missing something

"but you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..." acts 1:8

i grew up methodist which meant you were baptized as a baby and that was it.
there's wasn't a lot of talk about being "born again".
so you can assume my thoughts when i met sonny and he started asking if i had been water baptized.
of course i had. the nice man when i was a baby poured water on my head and that was that.

wrong. 

there was so much more.

after sonny and i had started dating my family and i started going to a nondenominational church. you know, the crazies with their hands in the air during worship. the "amen"ers during a sermon. the head nodders. the clappers. it was like someone had picked us up and dropped us off on another planet.
but then things started to click.
we got that there was so much more.

i got water baptized in april of 2010.

"whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" mark 16:16

this was also the day sonny asked my parents to marry me. big day in the steiner house. 

i finally understood that Jesus said i was to believe and then be baptized. 

there was an order there, and for a reason. we don't understand grace and the love Jesus poured out for us as babies. heck, we can't even eat on our own.

but as an adult, or a child, you can understand that grace and love. 

it was a huge decision for me. one i had to make all on my own, one that i spent a lot of time in prayer about. God called and i answered. 

so things were great. amazing in fact. 

i was slowly moving away from the church i had grown up in that seemed full of rules, to understanding that God loves me. and that it is that simple. 

my relationship with God grew and grew. 

but i wanted and needed more. 

i sat listening to people preach, as well as my own husband talk about being baptized in the Holy Spirit. i'd sit and nod my head (a wife thing). acting like i understood. 

but i didn't. 

last week sonny and i talked about it. and i finally told him that i had never been baptized in the Holy Spirit. we talked for a while about it. and he just said, "if you pray for it, God will give it to you".

so i did. 

then.

this past weekend i went with my mom to tampa to see joyce meyers. 

and don't you know that a preacher man came out and started talking about being baptized in the Holy Spirit. 

have you ever had one of those moments where you just have to laugh with God. because He's that good?

the preacher man explained that when we're born again, and baptized by water God has more for us. that until we were baptized in the Holy Spirit, we weren't living in the fullness of His power. 

sometimes when people talked about the power of God in me, i'd get all weird. it was strange to think that the God of the universe's power could be in me. 

"for john baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit" acts 1:5 

but then. 

i got it. 

the preacher man prayed with us and baptized us in the Holy Spirit. 

and HOLY COW. can i just tell you how awesome life is. 

there really, really, reallllly is more. 

"...suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting...and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit..." acts 2:2,4

i gatta tell ya that life is good. 

"God never meant for us to live weak, powerless lives-always running on fumes, and barely getting by. His will for us is to be "more than conquerors" (romans 8:37). He wants to provide us with the strength and ability we need to succeed in life and be powerful witnesses for Him." - joyce meyer

it's little things like all the stress i had about certain things before is gone. i've really given it up to God. and then it's big things like really feeling His presence in my prayer time. it's soaking up the Word like i've never read it before. 

there is power, friends. in the name of Jesus. 

i haven't spoken in tongues yet (i get asked that a lot). to be honest that used to be one of those things that weirded me out. but now i know it's real. i'm praying for it, and know that God will make it happen when He plans on it. 

i didn't think my faith in God could get any better but it is. 

if you've been water baptized and haven't been baptized by the Holy Spirit, i'm praying for you! and go talk to your pastor! 

"as we stay filled with the Spirit, we will live above our circumstances and have His joy, peace, hope and resurrection life. we will live our daily lives with a new energy and become powerful witnesses for Jesus Christ." - joyce meyer

life lately.

hi friends!
ok so yes. i've done a terrible job at the #write31. at first i was all worked up about it. because honestly, i wasn't into it. i thought the whole football thing would be awesome. but every time i sat down to write after the first day it felt like a chore.
so i stopped.

and now i'm giving my self some grace and saying it's ok.
because it really is.

life has been a roller coaster lately.
turns out, i pulled a huge muscle in my back and have to get physical therapy for it. so i've been moving around like a 90 year old woman lately. i have been thanking Jesus for giving me the husband He did because i have no idea what i would be doing without him. thanks hubby.
i've had some serious stuff go down with my business lately that has wrecked me. i've felt the enemy knocking on my door with a hammer lately. getting louder and louder every day.

but God.

but God has so much planned for me.
but God has me in His arms.
but God has heard my prayers.
but God is bigger and greater than any of my circumstances.

this past weekend, despite this back pain, i hopped in the car and drove to tampa to join my mom for a joyce meyers conference. who, if you've never seen i highly recommend. she's awesome. and so funny.

anyways. it filled me up. God met me right where i was. met me and even took me further. He met me and wrapped me up in His arms and told me over and over again that everything is going to be ok. because it really is going to be.

