Woe To Them...

Isaiah 5:20 (NIV) - "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter."

Life Application Bible Footnote:  "When people do not carefully observe the distinction between good and evil, destruction soon follows.  It is easy for people to say, 'No one can decide for anyone else what is really right or wrong.' They may think getting drunk can't hurt them, extramarital sex isn't really wrong, or money doesn't control them.  But when we make excuses for our actions, we break down the distinction between right and wrong.  If we do not take God's Word,  the Bible, as our standard, soon all moral choices will appear fuzzy.  Without God, we are headed for a breakdown and much suffering."

As a follower of Christ I see this already happening when I look at our culture and society as a whole.  It saddens my heart so very much to see how far away from God we, as a people group, have fallen from our godly upbringings.  From our great grandparents and beyond church and God's Word had central place in the home.  Nothing was open on Sunday.  It was truly regarded as a day of rest.  Everyone went to church on Sunday mornings.  It's just what they did.  You grew up really knowing God's Word because you were raised up in church.  Nothing about our society today resembles anything like what it should be if we were still giving homage to our heritage/God's Word.  It's something we desperately need to get back to but I don't think we will because of the direction everything is going in today.  Life would be so much better if we would just get back to God.  If He was put as the center of our homes.  If He was revered as He should be in our lives.  We truly are at a point where as Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil" because make no mistake about it we are in a state of breakdown and suffering because of it!  

Remember, satan comes to steal, kill and destroy but the Lord comes so that we can have life and have it in abundance.  Which would you rather have?  To live in sin and let satan steal, kill and destroy?  or To live for the Lord and have life in abundance?  The former is nothing but misery and the latter is living an abundant life as long as we are living for the Lord.  As for me I will serve the Lord!  He will always be my choice.  What about you?

Fall For Jesus, He Never Leaves...

Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  (NIV)

Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NIV)

Romans 10:13 - "For everyone who calls on the name of Lord will be saved." (NIV)

Romans 12:1&2 - "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)

Hebrews 13:5b - "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (NIV)

Joshua 1:5 - "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (NIV)

I have never ever regretted asking Jesus into my heart to be my Lord and Savior.  He has never disappointed me, although I have disappointed him.  The beauty of my relationship with my Savior is that if I confess my sins he forgets them to remember them no more.  His love is unconditional.  He has led/guided/directed my life in ways that I would have never expected.  He has saved me from myself and my selfish ways time and again showing me that His way is the best way.  He has kept me from harm/death because there were many times when my life should have been snuffed out and it wasn't.  He has a plan and purpose (Jer. 29:11) for our lives and it's a good plan!!!  It took me many years to learn that and to really let it take hold in my life when I was younger.  

I came to the Lord at 12 years old asking him into my heart and life.  I had no clue what that really would mean until I was in my 20's. My life had been filled with so much turmoil from a little child to young adulthood.  I even got to where I was having suicidal thoughts/tendencies.  It wasn't until I got help at a full time, live in, Christian counseling center (Mercy Ministries) that I was able to get my life on the track God had for me.  While there all that I had been taught from the Word of God came alive as I got the help I so desperately needed to move forward in life.  That was a little over 30 years ago.  It's hard to believe it's been that long but it has.  

My life today is so wonderful.  I have an incredible husband and an amazing son.  Our son is being afforded all that I wasn't when growing up.  We have supported his dreams as an elite athlete since he was 8 years old.  We don't regret a moment of it either.  We have done our best to instill in him to do his best no matter what he's doing and leave the results in God's hands.  We have also done our best to instill in him that everything that he does in life to do it as unto God and to always have him at the center of your life.  

It's how my husband, Scot, and I live our lives.  We do our best in all that we do and leave the results up to God.  We trust him in every area of our lives.  He is everything to us.  In our home we trust in the Lord completely and do our best to do his will when he makes it clear to us.  

We will never regret a life of devotion to God.  Folks have said things to the effect of what if you get to the end of your life and there's no God and death is just the end and there's no more?  To that I always say I'd rather have wasted my life believing in God (which it isn't a waste) then to discover at the end that there is a God and have not believed and spend eternity in hell.   Believing is so much better than risking going to hell if I turn my back on God, which I will never do.  The one is so much better than the other and I sure don't won't to test that theory and find out I should've believed when I didn't.  Just saying.  

You will never go wrong by choosing Jesus!!!  And you do have a choice!  What's your choice going to be???

