Verse of the day:
"But you are a shield around me, O Lord, you bestow glory on me and lift up my head."
11 days...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today we had one practice. Tomorrow we play Mersin, so we were walking through some things, and then did some shooting.
This evening I went to Bahceli with Lindsay, Jo, and Dila. Bahceli (called 7th Street) had a lot of shops, American restaurants, and Starbucks :) I was able to get some Christmas presents for my family, and then it was fun to be able to hang out with some of my teammates. I will let you know how we do tomorrow against Mersin (we play at 2:00 p.m.). Verse of the day: "But you are a shield around me, O Lord, you bestow glory on me and lift up my head." 11 days...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I had two practices today! The weather was pretty cold today, but still now snow yet here in Ankara :(. I love snow, so if I don't see any over here, hopefully we can have a white Christmas in Indiana. I just hope the snow waits until I land safely on the ground ;)
Verse of the day: Galatians 5:24 "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." 12 days until home... Today we were back to the practice floor J. We watched film of our game against Galatasaray! It was good to be able to see some of the mistakes we made so we can continue to improve and come together as at team.
This afternoon I went to the mall with Jo and picked up some things to bring back to my family!! I am bringing back some nuts, chocolate, cookies, tea, and dried fruits :). Tonight I watched the movie "Julie and Julia" which was really good! I have been doing a decent amount of cooking and baking over here, so it was fun to watch it :). Quote of the day: "To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him." Oswald Chambers 13 days until home :) Today we had OFF! It was nice to be able to relax, do some reading, and relax some more J. I was reading in “My Utmost for His Highest” and came across this quote, “The foundation of Christianity is repentance (Oswald Chambers).” I was thinking about that quote and reflecting on it. Change will be evident when someone truly repents of something. If a person does not repent, they continue to be stuck in their sin. A question I was left with, “Do I have a repentant heart…do you?” We must never forget how to be truly repentant! Change is not an easy thing, and in no way can we do it on our own! We must never come to the point in our life where we think we have everything figured out…news flash----we don’t! This leads me into a verse that I came across tonight:
“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.” Galatians 4:13-14 Challenge: Strive to maintain repentant hearts, and love one another! Last but not least, I want to leave you with a song that is AWESOME! The lyrics are below, but I encourage you to check out the song on youtube J Hillsong Desert Song Lyrics: VERSE 1: This is my prayer in the desert When all that's within me feels dry This is my prayer in my hunger and need My God is the God who provides VERSE 2: This is my prayer in the fire In weakness or trial or pain There is a faith proved Of more worth than gold So refine me Lord through the flame CHORUS: I will bring praise I will bring praise No weapon formed against me shall remain I will rejoice I will declare God is my victory and He is here VERSE 3: This is my prayer in the battle When triumph is still on its way I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ So firm on His promise I'll stand BRIDGE: All of my life In every season You are still God I have a reason to sing I have a reason to worship VERSE 4: This is my prayer in the harvest When favor and providence flow I know I'm filled to be emptied again The seed I've received I will sow Goodnight everyone! Today we played Galatasaray. Gala is a very good team!! There are three WNBA players on their team...they have Katie Douglas, Jia Perins, Sophia Young, and some other good players. I play with Sophia down in San Antonio!!! It was so great getting to see her, but different having to play against her instead of with her! Gala is one of the better teams in the TBL (Turkish Basketball League). It was a close game, but we came up on the short end! Going into the fourth quarter we were only down by one, but we ended up losing by 11 (82-71).
I was happy with the way our team competed. Gala has a lot more depth than we do, and it showed in the second half. When I think back to the beginning of the season, I can see how much we have improved as a team. Coach is giving us tomorrow off, and then we are back to work on Tuesday! With each practice and game, I can see our team continuing to pull together!! Verse of the day: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Revelation 4:11 God deserves anything and everything that we have to offer! He is WORTHY to receive all of our praise!!!!!!! I want to give a shout out to Courtney and Britt Stone!! Mor told me she talked to you Court! Miss you...and keep tearing it up on the court Coach Stone!! Hope you both are doing well :) It has been raining all day today! We had one practice today in the afternoon. Tomorrow we play Galatasary, which is a big game for us, so we walked through and played through some different scenarios.
