Cedarville University Yellow Jackets

April 25, 2017

The spring season is officially OVER. I know I know, you prolly need a shoulder to cry on right about now. Come find yo girl; I'm ready for ya with a box of tissues and all.

To our two outstanding seniors: we love you both SO much. I could go on and on about each one of them and that's exactly what I'm going to do...

To Kristen (or as I and most everyone knows her: Deedee):

First I wanna talk about her tennis game. She is one of the most consistent tennis players I know. I, along with our entire team, can count on her to make the right shots at the right time and most every shot in between. She has continued to get more and more confident on the court each match. Those of you who have watched her play throughout her college career can attest to that I'm sure. Now to sweet Kristen, off the tennis court. She has been such a sweet, gentle and extremely loyal teammate and friend. For those of you who don't know, Kristen is my older sister who is also my best friend. I don't think I realize how big of a blessing it is to be able to play a sport on the same team as your sister/best friend...but I know it's pretty huge. Not thinking too hard about her not being on the team next year, cause then I'm gonna need those tissues I said I had ready for you (Lol, and jk, but kinda not). In a few short months Kristen Heydt will become Kristen Vander Hulst :) I know I can speak on behalf of my team when I say: WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR YOU AND LANE!! Love you so much Dee. You're the best :)

To Lauren (or as I and most everyone knows her: Laur):

Gonna start with the tennis side of Laur now, just like I did with Kristen. Laur is one of the most knowledgeable athletes I know when it comes to the game of tennis. It seems like there is not a question someone could ask regarding tennis that she wouldn't have an answer to! I mean it! It's the most amazing thing. Laur is so good at coaching her teammates in a way that is not degrading to them, as she does it in such a way that shows her desire to help and better each of us on the court. Now to Lauren off the court...what a sweet, generous, thoughtful girl she is. You need something and Lauren has it, she's gonna give it to you right away. No questions asked. You have a question regarding your body, ask Lauren and she will spend as much time needed to do the best she can to figure it out (she is an athletic training major for those who don't know). You need a long five minute hug, go to Lauren and she will squeeze you for as long as you need. One of my best friends and also one of my housemates...I love you to pieces, Laur; a sister to me :)
 

Thank you Dee and Laur for leading our team in such a way that was pleasing to Jesus this past year and the year before that. The gifts I listed above are gifts that have been given to you from HIM.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Keep letting Him use you and the gifts He has given to you :) And for y'all reading...Praise Jesus that God does NOT change like shifting shadows. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Love you both so much!

To the tennis side of things...we came in second place in the G-MAC Tourney...right behind the champions, Davis & Elkins. It was a great match and the Lady Jackets played wonderful :)

Song of the week: "Be Thou My Vision" by Jason Waller

I apologize for this long blog, but need to add one more thing. A William Mason High School graduate, Ethan Roser, died this past weekend. He was 19 years old, loved Jesus, and many people are hurting because of his passing. If you feel so led and think to, pray for his family and friends. Thankful for Jesus saying this to us, because it encourages me when I get so sad for the family and friends of those who have lost someone so dear to them: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4

This piece of scripture reminds me that Jesus knows how to comfort those hurting, and He will never stop comforting them.

Needing Jesus always,


April 20, 2017

Two matches right before Easter break! And both were W's!!!!!! LETSSSS GO!! 8-1 vs. Franciscan and 9-0 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan. Now folks...let the G-MAC begin. Friday at 2:00 pm we face off against Alderson Broaddus. If we complete that match, positively, we will return to the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex (or head over to Five Seasons Sports Club if it is raining) Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. and possibly play the team that is playing as well as we are in the tournament thus far. Let the countdown begin for the final matches of the 2017 women's tennis season. Game on.

A little sneak peek into my personal life: My sister was on the phone with my mom the other day. My mom needed to ask me something but I was in the middle of praying. My sister said to my mom, "I think she's talking to Jesus." I let them know that it was alright and I could listen to whatever she needed to say!

