Let's sweat the small stuff!

The famous quote by Abraham Lincoln sums it all up, "If I had five hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend four hours sharpening the axe".

Watching the State Championship game I cannot help but think of all the hours the players dedicated to the long and winding road that led them here today.

Go on, sweat the small stuff!

L.C.

Live the dream!

Today I enjoyed the luxury of daydreaming as the soft February sun warmed my face. Down Future Boulevard my mind went. The beauty of daydreaming as opposed to nightdreaming is that the dreamer can edit the show and keep only the happy clips.

I watched the crowds applaud you at stadium after stadium, city after city. I marveled at the love your fans expressed with standing ovations. I was impressed as your names scrolled down in lights at Times Square, a tribute to Team USA. I was ecstatic when they played our national anthem to salute your success at the world's most acclaimed basketball court.

The phone rang and I had to put my daydreaming on hold. Then I thought to myself that maybe we don't. We can live the dream. I look at each one of you and I can see your thirst for the taste of success. I see
the enthusiasm and the drive and I know that my dream was not so farfetched after all.

However, it is my sincere hope that even with the eye on the goal, you will enjoy the game. Even with the thought of the scoreboard on your mind, I hope you will have fun for the sake of fun itself. Your parents, coaches and I wish we could write the script of your lives so there would be no pain. If it were up to us we would leave out all the games you will lose; we would make sure there were no heartaches and no injuries; all your jerseys would be retired at the college of your choice and any hurts would be taken care of with a barbie band-aid.

Day dreams aside, we know we can prepare you for basketball by joining the best clubs and gyms, signing you up with the best coaches and cheering you on no matter what. But most of all, our prayer is that we will prepare you for the game of life.

It is our hearts' desire to prepare you to lead a life that is blessed so that when we meet our Lord and He looks over what we did with you, the gifts He gave us, He can say,
"Well done, good and faithful parents..." (word parent substituted for 'servant').

Thought for the week:
What you are is God's gift to you...
What you make of yourself is your gift to God!


Life coach

The Seeds of Greatness!

Stars,
You have all you will ever need
You, my stars, are all
You will ever need
To make it to greatness!

You are the seed
The beginning
The essence
The foundation
From which great things will spring

So take your dream
And live it
Take your talent
And nurture it
Acknowledge your beauty
And grow in it
Rise up to the greatest heights
That you can possibly imagine

It will take true discipline
It will take sincere effort
It will take a burning desire
An unquenchable thirst,
A deep-rooted need
It will take all you’ve got
And all you’ve got is enough

You must set your goal
Draw your parameters
You must have a vision
A dream so real you can see it
If only in your mind’s eye

So go forth into the future
Go on and pursue your dream
Reach out for the stars
And be one with them
For you are all,
And I mean all, you will ever need
To make it to the top!

Life coach

The scoop about a BANANA...who knew???

After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again! Bananas Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes (and the Silver Stars).

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. Bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. (I expect you to be all smiles at practice tomorrow night)

The US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

After the Game
The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system. How about a banana-honey smoothie in place of the burger and fries... :-)

For Florida residents only
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. This is paarticularly handy since I know you practice your free-throws in the backyard for very long hours late into the evening... :-)

Before a game
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

For real!
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times! the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

NOW GO EAT A BANANA!! LOL

Life coach

Whoever said it is just a game...

Whoever said it is just a game
has certainly not played basketball
And if they have
They have not played
As we know to play bball.

This is not just a game, no, no, no!
It is physical fitness at its best
It is a workout of every little muscle
And yes, every lil' bone too.

It is a time we have fun with friends
It is a couple of hours to reflect
On who we really are
As Stars that will change the course
Of history in the game of life.

On and off the court
The excitement is constant
For we have made the choice
To be the best we can be
In our lives of which
basketball is but a vital part.

It is a call to discipline
A challenge to be responsible
It is a gentle reminder that where
Two or more are gathered
We are in the presence
Of our God!

Just a game? No,
It is a celebration of talent
A performance on the stage of life
That acknowledges all of you
Who are a part of our world!

Welcome to the best of our lives!

The smile of God is the goal of your life...

Stars,
I have watched you at practice and last night I enjoyed watching you have fun in the continuing series of "The game of our lives". You were the stronger team but you gave the other team an opportunity to place with the best. Your professionalism, your sheer enjoyment of the game and your sweetness of spirit made you great role models for them.

I am studying "The purpose-driven life" book by Rick Warren and I will share thoughts from that with you during the next several weeks.

In the film Chariots of Fire, Olympic runner Eric Liddell says,
"I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel God's pleasure."
Later he says, "to give up running would be to hold Him in contempt."

There are no unspiritual abilities, just misused ones. I am so proud of you for having started using your God-given abilities when you are so young. Use them, always, for God's pleasure.

God gains pleasure in watching you enjoy His creation and His gifts. Every act of enjoyment becomes an act of worship when you thank God for it.

Your parents and your coaches do not require you to be perfect in order to enjoy your presence in their lives. We enjoy you at every stage of your development. In the same way God is not waiting until you make the college basketball team or the WNBA before He starts loving you. He loves you and enjoys you at every stage of your spiritual development.

Young as you are, I want to encourage you to make pleasing God your deepest desire. When you live in the light of eternity, your focus will change from "how much pleasure am I getting out of life?" to "How much pleasure is God getting out of my life?"

Will you make pleasing God the goal of your life? There is nothing that God will not do for the young girl totally absorbed with this goal.

Go on, have fun, He enjoys that too.

Life Coach

The Game of 2/09/2006

Girls,
What a game!
We felt your synergy; You looked professional and sharp; you played as team, and you exhibited great sportsmanship. You played the first in the series of "The game of our Lives".
We are proud of you.

You all know without me telling you that you have all you will ever need to make it beyond your greatest imagination. You have the spirit; you have the vision and you have the best coaches any player could ever hope for.
Lift each other up in every way possible. Remember for any one who wants to play solo there is golf. For everyone else, there is BBall. You are priceless!

You have made the choice to play in one of the most exciting team sports in modern history. It is a demanding game as I am sure you have already found out. It takes discipline both on and off the court. It takes the entire team's bonding together to make it happen. It will challenge you, it will mold you and it will push you over the edge.

However, there is no game that is as invigorating. No game will keep fans and spectators on the edge of their seats like BBall. No jersey will earn you the respect of your peers like the BBall jersey. Wear it with pride and earn your team's respect and even more so, the respect of the other team.

No coaches could have a better team. No parents could have better daughters.
We care. We love you. You are the Best!

Good night and God Bless,

Ms Rose


Thought for the week:
"Give your best when you play on the BBall Court because it is a reflection of your noblest human qualities. May the tournaments you play this season engage your deepest emotions, reminding you that sports embody the ideals to which we all aspire..." (re-worded from the 'Celebrate Humanity campaign' of the Winter Olympics 2006)