God is good, ya'll.
really, really good.

i'm not sure if you've been having a rough couple of weeks like i have. but rest in the fact that God is working. really hard in our lives. for our good.

even when we can't feel it or see it.
God is working.

"[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while [a]effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure andsatisfaction and [b]delight."

Philippians 2:13 AMP

day nine: three penalties to know

ok. so penalties.
there are a lot of them in football.
i mean, a lot a lot. here's a list of them all.

every thursday we'll be going over five penalties to know. and no, we won't cover them all. not even half.

we'll start with the most basic/ the one's you see most often.

#1. offsides

when someone on the defense tries to cross the line of scrimmage before the offense has snapped the ball

(the blue line is the line of scrimmage) 

#2. false start

when a player on the offensive side moves before the ball is snapped

#3. safety

when the offensive carrier of the ball is tackled behind their own goal line

and i couldn't find a great video for this one. 

also. you're welcome for duke. 

day seven: three rules to know

#1. each team has three sets of players

-offense (those on the field when they score)

-defense (those on the field when the other team has the ball)

-special teams (those that come on when the ball is kicked)

#2. a touchdown is worth 6 points

-they kick the ball for an extra point

-you can also try and score again for 2 points

#3. a field goal is worth 3 points

-i don't feel like that needs any more explanation

day six: bad lip reading

because no football fan should be without these two videos.

day five: what game to watch

ok. so yes. we're about to play catch up here friends so hold on tight.

let's pretend it's sunday. i know, i know. but we're adapting here. because i pulled a muscle in my back and things happen and i couldn't do anything but lay on my bed and watch netflix.

so we're pretending.

instead of doing the "what game to watch", we'll do, what game you should have watched.

and i'm picking an easy one this week. because hello. i'm a homer.

cleveland @ tennessee 

at one point the titans were leading the game 28-3.
nearing the half way point, the browns scored a touch down to make it 28-10 going into half.

the browns then scored 26 unanswered points.
and then this touch down to win the game.

watch the touchdown here. 

the biggest comeback in franchise history.
boom, shaka laka.

day four: the draft

known to many as the biggest day of your teams year.
the day when you've got the chance to "rebuild" your team.
the day hopeful men gather to see which team will pick them.

the draft.

every spring each team gets to pick new players for their team.
the draft.

the best of the best from college (some seniors, some not) gather to see which team wants their talent.

the worst teams pick first.
makes sense really. why build up the teams that already stop everyone.

the draft.
where the good guys go first.

and some are just waiting, and waiting, and waiting. to be picked.
by the cleveland browns.

day three: fantasy football

if you're paying attention, you'll notice that i've skipped two days. it happens. the weekends are hard.

my favorite part of football season.
fantasy football.

i'm even afraid to type this out right now because it might jinx me. but i have a really good fantasy team this year.

for those of you rolling your eyes over these two words, promise me you'll read this whole post. because i promise you. if you gave fantasy football a chance. you'd love it.

i get that it comes off like that annoying thing someone you know does. maybe they spend way too much time during the week "setting their line up". or come sunday morning, have a panic attack because their "starting running back is officially not playing". it also might be the reason why they're attached to the tv sunday from 1pm to almost midnight. and let us not forget about thursday night and monday night.

for those of us with teams that may or may not want to make us enter a psych ward after each week (but really, GO BROWNS), fantasy football may be our way of cooping with a not so good team.

because here's the whole point to fantasy football:
you get to pick your team.

and here's how it works.

