Update & Ways to Partner
We’ve had an unprecedented response to this year’s tournament. We had to close registration early and I’ve continued to have to turn players away because we are full. We will be welcoming 250+ players to Bent Tree next Friday through Sunday August 11-13th. We are grateful to all of our incredible sponsors who have partnered with us to make this event possible. Please keep your eye on our social media accounts over the next several days as we begin recognizing them.
We’re going to have a very competitive field as we have pickleball players from all over our area coming to compete in Women’s, Men’s & Mixed Doubles. We have divisions for four different skill levels joining us: 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 & 4.5. Our tourney has gained a reputation for treating players right and showing them that we value them being with us.
As we prepare in the last few days there are some ways that our partners can be involved. I’ll share those below.
VOLUNTEER – We are in need of several volunteers to serve in different areas throughout the 3 days of the tournament. We are running our tournament through the online software tool pickleballbrackets.com. You can go to the link below for our tournament. Click on the black button on the right “Click to Volunteer”. If you don’t have an account it will ask you to create one. Accounts are free. If you’re not interested in doing that you can email our friend Lena, our volunteer coordinator, at Jammin.for.Joy.volunteer@gmail.com to get signed up.
DOOR PRIZES – One way we had value to our players is by providing door prizes. Maybe some of you own or work at a business that could provide a door prize. Also many of you have favorite local restaurants that might consider donating a gift card. If you can provide a gift card please let me know via email: steve@thejoyhouse.org or phone 706-253-7569.
COURT SPONSORS – We still have room to add Court Sponsors. You will be promoted among our 250+ players and volunteers from all over the north metro area by a sign placed on one of our courts. We also will promote you to our 3600+ followers on Facebook.
Please be praying for this year’s tournament that it is a great experience for our players as we continue making a difference in the lives of those we serve. |
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2 Timothy 3:16-17 states “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”.
What does this really mean for the life of the Christian and how do we apply it to counseling? Let’s walk through it carefully and reverently. When looking at “All Scripture”, Paul is reminding Timothy, and us, that the Old and New Testament is breathed out by God. There are 2 authors of Holy Scripture. The secondary authors are those who physically wrote the words (i.e Paul, Peter, Moses, David). The primary author is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit inspirited each person to write exactly what God wanted them to write down (2 Peter 1:20-21). If we doubt God’s Word, then ultimately, we doubt the nature of God himself. But, if we believe what Jesus says about the Word of God (John 17:17), then we ought to believe in the inerrancy, infallibility, and authority of it. As we move out of our foundation of understanding and where knowledge is rooted, we are told 4 major applications where God’s Word is profitable for using in our everyday life.
It is good for teaching (instruction), reproof (conviction), correction (restore), and training in righteousness. If we attempt to counsel anyone without the use of God’s Word, whose instruction are we giving to them? If we seek to convict the counselee without the use of God’s Word, whose standard are we using? If we seek to restore or give hope to a counselee outside of God’s Word, where will the counselee find hope? If we seek to train our counselee in righteousness outside of God’s Word, where are they going to be trained? In biblical/pastoral counseling, our source of wisdom and authority only comes from the living Word. The goal of biblical counseling and the use of God’s authoritative word is to equip the man or woman of God for every good work and that they are complete. When you are tempted to getting a divorce, run to God’s Word on the matter. When you are enslaved to a particular sin (drugs, pornography, overeating, or spending habits) run to God’s Word in understanding the heart of the sin. Simply put, the problem is sin and when we attempt to cover the sin without Jesus, then we are attempting to change without the transformational power of the Holy Spirit.
So, where are you getting counsel? Who has your ear when it comes to how you should react to the pressures of life? When your anger is explosive and it leaves your victim wounded, where does your hope for change come from? My prayer is that it is found in Christ with the use of His Word. God has something to say about the issue you are going through, are you willing to listen and address it God’s way? |
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With the addition of the new girls’ home and the reopening of the boys’ home, the Joy House Academy has grown! We are now almost at capacity. With that growth, we have been so fortunate to be able to add two part-time classroom assistants. We welcome Mrs. Laura Neal and Mrs. Jenn English, whose presence and assistance make a world of difference every day. Both ladies are the evidence of God’s provision; Mrs. Maralie, one of our intake coordinators, happens to be the daughter of Mrs. Laura. It was through Maralie that Mrs. Laura became acquainted with the Joy House. Mrs. Jenn is the wife of Dan, our maintenance man. She mentioned one day that she would be interested in volunteering, and tada! Our needs for help were met. What a maestro God is!
Our volunteers are so important to us as well. Mrs. Tina Mabry has been working with our girls to provide some PE activities every two weeks. They have enjoyed it so much. Now we are blessed that Mr. Patrick McMorrow is working with our boys as a volunteer, providing PE activities and mentoring. Finally, Mr. Russ DeSimone, a mechanical engineering graduate of Georgia Tech, is now volunteering as a math tutor once a week. We are so thankful for all that God continues to provide! |
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