53-Destiny or Disappointment?

 Prayer by Brandy Ford, Founder; Game Changers 180

Father, I thank You for being God all by yourself.  You are such a loving, caring, all-knowing and all-seeing God.  Lord, there are families that are enduring transitions, trades, and cuts within the NFL.  This is the time of year that so many are leaning, trusting and depending on You.  Father, favor these families according to Your will and purpose for their lives.  Open slots for them, give them open doors of opportunities and provide unto them smooth transitions.  Lord, I ask for peace over these families. Peace in their hearts, peace in their minds and peace in their spirits. Bring a spirit of calmness to their individual homes.  Allow these families to stand knowing You have a great purpose for them and their futures.  Father, cover these families even while they sleep. I come against the spirit of fear, anxiety and stress that would try to weigh them down and release the spirit of peace, joy and rest. Lord, You know the plans and the thoughts that You think towards them. Thoughts of good and not of evil to give them an expected end. Now let Your word cover their minds and hearts, stir up and strengthen their faith levels for increase and set their feet on a firm foundation in You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Article by Grace Allen

The idea for this specific post came to me after I realized that I was having a repetitive conversation with a few different women, from different teams, in different cities, a few days in a row.  I started thinking that maybe “its” something that more women out there are thinking about with fear, dread, worry, anticipation etcetera, and maybe we don’t all have someone that we can turn to to talk about “it.”  “It” being the 53- man roster that is quickly approaching.  Prior to football, who would've ever thought that 53 would be such a number of significance?  Surely not me, that is until we experienced exactly just how small of a number 53 really is and how the 53 club was not one that we were, for lack of better terms “invited” our first year in the NFL.  I have personally been on the outside waiting to get in, and so that I am not taken as being insensitive, indifferent or apathetic, I'll go ahead and share our story quickly before you read any further.

My husband, Ricardo, was drafted to the Falcons in the 5th round in 2014 as a corner out of Purdue University. Feeling on top of the world after the draft call was received, we had no idea what really lied ahead of us in the upcoming months. Fast forward to training camp in 2014, Rico found himself on a deeeeeep depth chart at the cornerback position behind a few super talented drafted Falcons players, as well as a handful of other super talented free agents who were signed to the Falcons training camp roster. As the preseason games unfolded, depth charts fluctuated and bubble lists made their appearance (while I simultaneously made it my job to search Twitter for the opinions of everyone and their mother); we started to get the vibe that maybe, just maybe, we wouldn't be calling Atlanta home come the end of training camp. It was STRESSFUL, SCARY and it felt like an out of body experience because how does ones “dream come true” (aka draft) just a few weeks prior, and yes, being dramatic here but really- how does it turn into "dreams crashing down" just a few weeks later? Well, my friends, that is the world that we live in and that my friends is exactly what happened. Rico was cut and then signed to the practice squad where he spent 14 weeks and moved to the active roster for the last two games of the season. But, enough of my story because that isn't really what this post is about.  I just wanted all of you to know that I am speaking on something that I am SO VERY FAMILIAR with. And if you're wondering, this story worked out for us and it will for you too.

Let’s just get right to it— this time of year SUCKS. No kinder way to phrase it. It is scary and we have zero control which makes it even scarier. The reality is that most of us are kind of just waiting to know the destiny of our men which also means the destiny of us, our families, our homes and our lives. A small percentage of us know that our men are going to make the roster and for those-I am so truly very happy because you 100% deserve this dream! The reality is while most couples are dealing with similar things such as potential job loss, being fired, demoted,  transferred, etcetera, it is much further into their lives.  Most of us in the league are young. We are not only learning ourselves but we are learning each other-our relationships, marriages, raising our kids and on top of that, we are constantly living in a state of major life changes and last minute decisions. From "will we have a job this year" to "will our kids have to move to a new school mid-season" to "buy or rent?" to "should I go back to school " AND the list goes on!  It is hard. (Btw, I promise that this post is going to look up...just keep reading if you're still with me.)