She began with the question: "How's Jesus today?" :)

I responded with: "He's the same as He was yesterday, today, and forever!"

I just kept thinking about what I had said throughout the rest of the evening. He is the ONLY person who will ever be the SAME ALL THE TIME, FOREVER AND ALWAYS. No matter how hard we try, we will never be consistent in who we are 100% of the time, and we cannot guarantee that we even have tomorrow. But JESUS on the other hand...we KNOW, with CONFIDENCE, that He is the same today, yesterday, and forever. We know that just as much as we could count on Him yesterday, we can count on Him for everything in the same way, every single day and for all eternity. His promises to us never change because He is always the same. He is immutable (being never changing)!

Although our sinful nature gets in the way, the pure FACT that Hebrews 13:8 is should cause us to so much more easily TRUST in HIM.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8

Song of the week: " Dive" by Steven Curtis Chapman

THROWBACK!!

Needing Jesus always,


April 11, 2017

Busy weekend for the women's tennis team. They road tripped all the way to West Virginia on Friday to play Alderson Broaddus. Then, on Saturday, they headed back on the road to play Davis & Elkins...who are also in the state of West Virginia. We won one of the days. I'll let ya'll guess which team you think we beat and will reveal the correct answer at the end of this blog!!! The busy schedule doesn't stop there. This week we have two matches going down; one on Tuesday April 11 and another on Thursday April 13. Tuesday's match is at Cedarville against Franciscan and Thursday's match is at Kentucky Wesleyan College. Let's do this girls!!!

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Reading through this verse, at first glance, it may seem extremely easy to understand, when in reality it really isn't that simple. For some, that may not be true, but for me that was most definitely the case. So, I wanna break it down for you...

Riches (greek-ploutos) - His abundant fullness, His possessing all things, His inexhaustible ability to supply our needs

In glory (greek-doxa- a thing belonging to God) - to be connected with the following phrase 'In Christ Jesus'...means that the method of imparting supplies to people is through Jesus and is a glorious method!

Sidenote: I disected this verse with the help of Barnes’ notes on the Bible provided on Bible Hub.

To paraphrase Barnes’:

Paul is not satisfied with saying that it simply is so, when talking about what God does. Rather, whatever God does is done in a way worthy of Himself, and so as to illustrate His own perfections. That explains why Paul states that God meets our needs according to the riches of HIS GLORY in Christ Jesus.

In Christ Jesus - or through Christ Jesus

To summarize: God will provide you, in His abundant fullness and inexhaustible ability, with the needs you have, doing so in such a glorious way, a way belonging only to God...all of which is completed through Christ Jesus in us (believers/children of God). Amen! The needs that even we, ourselves, don't realize we have...He knows them and WILL provide. The needs we think we have when in actuality they are not our needs...He knows that, too.

Song of the week: "In Christ Alone" by Christina Grimmie (my most favorite cover of this song)

Answer: We defeated Alderson Broaddus.

Needing Jesus always,


April 3, 2017

It was a cooooooold match on Saturday. Some of my teammates layered up while they played, while others were a little confused and dressed for Spring even though the temperature wasn't so spring-y. We defeated Kentucky Wesleyan College 9-0, but not quickly. Kelly Fischer was out to get at least one of us. Why do I say that? Because apparently she thought it would be funny to make us sit in the cold, waiting for her singles match to finish up. JK. Kelly is a sweet one and kept on fighting. I can't complain about us having to sit in the cold because she got us a win. But I do kinda miss my pinky toe on my left foot.

This past Sunday, I went to St. John Missionary Baptist Church with five of my classmates and our professor. It was such a neat experience. It was the coolest thing getting to see a whole group of believers, praising Jesus, who I had never seen before. Just think of how many followers of Jesus there are that we have never seen before! It's pretty deep if you let your mind go there. Lots of media outlets, primarily the news, do a great job at showing us the bad things happening in the world. So, getting to spend Sunday morning at a church full of people I had never seen before, praising Jesus, made me think of how many people there are around the world who know Jesus! I don't say all this to make you sit comfy on your couch all day every day because "enough" people know and love Jesus. I do say this to hopefully encourage ya'll. The church that you go to is not the only place and only group of people who are praising God for who He is on Sundays. There's people all over the place, worshipping God, all throughout the week!!! :)

Side-note: Try not to measure your success by the world's standards.

