This Chapter Series is from the Book – “Take Me Out With The Crowd”
Welcome to the Continuation of The Game Changer!
Today, we continue our journey, exploring how your passion for sports intersects with your faith. In this chapter, we will delve deeper into how your love for sports can both inspire and challenge your spiritual life.
This chapter isn’t about criticizing sports fandom but finding a meaningful balance between your enthusiasm for sports and your spiritual commitments. We’ll examine how sports can be a source of joy and connection and discover ways to channel that passion to enhance your faith rather than overshadow it.
As we navigate this exploration together, we will uncover fresh insights into how sports can coexist with and even enrich your spiritual life. Our goal is to approach this with grace and wisdom, helping you find a harmonious balance that honors both your love for the game and your spiritual path.
If you haven’t read Part 1 – 4 yet, I encourage you to check it out here, here (For Part Two), here (Part Three) and here, (for Part Four) before proceeding. We are exploring a profound and transformative topic, and starting from the beginning will help you fully engage with what’s to come.
I believe this message is inspired by the divine, and my hope is that it will bring inspiration and change into your life. Let’s continue discovering how sports can be a Game Changer in your spiritual journey. Welcome to the next step of our enlightening adventure!
The Game Changer Part Five
Sports have always played a significant role in my life, and I would like to take this opportunity to share a bit about my sports allegiance and the teams I support. While I wouldn’t classify myself as an avid or die-hard sports fan, I do enjoy watching and following various sports from time to time.
Growing up, I never excelled in sports. Despite my lack of talent, I found great joy in playing games with the neighborhood kids. Softball, fast-pitch, and wall-ball were among our favorites during the warmer months, while football dominated our playtime during fall and winter.
Although I yearned to be part of a competitive league, my skills (or lack thereof) often relegated me to the bleachers rather than the playing field. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t quite measure up to the other kids.
However, everything changed when the Youth Service Project (YSP) gave me an opportunity. Needless to say, I grabbed it with both hands and poured my heart and soul into the endeavor. It was my chance to prove myself, to show that I was capable of more than just watching from the sidelines.
Despite my lack of skill, the feeling of being accepted and part of a team was exhilarating. However, as time went on, I came to the realization that becoming a successful sports figure was not in the cards for me. It wasn’t a goal I could achieve or a path I could pursue. Consequently, I found comfort in watching sports on television, reminiscing about the joy I once found in participating. Yet, a sense of disappointment lingered, knowing that what I once loved to do couldn’t be transformed into a tangible accomplishment.
Hebrews 12:1-2 – New International Version
1 –Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 -fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Sports have been an integral part of my life, providing me with moments of joy, excitement, and inspiration. Supporting teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Cubs, and the Oregon Ducks has allowed me to connect with a community of passionate fans. Additionally, witnessing the brilliance of players like Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Jim McMahon, Ryne Sandberg, John Starks, Javier Lopez, Roberto Clemente and Marcus Mariota, has deepened my love for these teams and the sports they represent.
Psalm 118:24 – New Living Translation
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
This verse highlights the importance of rejoicing and finding joy in every aspect of life, including the enjoyment and community we experience through sports. It can be a reminder to appreciate the moments of excitement and connection that sports provide, recognizing them as part of the day that God has made for us.
Coming Soon – Revised Edition Part Six
Willie Torres Jr.
10/08/2024
If you feel inspired and uplifted by this content, please consider supporting my work at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/willie13. Every contribution helps me create more of what you enjoy!
Willie Torres Jr. 
84 responses to “The Game Changer -5”
💚💓💖 Blessed and Happy afternoon 🌞🌈🌹
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God Bless You today and always.
Thank You for Reading and Commenting.
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Babe your journey shows that life isn’t just about personal success but about the connections we make and the joy in each moment. I love how you tied your story to scripture. Finding purpose and joy each day is a great way to live out our faith, and you do this better than anyone. I also love your pictures. The little boy holding his own baseball card😢♥️
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Thank you, my love. I’m so glad you enjoyed the story and the pictures. Sorry I didn’t share any spoilers, but you had to wait like everyone else. 😁😆😂 I knew the photo of the little boy with his baseball card would be a tough one; it brings back so many hopes and dreams that are now cherished memories. Your encouragement, support, and patience mean the world to me. I truly appreciate you being my biggest fan.
