Why does timing always seem to be off when it comes to our relationships? How can it be that we find the "love of our life" a month before moving to a new city? And how annoying is it when the "perfect guy" has a long time girlfriend? If only we would have met earlier, or if only he didn't have that girlfriend, things would work out and it would it be PERFECT. Is this what we actually believe? Or is it just something we say to comfort ourselves? What're we doing blaming all of our failed relationships on timing? The simple truth about timing is, it sucks and it's an obstacle, but when it comes down to it, the perfect person will be timeless. As many excuses as we have, we make time for the people we want to, no matter how busy we are. The plans and adventures you had for your life were all amazing before, but with the right person, they become even better. I will never say that there is not a possibility to grow apart and then back together with someone. But I will say we shouldn't sit around waiting for the timing with a specific person to be right. We also shouldn't try to force timing with someone who may not be right for us. If we trust in God and pray for those we have loved and those who we will, I'm going to bet that that is the best way to find our timeless love. 
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7) Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

We've heard it a  million times, confidence is key. But how exactly are we supposed to gain this confidence? For some, it comes easily. For others, it may take some work. Confidence should not be dependent on a situation, nor should we seek it through recognition by others. When it comes down to it, all the confidence we need can be found in the Lord. We were made INTENTIONALLY by the Creator of the universe and given full confidence by Him. We should take comfort and rest in this. His work is nothing but wonderful and His choice to love each individual into existence was no mistake. Our confidence, our drive, our success, it comes from the Lord, and in everything we do we should offer it to Him. 
For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139: 13-14) 

God's timing is a funny thing. It never seems to line up with ours, and I don't know about you, but that frustrates me. I have all of these great plans and ideas in my head and a timeline in which I want them to happen only to be told "NO"!? It's hard for me to believe that there could be a better situation or timing for me other than the one I have in mind, but the crazy part is, there always is. You would think after being proven wrong on this time after time again, I would have gotten it by now, but each time, like the last, is equally as frustrating. The thing lacking here is patience. I, like many others, like to take things into my own hands, not being in control of something drives me absolutely crazy. "Whatever is supposed to happen will happen," this has to be my least favorite saying of all time. When I've just finished ranting about a situation and that's the best advice someone has to offer me it makes me want to never talk to them again. When in all reality, it's a solid statement and there should be comfort taken in it. We should take comfort in knowing that we don't have to be in control of everything. And a lot of times we can learn and grow more being in the passenger's seat rather than the driver's. God's got you, He knows what you're supposed to end up doing, how you're going to end up there, and even who is going to end up there with you. And as hard as it may be to believe, it is a plan that is far greater and even more rewarding than the one you had so surely chosen for yourself.
(Proverbs 3:5-6) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Being a collegiate athlete is hard. It's hard at any level, JC, NAIA, D3, D2, D1. Most athletes are working out at 5 am multiple times a week on top of practicing for upwards of three hours a day, 6 days a week. This doesn't include the individual training each athlete does outside of practice, mental and physical. In season, teams play up to 60 games, many of them requiring them to travel. Like I said, being a collegiate athlete is hard, but it's not impossible. The hard part is doing it well. I'm not here to talk about athletic performance, I'm here to talk about what seems to be deemed less important by many involved in college athletics, academics. For some reason, many athletes, coaches, and even universities don't put education first. It's about your performance on the field, not in the classroom, all that matters is that you're eligible. It doesn't matter if you're on track to graduate, or if you're thriving or passionate about your major. But when it comes down to it, it's up to the athlete to decide what they want to get out of their college education. Roughly 2% of college athletes are able to play professionally after college. The other 98% have to learn how to be a part of the "real world", and that might be hard. Athletes spend their whole lives training for their sport, how are they supposed to just be thrown into the "real world?" There are many great lessons you can learn from sports that can apply to life outside of athletics, the trick is to actually apply them. Taking advantage of early registration, the times you're in class, and the opportunities you are given through your university is so important as a student-athlete. I can promise that any athlete that puts half as much passion and effort into their career, as they did their sport, will find success in any field they pursue. 
 (Colossians 3:17) "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Falling victim to ever situation that doesn't end in our favor is clearly the easiest way to do away with our problems in life. It can be hard to admit when we've done something wrong or when we are at fault. Sometimes we don't realize the pedestal that we place ourselves on is much too high. There is a great amount of pride at stake in everything we do these days, being wrong about anything is simply not an option, seeing as it would make us inferior to our peers. And when something doesn't end in our favor or makes us look bad, it couldn't possibly be our fault, it's the fault of someone else or our "unfair circumstances." What we are truly afraid of is failure, if we are never wrong and nothing is ever our fault then we are safe from this. The people that can admit when they are wrong and take responsibility for their shortcomings and mistakes are the ones that I respect the most. Admitting that you are not in anyway the most intelligent or talented human on the planet isn't any new information, but it's important to admit in order to have a humble lifestyle. In the past month I've tried something, I've tried to be completely open and honest with people, about what I know and don't know, and it's been great. There is no stress to know everything or to be able to execute every task with perfection, and people appreciate the honesty, and maybe even find it comical when there's a little bit too much. At the center of it all is the desire to live humbly, and to serve the only One who does know it all.
Matthew 23:10-12 “Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
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To affirm is to validate, to confirm, or to assert. What role does affirmation play in our everyday lives? In a perfect world it should be something that is heavily incorporated in communication with others. The issue is, most of the time we avoid communication at all costs. Today instead of communicating with one and other we subtweet, we use third parties, and when we do actually talk to each other it is rarely to the point. We're all guilty of it, but why is this? I think in most situations it's because we fear that what we have to say will not resonate well with our peers and we feel that this could make us appear undesirable to others. It is extremely important to communicate and to communicate honestly with the people in our lives. Honest and open communication is what grows our friendships and relationships. It can be hard to communicate with people, especially when what we have to communicate makes us vulnerable, but this is the best way to grow in relationship with one and other. When it comes down to it, we only have so much time, and certainly not enough time to let things go unsaid because of fear. One of the most important forms of affirmation is positive affirmation. Positive affirmation is a reinforcement in which we assure the people in our lives in a kind way. A lot of times this seems to be swept under the rug and deemed unimportant in our everyday lives. We don't think to throw out compliments to the people we see walking down the street or even the people closest to us. We take for granted the relationships we have in place already and don't feel it's necessary to use positive affirmation to further these relationships. Everyone needs reminders that they are important and that people care about them. When it comes down to it, you never know what a compliment can do for someone. You should never feel embarrassed or ashamed to tell someone that you care, or to simply tell them that what they're doing does not go unnoticed, that they are appreciated. I promise that giving someone positive affirmation will never take anything away from you and it can make a bigger impact in people's live than we can even imagine.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
-1 Thessalonians 5:11