As we all know by now, the best things in life are the things that don't always come so easy. They're the things that we have to fight for, that make us question our desire to give up, the struggles and eventually what we overcame as a result of our trials. Those are the parts of life that we appreciate the most. Although it isn't easy (and 99.9% of the world knows nothing about these specific struggles that we face or why an article such as this even exists), just know that we were created for these moments. There is a reason that God chose US to be the women at our men’s side. There is a reason that God chose US to be the mamas to our precious babies that at this time of year pretty much only see our faces. It is because He knows that we have enough faith in Him to see through all of these trials that are quite frankly so often, so far beyond our years and our experiences but He knows that we are strong enough. You've made it this far, and this is just the beginning. Embrace whatever it is that lies ahead of you and yours this weekend. Embrace the role that you have been given. Whether it be a starting position, a practice squad spot or anything in between. An opportunity is an opportunity and as we all know, things change quickly in the world of football. As the woman "behind" your man, be that and be as much of just that as you possible can. Lets stand firm, stand strong and stand "behind" him regardless of where you find yourselves following this weekend. The most important thing of all is that you are unwavering. The entire world is their critic but, WE are their safe place. Hug them tight, thank them for working so hard for you and your family and make sure that you give yourself...grace upon grace.

Wishing you all the best and hope to meet you all face to face someday, Grace Allen

Committed to the Cause

Luke 14: 28, “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?” 2 Chronicles 15:7,” But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

Known for many things, women are definitely supporters, nurturers and builders. On a daily basis, you are building relationships, family, businesses, yourselves, community, and most importantly the men God entrusted you with to support. Training camp can be a very stressful time for any NFL family and it seems to come around extremely fast year after year.

As your men are out on the gridiron laying foundations that bring safety nets for your family that will ultimately build an incredible legacy, build alongside him and help him in every area that he may be lacking. God has graced you and gifted you with incredible insight, strategies, wisdom, knowledge and understanding, which are assets and keys to building solid foundations. Many of you are mothers or preparing to become mothers and are trying to ensure that your children are well cared for and safe. Ask God to give you all strength and power to run your household, take care of your children, maintain all of your business affairs and support your husbands, boyfriends and fiancés through the toughest time of the season.

For every builder must count the cost of building a great future and I know each of you counted the cost and examined all of the sacrifices that would come along with being a part of the NFL. You are helping to build something that will benefit generations to come. Every day that you feel tired, frustrated, lonely and ready to give up, know that God is your ultimate contractor and He has all of the plans, details, materials, resources and support workers (called angels) to ensure that your building is completed.No one knows the strength that each of you hold, the grace and the stability that you exercise daily to keep everything together. God has given you a team of co-laborers (other WAGS) that are working alongside of you to encourage you, push you, and give you some extra support to help you and your mate complete your “tower”. Remain committed to the cause and watch God’s commitment to you bring joy, peace, patience and rest.

Hebrews 13:5 says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” God is committed to you in every way. He is there for whatever you need when you need it. Call on Him day or night!

Let’s Pray…

Father, I thank you for the women who are committed to the cause. Give them everything that is necessary to build alongside the men you have given them to help. As they are building, allow them not to become weary in their well doing. Strengthen for the cause, grant unto them peace, understanding, long-suffering, joy and sustainability. Surround them with support, encouragement and arm-lifters when they are tired. Provide them with resources, knowledge and materials that are necessary to complete every task.

Allow them to feel loved and allow them to give love. While in the building process, allow them to remain patient and have great expectation for their desired outcome. Hold their men accountable to your word and instruction and let these women follow their men as they follow Christ. Release peace in their homes and allow them to remain blessed in their coming and in their going. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Game Changers 180 offers prayer and counseling services to NFL families, for more information please email [email protected]

OPEN MY EYES THAT I MAY SEE

Ephesians 1:18, “I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints,”

Psalms 148:8, “The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous.”

I woke up the other morning in panic; my vision was very blurry. Then I realized that I had removed my contacts from the night before and just needed to put on my glasses. Wow, simple fix. Then God reminded me of how we see certain people, things, situations, and circumstances. We begin to panic when we cannot see how things are going to work out or how things are going to look. We tend to have an idea of how we want things to look or assume they will turn out the way we have pictured it.