Tonight I made homemade chicken quesadillas and some creamy corn soup for supper! I sauteed some onions, peppers, and tomatoes to put inside the tortillas. One of the Turkish girls came over and ate with us. All of them liked the food, and said it was great J! It actually tasted like some American food...LOL! I will let you know how we do tomorrow J. I am off to bed to get some shut eye. God bless!! 16 days until home. Not much happened today besides 2 practices! Below is a passage of Scripture that I read tonight and wanted to share it with you:
"I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me." Yesterday we had two practices! In the evening, we had an hour-long practice and then we went out to eat as a team. The coaches decided that we would celebrate our WIN over Besiktas. They took us to this really nice restaurant that served fish. The food was delicious! They told us we could get whatever we want J. I ordered sea bass for my meal. Leading up to the meal though, was quite the spread! When we got there, there were several cold appetizers layed out for us. After a little while they brought out hot appetizers (shrimp, octopus, calamari, and small fish). The meal lasted from 8:00 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. when we were served our dessert, which was fruit! The length of the dinner is a new record for me!!
*I posted some pictures from our dinner as well as from my trip to Istanbul when we played Besiktas under the "Pictures" tab! If you click on the picture it will become bigger for you Today: We watched film this afternoon and then had practice. We had more of an up-tempo practice, which consisted of a lot of running and then some shooting and scrimmaging. Tonight I went out with Ipek (a Turkish girl that I met through a friend from church). Ipek speaks English, which is awesome! I am able to ask her a lot of questions, which I like! Ipek brought her cousin along, and then Catherine (friend from church) came as well. We ate at a great restaurant for supper! I ordered a chicken wrap that was delicious. We then went to Starbuck’s and I ordered a vanilla frappuccino. I am not really a coffee person, so I try to stick with things that do not have coffee in them. I hope you all have a FANTASTIC day!! 18 days until I am home, but who is counting ;) I will post more tomorrow. It is 12:00 here at night, and I just got back from a team dinner. I will update all of you tomorrow :)
Have a great night, I am off to bed! Today is the start of December!! It is hard to believe that we are one month away from the close of 2009. This year has gone by fast, but it has been filled with so many blessings :)
Today we practiced again. We did some lifting and shooting and then talked through some things for our upcoming game on Sunday. I want to share a few things with you that I came across in my reading: "There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection." Oswald Chambers As I reflected on this quote, I couldn't help but realize how true this is. Jesus Christ paid it ALL for us when he died on the cross for our sins. Over here in Turkey, they just celebrated Bayram. During Bayram, they sacrifice animals (sheep, cows, etc.) as an atonement for their sin. They have this holiday once a year. The Turkish people realize that they are in need of something or someone to pardon their sin. As a Christian, we do not have to do sacrifice animals. The Lord graciously sent His son to be payment for our sin. God does not require perfection, but He does require that we follow Him. Sure there are times we are going to make mistakes, but when we strive to follow Him and are walking with Him, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us when we have messed up. I am so thankful that I have a loving Father who does not require perfection :). The reality of it is, we all fall short!! "...we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:1:b-2 Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins. I am so thankful that I have a God who loves me :)!!! Also, yesterday there was an interview posted about my transition from college, to the WNBA, and now overseas in Turkey. Simply copy and paste www.SilverStarsNation.com or type it into your web browser to access the interview! Go get um tonight Lady Flames!!! Have a blessed day :) |
Info:I am currently playing basketball professionally. The Lord has blessed me with so many opportunities. I hope to be able to share some of my experiences with you! Archives
February 2017
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