What the world considers successful:

• popularity
• money
• beauty

To be more specific:

• nice home
• 7 cars (lol - kinda exaggerating but kinda not)
• nice clothes
• high paying job
• perfect family
• a puppy
• social media "perfect" relationship

What God considers successful:

• following Jesus and striving to be like Him
• meditating on His Word
• trusting in Him
• confidence found completely in God (with our past, present circumstances, and our future both on this side of eternity and the other)

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers." Psalm 1:1-3 "But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him." Jeremiah 17:7

Strive to please HIM, not the world.

Song of the week: "Let Them See You" by Colton Dixon

Needing Jesus always,


March, 28, 2017

Absolutely beautiful weather last Friday. We got to enjoy the sunshine and warmth out on the courts and finishing the day with a 7-2 victory over Alderson Broaddus was a bonus. Lauren Jackson, Halie Hardwick, Janelle English, Kristen Heydt, Rosie Thompson, and Audra Kearney brought us home with that W. Thanks girls ;)

On Saturday, we were forced to play indoors, thanks to the mind games Ohio’s weather plays with us. Will it rain? Will it not rain? Will it rain? Will it not rain? I can’t keep up. Anyways, we were defeated by Davis & Elkins 7-2. Coach’s pep talks before each match always include her pushing us to play and interact with the other players in a way that is honoring to God, do our best and have fun. Lauren Jackson, Halie Hardwick, Janelle English, Kristen Heydt, Rosie Thompson, and Olivia Ancil did just that. There’s nothing more we could ask for.

I was given an assignment in Theology class that asked me to write a letter to my 13-year old self, preparing myself for the spiritual journey ahead. After reading what I had written, I realized that my letter could be applied to pretty much anyone at any age. Some things just don’t change, and some trials are present throughout the entirety of our lives. Praying this letter encourages you, and may Jesus be glorified (His greatness displayed) by it.
 

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Kendall,

You are about to enter into high school. There are going to be some difficult times throughout high school, as the people who you think are your ‘friends’ aren’t always going to act like it. God tells us in His Proverbs 13:20, "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm". Preach this verse to yourself every day. Surround yourself with people who truly love Jesus and want to follow Him. You will see your ‘friends’ change and it can probably be explained by the people they are hanging around. Satan is good at what he does; meaning, he will do all that he can to tempt you, whether it be through things or people, to veer you off the path God has planned for you. The Proverb is very clear…if you surround yourself with fools, or in other words, with people who don’t have following Jesus as a top priority, then you are going to suffer harm. Period. But don’t forget about the good promise in that same Proverb: He who walks with the wise will be wise! That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t interact with those who don’t know Jesus. Not what I am saying at all. You need to be the light that Jesus has made you and called you to be. So, be the salt and light wherever God has placed you but make sure that your closest friends are people who have the same priorities and values that you do.

You know how people talk about making time each day to spend with Jesus? Do it. Make time and do it. That time with Him, whether spent talking to Him in prayer or reading the Bible, will fill you up unlike anything else. If you want to become more like Jesus, spend time with Him. The more you know and rely on Him, the more you will love Him and the more you love Him, the more fruit you are going to bear through the work of the Holy Spirit within you. It’s amazing.

Be bold. It may seem like, or actually be true, that you are the only believer in a certain class of yours, or even in your entire graduating class. Don’t let that keep you from pursuing Jesus. Run towards the cross. As you’re running, look right and left to see if God has placed a companion there for you. If He has, grab his hand and run to the cross together.

