My Relationship with Jesus

My life with Jesus has evolved over the years.

I do not have a dramatic story to tell you about my conversion.  I grew up in church and at some point I received salvation at an early age.  Some would say that I cut my teeth on the church pews.

In those early years, I viewed Jesus as a strict disciplinarian with a lot of rules.  I confused Jesus with the teachings of our church and my dad’s rules.  I saw Jesus as a distant father waiting to be disappointed when I didn’t measure up.

I then went through a period in my life when I was obsessed with finding my “calling”.  It was this grand mystery I felt like I had to find out exactly what God wanted me to do with my life.  It was a very frustrating quest.  I tried a lot of things during that time but never found out what my calling was.  

Now in my later years, I have come to view Jesus as my friend and someone I can relate to even though it is quite difficult to relate to someone who never talks in an audible voice.  I have learned to take time to listen and sense what Jesus is saying to me instead of me doing all of the talking and having a long list of things I want Him to do.  I don’t always get it right but I have done better with taking time to hearing His voice.  It takes work.  It isn’t something I can do without focus.  

I don’t use elaborate words or King James English when I am taking to Jesus, I talk to Him just like I was talk to you.  Many times I don’t even use audible words.  It takes practice.  Like I said before, I don’t always get it right.  It is very challenging to discern His voice from my own.  I try not to get discouraged or disappointed when I mess it up, I just keep working at it.

I’m not one of these people who go around saying “God told me…” and use that as some attempt to coerce anyone to do something.  I don’t want to be like that.  I just want to have a personal connection to Jesus without the pretenses or assumptions that it will make me some supernatural person.  

Does my view of my relationship with Jesus make me perfect or better than those who don’t believe?  Absolutely not.  I still mess up and have times when I have to ask forgiveness for something I did wrong.  That’s part of being human.  Talking to God doesn’t mean I am God.  I still fail but I don’t give up.

Let me tell you this…having a relationship with Jesus doesn’t require you to be crazy or preach to people.  Just be kind to others and love them.  We don’t have to hit people over the head with our Bibles.  Look for ways to be good to people and show kindness.  Our world is angry but we can be the light to them.  

I can’t tell you how to be or convince you that my view of Jesus is right.  You have to figure that out for yourself.  He’s not asking you to be a preacher.  He just wants a relationship with you.  

Faith When Things Aren't Going Your Way

Life is easier when things are going our way. We would all like our lives to flow that way. Unfortunately that’s not the reality of life is it?

It’s easy to have faith when things are going the way you want and you are getting answers to your prayers. When they aren’t and your prayers are going nowhere, it can really throw you around.

How can you have faith when your faith isn’t working?

I’m asking myself that a lot lately.

To make matters worse, what do you do when you pray and things get worse or goes completely opposite of what you had hoped for?

Do you give up?

Yep, that has crossed my mind because trusting God is hard. Then when you see no evidence of it, you wonder if you have invested yourself in the wrong thing.

So faith involves trusting a God that we cannot see and does not talk to us audibly. That kinda makes a weak case for faith doesn’t it?

Faith is trusting God no matter what. It doesn’t guarantee the outcome we want. If we tie our faith to our conditions, it can lead to deep discouragement when life moves in painful or silent directions.

Somehow I have to faith without conditions based on what I want. I must be able to trust in God no matter what.

Believers who are best able to weather a major crisis in life are the ones who have faced adversity. They’ve been challenged, and have developed an elite level of endurance. They know that God can bring them through the storm again. When our confidence in the God is unwavering in the storms of life, we can face any situation with positive, determined hope.

I am trying to get there. I must have a faith that will endure. I have to talk to myself a lot. I’m not good with doing this faith thing with a good attitude. I’m not exactly singing my way through this. I am doing the best I can with each day and each moment that I face.

Football Friday Night: Week 11

This week my teams were 2-1 in their games. Villa Rica and Clinch County helped their causes for the postseason while Warner Robins lost their second straight game with another historic loss.

CLINCH COUNTY 34, CHARLTON COUNTY 10
Clinch County trailed 10-0 in the first quarter but scored the final 34 points. Lamarcus Bryant rushed for 142 yards on 17 carries, and his 80-yard TD run in the first quarter ignited the comeback. Traviian Miller was 9-of-17 passing for 135 yards and a touchdown. Kamarion Johnson had four receptions for 61 yards. Henrique Uhlmann kicked a 45-yard field goal. Clinch County led 346-176 in total yards.

Next: Friday at Atkinson County (0-9)

Clinch County is 6-3, 3-1 and will close the regular season in Pearson against winless Atkinson County 0-9, 0-4. Atkinson County lost to Lanier County 31-7 in their last game. The Panthers lead the all-time series 54-22-2 and have won the last 22 games in the series. Clinch County won the last meeting 42-7 in 2023. The last time Atkinson County won in this series was 16-7 in 1999.

PSR Ranking: #13 - If the playoffs started this week, Clinch County would host Jenkins County in the first round.

VILLA RICA 45, CEDARTOWN 32
The Wildcats' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Villa Rica had a senior duo take command as Emmanuel Ajayi rushed for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 10.8 yards per carry and Matthew Eubanks threw for 222 yards and 3 TDs while completing 73.7% of his passes. Eubanks has totaled 8 passing touchdowns over his last four games compared to 2 in his previous four games.

Villa Rica was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 235 yards. They have not posted that many yards since August 28th, when they rushed for 247 vs. Hiram.

Cedartown's loss wasn't for lack of effort from Rohan Kent: he rushed for 227 yards and a pair of scores on only 12 carries in a losing cause. Kent really tore up the turf during one magnificent 88-yard run. Another back making a difference was Jakobe Dorsey, who gained 97 total yards and two touchdowns.

Villa Rica has now won five of their last six games at home. That's helped them to a 6-4 record this season. The home wins were made possible by their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 30.7 points over those games.

Villa Rica finishes the regular season 6-4, 2-4.

PSR Ranking: #26 - If playoffs started this week, Villa Rica would play at Benedictine.

JONES COUNTY 51, WARNER ROBINS 14
This was embarrassing. Yet another historic loss for Warner Robins. I can't help but wonder how much longer supporters will put up with this.

Warner Robins could not adjust to life without 4-star quarterback Chandler Dyson, who went down with an injury in an Oct. 23, loss against Ola. After going down 34-7 in the first half, the Demons would give up another touchdown, this time on the ground to senior quarterback Jonathan Hurley.

Warner Robins' offensive woes would continue as a trick play attempt would result in a fumble, recovered by the Greyhounds. Jones County would strike right back as junior running back Travis Miller would find Paydirt to put his squad up 48-7.

Warner Robins fell to 5-4 on the year and 3-2 in region play.

Next: Friday vs. Perry.

Perry is 5-4, 4-1 and has won four straight including a 58-6 win over Eagle's Landing in their last game. Warner Robins leads the all-time series 9-5-1. They won last year's game 33-26.

PSR Ranking: #31 - If playoffs started this week, Warner Robins would play at Blessed Trinity in the first round.