" It Takes a Little More to Be a Champion"

Philippians 3:14
Job 1:8

I can remember my football coach Tony Lisanti the first time that he told us, that practice makes perfect was not true. The looks on or face as we were all in shock because all our lives, I am sure you heard it just like me, " Practice makes Perfect," and to hear that was incorrect for the first time, through a wrench in the works, that is until he said, " Perfect Practice makes Perfect." As he explained, what good is it if you practice and practice but continue to make the same mistakes, and have the same issues without correcting them and learning from them. You will continue to make the same mistakes. Now on the other hand if you learn from them and continue to grow and stretch to the next level, perfecting you craft then you too can be come close to perfection.

Each day we wake up is another day of practice, another day to get it right, whether it be with our sparring partner, the devil, or with the obstacle course our life coach, God the father has put before us, with the same expected results. You see the devil can only do what God allows him to do to you in your life, in hopes of training you and equipping you for the journey that is ahead.(Job 1:8)

Sometimes it is hard to understand why you go through so much, or for that matter how stuff keeps happening to you when you trying to do all that you know to be right and true. Just like my former coach said you have to keep practicing until you get it right then continue how to do it the right way over and over until it becomes second nature, and that is what God is trying to get you to do! Don't get me wrong, I am not saying the fight is going to be easy, nothing worth your time and effort ever is easy because if it were then you would not appreciate it, but God has a way of getting us into shape and I am no exception to the rule. This past year has been one of if not the most difficult and challenging of my life, and I had some ups and I had some downs, and to me it seem like the downs were way down, but in actuality, God was trying to do a new thing in me. Trying to get me to that next level. And there was several setbacks, but ultimately, to God be the glory.

The speech that was given to us, was following a disappointing 1 win and 9 loss season. A season in which we were expected to be great, but because we did not learn from our mistakes, we kept repeating the same ones all season long. But the season following that speech was my senior year, we finished 7 wins and 3 losses, and as the county champions, why not because we got different players, but because we learned from our mistakes, got better in practice every day until we did not make those mistakes anymore, consider the before season, a scrimmage, practice for the real thing that was waiting for us, not a winning season, but growing us up as individuals.

As you find yourself going after the things of God, you will see the changes in your life, some quicker than others, but just remember you are working towards that one goal, where as the bible says, "I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God through Jesus is calling us up to heaven," and that goal is worth you giving it your best shot, because after all, "it takes a little more, to be a champion."

Be Blessed.