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https://gravatar.com/instantlyshadowy5fe14ecdca
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Your integration of scriptures like Psalm 118:24 brings a whole new perspective to the joy of sports. Thank you for the uplifting message.
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Amen 🙏🤗 To God Be the Glory, Honor and Praise.
Thank you so much for Reading and Commenting.
God Bless You today and always.
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👏🙏🌷
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We may not make the team here but with Christ we have definitely made the best team.
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Amen 🙏🤗
Thank you so much for Reading and Commenting. And what a Wonderful Comment. Praise God.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
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Another great post Willie1 I enjoyed learning a little more about your growing up. The path you are on to everlasting glory is clearly showing through your writing and the pictures, just too cool. Have a blessed day brother.
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Thank you so much, Brother 🤗. I truly appreciate you taking the time to Read and Comment.
I’m glad you liked the images, they really brought back a lot of memories for me of my childhood days, long, long, time ago 😜😂.
Your words about my path were so heartwarming, and it means a lot to hear (read) that from you. Of course, none of this would be possible without our Heavenly Father. All the Glory and Praise belong to Him. I still find myself asking Him, “Why me? 🤷,” But I’m not complaining.
Blessings to you today and always.
You Are Loved, Brother.
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being a part of something good, that’s where it’s at. I feel your writing and your faith.
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Thank You so much for Visiting, Reading and Commenting.
All Glory, Honor and Praise belong to God.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
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Nice post. Love the Psalms!
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Thank you and Thank you for Reading and Commenting.
God Bless you today and always.
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Wonderful, Willie. I’m sure many can relate.
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Thank you so much for Reading and Commenting. Oh, I’m sure, which is why I felt led to continue to share this series.
May Our Lord Be Glorified and Praised.
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Another excellent read, Willie, and thanks for sharing a mention of one of my All-Time favorites @ the late sport legend Roberto Clemente.
I was so proud of this gifted and talented athlete’s selfless commitment to sharing Jesus Christ’s goodness and mercy upon the poor and less fortunate in our world. What a real champion in every sense of the word. Have a blessed week, Willie, God’s continued grace upon you blogger friend.
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Thank you so much for Reading and for your Wonderful Comment. I thought my Brother and I were the only ones who were such big fans of Roberto Clemente. His loss was truly tragic, he was such a humble and remarkable person. The Game Changer series is so impactful, and there’s so much more I could share, though I’m not sure when or if I’ll be able to. I deeply appreciate your visit, encouragement, and support. Be Blessed, and Continue to be a Blessing.
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Another good one, my friend. The images are amazing.
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Thank you so much for Reading and Commenting.
All Glory and Praise to God Almighty.
God Bless You and your Family, today and always.
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You’re very welcome, my friend.
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Willie you thank you for sharing your testimony. The activities that bring us joy like sports are such a blessing.
We are accepted unto God’s family through Christ, Amen.
Thank you for referencing Hebrews 12 it has a deep significance to my journey.
Bless you.
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Thank You so much for Reading and Commenting.
To God be All the Glory, Honor and Praise.
God Bless You today and always.
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And blessings to you, Willie!
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Thank You
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What a powerful reminder to find joy in every aspect of life, including sports! May we rejoice in the moments of excitement and connection that bring us closer to God and each other.
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Amen 🙏🤗
Thank you so much for Reading and Commenting.
God Bless You today and always.
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Your Welcome. May God bless you. Have a wonderful day ahead!
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You as well . Be Safe and Be Blessed.
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I think that sometimes our choices may not be aligned with God’s purpose. The most important thing you discovered was not to be part of a team and become a sports celebrity, but to have a team of connections with people with the same purpose of sharing positive experiences from the games. Thank you for sharing this chapter with us! God’s blessings to you always!😉👏🏻🏈⚾
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Thank you for Reading and for your Heartfelt Response. Perhaps this is indeed part of God’s calling. Only He fully understands why He has given me this gift. He guides each step we take toward His greater plan, reminding us that it’s not about fame or Recognition, but about creating meaningful connections that uplift and inspire those around us.
