Tennis, Anyone?

It's that time of year again....the Australian Open is in full swing and I am loving it! I became a fan of tennis when I was a kid, specifically after we moved to Australia. We moved there in December, and that was the beginning of summer break (Dec/Jan) for the schools. We didn't have cable, so that left about two things on the TV all day....tennis and cricket. My mom preferred tennis, so that's what we watched. Obviously, the Australian Open got tons of coverage down under, as did Wimbeldon. We never missed those tournaments. I watched Boris Becker, Steffi Graf, Martina, and Andre Agassi, and learned a lot about the game. I even played a bit myself in the junior high years. It was kinda cool to remember Andre "back in the day" as I watched Andre play his last pro match a few years ago. It really was the end of an era.

I have to admit, I stopped watching much for a while in the high school and college years. Other things were on my mind, I guess. (Plus -I wasn't a fan of Pete Sampras and he was all over the place! Got on my nerves.) In recent years I've begun watching again, and love it. I've added the U.S. open to my favorite tournaments list - still not much of a French Open fan, though. I like the "superstar" players best: Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, and of course, Andy Roddick. Roger Federer is good too, but he's dominated for so long these past years that I get tired of him, too. I like that Nadal has put so much pressure on him the last couple of years, and actually surpassed Federer to be the new No.1.

Andy is by far my favorite, even though he has been very inconsistent in the past few years. I like his passion when he's playing and the power he can put on the ball. When he is playing, I will always stop to watch. That explains why I was up until 1 a.m. last night (morning) watching his quarterfinal match. I had noticed in an earlier match that he has become much leaner since last season. The commentators mentioned that his current coach really pushed him for better committment to his training, and it shows. He dominated his opponent Djokovic, and ultimately his conditioning helped him win. It's summer in Melbourne, and the temperature on the court last night was over 60 degrees Celsius (about 139 F). They kept showing a temperature dial on the court, and the heat had risen higher than the 60 degree max on the dial. INSANE! But Andy made it look like a walk in the park. His opponent ran out of energy about 1 game into the second set, and Andy took full advantage. It was awesome. Djokovic is the defending champion of the tournament and finally retired in the middle of the 4th set (Andy was up 2-1, and was winning the 4th). He just couldn't handle the heat. I have to admit I'm glad it didn't go too much further, or I would have been up forever! :) I did not stay up until 3a.m. to watch Federer's match. I had to drawn the line somewhere.

So, Andy and Roger will play in the semis, and then one of them will (probably) play Nadal in the finals on Sunday, which means I should be able to see it Saturday night here. Makes for some good times this weekend.

Lesson from 2008

Well, I know 2009 is well underway, but I want to take a minute to reflect on 2008, if you'll allow. For those of you who have come looking for my usual sass and sarcasm, you won't be getting it. I don't get serious very often, so I'm asking that you indulge me this once.

This past year has been the toughest one I've experienced so far in my life, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy (and believe me - I have one). Yet, it has been such a learning experience for me. I've learned things about myself that I probably wouldn't have otherwise. But, the biggest lesson I've learned has to do with my relationship with God.

It all started with an Stuff Christians Like blog:
http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2008/12/449-wondering-if-god-is-enough.html
Jon is usually a funny, sarcastic guy, whose serious posts can amaze me with their ability to get right to the heart of things. This one basically cut through all the junk I was dealing with, and boiled everything in life down to three words: God Is Enough.

That doesn't seem like a very difficult concept for Christians. We say "Of course, God is enough." But, many of us haven't every really and truly had to rely on Him, and Him alone in our lives. In the darkest and worst moments of this past year, the only one with me was God. Not that I didn't have a whole list of people I could have called to help support me. I know every last one of them would have done whatever they could (and some are probably reading this saying "why didn't she call me??"). The reality is, I knew that none one could really help me. Only God could provide the peace and comfort that I needed.....and He always gave it to me.

God taught me that when everything else in this world fails me, that He will always be there. On the superficial level, I always knew this, but now I believe it deep in my soul. If my entire world disappeared: friends, family, job, everything, I now know that I would be ok. I pray that He never tests me to that level, but I do know that He would get me through.

I hope none of you will ever have to learn this lesson in such a difficult way, but I do hope you learn it. God really IS enough. When you believe that fully, it will forever change your life. In the worst moments, you will have joy. In the best moments, you will have joy. He will give you exactly what you need just when you need it.

I have no idea what 2009 will bring me. I don't know what lessons God will teach me this year, but I know that I want to be open to whatever He chooses.

What did God teach you in 2008?