Try to memorize Scripture. Why? Because there will be times when you’re worried. Quoting Philippians 4:6-9 to yourself during those moments will help. There will be times when you’re scared. Quoting Isaiah 41:10 will help. There will be times when you’re frustrated that you haven’t met your future husband yet. Quoting Isaiah 55:9 will help.

Trust in Jesus with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding, but in all of your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your steps! (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Love,

Kendall
 

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Shout out to all the fans that came out to Friday’s match. To name a few: Craig and Kathy Miller, Alan Geist, the men’s tennis team (we love you guys) and many more. Ya’ll make playing tennis all the more fun.

Song of the Week: "Hills and Valleys" (The Hills Remix) by Tauren Wells

Needing Jesus always,


March 13, 2017

Ugh, Florida is just awful. So glad we are finally headed back to the good ‘ole north. Said no one ever. So, yes, Florida was wonderful. The weather couldn’t have been any better. The day we had a match mid-day, the clouds were out, keeping the temperature just right for those playing in the heat. Then, the day we went to Daytona Beach to relax there was not a cloud in the sky. Thank You, Jesus; He’s sweet to us, isn’t He?

You could say that we had a few hoops to jump through during this Spring Break trip. Our #1 player, Lauren Jackson, found out she currently has mono. And for those of you who didn’t know, she dealt with a concussion a couple weeks ago; thankfully, it looks like the symptoms for that are pretty much gone. Coach had her sit out for singles on Tuesday, but she played both singles and doubles the other three matches. Don’t worry, she got cleared by an athletic trainer. We weren’t about to throw her out there with an inflamed spleen. Ain’t nobody fixin’ to have to go to the ER.

Halie Hardwick, one of our two freshmen on the team, stepped up to #1 position for singles and brought us a win. That’s my girl.

Second hoop: Our #2 doubles player/#4 singles player, Kristen Heydt, got a nasty stomach bug early Wednesday morning. She was out both Wednesday and Thursday, leaving Coach to figure out what the lineup should be with Kristen being gone. After a little mixy-matchy, the lineup was all set and the girls did well. We left Altamonte Springs with a 3-1 record. Not bad, not bad at all. Thanking Jesus so much for not allowing any of us to get what Kristen had!

What do you do when you have two travel days of 8+ hours on a bus with 10+ girls? One of two things. And once you’ve finished that one thing, you do the other.

Play “What Are The Odds?”

(For example:

• Person 1: What are the odds you hide in the bed of that truck and don’t pop your head up to tell the driver you’re there until they get to their final destination?
• Person 2: 1-100
• Person 1: Ok. 1, 2, 3…

Both Person 1 and 2 say the number they have in their head. If they say the same number, Person 2 has to hide in the bed of the truck.)

Take turns sticking your hand out the window, either waving or throwing the peace sign up to a car that drives by on the highway, and if they acknowledge you in some way, you get a point. You would be surprised how heated and competitive a game like this can get. Of course, I won.

Why are some Christians not “happy”? The answer to that can be answered by asking the Christian this question: Are you fully assured and do you 100% believe that God is good and God alone is good?

We may want to answer yes to that question, as we know in our minds that God is good and God alone is good, but do we know it in our hearts? If we are seeking Jesus, and yet try to find security and satisfaction in this world we do not know that truth in our hearts. And we will notice how our joy found only in our union with Jesus continues to seem distant or non-existent. Not because Jesus is distant, no. But, rather because we are trying to seek joy in things and/or people other than Him.

“Satan tempts us to think we can find something good and satisfying apart from God. But we must declare a strong, resounding ‘No’ to anything that promises good without Him. This great ‘No’ is at the heart of Christian joy.” Jim Johnston (Desiring God)

All these worldly “gods” that throw themselves at us or even worse, we seek out, promise us joy but only deliver sorrow and misery. Why? Because they aren’t God! Every good and perfect gift is from God (James 1:17). Period. The Bible doesn’t say, every good and perfect gift comes to you in whatever and through whomever you choose. So, we have got to watch out for Satan; he’s amazing at what he does. How did Jesus overcome temptation? He quoted Scripture (Matthew 4). Who are we told to be/walk/talk like? Jesus (1 John 2:6). Hmmm interesting.