Thank you so much for this . Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
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An important topic is the connection between sports and faith, strength, patience, diligence, and a sound mind in a sound body. May God grant you success always, my dear brother Willie Torres. I wish you happiness and success always.
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Amen 🙏🤗
Thank you so much for Reading and Commenting and Thank You for your support and encouragement.
Be Blessed and Continue to be a Blessing.
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🙏🏼👋🏻👩❤️👨
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Yassss Vikings!!!
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SKOL !!! Thank you for Visiting and Commenting.
Have a Wonderful and Blessed Day.
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Have a great day!!
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BUONA GIORNATA
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Thank you for Visiting and Commenting.
Have a Wonderful and Blessed Day.
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GRAZIE
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another wonderfully inspiring share, Willie…thank you…🤍🙏
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Thank you so much for Reading and for your Thoughtful Comment.
To God Be the Glory, Honor and Praise.
Have a Wonderful and Blessed Day.
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…and the very same urls way, Willie…🤍🙏
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I think this is great point for you to make, most of us are not sports motivated to the degree of involvment on the field or court, but I haven’t met a man who loves football, who isn’t an arm chair QB.
We all think we know what the player should do, or should have done, and we get very excited about their wins or loses.
My thought is, how can we not get that animated for the kingdom of Christ?
Those sports figures are playing for their prize, what kind of prize is the believer after, and what is it going to take to get off of those sidelines?
Thank you, brother for the lesson you brought today.
Blessings.
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Thank you so much for Reading and for your Wonderful Response. It’s a beautiful reminder that we should be just as passionate about the Kingdom of Christ as we are about sports. Amen
.
I’m still on this journey to discover my God-given purpose, and I often find myself wondering what His plan is for me. Sometimes I ask why He has me writing so much, why has He chosen this path for me when I still have so much to learn. In the words of Casting Crowns, ‘Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name?’
Then I receive a comment as beautiful and touching as this, and it brings tears to my eyes while filling my heart with joy. Knowing that my words (His Words- my putting out on platforms and books) can bring Him Glory is truly humbling. It encourages me to keep moving forward, trusting in His plan.
Let’s definitely pursue the eternal prize together and uplift one another on this journey. I’m all for it.
Glory, Honor and Praise to God Almighty, Amen
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Blessings, Willie. Keep listening.
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Amen
Thank you
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Fab post brother, praise be to God!
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Amen 🙏🤗 Thank you so much my Brother for Reading and Commenting. It truly means a lot to me.
To God Be the Glory, Honor and Praise.
Que Dios Te Bendiga, Hoy y Siempre.
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Amen brother.
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Wow, Willie, what a beautiful narrative. I believe that now you are on the team you should be on, aligned with the spiritual forces that govern you. Maybe if you were a famous player on a famous team, we here in the blogosphere wouldn’t have the opportunity to get to know you and your story. Oh…and Léo too. 🤭🦁 Thank you for sharing another chapter of the book with us. 😉🙌🏻✨🏈🦁
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Thank you so much for your kind and beautiful words. I truly appreciate your support and the chance to share my journey here. Being part of this community means so much to me, and I’m glad we can connect in this way. I truly am grateful for you and many others who have welcomed me into your lives.
And yes, Léo definitely adds his own special charm and he as well is grateful for all of your love towards him. We are all Looking forward to sharing more with all of you. 🦁✨🙌🏻.
As always, may the Lord Bless you today and always.
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Amen! 😉🙌🏻✨🦁
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Dear Willie and Expansão & Percepção,
I very much enjoy your lively conversation here and have come to join you. Reading this post aside, I also enjoyed looking at the excellent graphics here.
Willie, I not only concur with Expansão & Percepção but also commend you highly for gaining and sharing your valuable insights into your very own enthusiastic endeavours in sports as well as your vicarious appreciation of sports, even as you have unwaveringly “yearned to be part of a competitive league”. To certain folks, sports provide not only physical rewards but also spiritual dimensions through the synergy of body and mind, providing personal challenges, motivational opportunities and edifying satisfactions in their journey through life.