I realized that once I placed my glasses on my face, my vision came into focus and everything was clear again. When God opens our eyes to see through His eyes and not our own, everything becomes a lot clearer. His perception is greater than ours will ever be. I sat and thought that my prayer should be, God, open my eyes so that I may see, as You would want me to see every situation and circumstance.

Sometimes we are “blind” and do not even know we are. I heard a pastor talk about a situation that happened in his family’s life. He lost his daughter to an asthma attack during one of the holiday seasons. He was an emotional wreck. A few years later, he talked about the complaint he had to God of how it seemed that as the years went by he felt as if he was losing the memories he had with his little girl, and that she was becoming further and further away from him. God gently spoke to him and told him that he was not getting further away from her; he was getting closer. God’s response slightly disturbed him. God told him the more he walked in the direction that He was pointing him into, the closer he was walking to destiny and one day his life in Heaven. This insight made him refocus and acknowledge the fact that every day he was living for God placed him closer and closer to his little girl and it totally opened his eyes to see a little differently. 

All of us see our situations and circumstances differently, but the key is to ask God to show you how He sees what is going on in your life. This will allow you to shift your perspective and grab a hold of what the Bible talks about as the “peace that surpasses your own understanding.”

My challenge to you is to ask God to open the eyes of your understanding when it comes to how you see the world, people, politics, business, family, career, motherhood, being a wife and the life you live in the arena of football. This will ultimately assist you with walking out your full purpose in God and through God.

Let’s Pray…

Father, I thank you for the awesome women who read this prayer. Cover them, lead them, guide them, and over shadow them with your love and grace. Show yourself strong in their lives. Give them eyes to see as you see and a heart that will love as you love.

Cover their families; cover their children and future children, and their husbands. Create peace in their homes and unity with their spouses. Calm their fears and give peace in their hearts with things that seem to try to overwhelm them. Grant unto them blessings beyond their asking or thinking. Provide unto them benefits that will keep them from lacking in anything or any area of their lives.

Where they need joy, fill them up, where they need peace, comfort them and where they need strength give them everything that is necessary to endure as a good soldier. Allow them to see that you are blessing them in the midst of trial and tribulation. Allow them to see that what the enemy meant for their bad; you are setting it up for their good.

Father, you have inclined your ear to hear our hearts cry as it is in heaven so shall it be on earth in Jesus name we pray, Amen!

God has NO limitations…

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Expecting

If you are anything like me (a hopeful and expectant person), then you have more than likely arrived to a place in your life where you are truly believing God to manifest some things for you in the natural. Now, these are not just any little things...NO they are the things that we have been asking and praying and hoping for, for quite some time now. They are the things that we really can’t share with everyone, because we might actually sound crazy if we said them out loud. They are the things that appear in the natural to be absolutely impossible, so much so, that they keep us up at night. You know...those things that we have tried to accomplish over and over again, but we have yet to achieve. I am even speaking about those things that have isolated us and separated us from other people. Simply put, they are the things that we have held near and dear to our hearts…

…and yet, they are the very things that we have allowed to LIMIT God and all that He can and wants do in our lives…

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Limitations

I am so remorsefully guilty for doing this…I start out believing with great expectations, and when life happens, I allow my expectations to transform into limitations. Limiting God in my mind by letting my thoughts go wild and crazy. Limiting God in my heart by settling for what comes fast and easy. Limiting God in my prayers by accepting the notion that “the sky is the limit." I begin to set unrealistic timeframes out of impatience and desperation, as if God is not the author of time. I make suggestions to God on whom He should use, how He should use them, and why he should use them, as if He is not the creator of the earth. I start to doubt the reason why I even began to expect some things from God in the very first place, as if He didn’t give me those desires and placed them in my heart. Listen, God has NO limits! He is not limited to the things we see, the way we feel, or even the life we’ve lived!