Be prepared to be tempted. Be prepared to run as fast as you can away from your sinful thoughts and desires that appear to be good. Remind yourself daily where everything good, truly good, comes from.  

Song of the Week: "Billion" by Mat Kearney

Needing Jesus always,


February 28, 2017

Hey everyone! For anyone reading this, living in Ohio…Can ya’ll believe this weather?! Praise Jesus for the sun, and rain instead of snow! I hate to rub this in the faces of those not going to Florida for a week, but because it is my job and privilege to update you on all things happenin’ with the CU Women’s Tennis Team, WE ARE GOING TO FLORIDA FOR A WEEK! We will be heading down on foot, ensuring that we hit 10,000 steps on our fit bits. I keep telling Coach Morris it could get a little dangerous crossing over the bridge to get from OH to KY. Oh well.

JK! We are riding down in the fine Yellow Jackets bus we took last year, with the same driver, Eddy, and he is bringing along the same +1 he brought last year; his wife, Carol. Our chaplain, Becky, is making the trip with us, too!

Not quite sure what the line-up will look like next week, so you will just have to wait until after the fact. Ah, the suspense.

Plenty of times we go to God with giant requests we have, and there is nothing wrong with that! In fact, He tells us to come to Him with anything and everything (Phil. 4:6). You may feel like God isn’t answering those big requests. And quite possibly, the timing may not be His perfect timing quite yet, and/or you asked with impure motives. Thankfully, when our motives are wrong, He doesn’t give us what we ask for!

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3

Praise Him!

Wait patiently on Him, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you your heart; showing you those impure motives.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24

Now, along with those heavy requests you bring to Him, try bringing along the little ones, too! He wants to hear them all! For example:

• Strength and focus to finish this homework assignment
• Protect my sister/brother/spouse/friend as they travel to and from work
• Help me sleep well/rest tonight

And praise Him for the little things He answers. Praise Him for the little things you didn’t even ask for! For example:

The sun rising in the morning! HE IS LIGHT!

Blessing us with food to eat…which we never deserve. HIS GRACE!

We will see so many more of His blessings to us when we bring the little things to Him, seeing Him ANSWER!

We have got to learn how to fully depend on Him, and we are able to build our trust in and dependence on Jesus by coming to Him in prayer with EVERYTHING. He hears and He answers…it just might not always be in the way we thought best and hoped for.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

Song of the Week: "Rising Sun" by All Sons and Daughters

Needing Jesus always,


October 10, 2016

Did we win while in New York? Well, it depends what your definition of "win" is. An old friend of mine from high school, Merriam-Webster, defines "win" in a couple of different ways; one of them being, "to get something by effort". My teammates definitely got a workout from their efforts made on the court. They for sure got a little suntan/sunburn from playing in the gorgeous weather Thursday and Friday. And they, of course, refueled with delicious food throughout the trip. So, yes, we did "win" while in New York. GO TEAM GO!

 I

decided to share a picture with ya’ll from this past weekend at Niagara Falls. I wanted to look nice in these pics. Enjoy. #dresstoimpress

Now to the nitty gritty of statistics. On Thursday, Roberts Wesleyan beat us Jackets 6-3. On Friday, Daemen ALSO beat us Jackets 6-3. Coincidence? I think not. Isaiah 6:3 "And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.’"

The LORD God is holy; He is set apart! He is set apart from all sin and everything evil; He cannot tolerate sin. When we believe that Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead, we are holy and blameless is His sight. "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault" (ESV Colossians 1:22).

I don’t think we will ever be able to fathom the fact that God sees as without having a single fault.

God commands us to be holy, because He is holy (Leviticus 20:26).

