 12-15)

MY PRAYER FOR YOU: May God bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work as you practice EXTRAORDINARY GIVING. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

PUT THAT LITTLE EXTRA INTO ORDINARY - GIVE REMEMBERING GOD’S GIFT!

©2020 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 1514 Segovia Circle – Vero Beach, FL 32966

EXTRAORDINARY PURPOSE

1/15/2020

We have made our “resolutions” for the year and hopefully we have made them with resolve. Likely there are already some indications as to whether or not they will be accomplished. Lining up these resolutions with our overall life purpose not only results in success but gives wings for EXTRAORDINARY PURPOSE.

Accomplished resolutions are the fruit of living in our purpose. Today we will take a look at what purpose is and isn’t.

Purpose is all about future... not about the past. Moses was called to lead God’s chosen people, the Israelites, out of Egyptian captivity and on to the promised land of milk and honey.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me...” Exodus 9:13 NIV

Moses was given EXTRAORDINARY PURPOSE...a purpose greater than Moses himself.

From the beginning purpose was God’s idea! It is in each of us...it is our “calling” on this earth. Designed primarily for the world’s good and not our own, His calling is effectual and permanent. He says to us today, just as as He told Moses...

... I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Exodus 9:16 NIV

A God-aligned purpose fosters deep fulfillment within us. It is not to be found in someone else and copied. It is not to be worried over. Rather, it is placed deep within us for the world’s greatest good and ours. He created us for His purpose and when we operate in it, He provides extraordinary vision for the future.

PRAYER: Today I align myself with you, Lord, asking that your purpose for me fulfilled in my life. I surrender all to you that your name might be proclaimed in all the earth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

GOD'S PLAN IS EXTRAORDINARY - BE READY FOR A 'MOSES-TYPE' PURPOSE!
©2020 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 1514 Segovia Circle – Vero Beach, FL 32966

EXTRAORDINARY LIVING

1/8/2020

It seems that our world today is populated by people who strive to be extraordinary. Average or satisfactory is not good enough. They desire to be exceptional, amazing, astonishing or astounding. Short-clip videos on the internet are filled with these types of beyond-ordinary endeavors. If enough notice is not given in our workplace we move on to one where we will be noticed as marvelous, wonderful, sensational or impressive. Most of us seek these types of responses but what is the key to getting them?

Recently I heard a sermon on what it means to be extraordinary. Pondering the issue - I asked myself if that is my desire. Since the definition of extraordinary is something very unusual or remarkable, I can go as far as to say that I want to do my very best to be and do what God has planned for me to be and do. Remarkable? Unusual? Perhaps, perhaps not, but that is not the goal. Rather, my goal is to trust God in all things and live out what He has purposed for me...the result? EXTRAORDINARY LIVING!

God lives in the extraordinary with a message to us that is extraordinary. He has a powerful plan to rescue and renew everyone who trusts him. And He tells us how to activate His plan - it is to be in right standing before Him. And He doesn’t stop there, He reveals how to be in “right standing” before Him...it is by trusting Him. His promise follows...then you will “really live”... it is an extraordinary plan! (see Romans 1:16-17 The Message)

One of my favorite Bible verses defines the outcome of being right before the Lord by trusting Him in all things...

[God] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20 NIV

Want to be extraordinary? Trust our extraordinary God. It is only in and through Him that we “really live” and find ourselves in right standing with Him. This is not living to be extraordinary but rather it is EXTRAORDINARY LIVING!

PRAYER: Because you are extraordinary, I put my faith and trust in you. Thank you for giving me right standing before you...the essence of being extraordinary! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
BE EXTRAORDINARY - TRUST GOD!

©2020 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 1514 Segovia Circle – Vero Beach, FL 32966

ABIDE IN CHRIST

1/1/2020

WELCOMING A NEW DECADE AND OUR 2020 WORD FOR THE YEAR...ABIDE!

Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 NRSV

What does it mean to “ABIDE IN CHRIST”? On the first Wednesday of each month of 2020 this will be our focus as we take a peek at how we can abide in Christ and how He abides in us.

As an introduction, to ABIDE in Christ means we are “joined with Him” in a relationship that is intimate and organic. When this happens the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated from Him, we are unable to produce anything of eternal value.

When we ABIDE in Christ we choose to accept and act in accordance with Him by observing, following, complying, obeying, holding to, standing by, upholding, agreeing with and accepting his will and directives for us.
WANT 20-20 VISION IN THE YEAR 2020? ABIDE IN CHRIST!