2024 Carolinas Championship Champion!!!

Tim had an amazing performance at the State Championships yesterday.  He lifted in the 61kg Youth Division.  He won his division + won the Jr division in his weight class because of his lifting totals + won open division in his weight class because of his lifting totals and then he was awarded Best Male Youth Lifter as well!  Talk about a banner day at this Meet.  Tim also did Meet PR's of:

 76kg/167.5# Snatch PR 

+ 101kg/222# Clean & Jerk PR

 = 177kg/390# total PR.  

That's not all though, he also qualified for the 1st Wave of sign ups for the North American Open Series 1 Meet that happens at the end of February beginning of March time frame.  

You might ask, "why is that important?"  Answer: Because they cap this Meet and if you don't get in on the Wave 1 sign ups you will more than likely not get to go to this Meet.  It fills up fast 💨. Sign ups for that Meet start November 1st.  Tim is incredibly excited for this opportunity because he missed getting to go to it last year because he was so new to the sport and wasn't lifting heavy enough yet.  

We are gleaming right now because of all that he was able to accomplish at this Meet.  None of us expected him to receive 3 Gold Medals and a Best Youth Male Lifter Plaque.  We just told him to go out there and do the best you can and leave the results up to God.  God sure showed up big time for Tim and we couldn't be more excited for all that he accomplished at this Meet.   

Here are some pictures:

Introductions

76kg Snatch PR

76kg Snatch PR

101kg Clean & Jerk PR

101kg Clean & Jerk PR

T-2 Days until WSO...

The excitement is building in our house as we get closer to States (WSO) competition.  This will be Tim's second time doing this Meet and he's going to almost double the weight that he lifted in 2023 at this Meet. The even bigger excitement is him getting his qualifying totals for the American Open Series 1 Meet that is held at The Arnold every February/March time frame in Columbus, Ohio.  Tim was too new and didn't have the qualifying totals to go last year so he's super excited over this opportunity.  His goal is to lift a 175kg total and anything above that is just extra.  We are so enjoying this journey with Tim right now and can't wait to see all that he will do in this sport in the years to come as he grows into a senior weightlifter.  Tim is in such a great place right now and we are in the best place we've ever been as a family.  God is good!  

Last night at Training....

Last night at training Tim did an 81kg Snatch.  That's 3kgs above what he did on Saturday.  He was so excited to nail it.  He is so locked in right now and we couldn't be more excited for him.

Mock Meet at ALWC...

Saturday, the 12th, Tim did a Mock Meet in order to get ready for WSO this Sunday, the 20th.  It's the State Meet for both North and South Carolina.  Tim did a 179kg total and we were thrilled.  Now this weekend he goes to States to repeat what he did at the Mock Meet.  This will set him up to be able to sign up in the first wave for the North American Open Series 1 at the end of February beginning of March 2025.  He's so looking forward to being able to compete in the Meet.  It's one of the biggest Meets of the year outside of Nationals which happens in June in Colorado Springs, CO.   His goal come Nationals is to do a 215kg or better total because that will set him up to be able to represent USA at Pan Ams in November of 2025 in Mexico.  Looking forward to having a spectacular year with our boy.  He has lots of goals for himself that he wants to achieve as you have read but no matter what we are just so very proud of all that he's accomplished/accomplishing since transferring to Olympic Weightlifting.  He is so driven and focused and we couldn't be more proud of the man that he is becoming.  Here's a video of his 78kg Snatch and 101kg PR Clean & Jerk from Saturday's Mock Meet:

Homeschool Bowling Outing...

Friday, the 11th, we went bowling with the high school kids from our homeschool group.  Tim had a blast and got to know some more guys from our homeschool group.

 

Aurora's Thursday Night....

The second time in a year that we've had the pleasure of seeing the Northern Lights and get pictures of them.  The first time they were visible with the naked eye.  We had to use our cameras to take long exposure pictures to see them.  This time we could see the glow in the sky but still need long exposure pictures to see all the differing colors of them.  So so beautiful.  

Gorgeous Sunset (no filter)...

Wednesday the 9th as we were leaving the gym after Tim's training session we saw this beautiful sunset.  It was so breathtaking I couldn't help but take a photo of it.

Tim has done new PR's...

This is an older pic but Tim has done two new PR's.  In the Snatch he's done an 80kg at the gym.  In the Clean & Jerk he's done an 100kg at the gym.  This boy is driven and determined to get at it and hit the goals that he wants to attain in this sport.  So glad that he has such an incredible coach to help him every step of the way.