To continue our conversation even further, I am translating and quoting Expansão & Percepção’s wise words as follows:
In addition, I would like to inform both of you that we may find some comfort and wit in the many sayings of Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra (12 May 1925 – 22 September 2015), an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of manager and coach. As a celebrity, Berra was also well-known for his impromptu pithy comments, quirky sayings, memorable quips, malapropisms, and seemingly unintentional witticisms known as “Yogi-isms”, which frequently took the form of either an apparent tautology or a contradiction, but often with an underlying and powerful message that offered not just humour but also wisdom. Allen Barra, an American journalist and author of sports books, has described Yogi-isms as “distilled bits of wisdom which, like good country songs and old John Wayne movies, get to the truth in a hurry.” I have documented this in my expansive and witty post entitled “🤭😜 Speech Error: Anti-Proverb, Perverb, Malapropism, Eggcorn, Yogi-isms, Spoonerism, Sreudian Flip 🤪😂“. The post is available to you at
Happy Sunday to you!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle🦅
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I found your comment It was sent to spam for some reason.
Thank you so much for Visiting, Reading, and for your Kind Words. I truly appreciate your time and insights, and I’m glad you enjoyed the graphics. Have you checked out the previous posts in this series? This is Part 5, and while there are two more to come, I believe the Lord has given me powerful and valuable insight to share.
I wholeheartedly agree on the importance of seeking a deeper purpose beyond material gains. Amen 🙏🤗 As Christians, we are called to serve others and reflect God’s love, which is what I strive to do. I’m not perfect or flawless, but I believe it’s my calling to share His blessings, miracles, and Word.
Thank you again for this Wonderful Comment and I look forward to reading more of your post.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
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Dear Willie,
Phew! Initially, when the said comment did not get through, I thought that you did not like my comment and deleted or unapproved it.
Thank you for resurrecting my missing comment. The repeated misidentifications of legitimate comments as spams are quite frustrating indeed. From time to time, I examine whether there are legitimate comments misidentified as spams. Likewise, it is prudent to check your spam comment folder in your WordPress account from time to time. From memory, the default setting is that spam comments (whether rightly or wrongly identified as such by WordPress) will be permanently deleted in two weeks. So, if we don’t check our spam comment folder at least weekly then we might indeed lose legitimate comments that are falsely flagged as spams and consigned to be deleted from our spam comment folder in a week or two.
There are also certain unnecessary limitations in WordPress that curtail my ability to compose and deliver posts to the level of presentational quality that satisfies my high standard as well as my intellectual and artistic expressions. It is all very frustrating indeed! All in all, good deeds and commendable outputs of significance are not always noticed, nurtured, encouraged or reciprocated.
I have been spreading myself quite thin with many errands and interests, and have yet to read some of your earlier posts in full beyond offering them a cursory glance. I shall reply to your long comment that you submitted to my post metaphorically entitled “📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artificial Intelligence: A Sociotechnological Petri Dish with Latent Threats, Existential Risks and Challenging Prospects 👨👩👦👦🤖🧫☣️” within an hour or two, if nothing intervenes. The detail on how to participate in the 📜 Collaborative Poetry Challenge ✍🏻 can be found in the said post itself, which is published at
Please be informed that my website works best on a desktop or laptop computer. If you need more help and wonderful tips on using and/or understanding a plethora of features and tools of my website, you will be pleased to know that I have prepared a detailed User Guide for maximizing and optimizing your experience of my highly complex and multifaceted website. You are very welcome to consult the new and comprehensive User Guide to familiarize yourself with the many features and tools of my highly unusual, uniquely customized and multidisciplinary website. The User Guide is entitled “🥳🪟🎖️ How to Enjoy SoundEagle🦅 to the Utmost 🥇🏢🍹“.
Wishing you a very happy mid-October and an exhilarating mid-autumn doing or enjoying whatever that satisfies you the most, whether aesthetically, physically, intellectually or spiritually, including composing more excellent posts and graphics for us to savour!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle🦅
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Nice sharing Willie, for me sports is universal, in sports you can mix with everybody, either you’re a player or a fans. Always love sports especially football.
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Thank you for Reading and for share your Thoughts. I feel the same way about football, it’s always been a joy for me, whether playing or watching. I just wish I had been more involved as a player, but I guess God had other plans.