©2020 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 1514 Segovia Circle – Vero Beach, FL 32966

SHINING CANDLES

12/4/2019

During this holiday season we light up our world with many candles. Some are made of wax and burn with fire on a wick. Many of the candles lit with real fire have been replaced with battery powered flame. Just as the wick and wax candle eventually burn out so do the batteries in our candles of today. Whether by fire or battery, candles require a power source.
The candle for our soul is God himself dwelling in us through the power source of the Holy Spirit.

David the psalmist recorded this prayer:..
You will light my candle and enlighten my darkness. Psalm 18:28

This Christmas season we celebrate God sending his only Son as a baby into this world...the power source sent to shine God’s light on our world.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

This light of life is born in us when we celebrate Jesus as our savior. His birth, his life and his death offer us the opportunity to be His SHINING CANDLES.
If your whole body be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light like the bright shining of a candle giving you light. Luke 11:36

And when the power source of light is in us we can say with David the Psalmist...
Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way. Psalm 16:11 TM

MAY THE FLAME OF CHRIST SHINE IN YOUR HEART!

I close out our word for 2019, SHINE, with our verse for the year...

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT

©2019 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 1514 Segovia Circle – Vero Beach, FL 32966

SPARKLE AND SHINE

11/6/2019

Our days are filled with light shining on us whether it is the sun overhead or the lighting in our home or office. It brightens a dark cloudy day or the room we are in. With no distinction it illuminates.. SHINING on all that are in its presence.

The SPARKLE in the eyes of another, however, does not come from an outside source but from an inside joy.

If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light. Luke 11:36 NLT

The small lake behind our home often SHINES like a mirror creating calm and serene reflections as rays of sun warm the air. This reminds me that my Heavenly Father shines on me illuminating my being with warmth and reflections of His love....

The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. Psalm 118:27 NIV

However, the SPARKLE on the lake comes only when the water is disturbed by the wind. Wavelets form catching the sun’s rays which, in turn, cause breath-taking sparkles to appear and shimmer across the water. This reminds me that when the waters of my life are troubled, God’s light within me sends a sparkle of joy shimmering across my life...it cannot be denied.

No person can take away our SPARKLE AND SHINE when our hearts are filled with God’s light! My prayer is that you will have it today and for all your days!

BE FABULOUS - LET THE RADIANT LIGHT OF THE“SON” SHINE THROUGH YOU!

2019 VERSE FOR THE YEAR: For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT

©2019 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 1514 Segovia Circle – Vero Beach, FL 32966

SHINE EVEN BRIGHTER

10/2/2019

2019 VERSE FOR THE YEAR: For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT

The street light outside our house seemed to get dimmer and dimmer. At first it was unnoticed, but ever so gradually it seemed to fail in its purpose which was to light up the area near our home. A closer look revealed the problem. It wasn’t a bulb going dim or a weak connection to the electricity, it was a globe covered with dirt, grime and cobwebs that kept the light from shining. When it was cleaned up it seemed to SHINE EVEN BRIGHTER.

This is paradoxical to our lives. What does it take for us to SHINE EVEN BRIGHTER? Paul the Apostle gives us a clue:

Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Philippians 2:15 NLT

We will ‘shine like bright lights’ by pursuing clean and innocent living...a breath of fresh air. By ridding ourselves of the dirt and grime of complaining, bickering and causing problems the face of Christ can then shine brightly through us in a world that is shadowed with blame, harm, second-guessing, crooked and perverse living and corruption. As we free-up the light within us it will SHINE EVEN BRIGHTER!

PRAYER: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. May your light remain bright through me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (portions from St. Frances of Assisi)

BE A BRIGHT LIGHT- KEEP YOUR GLOBE CLEAN!

©2019 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 1514 Segovia Circle – Vero Beach, FL 32966

SHINY BOOTS

9/4/2019

NOTICE: For the remainder of this calendar year E-votionals will be issued on the first Wednesday of each month only with a focus on our Word for the Year...SHINE! Here is the September issue...

Our Grandson is just finishing his Coast Guard training which has taught him valuable life lessons during these past weeks. One of them is how to have SHINY BOOTS. This high-gloss polishing process has also been called a “spit shine” since it requires using whatever moisture source is most handy and began by using spit. Here are the 4 steps to this process...

PREPARATION - Dip a toothbrush in water and rub it against shoe polish. Spread the polish gently and evenly over the surface of the boot.

POLISH - Place a soft wet cloth against the dried polish and rub the leather in a circular motion until a faint shine begins to come through. Let the boot stand for 5 minutes to let the leather dry slightly.

SHINE- Dip a corner of your cloth lightly into the water. Then gently rub it against the polish-coated shoe. Apply another light coat of polish to the boot again as before.

BUFF - The finishing touch requires buffing the entire boot with a large, stiff-bristled brush or an old nylon stocking.

