Star Players - On & Off the Field

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my church? Well, I LOVE my church! God has given our senior pastor an amazing gift, plus we often have special guest speakers come in throughout the year. This morning, we got the opportunity to hear three Ohio State football players talk about how their faith impacts their lives both on and off the field. Now, these are not only three star players at OSU, but one might argue they are some of the best players in the country. I just have to say that I was so impressed by these three who are using their celebrity status to bring people to Christ. As I looked around the room at a packed congregation, I saw tons of bright-eyed and eager children, teens and die-hard Buckeye fans ready to see and hear some of their favorite athletes. I guarantee you they heard every word these three had to say.

Whether or not you are a Buckeye fan, these are three amazing guys. I thought I'd share some of the highlights from each of them:

Marcus Freeman (#1, Linebacker): To him, God & Jesus come first. Football is just something he does. He knows for sure that he is going to heaven, and nothing else matters. (Even if he is getting yelled at by the coach.) He emphasized to those that have not, they should choose TODAY to invite Jesus into their heart and live their life for Christ, as none of us are ever promised a tomorrow.

James Laurinaitis (#33, Linebacker): He is following in his father's footsteps, using his status as an athlete for the glory of Jesus Christ. In high school, he read the Bible through twice. When he got to Ohio State and first started playing football, he started feeling a little arrogant, but then recalled James 4:6, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." which helped change his thinking. Everything he does, he does to glorify Jesus. He, Marcus, Malcolm and some other OSU players hold a Bible study EVERY game day morning - no matter if it is a noon game or an evening game.

Malcolm Jenkins (#2, Cornerback): He wasn't raised in the church. He played football all his life, but in high school, even when winning championships, he felt like something was missing. It wasn't fulfilling on its own. He, along with some friends, started going to church in high school and he was saved his senior year. Early on in college, he strived to be perfect, but realized that none of us are perfect. What we should do is continue to grow in our relationship with Christ. Christ knows us, we just need to get to know Him.

OK, so now do you just LOVE these guys, too?!?

I am ending this post with some pics I took of Mia before church this morning. She is wearing a dress I bought on the One Child at a Time auction, which was donated by Jennifer at the Fly Away Home Clothing Boutique. Thanks, Jennifer for donating such an adorable dress. I love it, and Mia did, too!

My graceful girl.

Digital Kit: Chinese Heritage Pack from scrapandtell.com

Have a great week!!