We learn in I Thessalonians 3:12-13, that love is an essential part of being holy. May we, as believers in Jesus (and to those who have not been made new in Jesus Christ…I pray that He will open the eyes of your hearts, and that you will soon have a personal relationship with Him), love both believers and non-believers, with both grace and truth. Love without grace/love without truth is not how we are called to love. Jesus loves in both grace and in truth (John 1:17). May we do the same. I Thessalonians 3:12-13 "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

John 1:17 "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (ESV)

I’m gonna make this last part short. To the second part of Isaiah 6:3…the whole earth is FULL of HIS GLORY! What is His glory?

"I stab at a definition by saying the glory of God is the manifest beauty of his holiness. It is the going public of his holiness. It is the way he puts his holiness on display for people to apprehend." – John Piper

Look for His glory. It’s everywhere. You can’t miss it.

P.S. Fall season is over. See ya’ll in the spring!!!

Song of the week: "Light" by DC Talk

Needing Jesus always,


October 3, 2016

How many games do you think Ohio Christian got off of the Lady Jackets this past Tuesday? 12? 25? No and no. The answer is ZERO. Audra Kearney and Kelly Fischer debuted at #5 and #6 singles, beating their opponents in straight sets. I don’t want to say that it was a beat down…so let’s just say it was a down beat. We were supposed to travel Upland, Indiana on Thursday, but the weather wasn’t having it. Due to rain and thunderstorms the Cedarville Jackets did not get the chance to play the Taylor Trojans. Maybe some other time.

To close our fall season, the team is heading north to NEW YORK! This Thursday we will compete against Roberts Wesleyan. We will then travel from Rochester, NY to Amherst, NY to compete against Daemen. Coach mentioned a pit stop in Niagara Falls being a possibility. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I like to speak for the team quite often. So Coach, I think I can speak for the whole team when I say, were definitely down for that. WE’RE GOING TO THE FALLS BABY!

It can be super easy to become fearful when certain things start happening in the world. We need to remember that God is ALWAYS in control, and He is ALWAYS good.

Psalm 100:5 "For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."
Psalm 119:68 "You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees."
Psalm 86:5 "You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you."

This is an excerpt from Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine, regarding one of God’s attributes: God’s will. We will also consider God’s freedom as part of God’s will, but it may be considered a separate attribute. God’s freedom is that attribute of God whereby He does whatever He pleases. This definition implies that nothing in all creation can hinder God from doing His will. God is not constrained by anything external to Himself, and He is free to do whatever He wishes to do. He is under no authority or external restraint. (98)

In Genesis, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, his own brothers! And yet we read that even amidst being a slave and being put in prison after Pharaoh’s wife made false accusations against him, Joseph trusted in God the whole time. Later in the story, Joseph became the second most powerful man in Egypt, and when he had the chance to speak with his brothers again, this is what he said:

"As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Gen 50:20).

Even when it seems like evil has the upper hand, it doesn’t. Even when it seems like Satan is winning, he isn’t and he never will. See, nothing in all the world will ever be able to stop God from doing what He is going to do. We have got to practice trusting God at all times, knowing He will use everything for good, more specifically, to bring glory and honor to His great name. No matter how dark this world gets, it will never be able to overcome the light that God is (see John 1:5 at bottom), and God will never stop using what people meant for evil, to be used for good. Praise Him for that!

When we believe with our whole heart that God is the light, we experience His peace, leading us to live in His joy, which then makes us want to praise Him for how good and sweet He is to us!

