I'm not thankful enough.

     Just wanted to take a second to thank God for everything that He has taught me, and blessed me with. Just for everything. I don't deserve any of it. Love You Lord.

It's getting warmer!

     I haven't written in a while and I have no real good reason for why not. I guess I've been lazy or busy or whatever excuse that fills this blank ______ I really don't know. But I am writing now because I feel alive! Finally after what feels like forever, it is getting warmer down here! Besides soccer, my favorite thing to do is fish and occasionally I'll choose fishing over soccer. I can't say that I am a great fisherman but I really love it. My brother, father, and I went into the swamp the other day fishing and had a great time cutting up with each other. We also didn't catch anything but that happens haha.
     Besides what I just wrote, not much has been going on. I've been helping coach the Gator boys here and they are off to a really good start. 2-0-1, which to be honest they should be 3-0-0 but you can't go back and change things like that. And I've been writing articles and taking pictures for the paper which has been loads of fun so far.
     I've been working out very seriously lately, I figured that if I don't start now then I never will and that can only lead me down a sad road. I don't know why I ever hesitate to work out because I actually love it, and once I start doing it I really enjoy it.
     I know I'm bouncing around on my topics but maybe I can tie them together a little bit here... I went to Haywood Baptist Church last Sunday, the preacher there is a really Godly man and he always has something new to share about the Bible. This last Sunday it was about when Jesus fed the 5,000 and how he took the little boys food and multiplied it. That little boy could have been selfish and just kept his lunch and hid or something but he submitted it to Jesus and look at what He did! The message was that we need to realize that once the Lord forgives us of our sins he forgives and forgets. He doesn't take those memories and keep bringing them back up to torment you, he completely throws them out. As humans we won't ever forget most things and especially sins, we will bring them back up in our heads to be excuses why we don't do something, or why we shouldn't even try, and loads of other stuff. What we are supposed to do is move on, forgive ourselves, and have a clear and ready mind for the Lord to use because we don't want to miss his call to action when it comes.
     That's about all I've got for right now, I hope that it makes sense? I often confuse my writings when I'm really going haha. God bless.

Thank You Lord.

     So I wrote out my season preview and submitted pictures with it on Friday and on Saturday (yesterday) my first newspaper article was published! I hope I can learn as much as possible from this experience and have a really good influence on people with it.
     Ware County's first game is tomorrow against Pierce County, I will be both bench-side and goal-side helping coach and taking pictures. If you do come out to the games, girls at 5:30 and boys at 7, make sure to WRAP UP! It's freezing! In Nigeria when it got down to like 78 we were bundling up... No I wish it would be 78!

     God bless.

A Jack of all trades...

     For any of you who have played for the Ware County Soccer team (Girls or Guys) you probably have noticed that they don't get much press action. In my junior year at Ware County I only remember us getting in the paper two times and from what I am told it has been pretty much that same way since the program started. ... Not anymore. God has blessed me and put me in the position to write for the Waycross Journal Herald about soccer. So now you can keep up with all of the games and players this season! I'm really excited about this and I think I am going to learn a lot by doing it. If you live in the area I advise you to make it to as many games as you can this year! We have a really good team and the support will make them even better. Come on guys, let's build soccer up in the swamp!


     .....     I know it's not related at all but I have become addicted to this song, hope you enjoy it!

Coach James

     Howdy, it's been a while since I posted and I don't have too much to update now but I am currently helping coach the Ware County Boys teams, mostly Varsity but JV has been pretty much mixed in these past few days. I think these guys will do really well this season, they need some coaching up and some of them need to show some more maturity and commitment but they will do well. There is a new goalie that showed up this year, I believe he moved down here from SC but don't quote me on that, he is very athletic and I can see a huge promise in his future as long as he gets the right coaching and puts for the extra effort. He is a natural keeper though. Seth Starling and Ali'i Mitchell are in really good shape and will be extremely hard for other teams to deal with in the midfield this year. It's kind of funny to me that I played with those two in my junior year when they were just freshmen and Seth and I were captains together. Time really flies.
     Slightly off topic now, my game plan that I am going to work towards now is that I am going to take a year off (not from working out and all of that though) and try for a four year school next spring. I haven't looked too much into the schools I'll try out for but I want to go somewhere that stretches me to become better.

Today is my B-day. :)

     Today I am 19. God has blessed me with so much through the years and I know He will continue because He is wonderful. I write these blogs and try and do my best at filling people in on what I'm doing or thinking or wishing I could do, but the majority of the time I have no clue. I just want to live a life that pleases God I don't really care where He places me or what He wants me to do because I know that if it is God's plan for me then I will find joy in doing it. Whether I go pro in soccer or I never get to play again, I will serve the Lord. That much you can count on.

I'm struggling...

     I'm facing a rough part in my walk with God. I think it is just the devil trying to get me down and tempt me away from what I am supposed to be doing right now. ... I am working, taking two classes, working out, and soon going to be helping coach the high school boys here in Ware County whenever they start actually practicing. That all sounds so great, and it seems like it should be such a good opportunity for me to grow and learn new things. But so far I think that I have been in the midst of a strong spiritual battle and this hasn't allowed me to fully accept these tasks. I've been struggling every night to sit down and read my Bible like I normally do, and I have been tempted to do so many more sinful things that normally aren't a problem for me. ... I am going to keep praying to the Lord to get me through all of this. I am also asking for any prayer support I can get from the people who read this. ... Lately I have been feeling more and more like I need to be getting ready for something new in soccer but I don't know what. So what I am going to do is step up my work outs and get fit, and see what happens.