THANKSGIVING: Great week to be Grateful

Well, it is about 12 am here in Le Havre, France. I am wide awake and eager to share my week with everybody. Why? Well because it was a great week for myself, my family, and my team! Thanksgiving is a pretty big holiday in the USA and it is something that the Miller family celebrates pretty seriously. Being in France makes it a hard to celebrate with our family, so if we couldn't go to Thanksgiving in the states we thought we would bring Thanksgiving to us. I invited the entire team to my apartment for a huge feast to be prepared by my lovely wife, Monica! She did an awesome job! She stayed up all night on Wednesday preparing turkey, rice, potatoes, pies, cakes, yams, macaroni and cheese, and more. I have to admit that I was unsure about being able to feed a group of 14 guys who were and average size of 6'5 , 200+lbs but Monica pulled it off! She got some great help from Natasha Jackson. She is the girlfriend of Joseph Jones and she knows her way around the kitchen as well. Together the ladies really hooked us up. We all had a blast and I think that it really helped the team get a little closer. Things like these are necessary if we are going to be there for each other on the court! I have to say for those of you who do not know that Monica could be on Top Chef or something! This was one of the qualities that I noticed before I jumped the broom with her(forward thinking fellas, lol).

Thanksgiving also did a great thing for Monica and I. You see during the holidays you have a tendency to miss home a little more than normal. Being able to enjoy this day with close friends and family made being away from home a little easier. We even got a chance to do the family tradition of letting everyone tell what they were thankful for. My french teammates got in on it and it was awesome to see the guys take time to acknowledge how blessed we all were to be able to do the things that we do. Obviously, I am grateful to God for blessing me with such a wonderful woman to be by my side, an awesome family, and this special gift to play basketball.

Speaking of basketball, we had a tough match this week against Chalon. They were at our place and we knew that we had to leave it all on the court to get a win! We couldn't let another team come into our house and get a victory. We battled for 40 minutes and although it wasn't pretty we came away with the win! So for this week MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Hopefully our team has learned something from the way we played this week. I mean, the game was ugly and we did not play well, but we stayed together and that is what got us the win!

Well it is getting late over here, and I have an early practice tomorrow. I want to thank you guys for tuning in to another week in the life of JJ Miller. Before I go I have something that I would like to share with you that I thought was very inspirational. I am beginning to realize that "If I've got correct goals, and if I keep pursuing them the best way I know how, everything else falls into line. If I do the right thing right, I'm going to succeed." I want to challenge everyone to strive to do the right thing, not to receive anything, but just because it is what should be done. Have a great week and as always remember to EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!

Proving That We Belong!

What's up World? So listen I know that this is a blog about me and my life, but today's post is going to be about more than that! You see I want to take the time to recognize the orchestrator responsible for all that happens in my life. GOD! I understand that without him, nothing is possible. I also had a great week of basketball that was largely due to the fact that our team had a great week of basketball. Don't worry I will explain later in the post. This was a good week and spending time with my wife and dog just put the icing on the cake! So let's dive into another week in the life of J.J. Miller!

As usual basketball leads off the events of the week. This was a big week for us because we were coming off a huge loss and needed to bounce back quickly. We had a french cup game on Tuesday and a league match against a Euroleague team on Saturday. If you recall last week, I mentioned how confident I was in my teammates to step up to the challenge. Well they did just that! Practice was good all week long and Tuesdays french cup game was a blowout in our favor. We played very well as a team and seemed to find some of our swagger that we had momentarily loss. This swagger would need to be harnessed and kept on ice, because we would need all of it to beat Orleans! We started the game on Saturday full of energy and focus. We were clicking on all cylinders, hitting shots and sharing the ball on offense, playing the passing lanes and rotating on defense. We jumped out to a double digit lead and were rolling. We knew that Orleans wouldn't just lay down on their home court, and they made a run to take the lead by 4 points. Fortunately, we all had the same hunger in our eyes and were determined not to let this game slip away. We rallied together, fought our way back to take the lead, and would never relinquish it again! We ended up getting the win by 9 points on the road against a good team. I just have one thing to say to all my teammates JOB WELL DONE FELLAS! So now we are back to .500 and in the playoff mix pretty heavily. We still have a lot to do this season, but we're striving every match to PROVE THAT WE BELONG! Every week brings another challenge but as long as we meet the challenge as a team I think we will do just fine.