Have a Wonderful and Blessed Day my Friend.
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You’re most welcome my friend. I truly believe with your words, God had other plans. Amen 🙏🙏
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Amen
And I remain waiting, Hopeful and Obedient to His calling.
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I never really excelled in sports when I was a kid (or adult) either, but I enjoyed it for the social aspect and being part of the team.
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Thank you for Reading and for Sharing your Story . I guess sometimes it’s more about the connections we make than the competition itself.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
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Great post and inspirational share, Willie! I enjoy reading about your connections between sports and faith. Glad to be on the team with you and Frances. WP unsubscribed me to your blog somehow. 🤨 No wonder it didn’t show up in my reader. I resubscribed. 🙏
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Thank you so much for reading and Commenting. Yes, some of these posts are difficult to share since they bring back memories and feel quite personal. But I believe that sharing our stories and testimonies is important so that readers can see how God is present in our lives every single day.
I’m not sure why WordPress keeps having these issues, I’ve been facing the same problems for weeks, including notifications going to spam. I really hope they get it sorted out soon.
Also, Thank you for returning and also for supporting my wife’s blog.
Have a Wonderful and Blessed Weekend.
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great post Will! see you in Autzen stadium tomorrow :) Mike
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Thank you so much for Visiting, Reading and Commenting. It’s going to be a great game tomorrow. I have to be honest, I am a bit nervous about this one. Nonetheless, GO DUCKS 🦆💚💛.
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great game Will – what a 4th quarter! enjoy the rest of the weekend. that was a much deserved with for Dan Lanning!
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I have to admit, I was pretty worried about this game, but our performance was nothing short of incredible. The entire team showed up and gave it their all. Both teams played a fantastic game. This is definitely the game of the week, and probably even the game of the year. 🦆💚💛
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Beautiful work Willie! 👍
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Thank you so much and Thank you for Visiting, Reading and Commenting.
To God Be All the Glory, Honor and Praise.
I hope you’ve been keeping up with this series. There are two more parts to go before we finish.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
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Dear Willie,
Hello! I would like to inform you that I read your post and submitted a detailed comment, which seems to have disappeared.
Happy Sunday to you!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle🦅
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I’m sorry, don’t know how that happened, unless it was another WP glitch.
Thank you anyways for Visiting and Leaving a Comment. I wish I could have seen it.
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Dear Willie,
Yes, I have attempted to submit a very long comment here, and the comment seems to have disappeared. The first two paragraphs of the comment are quoted here as follows:
The comment contains about eight paragraphs. It also includes a weblink for you to visit one of my special posts that resonates with the spirit of your current post. It seems that the said comment might have been mistakenly identified as spam. Please kindly retrieve and approve it from your WordPress spam folder.
To access your WordPress spam folder, go to the following URL:
[insert your blog url here]/wp-admin/edit-comments.php?comment_status=spam
After unspamming the comment, you will need to approve it by going to the following URL:
[insert your blog url here]/wp-admin/edit-comments.php?comment_status=all
This will allow you to read the very long comment and visit the said post. Please enjoy!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle🦅
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Your love for sports is touching. I am glad that it has been a source of inspiration for you.
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Thank you so much for Visiting, Reading and Commenting. All Glory, Honor and Praise belong to God. Funny how He uses are passion for something in a way that brings Glory to His Name.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
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Good job Willie ♥️ keep inspiring and doing the Lord’s work 🙏
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Thank you so much and Thank you for Reading and Commenting. All Glory, Honor and Praise to God. As long as He guides me and directs me, I will follow.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
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Great
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Thank you so much for Visiting, Reading and Commenting.
God Bless You 🙏🤗
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That is a very important point, in my opinion. Sports can be very exciting, and that can sometimes make us forget about other things in our lives. Finding that balance is important, and I am glad this chapter will talk about how we can combine our love of sports with our faith instead of seeing them as opposites.
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Thank you so much Brother, for Reading and Commenting. I completely agree. Balancing our passions, like sports, with our faith is key. It’s great that we can see them as complementary, rather than opposites, and use both to grow and strengthen our lives.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
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