Conaway Family: October 2008

Unfortunately our GCT Golden Eagles have lost the past three games, but to some very good teams! (We are praying for a big win tonight over a really great team!) Losing is definitely not fun; however, I believe God teaches us so much through loss (regardless of what kind of loss it is). A few weeks ago Jeff was broken and I was as well. I began praying that God would do something incredible and unspeakable through all this and to heal my husband's heart! He did!

Jeff wrote the following and shared it with his players, coaches and since then it has been spread around the town and state touching lives for Christ! Kids & others have come to Christ because of what he shared! Read with an open heart! It is some good stuff! It is long, but please read it!

Lessons Learned
GCT Football 2008

I love the game of football because it teaches us so much about life. The following is a list of just a few lessons that I believe football can teach us.

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:2-4

1. In life, you will face many great trials or storms; much greater than the storms we face in the game of football. How you respond to the storms of life will define you as a person. How do you or how will you respond when you face a storm? Do you breakdown and self-destruct? Do you act out of fear, do you panic? Do you harm those around you with your words and actions? How will you respond to a storm in your marriage someday, your family, your career? Matthew 7:24-27 tells us the difference between building your foundation on the sand and building your foundation on the rock. “Falling down is not failure; not getting back up is failure.” “Adversity doesn’t teach character; adversity reveals character flaws.” Mike Ditka Chicago Bears

Natalie Grant “I Will Not Be Moved”
I will fall down, I will stumble, but I will not be moved.
I will make mistakes, I will have heartache, but I will not be moved.
On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand;
I will not be moved.

2. Football teaches us about humility. During seasons of success, we sometimes become proud and complacent. We tend to begin “going through the motions” and we believe that we cannot fall. Things become boring and dry. We become vulnerable. Then we are defeated. Life is very much the same way. We often fall when we lose our passion. We lose our desire to succeed. We become tired, bored, and passionless. King David made the biggest mistake of his life during such a time (2 Samuel 11). When we become too relaxed, our weaknesses are revealed. We become a target of defeat. You’ve heard the expression, “pride comes before the fall” and it is so true. Proverbs 18:12 says, “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but before honor comes humility.” It is just as important to correctly manage success as it is to handle defeat. Sometimes, both can be equally challenging.

3. Football teaches us the importance of friendships and family. Friday night we as coaches spent time praying together. We prayed for healing because we were broken. We prayed that you guys would also be healed and built back up even stronger. There is great power in friendships and family. Are you building friendships? Are you learning how to work together as a team and a family? Life is all about relationships. You must learn to work with those around you. You must learn to lift each other up during the good times and the bad. You must stop picking on each other, laughing at each other, stealing from one another, fighting, running to be first in line, creating cliques and not allowing others in your circle of friends. Who are you investing in? Are you anyone’s hero? In order to succeed in this game, we must be a family and we must put others before ourselves. If we put ourselves first, the team will suffer. The same is true in life! When you place yourself first in any relationship, the results will be destruction.

4. Football teaches us how to prepare for the test. Victories in football (and in life) are won in the preparation. Proverbs 10: 4 says, “Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring riches.” Proverbs 12:14 says, “The work of a man’s hands will reward him.” And, Proverbs 14:23 states that “There is profit in all hard work, but endless talk leads only to poverty.” How are you preparing for each game? Are you giving your all in practice? Are you mentally preparing for each opponent? Are you physically preparing through intense practices? Even more, how are you preparing for you future? Are you gaining knowledge in the classroom or are you simply going through the motions? Are you studying and applying yourself to receive an education or are you spending time being lazy? How prepared will you be for your career? What are you doing to prepare for your wife someday? Are you filling your mind and heart with junk or will you commit to purity? How are you preparing to be a father someday? Will you be a leader in your household or will your family resent your leadership? Are you leading on this football team? Again, football can teach us so many things that will prepare us for future success. Please try to learn these valuable lessons now. It is better to learn them now than to experience defeat later in life.

5. I also believe that football can teach us a valuable lesson about defeat. We will certainly fall down in life and, as we did Friday, we will stumble in the game of football. However, it is how we respond to adversity that will make or break us. It is my goal to have the same mindset that Paul had when he wrote, “…forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead. I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:13-14

What lessons will you learn this week? It is up to each of us to decide how we will respond to adversity. It is through adversity that our true character will be clearly seen by others. We have 3 weeks left in the regular season. Our goal of making the playoffs for the first time in 17 years is very attainable. If we can unite as a team and bring intensity to practice, we will achieve our goal. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your activities to the Lord and your plans will be achieved.” I am going to commit these last weeks to the Lord. I am willing to give my very best so that we can be successful. My prayer is that each of you will follow my leadership by doing the same. Together we can do something special! Many times we have very little control of the outcome of a football game. However, you can control how you develop into a man of character and integrity.

I love you all,
Coach Conaway
GCT Football
Proverbs 16:3

And this is the man I am married to! Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!

Alright, so after checking a few blogs today I have decided to partake in the little blog posting that my friend Charity inspired me to do...along with my friends Ashley & Kristin! I love catching up with people and checking in on my friends, so here it goes for all of you who enjoy doing the same...

What I've been up to lately:

Trying to sell about 500 t-shirts that sit in my mother-n-law's kitchen area that say something about GCT football! I have to say they are pretty darn cute!
Taking classes & staying up till 2am studying!
Giving speech therapy!
Cheering for Jeff's football team! They are doing so awesome!
Making myself go to the gym.
Trying not to speed to & from school everyday (to save on gas $ & to avoid a ticket).
Being suckered into being the Chair & C0-Chair of a committee for NSSLHA.
And trying not to be so up tight and give it all to God!

What I am looking forward to:

Our upcoming football games & hopefully playoff games!
My family coming up this weekend.
Selling our house!
A break from school.
The lovely fall weather & the leaves changing.
The rest of my life with my husband! He's the man!
The day I don't depend on caffeine!! - will that ever go away?
One day-- becoming a mom, but currently enjoy my furry little girl!
Saturday afternoons watching college football with Jeff! And going to A-State games!

Things I am EXCITED about!

Growing closer in my walk with God & my husband!
The fact that after two & a half years I get a fall & winter break! AWESOME!
The direction our church is moving in.
Thanksgiving & Christmas and what they mean!
I only have six more weeks of class till Christmas break!
That I am in grad school trying to better our future.
That this time next year I will know if I passed comps & will hopefully be actively searching for a job. And plan to NEVER go back to school again! Sorry, I don't think I will be getting my doctorate.
Seeing my friend Melissa Swain tomorrow morning and her little man!

Things I try not to think about, BUT often pray about!

Our house will sell in Springdale!
Health Insurance & what we should do.
Not having a paycheck.
The election!
Taking care of my body & being healthy
Bills! Boo!!!

That is it - boring I know! I am sure there is more but I am tired! I have two of my first visitors from Springdale coming to visit me in the morning so I'd better go! I would love to know how you all are doing, drop me a note!

Love & Miss you ALL!!!