As for family life, we are making it along pretty well. Monica and I took our dog (Prince) to the beach today. It was his first time at the beach so we were both eager to see how he was going to react. When we got to the beach he stopped for a second and looked at the water as to say "What in the world is that, lol?" If you know Prince he is scared of everything so there was no chance that he was gonna take off and dive in. I took him off his leach and let him run free without a single worry that he would get wet, haha. He ran up and down the shoreline playing with the suds from the waves and had a blast without ever touching the water! It did Monica and I some good to get out of the house today and take a nice walk as well.

Now before I go, I would like to take a few moments to talk about what I believe to be the focal point of my life. There are some people reading this post that are not familiar with who I am within, what I believe in, and how I try to live my life outside of basketball. For those people who do not know, I am a christian. I believe that God sent his only son (JESUS) to die for my sins that I may have eternal life. I am constantly trying to live my life in a manner that will please my God both on and off the floor. I try to emulate him as best as I can. In order to do this I try to read his word(BIBLE) daily. This week when I was in his word, I came across some interesting scriptures that really made me put things in perspective. If I believe that God is ultimately in control of my life (and I do) then I must know that as long as I love him, and try my best to live a righteous life for him, all things will work out for the good! Romans chapter 8:28 says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." As you know from last weeks blog, I was a little frustrated with our loss and my individual play but was determined to get things back on track this week. I knew that this task would require some divine intervention so I was really seeking something from the lord. I read in the book of Samuel how Saul's son Jonathan won a battle in which he was outnumbered and outmatched. Jonathan trusted God and his ability to deliver the victory, and he was blessed for that! We sometimes face overwhelming odds, not just in the game of basketball but more so in the game of LIFE! I speak from personal experience and present circumstances that these huge obstacles do exist. But GOD is never intimidated by the size of the enemy or complexity of a problem. With him, there are always enough resources to resist the pressures and win the battle. If God has called you to action, then bravely commit what resources you have to God, and rely upon him to lead you to victory! -Life Application Study Bible-

When reading this I remembered that this is how my life is governed. This is how I need to live my life! I must trust God in all things and rely on him and not myself for the desired outcome! All my life I have been considered an underdog. However, I have always did more than I was expected to do. Not by my own efforts, but because I can do all things through christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) I encourage everyone to believe the best for your lives and push yourselves beyond the ordinary. In so doing this, you will surely EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!

Backs Against The Wall

Hello Everybody! I hope as you read this blog you are in a great place in your life! I want to take the first few sentences of this week's post to say that I hope all the readers and their families are doing well! I really appreciate you guys following my blog and my life for that matter.

Well this week was very frustrating! We loss a home game on TV by about 20 points! It was frustrating because we worked hard all week long. As for myself, I personally had a great week of practice full of focus, hard work, and sacrifice. All these things normally translate into a good win and a good individual performance. Well this week I got neither! Not only did we lose as a team, but I had a less than stellar performance. I realize that my team needs me to be at my best if we are going to win games, and when I am not it gets under my skin.

Nevertheless, I am still here. I am still focused. I am still hungry. I understand that: The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

So here I am knowing that our BACKS ARE AGAINST THE WALL, but I believe in my teammates and myself to fight our way out! Next week comes with another set of challenges including our first French Cup game and another tough league match up against Orleans ( Euroleague Tean). But hey that's "WHAT WE DO, LOL"

On another note, life off the court is good. The weather here in Le Havre is beginning to turn for the worst, lol. We don't get snow here, but rain is beginning to be a daily thing. This is no surprise because we were told to expect that during the winter season. We have had a chance to do some traveling over the last few weeks and it has been nice. I want to send a special shout out to my agent: Craig Mckenzie, Higher Vision Sports AMG! Thanks for the support. Let's go all the way to the top!

