Affirmation #194 by Susan

  I am on the winning side. Colossians 2:15
  "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it (the cross)." NKJV
  "In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross." JCB

  To get a better understanding of this passage and the affirmation, I'm going to include verse 13 and 14.
  "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross." JCB

  I played softball a long time ago over the course of a few summers. For some reason my team always ended up at the bottom of the league. It took the fun out of it, losing all the time. Oh, we'd win the odd game but most of the time the team was taken to the cleaners.
  The athletic ability was there. I remember one hot Saturday afternoon successfully driving half a dozen balls far into the outfield. Only...every single one of them was a foul ball, outside the baseline, and therefore didn't count. The right fielder got tired of playing fetch and, in the end, the pitcher won by striking me out.  (smile)
  It's funny what we remember.
  The athletic ability was there...perhaps, with some extra coaching these skills might have been honed. Perhaps, with some guidance foul balls would have become fair. Perhaps, had I practiced hitting a bit more...
  Mastering any skill takes practice. It takes study. It takes taking what is learned and applying it. It takes diligence and dedication. It takes having an awesome coach or teacher or peer or mentor who is able to draw out and expand innate abilities.
  To be on the winning side means making mistakes and learning from them.

  To be a woman of faith, on the greatest team in the universe, means I trust that the Lord will correct me when I am wrong, forgiving me in the process. He will encourage me to practice forgiving others until it becomes automatic. I trust He will guide me when I don't know where to go. I trust He will weep with me in sorrow or laugh with me in joy.
   I trust the knowledge that He died for me, for us, so we may come to know Him better.
  Victory isn't a destination, it's living life to the fullest through Jesus Christ.

  I think I've finally, after all these years, hit a home run. Amen!