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Isaiah 40:28-29 NLT

Reading this scripture speaks directly to my heart, and it lets me know that we can not possibly fathom the things God can do and will use to answer our prayers, to exceed our expectations, to bring healing to our bodies, to deliver a loved one, to make a barren womb fruitful, or to even fight for us. God is such a good good father! He cares about the things we care about. He is interested in the things we are interested in. He knows our limitations but He is not moved by them….He sees what we are up against but He will never let it overcome us!!! Look, I don’t know what you have been waiting on God to do in your life, but I want to encourage you to never give up on God. He knows exactly what He is doing. God has been God a very long time, you can trust Him with your most ridiculous prayers! He is crazy faithful and watches over every word to perform it! If He said it in His word, He will do it!

In closing, I want to encourage you right where you are….with everything you are believing or at one point in your life once believed. God is more than able! He does not give the way this world gives, so get into a posture of renewing your mind about your limitations. And if you have been waiting for what seems like such a long time, let me assure you that God can, and He will make up for all of your lost time. He knows how to get you to where you need to be, in the time that you need to be there…His timing is so perfect. Be inspired my lady, to pray prayers that scare the things that are scaring you, to pray prayers that overcome the things that appear to be overcoming you, to pray prayers that stop the things that are stopping you, to pray prayers that attack the very things that are attacking you and your family, and to pray prayers that limit the things that are limiting you!!! I dare you, no I double dare you to go beyond the sky in your prayer life!!! Pray like you have never prayed before and just let God be God!!

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No Limits

Stay encouraged!! Keep your eyes on where your help comes from….the good Lord! He will strengthen you and help you! The enemy’s weapons will never prosper. Even when the enemy comes in like a flood in your life, trying to wash away all your hope, all your joy, all your trust, all of your patience, and all your faith….Our God will build a mighty mighty standard against him, he shall never prevail!!!! Until next time, I want to leave you with two scriptures to hide in your hearts when you feel your expectations are becoming limitations…

Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. Psalm 27:14 AMP

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe in him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also the world to come. Ephesians 1:19-21 NLT

Keep on believing and never stop until you receive it!!! The sky is NOT your limit...I will be praying for you!!!

Cast Your Cares

Cast Your Cares1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.”

Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

I remember a few months ago, I was worried about so many different situations that were occurring in my life.  I recall trying to figure out what was going to happen with my health, what God’s plans were for my ministry, how I was going to continue supporting my family members and how I was going to continue to work hard at my day job while fulfilling the assignment God had given me with all of the moving parts of Game Changers 180.  Life had begun to become overwhelming.

Known for being a strategist and a problem solver, I was exhausting myself trying to figure out the perfect game plan, Ha! God must have been looking down on me shaking His head. He must had said, "my child, if you just cast all of these cares on me I will work all of these things out for you."  It hit me that the word of God reminds us that God knows the thoughts and the plans that He thinks towards me. Thoughts of good and not of evil, to give me a hope and an expected end. Wow! God’s word never fails.

God reminding me of His word put me in a place to stop worrying and instead placed me in a place of more prayer and study. The more I sought God and was reminded of His spoken word, the more the weight of stress lifted from me. The more I began to trust that God had everything under control and that He just wanted me to rest in Him knowing that He could not lie and that He was surely going to provide a solution for every situation I was facing.

I don’t know each one of your situations or circumstances, but I do know that God has an answer for you and the only thing He is asking you to do is to cast all of those cares upon Him. He is strong enough to handle every situation. God’s strength is perfect in our weakness. I challenge you to increase your prayer, study time with God, and watch how the peace of God will begin to over shadow you.

Let’s Pray…

Father, I thank You for the opportunity to come before You with open hearts. You have instructed us to come to You when we feel labored and heavy with the cares of this world. Father, teach us in Your ways. Give us insight, clarity, wisdom and the perfect game plan to overcome every situation and circumstance that we may face. Father, keep us faithful to Your spoken word and grant our strength when we feel weak.

Lord, thank You for supplying every one of our needs according to Your riches and glory. Grant us peace in our coming and our going and rest when we lay down. Allow us to lay aside every weight that so easily besets us so that we may live a life of freedom in You.