I am going to upload a video blog with this post updating my fans on how the season has been going thus far. I hope you guys enjoy it. Well until next week, stay blessed, and remember to always EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!

Embracing The Process

What's up world!?! I am sitting here watching the Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards play on my european television!! Sport plus is working and in full effect! This is a big deal, lol!

Well, it was a week of improvement and disappointment for J.J. Miller! We lost our road game this week, dropping us to a 3-3 record! We have to do better than this! Small mistakes are killing us right now and we have to get on top of this real quick! I know what we are capable of and I am gonna do everything in my power to get it out of this team. As you can probably tell, I am still hungry, and I realize that even in defeat a valuable lesson is learned! I will EMBRACE THE PROCESS!

On a personal note, I want to Thank God for allowing me to refocus on pushing myself to be the best! If you read last week's post you know that I was on a mission to improve my play from last week. I am happy to say that with the help of the lord, I was able to do just that. Now it is time to put everything together and not look back.

Monica and I spent some time with our close friends Rasheed and Rebecca Wright and their precious little girl Rayne this weekend. We had a blast! It was awesome to be able to spend time with our peeps from the crib! It was a 4 hour drive back from Poitiers but "THE TANK" made the trip with no problem, lol!

Well, I think that is all for this week. I am about to watch the rest of this NBA game and see what I can add to my game to make it better. I am also going to call my lovely mother today to see how she is doing! It is always good to talk to Momma after a loss, lol!

Anyway take care, have a blessed week, and as always remember to EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!

Tough week at the Office

Well, I sit here typing this week's post on a rainy and gloomy Sunday which just happens to be a fitting setting for the way this week went. This past week seemed to be a little bit of a struggle in every phase of my life (professional, personal, and miscellaneous). But even in the midst of a cloudy week the sun found a way to peek out from time to time. So let's take a look at another episode of the Life of JJ Miller.

The basketball week started tough. We ran a lot in the beginning of the week, and practice was a bit more demanding than normal. I think it was because we had just come off an emotional 1 point road victory, and our coaching staff did not want us to get complacent. We were not fluent at all. The more the week progressed the more I felt that we needed to pick it up if we were going to get a win. Personally, I just could not get it going the way I wanted it to go all week. My effort was there but I just could not get the results! Sometimes that's just the way it goes. Unfortunately, we played the way we practiced or maybe I should say that I played the way I practiced! We dropped a crucial home game and now we have to make it up on the road! This will not be an easy task because we play a tough team led by Rasheed Wright! Rasheed is my work out partner during the summer so I know first hand that he can be a problem for us! Bad news for them, is that I am very hungry to get back in my zone, and I plan on getting there this week!!

As for the rest of the week, it really played out just like the basketball side of things. I seemed to have one of those weeks where everything was a little off. I think the main thing that played a negative role in the week was the fact that I did not get to read THE WORD (Bible) like I normally do. I am not sure if it was because of a shortage of time or just because I subconsciously chose not to do so. Whatever the reason, I will try my best not to make that mistake again. The good thing about a week like this one is that I had a chance to learn from the struggle! Wifey and I are a bit closer after having a little spat (one that I was right about as usual), lol! If you are reading this sweetheart I LOVE YOU...HAHA! Anyway, I realize that this week was necessary for growth and I am glad to have experienced it.

Despite the somewhat dismal week, there were some bright spots! Our friends from Belgium came to visit us and we have been having a great time together! We decided to get some Mexican food tonight, which is kind of funny. It was 2 Americans and 2 Belgians eating Mexican food in France, lol! We were at the table eating and enjoying great conversation when I was approached for an autograph! Luckily our friends did not mind because they are familiar with it. They are supporters of my previous club in Belgium! Mark and Diane if you are reading this Thanks for everything! You guys are awesome.

So as I close this week's post, I have to say that I am doing it with some relief to have made it through. I am eager to get next week started so that I can push myself to get better in every aspect of my life. One of my teammates mentioned to me today, "it is not what happens to you that matters, but how you respond to it!" Well I plan on making the most of my response! Take care, have a great week, and as always EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!