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

John 1:3-5 "Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

Song of the week: "Even When it Hurts" by Hillsong United

Needing Jesus always,


September 26, 2016

Two more victories in the book after this past week of tennis! The Lady Jackets did not allow Franciscan to walk away with even one point. The 9-0 win made for a happy bus load of girls on the way back to the homeland (To clarify…the homeland is Cedarville). Friday’s match was originally going to be an away match at Indiana East. Due to the resurfacing of their courts, the match got moved to Cedarville. I think I can speak for the whole team when I say home matches are always preferred over away, so that last minute change of plans didn’t upset us too much. If you missed the match Friday, you missed a sibling face-off. Cedarville’s #1 player, Lauren Jackson, played her little sister, Indiana East’s #1 player, Morgan Jackson…not just in singles, but doubles too! What an exciting, and at times, humorous match that was to see. And who won the sibling match, you may ask? Let’s just say…respect your elders :) The Lady Jackets won 6-3 as a team against Indiana East, giving us a record of 3-1 overall.

"This is not our home" is prolly something you have heard before. Why do people say that? Let’s see what God has to say about it in His Word…

"Aliens" in this first verse does not refer to space aliens, but rather foreigners, and "strangers", like it says!
1 Peter 2:11 "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul." (New American Standard)
The NLV says it a bit different…instead of "aliens and strangers", it says "temporary residents and foreigners".

Philippians 3:20 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;"
Jesus is coming again! And God is the only one who knows the exact time that He is coming (Mark 13:32).

Ephesians 2:19 "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God."
If you are a believer and follower of Jesus, you are a member of the household of God. He dwells among us now through His Holy Spirit, and we will dwell with Him for eternity in heaven!

We now understand that life on earth is not our real home. Our true home is in heaven with Jesus. With that being said, some of you prolly feel like you are on a vacation here on earth; you have a close-knit family that you love, you all have great health, finances are not an issue, etc., and maybe you are even asking God to help you have an attitude of excitement, to anxiously await Jesus’ coming. Then there are some who feel like just the opposite, and are crying out to God, "Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20), as you walk through this season of grieving, loss, and/or death.

God reminds us over and over again, that this is not our home. Our home is with Him. So whether you feel like you’re on a nice vacation, or in a dark, dark storm…pack your bags, He is coming to pick us up soon. And the place where He is taking us…well, it’s gonna be like a vacation none of us have ever even imagined. As we wait for His coming, tell as many people as you can about the good, good news of what Jesus did for us on the cross! Getting to spend eternity with the most beautiful and perfect One who created all things, including you…who would want to miss out on that!?

Revelation 21: 2-4 "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband, And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Song of the week: The Way by Jeremy Camp

Needing Jesus always,


September 19, 2016

The season opener last Tuesday was not an easy match. We came into the match strong, but Ohio Wesleyan came into the match stronger, leaving us with a 7-2 final outcome. That didn’t set us back as we headed into our second home match of the week on Thursday. Seniors Lauren Jackson and Kristen Heydt dominated at #1 doubles. Rosie Thompson and Halie Hardwick made their debut together and won their first match together at #2 doubles. Deanna Whalen and Janelle English also made their debut on Thursday at #3 doubles. All three doubles continue to work on their skills at practices throughout the week. We were able to win half of our singles…I’ll leave it to you to find out which spots walked away with the win.

Tuesday (Sept. 20) we have our first away match of the fall at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. This will be the first time we Lady Jackets play the Baron Von Steuben’s (maybe the coolest mascot I have ever heard of right there).

John 15: 5-8
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples."

Jesus is the vine. If we want to bear fruit (see Galatians 5:22-23 at the bottom), being the branches that we are, we have got to remain in Jesus Christ, and His words have got to remain in us. What does that look like? How do you remain in Jesus, and how do His words remain in me?

Living in complete dependence on God is remaining in Jesus; trusting Him with everything, from the smallest of things to the biggest decisions, problems, etc. Once we realize that we can do absolutely NOTHING apart from Jesus, we see just how much we need Him.

His words remain in us as we soak up all God has to teach us in the Bible. God reveals Himself to us through His glorious and beautiful creation, yes. He also reveals Himself to us through His Word. Try memorizing a short verse to start! Constantly preach that Truth to yourself as often as you need, remaining in His precious words! Here’s a couple options…

1 Chronicles 16:11
"Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always."

1 Thessalonians 5:17
"Pray continually,"

Colossians 3:2
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

John 1:4
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind."