Thank You for Your loving kindness that You show towards us daily and remind us that You have benefits for us every day. Let us not miss one blessing that You have in store for us and let us give freely to others as You have given freely to us. Lord, bless our families and loved ones to give them peace of mind and hearts of joy and gratefulness. Lord, we thank You for inclining Your ear to hear our prayer in Jesus name we pray AMEN!

I Believe in the GOD in Me

“I Believe In The God In Me”

Mark 9:24b, “….Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.”

You will inevitably become a product of what you believe in. This is a truth because your decisions are based on your beliefs. One thing that holds true is that your husbands believed in you and that’s why you are married today. The second truth is that they do and have also believed in themselves. They have come to this place in life that they committed and worked so hard to get to, but they couldn’t have done it without your love and support.

Just like you have to make a daily and conscious decision to believe in who God created you to be, you also have to believe in the fact that the God living in you is greater than any situation or circumstance that you will ever face.

As women, it seems as though we are constantly fighting a battle of believing in who we are, what God has called us to do, if we are good enough, pretty enough, fit enough, strong enough, loving enough, nurturing enough and the list goes on and on. One thing that I know about God is that He makes no mistakes. Not ever! He fearfully and wonderfully made you in His likeness and in His image. The trick of the enemy is to fight against what God has said about you so that you don’t accomplish the thing(s) you were sent by God to accomplish. Daily you must build up your most holy faith, and that starts with your prayer time and bible study time. Here are 6 things you must believe about yourself to understand the BIG God that is on the inside of you shining on the outside of you (these are according to Blaine Bartel):

1. I have been given power over the devil (1 John 4:4)
2. I have been given power over every circumstance in my life (Mark 11:23)
3. I have a strong body that has been healed by the stripes taken on Jesus’ back (Matthew 8:17)
4. I have the ability to control my mind and cast out evil thoughts (2 Cor. 10:4,5)
5. I am poised for success and will not accept any defeat as final (1 Cor. 15:57)
6. I hate sin but love all people and have favor everywhere I go (Proverbs 12:2)

Remember that God The Father (HE is your Father) is bigger than any and everything! You have the greatest covering, love and cheering squad living on the inside of you.

Let’s Pray…

Father, thank You for your awesomeness and loving kindness. You have given us the greatest gift and that was Your son, Jesus Christ. Lord, I thank You, that you will strengthen these women in every area of their lives. Show them the way You see them and not the way they see themselves. Allow them to lean on You for everything that they need. Allow them to see your greatness and how it over shadows their lives. In every empty place fill them up until they overflow. In every dry place replenish with life and abundance. I speak increase, love, peace and joy over their lives. Thank you Lord for inclining Your ear to hear our petition. As it is in heaven so shall it be on earth in Jesus name, Amen.

Seek the Audience of One During the Crazy Holidays

Psalms 55:22 - Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. 1 Peter 5:7 - Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

As the end-of-year holidays rapidly approach, we as women are often so wrapped up in the festivities, taking on every responsibility and making sure every detail is organized for every single person in our lives, that we often fail to come back to the audience of one.

The One who centers us, balances our lives, regulates our heartbeat, steadies our footing and reminds us that as we sit with Him, He comforts us. God desires time with us, to hear what is on our hearts and minds. He is the one person that will always care about YOU and you can cast every single one of your cares upon and KNOW that He cares for you; and nothing you can ever tell Him is too heavy or too much.

In the busy times, in the rushed times, when it seems like we just don't have enough time ... He is still faithful to call us to Him. No matter how long your to-do list is or how many things are pressing for your time, make sure you stop and take time for the most important audience you will ever sit or stand before ... Your Lord and Savior ... the audience of One!

Let's Pray ...

God I thank You for being a great God, a BIG God who is capable of hearing every detail of our heart and caring so much for us that You never stop calling us to your presence. Thank you for sustaining us, for being our safe place, our place of peace and comfort. Lord even as the holiday season is upon us, keep our hearts reminded that You are still the center of it all. Allow us to be grateful and thankful. Show us how to love as we never have, to embrace those who many would turn away from, and to hold tight to our faith. Lift heavy hearts, ease troubled minds and let us walk with grace and peace in Jesus name. Amen