toni lagaras

Play all 4!

My oldest son plays football. He plays receiver and corner back. And the first couple games of the season last year, they would be winning up until the 4th quarter. In the 4th quarter, they would just stop playing, and they would lose it. The mantra at practice became Play All 4! They would chant it. Coach would say it over and over, and the next game, sure enough, they played tough to the end. And they won. Abraham can show us a lot about persevering…about playing all 4…

Welcome to Zimbabwe…

Have you ever been afraid to do something, but decided to do it anyway? That’s how I felt when I planned my 6-week mission trip to Zimbabwe, Africa when I graduated from Bible School 20 years ago. I wasn’t going in a group. I was meeting up with missionaries over there and helping them for 6 weeks. Just little ‘ole me…all by myself. But I felt the Lord tug my heart to do it, so off I went. It wasn’t without it’s challenges, and to be honest, I was ready to just turn around and go home when I got there, but God was with me, encouraging me, and I really learned a lot about TRUST…

Potential OR Realization…you pick!

All these years we have avoided the fundraisers at school. You know the ones…you have to sell things…er, I mean your KIDS have to sell things. This year, however, my daughter REALLY wanted to do it. If you sold so many items, your name would be entered into a drawing to win $150. She was saving for something, and the thought of winning that money sounded great to her. I tried to talk her out of it (I know…bad mom award) and told her that although the potential was there for her to win IF she sold enough items, she still may not win it. It’s a drawing after all. Well, wouldn’t you know it? She sold just enough items AND lo and behold, she won the money. (Now we will have to sell every year. Lucky me!) LOL! But potential turned to reality for her.

Distract and redirect…

Anyone who has ever dealt with an exhausted toddler or a hormonal 5th grade girl knows there are several ways to handle it when their emotions get out of control. And boy howdy, hormones exaggerate everything! One of those is to distract and redirect. Get their attention away from the thing causing them distress, such as the little boy who just took their favorite toy or the girl at school that just rejected them, and redirect their attention to something completely different. God uses the old distract and redirect method on Elijah, and now Elijah has a choice…

I’m just not feeling it…

So, this is me being vulnerable (which isn’t the most comfortable thing for me) but I’m just not that into it this year. Usually, I am all decorated the week of Thanksgiving and have a strategy for Christmas gifts. I start baking in November. I’m all wrapped a week or two before Christmas, and all the Christmas carols I listen to all month long make me cry. I love Christmas….but this year, I’m just not feeling it. Isn’t that terrible? ….

Tag: faith (page 11)

Play all 4!

Welcome to Zimbabwe…

Potential OR Realization…you pick!

Distract and redirect…

I’m just not feeling it…

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