every year ten (or so) friends get together and decided to make a league. there's a commissioner, just like in the nfl. except, the commissioner of the fantasy league isn't a butt head like this guy.
everyone gets their own team, and needs to come up with a catchy name. because no one. and i repeat, no one. likes a boring fantasy football name.
and here's a suggestion. make it something everyone gets. inside jokes with yourself don't translate well.

there's a draft. in which, just like the nfl. you get to pick players to be on your team.
not every fantasy team is set up the same. some play with two quarter backs, some play with just one. some only have you play with an offense (running backs, wide receivers) some, have you play with an offense and a defense.

generally speaking, here's what a fantasy team looks like:

(that third WR position is a flex position. meaning, you can have either a WR or RB or TE)

also. no this is not my fantasy team.

here are five tips for fantasy football:

#1. pay attention to bye weeks (the week they don't play). if you've got a qb and wr on the same team, you're in trouble for their bye week

#2. get on the waver wire's monday (the waver wire is where all the players who didn't get drafted hang out for you to pick up during the season)

#3. give people a chance. don't drop someone after one bad week. check their stats. see what's up next for them. 

#4. SET YOUR LINE UP. nothing gives away a newbie or someone who isn't into the league more than a line up not set.

#5. do some research before the draft to know who to pick. or. maybe just pick them based on looks because i kid you not, i know someone who did it, and is actually doing well in their league. 

and by now, who's on my fantasy football team. 

take note. i don't play in a "normal" fantasy league. on top of an offense, we play with a defense. a kicker, the whole defense. and also. two quarter backs. it's intense. but it's awesome. 

h. smith Min-S                6.10                10.50

the numbers in blue to the right are the actual points they scored me.

this was my week this week in fantasy.

if you've never joined a league. get on it next season. it's fun. and also. 

most importantly about a fantasy football league. 

bragging rights. 

the ability, for the entire off season to tout off about how awesome your team was. the ability to remind everyone that you kicked their butt. 

the ability to be the champion. 

here's to fantasy football. 

day two: two players to know

every friday, we'll be going over two players to know. some will be current players in the nfl, some will be college players, some will be the best of the best that are obviously retired. 

i could talk about tom brady, or peyton manning, or drew brees. but i think every one knows about them already. yea? 

good. 

if you're lost. their quarter backs. google it. 

so today, i picked two players (which may or may not be the leading scorers on my fantasy football team) that i think are playing pretty well this season. 

and may or may not be totally terrible to look at. 

say hello to jordy nelson. 

his name is jordy and he's adorable. 

team: green bay packers

position: wide receiver 

college: kansas state

number: 87

ok enough with being a total girl.

why i'm loving him: 

he's got three touchdowns so far and almost 500 yards 

thirty plus catches on the season, one of which was for 80 yards

he's putting up some hefty numbers on my fantasy team 

next. 

alfred morris.

(this is his touchdown swing)

team: washington redskins

position: running back 

college: florida atlantic

number: 46

why i'm loving him:

he's had over seventy rushes for 300 yards

he is quick

when he scores a touchdown he swings his arms like it's a bat

tomorrow we're talking about fantasy football. my fav, your fav. everyone's fav. or maybe you have no idea what it's about and you're annoyed that it's all your guys friends can talk about. well come back tomorrow friend, and we'll get through it together. 

day one: three rules to know

i feel like before we go any further. i should start with the basics of the game.

there are two teams. 

there are eleven men on the field for each team (eleven positions).

there's a coin toss to see who gets the ball first. 

the loser of the coin toss kicks the ball to the other team. 

that team gets to try and work their way down the field and score.

once they score, or turn the ball over (fumble, interception) it's the other teams turn. 

are we all on the same page?

so today, and every thursday for the rest of the month, we'll be going over three rules to football.

#1. there are four 15 minute quarters in a game

-there is a half time in between the second and third quarter

#2. there are 100 yards on a football field

-the white lines on the field indicate every 10 yards

#3. each team tries to move the ball down the field gaining downs

-a down is reached every 10 yards

-there are four chances to get a 1st down 

-3rd and 1 means third down, and 1 yard to go to the first down 

for those of you new to the game, i get that this can be a bit tricky. but google it. watch a game. you'll get the hang of it.
and fellow football players. stick with me here. we'll get into the game more soon.