Hmmm...World Cup, Famous people, and Prayer?

I want to start by saying that I am back in the "land of the eternal spring" aka Guatemala. It feels good to be home. I was so sad to say goodbye to so many that I love and especially hard to leave my family, but it is nice to be back. I missed by boys and I missed the girls and I just missed my work here at the orphanage. I did NOT miss the rain though...and, my friends, that is all that it has been doing here lately. Thanks to Hurricane Alex, we have had nothing but rain and cold dreary weather. The cold I can handle...it is my excuse to break my only one cup of coffee a day rule and indulge, but I am in fact, tired of the rain. I was so looking forward to lots of time in the sun and the pool while I was stateside, and unfortunately it rained most of the time I was in there...it keeps following me! But, God wants it to rain to thank you for the rain, Lord!

Anyway, enough about that. I seriously think that I need some sort of machine that I can just hook up to my head so that all of my random thoughts can magically be turned into blogs. I love blogging...seriously, I love getting my thoughts all out. (I also really love blog stalking...shhh though!) Even if there aren't a whole lot of people out there actually reading this, I enjoy looking back on times before and remembering the lessons God was teaching me or even the hard times I have passed through. It blesses me and it is my prayer, that some of my ramblings bless others. However, these days time to actually blog is eluding me...I just can't seem to find it. So sad, I know...for me anyway. How do you all do it???

Well, living here in Latin America, it is pretty much a sin to not LOVE soccer. Seriously, you have to love it...if you don't, you are going to find yourself very bored at the endless matches, pickup games, talks of soccer, and well just all hype that is forever surrounding the sport. Thankfully, I have always enjoyed soccer. I never loved it quite as much as I did football, but I liked it. Times have changed though and the hubby and all the other soccer lovers around here have converted me...and I too now LOVE soccer. Seriously, I get so excited at the kids games (I literally peed my pants at one of their games when it got down to penalty kicks and we won...oh and P.S. that was before pregnancy! eek!)

Needless to say, most of work and fun has revolved around soccer these last few weeks and the World Cup games. All of the girls have a different favorite team and get all decked out in their colors when the games are on. Hubby has converted me into an Argentina fan...all of us have our gear and I must admit it is fun to get all dressed up to cheer for our team. Well as the girls are out of school this week, we have been trying to do lots of other fun things together as a family that we normally wouldn't have time to do. It has been great. On Tuesday, we took them into the city to see one of the games at the movie theater. That is right folks. Here in good ole' Guatemala, you can actually watch World Cup soccer matches on the big screen at the movie theater...awesomeness abounds people. It was great fun and even more fun because it was a nail-biting game between Spain and Portugal. Being honest, I don't really care about Spain one way or another...I like them but I have had other favorites in this Cup. However, I seriously, do NOT like Portugal....due to the famous Cristiano Ronaldo. Here is a picture of him...

Do you recognize him? Well, most faithful soccer followers probably do. He is pretty famous in the soccer world...partly due to his actual playing skills and mostly due to his looks. Other females seem to think he is pretty good looking...not so much me. Well, I can't stand the guy to be honest. I think I actual used the word hate at one point...very disappointing of me I know. But seriously, he drives me nuts. He is very arrogant, prideful, a sore loser, not a team player, and there are rumors he has abused past girlfriends. Not my kind of guy for sure.

Those of you following the Cup know that Portugal got defeated 1-0 by Spain...great news. Portugal gone and most importantly Ronaldo gone. However, that night as I was laying in bed and thinking about it all (the girls had just got done talking about it again...that is why it was fresh in my mind), I started thinking about how so often we think about sports figures or actors or singers or other famous people as bigger than life. Sometimes it is because they become idols and sometimes it is just because we think we can say or think or talk about them however we want...with no consequences. I started thinking about how I would feel about this young soccer player if I actually knew him. Maybe he is all those things that I think he is...maybe every one of those things is true about him. But, what if I had watched him grow up or I had been his babysitter or maybe if he was my own relative. Would I use such words such as "distain" or "hate" with such freedom? I kind of doubt it. Maybe if he was my brother or neighbor or classmate, I would still see the same things I see in him now, but I am sure I would also see that he is lost...he is lost and is probably using all of those things to try and fill the void that Jesus isn't filling. Hmmm...that really got me thinking. Have I ever prayed for him? I can definitely say no I have not...nor have I ever really prayed for many other public or famous people (outside of the President and other politic leaders...I do try to pray for them).

My "no" really humbled me. I have been judging this young man...hoping for his defeat. I have been wanting him "to go down" so to speak...I wanted him out of the competition so that others that I thought were more worthy could keep playing. Shame on me...shame on me for spending more time rooting for him to fail than praying for him to change...praying for him to find Jesus. This goes beyond just Cristiano Ronaldo. How many of you all have been watching some sort of program on T.V. and said "Oh she isn't even pretty" or "Look at how he is dressed" or "What in the world were they thinking."? Granted there is a certain amount of criticism that those seeking fame and fortune know is coming their way...but who am I to be giving it? Am I the Judge?

In general, I think that my prayer life lately has been seriously lacking. I know I have not been interceding on the behalf of many like I know I should and like I would like. There are many others I want to be spending time on my knees praying for...not just this soccer player. But, it did get me thinking about how loose my tongue is and how it really is important that we are praying for all these young men and women out there in the spotlight...whether or not they asked for the criticism doesn't change the fact that ultimately they will be standing before the Judge as all of us will someday. They are just as in need as Jesus as those I am here trying to serve. Just something to think about...

On a lighter note though, my very dear, dear friend Mims is here with another one of her friends (who is quickly becoming a dearie as well). It is SO FUN getting to work alongside of her again and just getting to see her smiley face each day. I love how with good friends, it doesn't matter how much time has passed since you last saw each other...you can just pick right up where you left off. I will be posting more pictures of our current adventure. But for now, here is a blast from the past. Love you Mims and I am so glad you and Ashley are here serving alongside me these next few weeks!