FCA Soccer Ministry Glimpse

http://vimeo.com/34383413

Allen Hills (Community Ministry) - Allen Hills is a section 8 government funded apartment complex off of MLK and 285. I was led to this community to do soccer ministry by a high school basketball coach that was doing ministry there as well. Since October 2010, I have been doing soccer clinics bi-weekly (with the summer off) with anywhere from 20-40 kids. It is beautiful to see how these relationships have grown over the last 15 months. I have chosen 3 families to go deeper with. I take these children to church on Wednesday nights and seek to be a dependable mentor / coach in their lives. I get so excited thinking about the impact this ministry's presence could have in that community over the years as we are hoping to start a soccer academy with kids ages 7-12.

South Cobb High School (Campus Ministry) - I started building relationships to the players / coaches at SCHS this past spring. The coaches were always so kind to me and the players were so excited whenever I would bring them vitamin waters and invite them to FCA Summer Camp. One of the campers wrote me this fall and asked if I would help her train in the off-season for soccer. I thought this would be an awesome opportunity to continue mentoring players that became Christians at camp and also fill a need for the coaches. Since October an FCA volunteer, Jessica Christ and I have been going to practices at their school to help with skills and also do a short Bible study after Monday practice. The hope is that this spring Jessica will step in as the team's chaplain. Meaning, she will continue the Bible Study weekly with the girls and also make an effort to serve the coaches by bringing them lunch, praying for them, and being available and ready to share the gospel with these coaches!

Georgia State University (Campus Ministry) - This fall FCA Soccer director, Jorge Vallejo was lead to meeting the coach and players at GSU to see if there was an opportunity to serve the team with a chaplain. He then asked me if I wanted to do this. Having done some chaplaincy work with Atlanta's pro soccer team, I thought this would be a great fit! We are now going through the book of John and about 11 players from the soccer team come weekly! 9 of which are freshman! It is a beautiful challenge for me to mentor / disciple these girls as many of them are searching towards a personal relationship with Jesus, while others are growing an already established relationship with Him.

Personal Hell --> Daily Decision

Wow, I am blown away by the response from my last blog post. I am so blessed to be able to share my victory with others and have them celebrate WITH me! So first of all, thank you.

Second, I want to share this short article I just read this morning with you called The Food Idol. If you are wondering whether or not you struggle with gluttony, this article will ask you questions that will help you answer that question.


Third, I want to share another funny testimony to help you understand the depths of my slothfulness and gluttony.

I used to joke about how some people believe that hell is personalized to whatever the individual hates the most. Wanna know mine? Hehe. It was running while reading. I literally imagined myself on a treadmill with words on a projector screen in front of me. And if I would stop reading the words on the screen, the treadmill would speed up so I had no choice but to read!

Before reading The Bondage Breaker a couple months ago (which kick-started this newfound freedom), I hadn't read a book, cover to cover since grade school (and we are talking like, James and the Giant Peach). In college, I had friends read the book out loud to me as I took notes, because I could never discipline myself to read.

God is so good, that now I am willfully reading daily (30-45 min) and running (30min) at least 4x a week. And get this, I am actually enjoying it! Since September (2 months ago) I have read 3 books. Again, only something that could happen by the power of Jesus, who is still alive and well and lives in me!

I do not know what you are bound by, but I know that Jesus wants to break all the bondages in your life. Please don't settle by living a life of fear. As believers, we have nothing to FEAR! But God himself.

Feel free to contact me about reading this book or starting the study. I would love to be praying for you and help support you in any way. 

20 pounds lighter

Setting Captives Free, The Lord's Table is a 60-Day interactive course that will teach you to enjoy a newfound relationship with the Lord. You will find freedom from the sin of gluttony, by learning to follow biblical and practical ways, as you daily proceed through this course.


20 pounds lighter in 60 days time


I find myself really not wanting to write this post. Mainly, because I do not want to draw attention to myself, but I feel so strongly that my freedom from overeating is something I must share with others. Something I know others can experience through www.settingcaptivesfree.com. They also have other studies for sexual purity, gambling, substance abuse, self injury. If you know anyone that is seeking freedom in these areas please refer them to this site. 


Let me make something clear, I could not and have not successfully lost weight before doing The Lord's Table study. In the past, I have attempted to lose weight by exercising or eating healthy foods, but I have never managed to lose more than a few pounds for a short time period. I knew with this biblical approach I would be forced to see overeating as a sin against the Lord and really DO something about it. 


Eating.


Food has been my drug for as along as I can remember. When I was 11 years old I could eat an entire Kraft Box of Mac & Cheese by myself. This habit and addiction does not disappear until it is attacked head on, with help from others (specifically the mentor I had during the course & my accountability partner), and without replacing that addiction with something positive. Not only something positive but something REAL. This study jokes about being called, "Jesus Watchers". We are encouraged not to watch our weight, what kind of foods we eat, but to be daily / hourly feeding at the Lord's table.


The study consists of a strict eating plan: two normal days, two half days, two liquid days, and one fast (water only) day a week. They also encourage 30 minutes of cardio 6 days a week.