Proverbs 18:10
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

When we bear fruit, we bring glory to God (verse 8)! Remain in Jesus, and you will bear fruit! Praise Him!

Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Song of the week: Dead Come to Life by Jonathan Thulin

Needing Jesus always,


September 12, 2016

Blogging is back which means…FALL TENNIS SEASON IS HERE.

"300 Violin Orchestra" is playing in the background…can you hear it???

We have got a year full of "new’s"! A NEW team, NEW uniforms, and NEW expectations.

Lemme break these down for ya’ll.

We have two new teammates for this 2016-17 season. Janelle English and Halie Hardwick are both freshmen and have already made it very clear to the rest of us that they are going to be a wonderful addition to the team.

The first and second "new" are intertwined with the third. Coach took our request of wanting white skirts into careful consideration. After long hours of weighing the pros and cons, she finally decided to grant us with our request! You can catch us on the court wearing a brand new white skirt, along with a nice navy or gray top. Now to the third "new"…Because of the two new stud athletes added to the team, and the BEAUTIFUL new attire, we as a team expect ALL people associated with Cedarville University to be at every single home match. To clarify: If one of these bullet points IS YOU, you qualify as being associated with Cedarville…

* Currently a student at CU

* Cedarville Alum

* Faculty at CU

* A parent of a student at CU

* A parent of CU Alum

* A sister/brother to a student at CU/CU Alum

* A grandparent of CU student/CU Alum

* An aunt/uncle/cousin of CU student/CU Alum

* A friend of a student at CU/CU Alum

* If you have ever heard the word "Cedarville"

I know I can speak for the team when I say, we look SO forward to having so many fans at the home games that we have to hire security to keep the thousands of fans in an orderly fashion.

Challenge matches have already begun! It is not always easy to go into a match with the competitiveness and endurance needed to get the win, especially when your opponent is your teammate and friend. But, as always, each girl did their best, and Coach was able to get some info to help her best decide what the lineup is going to look like for this fall season. Team pictures were taken this Tuesday, as well as a practice following. The season is officially in full force.

We had our first team Bible study of the year last Wednesday, which of course included Becky Kuhn, our chaplain, and Kathy Miller. Even with as busy of a schedule as she has, Coach Pam Johnson joined us as well. Each week Coach Dee makes sure to bring us a yummy snack to enjoy, whether it be her homemade cookies or cheese and crackers…sometimes both. She sure does take good care of us.

P.S. Due to mono, I do not know when I will get back into playing tennis this year, but thankfully He brings me back to this truth often…His timing is always perfect, always.

Our first match is TUESDAY, September 13th at 4:00 p.m. Don’t’ you even think about missing the face-off between the Yellow Jackets and the Battling Bishops (Ohio Wesleyan University).

Now to the good stuff.

If you know the song, "10,000 Reasons" you prolly know these lyrics…

"Bless the Lord, O my soul."

How do we bless the Lord? And why would we bless the Lord, as He is a God who needs absolutely nothing from us? If you already know the answer to those questions, you’re a little ahead of the game

Here’s what I learned.

Psalm 103:1

KJV: "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name."

ESV: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

The Message: "O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless His holy name! O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing!"

Not much a difference between those three. The NIV says it a little differently…

NIV: "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name."

The Greek word for bless is "barak"-bless, salute, praise, to kneel

After looking at a few commentaries, the word bless, used in this verse, means to praise God with gratitude! To praise Him with pure thankfulness! We cannot add or take away anything from God, but we should always have an attitude of praise towards Him.

Psalm 103 goes on to list some of the many reasons to praise His holy name, and as The Message said, to not forget a single blessing!

ALERT: Not every blog will be this long, I promise.

Song of the Week: Ships in the Night by Mat Kearney
 

Needing Jesus always,

Kendall Heydt


Kendall Heydt is a junior at Cedarville University from Mason, Ohio and is majoring in communications.