This shoe-shining process reminds me of how God wants to polish up our lives so we can shine even brighter for Him.

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Proverbs 4:18 NIV

God gently PREPARES us to shine for Him as we apply the polish of His Word into our daily living. Then He POLISHES us by reminding us of His presence and waits for us to respond. Next He rubs out the imperfections with His grace allowing the SHINE to come through. And finally, the BUFF...He brings out the glow by placing His Holy Spirit within us.

Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 TM

LET GOD SHINE YOUR BOOTS!

©2019 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 1514 Segovia Circle – Vero Beach, FL 32966

SHINING LAMPS

8/7/2019

Lamps have squelched darkness since tamed fire began to be used as a light source. The oil lamp became the first man-made protective container to house a burning flame...a flame that would light many-a path. Today electric lamps light up dark corners of houses and businesses as well as shedding a flood of light on streets and stadiums. We are privileged to have these lamps in our lives.

There is also the eternal lamp of God’s Word that illuminates our lives.

GOD SHINES THE LAMP OF HIS WORD INTO THE DARK CORNERS OF OUR LIVES...

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 NIV

GOD SHINES THE LAMP OF HIS WORD ON THE PATH AHEAD...

Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

GOD SHINES THE LAMP OF HIS WORD INTO OUR LIVES TO LIGHT UP THE WORLD...

As recorded by one who walked this earth with Jesus, we are light in this dreary world...

“For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn’t destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going. As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you... shining through your lives. You’ll be children of light.” John 12:35-36 TM

As Christ followers may we affirm Christ’s presence in our lives with these words...

You’ve got my feet on the life-path, with your face shining sun-joy all around me.
Acts 2:28 TM

MAY GOD’S WORD SHINE HIS “SON-JOY” THROUGH YOU!

©2019 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 1514 Segovia Circle – Vero Beach, FL 32966

FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA

7/3/2019

We will most likely hear the great patriotic songs like “America the Beautiful” ringing out during this Independence Day holiday. Let’s take a moment to ponder the beauty of our nation FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA.

Consider the majestic snow-capped mountains of the Northwest, the white sands of the California coastline, the amazing Grand Canyon, the rippling wheat fields of the Midwest, the vast array of lakes, rivers and waterfalls that dot our nation, the magnificent skyline of New York City, and the breathtaking summer thunderstorms of Florida. These are only a few of the wonders that stretch FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA.

We, the people of this great nation, are privileged to cultivate and protect this land. The God-given freedom that nature possesses requires a fight. The freedoms that we hold as citizens have also required hard-fought battles with weapons in order to to ensure them.

As Christians we also are in a battle...to protect and preserve good. The weapon we have to offset the enemy is “worship”. We praise God in the face of fear! We hold tight to our faith in Him during times of perplexing trouble. Worship is our weapon!

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 2:12 NIV

This battle is not ours, but God’s...let's put Him out in front of all our battles! (see 2 Chronicles 20)

MAY YOUR WEAPON OF WORSHIP RING OUT FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA!

NOTE: With our summer schedule in effect, E-votionals are posted on the first Wednesday of each month from June through August with a focus on our word for 2019 – SHINE!

©2019 SPORTMOMS & MORE | 1514 Segovia Circle – Vero Beach, FL 32966

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About the Author...
JANET BROWN

As a veteran coach's wife, Janet invites you to join her in "Changing the world for Christ...one athlete at a time".Through the language of sports and life experiences, Janet uniquely exposes the character of God and His desire for "sportmoms" to WIN BIG in life. Her behind-the-bench view invites us into a world of triumphant wins and tragic personal loss.

LIFE EXPERIENCE

From being a mother of 2 to a spiritual mom to many, the road of life for Janet includes these hallmarks:

- Gave her "heart to Jesus" at 6 years old
.
- Studied Education/ Psychology at a Christian College

- Enjoyed earning her wings and flying as a Flight Attendant

- Is the wife of Coach Dave Brown since 1967.

- Involved in ministry to women for 30+ years including: Retreat Facilitator and speaker, Bible Study leader, National Women's Ministry Leader

- Held an executive position in the corporate world for 35 years.

- Developed and taught Pre-married and Marriage classes with her husband for 12 years.

Currently is a writer, grandmother to 4 and a coach's wife.

EXTRAORDINARY GIVING

EXTRAORDINARY PURPOSE

EXTRAORDINARY LIVING

ABIDE IN CHRIST

SHINING CANDLES

SPARKLE AND SHINE

SHINE EVEN BRIGHTER

SHINY BOOTS

SHINING LAMPS

FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA

About the Author...
JANET BROWN

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About the Author... JANET BROWN

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About the Author...
JANET BROWN