The first week I was going through withdrawals of my drug. I felt very bored as most of my days' pleasure was removed from me! I was squirming for something to fill this gap. I knew through worship, prayer, reading, memorizing scripture, I would be reminded of why I thirst and hunger and learn the difference between spiritual and physical hunger. Then remind myself where I could find living water.


These are the verses that I clung to these last 60 days:
"For my God will meet all of your needs according to Hi glorious riches in Jesus Christ." 
       Philippians 4:19


"For my eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare."
       Psalm 25:15

Before

After

Exercising. 


I have always hated running. In fact, I could never do anything other than sprints because I would constantly hear, "you should stop running right now. why would you continue putting yourself in pain? 3 more laps will feel like forever." Seriously, these negative thoughts would overcome me and I could hardly run a mile without stopping. Not because I wasn't in shape, but because I couldn't break the negative thought pattern. I had taken sports psychology tips, but I never could never break through. 


About 3 weeks into the study, I was on the bike one night and I thought, "Who am I kidding?" So i stopped and went over to the treadmill. About 3 minutes into the run I was having all those negative thoughts and decided to stop at 5 minutes. Then all that came into my head was, "Do you trust me?" I have been gaining this knowledge of who God is and how He breaks bondages but did I really BELIEVE he could help me run a mile without stopping?


I had no choice, I had to trust. I kept running and treated each minute as a victory. That night bondages were broken. You can laugh. Running a mile without stopping may be an easy thing for you. But that night I told Satan, you cannot run my life. You cannot be the master of my thoughts. You cannot keep me in a negative thought pattern that will keep me from experiencing freedom in Christ!


I now run about 4x a week for 30 minutes. Cutting back the walking breaks to only two minutes during that run. 


And every week I stretch myself to run a little longer, a little harder, a little faster.
And every week I stretch myself to trust a little longer, a little harder, a littler faster.


God is good. I do not only know Him. I do not JUST have a relationship with Him. But I love Him. And I show that through taking care of the body and mind he has given me. 


Worship. 


I would have never had the courage to do something like setting captives free without reading The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson. If you can relate to some of the things I have shared, please consider reading that book to claim your freedom in Christ.

A message from Jorge

"As you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory"

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Dear Teammate,

We live in a culture where being a father is something you are and not something you do. Where children, especially men, are growing up to be men without knowing how to be a man simply because nobody modeled that for them. Where girls do not understand the beauty of their femininity simply because nobody modeled the love of a father to his daughter and wife. Some lack the physical presence of their father while some even though their father is present physically, yet he is absent and disengaged emotionally and spiritually. So…

We see the need, the pain and brokenness fatherlessness is causing to our communities and here is where FCA Soccer Ministries gets to serve, minister and act as fathers to many fatherless children and families. The pictures below are from our soccer academy program at Allen Hills in Atlanta, a section 8 housing project. At Allen Hills we get to use the platform of soccer to teach not only skills in the sport of soccer, but also to build community and bring about social change through the modeling of fatherhood. And we do so, as encouraged in the verse above, by simply encouraging, comforting, and sharing through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All we do, really, is model the example that was given to us by our Father in Heaven through Jesus Christ.

I want to thank you for coming along side us in support to reach this fatherless generation. I hope that through the pictures you can see the impact God is having through this community by simply being PRESENT in their lives.

In closing, I want to encourage and challenge you with a quote that says: "Wherever you are, be all there." Therefore, wherever the Lord our God has you right now BE PRESENT.

Thank you for your support,

P.S. If you are in the Atlanta area and would like to experience this program hands-on please send me an email. I would love to get you involved as we are praying for more volunteers with a passion to model fatherhood to these children and their families.

Jorge Vallejo

Director of FCA Soccer Ministries

Click here to see pictures of our last soccer clinic

When Enough is Enough

Sometimes I turn the music off and just talk to God

I tell him about my day, how I am feeling, what my needs are

But I want today to be different...

God

I am tired of talking AT you

Or telling you what I need

You know all of those things

You are so much bigger than my petitions

You placed me where I am today

You are well aware of what I am feeling

You know what I need

But do I really know what I need?

Jesus ALL I NEED IS YOU

“My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:8

So if I am not talking at you

Or asking you for things

What do we talk about?

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17

Lord I repent for my…

Prideful spirit

Fearing everyone and everything but YOU

Not trusting you

Being anxious for nearly everything

Anxiety and fear have become idols in my life

They have taken your place

I am addicted to fear

I am addicted to feeling anxious

When I am not fearing or anxious, my mind does not know where to turn

Jesus, take this from me

“My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.” Psalm 25:!5

Jesus you fulfill my every need

Lord, I can talk about you all day

I can read the Bible and every Christian book

I can be in 100 small groups

I can encourage others to fall at your feet and worship you

I can fast for you

But I can do all of those things and still not BE WITH YOU

“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.” Isaiah 58:9

Jesus, I want to be with you

I want to speak your language

I want to walk with you

I want to touch you

Jesus you are enough

“And my God will meet all of your needs according to his glorious in Christ Jesus.”

Philippeans 4:19