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!