Let's Finish Well and Not Tire of Doing Good

Galatians 6:9-10 English Standard Version (ESV) 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. As we head to the Texas Homeschool Basketball Tournament I want to encourage all of us to follow Galatians 6:9-10. I have been to enough of these tournaments to know that as the days move on and we all get tired and weary we have to try even harder to hold our feelings and emotions in check. Please know that as these tournaments progress it seems that the referees call fewer and fewer calls. As it says in the Bible what you sow you will reap, I wholeheartedly believe that if I question and disrespect the referee(an authority figure in the game of basketball) I am teaching my child to question and disrespect my authority. Given that, I want to remind you of the expectations of our program regarding our behavior towards referees as well as towards our children and towards each other. I want to ask that as we go through the state tournament that each of us remember the parents' and the players' pledges. A few key reminders this weekend are: I will 1. Follow the complaint policy and use the Matthew 18 principle when dealing with any conflict or concerns 2. Not criticize or coach my child from the stands during games. I will only verbalize encouraging comments during the game. 3. Honor those in authority including coaches and umpires or referees by accepting at all times their decisions without argument, grumbling, or gesturing of any kind. If there are issues or questions, I will not address those with the coach before, during, or immediately after a game, but rather at an agreed-upon time with the coach. If I have a complaint, I will handle it as stated in the complaint policy. 4. Not ever verbally address a basketball referee in a negative manner. 5. Honor the team that my child plays on by submitting to the greater good of the team at the expense of my own and my child’s ambitions. I will place other’s needs before mine. Thank you for remembering that wherever we go we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ.