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The Rock Almighty Monday Wake Up Call: What does it mean when God says you are a new creation? And Your Job As Ministry?

You Are a New Creation

Have you ever caught up with someone you hadn’t seen for many years who committed a serious criminal offense and were shocked to see how their life had changed for the better? Here’s an article that exemplifies this.

FREE TO SUCCEED: NAOMI BLOUNT

“Over the years, [I’ve] written my obituary numerous times,” says Naomi Blount. “I never thought [I’d] ever be coming home.” That’s because in 1982, she was sentenced to life in Pennsylvania state prison. She was [thirty-two] years old.

A drug addict and alcoholic, Naomi struggled every day of her adult life. One terrible day, a man stabbed her friend, Brenda Baker. The two women then found the man and wanted to hurt him, but it was Brenda who delivered the fatal injury, not Naomi. In Pennsylvania, you don’t have to be the one who committed homicide to get charged with the crime; you just have to have been there in a certain capacity.

Behind bars with no release in sight, Naomi’s tough situation was matched by grit and determination to improve herself. Her son, [ten] years old when she went inside, meant everything to Naomi, and for his sake, she vowed that even though she was supposed to die in prison, she would be leaving the world a better person than when she’d entered it. She earned several degrees, stayed clean, and helped others.

“I wanted my son to, at least when he picked up my body, I wanted him to know that his mother was more than an alcoholic and a drug addict.”

Naomi applied for and was denied commutation five times. About to give up, she hand-wrote a heartfelt plea to the Board of Pardons, begging them to reconsider. Then, in the equivalent of winning a lottery ticket, she was granted clemency – almost unheard of in Pennsylvania. She’d been in prison [thirty-seven] years.

Remarkably, now [seventy-two], Naomi is not bitter. In the three years since she’s been released, it seems as though there’s [nothing,] she hasn’t been able to accomplish. [She’s] a vocal advocate for reform, and she also works as a commutation specialist for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “My job allows me to encourage those that are on the inside,” she says.

She’s very close to her son, now [fifty], and his family. “I’m getting ready to be a great-grandmother for the second time,” Naomi says. “This will be the first baby that [I’m] home for.” And the passion for music that she has had her whole life has flourished. Recently, she released an album, called “Mello-D” by Simply Naomi.

She also works as a program consultant for a group that helped her when she was inside, Shining Light. They provide support to people in prison.

Naomi is herself a “shining light,” trying every day to express what she feels deeply: gratitude. “I’m always saying, ‘Lord, thank you. Thank you, God. Thank you, [God.’”]93

As Naomi was given clemency, a pardon after many years in prison, so have you been granted such by someone who knows everything about you. Even though the penalty for sin has been taken care of and the record of such forgiven by Jesus Christ’s atonement on the cross, this hasn’t changed the fallen nature that deprives everyone from having an intimate relationship with God.

Fortunately, God knows how to take each person out from their perpetual bondage by giving them an opportunity to respond to the message of a new life, i.e., of a new nature that can be theirs. And if and when they make this decision, a pronouncement will be made relating to them which is found in the book of 2 Corinthians. Let’s go there and find out what this announcement is all about.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

You’re described as being in Christ, which [speaks of your spiritual relationship to Him because you] believed the message of the gospel and was identified by faith with Him.94 Thus, if this is the case, and it is, then you’re a new creature, a new creation, a new person on the inside.95 Did you hear that? You’re a new being, a child of God!

As such, old things (selfish, carnal views of ourselves, of others, and of Christ;96those things that characterized the pre-Christian life97) have passed away (disappeared) and your whole sphere of being has become new, whom God the Father owns as [His] workmanship, and which he can look on and pronounce very good.98

God doesn’t see you as you see yourself at times as falling short, as never going to change, as being hopeless in this or that aspect of your life. This doesn’t mean that He’s unaware of your sinful tendencies. However, this doesn’t take away from His recognition of you as His son or daughter as was His perception of David when God sent Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint him the next king of Israel.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

So, find out what God’s declaration is of you in His Word regarding every area of your new life and begin to think of yourself as to the new person you’ve become. Remind yourself that you’ve been given a new nature even though the reality of such in your thinking, speaking, and acting hasn’t been worked out yet. And remember, [you’re] a new creation, a new man, a work of the divine power as decided and as glorious as when God created all things out of nothing,99 with new views, new motives, new principles, new [objectives] and plans of life.100

Before we take a look at another beautiful description of our new lives in Christ in the next section, I’d like to leave you with this quote from Barnes Notes that accentuates what we’ve just talked about.

The idea evidently is, not that he ought to be a new creature, but that he is in fact; not that he ought to live as becomes a new creature - which is true enough - but that [he’ll] in fact live in that way, and manifest the characteristics of the new creation.101

Prior to your conversion to Christ, was there ever anything that you longed for that you believed would provide you with happiness but always seemed to be outside of your grasp? There was one lifelong endeavor of mine that I only found in Christ. What was it?

Endnotes

93“Free to Succeed: Naomi Blount,” FAMM 3 November 2022

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94Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.

95IVP Bible Background Commentary.

96Jamieson, Faucet, and Brown Commentary.

97UBS New Testament.

98Adam Clarke’s Commentary.

99Barnes’ Notes.

100Barnes’ Notes.

101Barnes’ Notes.

My name is James Rondinone. I am a husband, father, and spiritual leader.

I grew up in Massachusetts and began my own spiritual journey early on in life.

I attended Bible college, having completed a two-year Christian Leadership Course of Study and graduated as valedictorian (Summa Cum Laude).

Studying and teaching the Word of God has been a passion of mine for over 20 years.

All kids deserve a chance to play #YouthSports – regardless of their ability. Help expand inclusive programs as part of the National Youth Sports Strategy from @HealthGov: https://bit.ly/2lQ85f6

US Sports Baseball: Important Ways to Improve Your Baseball Team’s Baserunning and PADRES vs. RANGERS Full Game Highlights

 

• By Grant Young
 

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Good baserunning is crucial in baseball for various reasons. It enables players to advance bases and score more efficiently, thus enhancing the team's chances of success. Strategic baserunning can also exert pressure on the opposing team, which often leads to defensive errors. Furthermore, it showcases players' awareness of game situations and their ability to make quick, impactful decisions. In essence, proficient baserunning is a vital element of the game that can significantly influence the outcome of a game. And that’s why having baserunning drills that you can utilize to help improve your baseball team is of paramount importance. 

Yet, coaching baserunning in baseball is challenging for several reasons. It requires teaching players to make split-second decisions while considering various factors such as the game situation, the speed and location of the ball, and the capabilities of the opposing team. Plus there’s the fact that baserunning involves a combination of speed, agility, and strategic thinking, making it a complex skill to coach effectively. Baserunning techniques can vary depending on the player's position, making it necessary for coaches to provide individualized instruction. Overall, coaching baserunning demands a deep understanding of the game and the ability to effectively communicate and demonstrate these intricate skills to players.

And Steve Nicollerat has the perfect techniques to help you increase your understanding of the game and improve your players’ baserunning prowess. 

Coach Nicollerat is the Founder of Coach Baseball Right! Which provides baseball organizations with dozens of resources available to grow and elevate their current programs and deepen their kids' experiences. In addition, Coach Nicollerat has about 40 years of experience coaching varsity baseball at St. Louis University High School, as well as playing collegiate ball at St. Louis University.

Coach Nicollerat’s ‘The 10 Base Running Drills Every Coach Needs’ course gives coaches the foundational set of fundamental and progressive base running drills that they can build from to take their teams to a new level. 

The Lead Off

The first aspect of a baseball team improving on the base paths is knowing how to have a good lead off of first base. 

Coach Nicollerat notes that when taking a lead off of first base, the lead should be comprised of different distances if there’s an intention of the runner stealing the base. If the baserunner is a threat to steal bases or if it’s a situation where stealing a base makes sense, the baserunner should be taking a lead that’s a step farther away from first base than they would if they weren’t intending to steal a base. 

While you may think that this will give away the baserunner’s intentions, the reality is that, from the pitcher's mound, a one-step difference isn’t discernible to the pitcher’s eye. They have so many other things to focus on that there’s really no chance they’re going to notice that one-step difference. 

Another aspect of executing a good lead-off is that the runner should be positioned higher up in the baseline if they intend to steal, typically in line with where the front of the first base will be positioned. 

Similar to the earlier point about the lead’s distance, nobody on the opposing team is going to recognize a few inches’ difference between where a player is taking their lead. But being just a little bit closer to the pitcher’s mound could help convince the pitcher that the baserunner is closer to the bag than they are. While this might only offer a slight advantage to the baserunner, baseball is a game of inches. 

How to Steal

One of the most important aspects of stealing bases is understanding when the right time to run is. Even the fastest runner can get thrown out if they get a poor jump, and vice versa for someone who isn’t the fastest runner. 

Coach Nicollerat says that the baserunner should be looking at the (right-handed) pitcher’s left foot when trying to gauge when to steal. As soon as that leg begins to lift off the ground, that’s what the runner should take off. 

If the baserunner sees the right heel coming off the ground, they need to prepare to dive back to first base because that almost certainly means the pitcher is picking off. 

This is extremely easy to drill, as a coach can go out and pretend to be a pitcher while a line of baserunners is in position in the baseline. As soon as the coach’s left feel lifts, the baserunners should simulate taking off for second base. And if the coach’s right heel lifts then they simulate giving back to first.

Reading Lefties

Coach Nicollerat discusses how to steal second base off of left-handed pitchers. The first part of this requires understanding whether the left-handed pitcher can read or not. If the lefty pitcher has proven that they can read effectively, it might be wise to not steal. 

But if the lefty isn’t a reader, and instead uses a more deceptive pickoff move to try and negate the run game, Coach Nicollerat explains that one option is to have the baserunner take a big lead, then take off for second base as soon as the pitcher makes their first movement. 

The idea behind this is that, if the pitcher’s pickoff move is slow, then the baserunner will have enough time to make it to second base if they steal once the pitcher begins their long pickoff move. 

However, if you’re also looking to steal against a reading lefty, one way to do so would be to wait until the pitcher enters the apex of their delivery (the top of their leg lift). While this is a risk, the reading pitcher has most likely already made their decision to pitch rather than pick at this point, so the baserunner has a solid chance of stealing the base. 

Everyone has a role to play in the National #YouthSports Strategy! Learn more about the strategy and ways to get involved from @HealthGov: https://bit.ly/2lQ85f6

Fearless With Jason Whitlock on US Sports Radio - Angel Reese OUTSHINES Caitlin Clark & York Revolution Baseball Team BOYCOTTS Pride Night

 

Jason highlights Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream's win over Indiana and Caitlin Clark last night. Jason insists that Clark should follow Reese’s offseason move in search of a fresh start with a different franchise. Clark, while compiling an impressive stat line, once again displayed her childish antics in dispute with officials. Steve Kim, Dre Baldwin, Maurice Drake, Jr., and Charles Baker offer their takes on Angel outshining Caitlin. Steve Kim and Jason break down the breakup of Dan Le Batard and Stugotz. Coach JB makes his weekly appearance to discuss San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama being unfairly targeted by the media, a minor league team refusing to take the field for Pride Night, and Brendan Sorsby applying for the NFL supplemental draft. Now streaming on US Sports Radio

US Sports Volleyball: Mastering the 5-1 Rotation in Volleyball: A Comprehensive Guide and Thamela/Victoria vs. Svozilova/Stochlova - Pool Play Highlights

 

• By Grant Young
 

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Introduction

Struggling to keep track of your volleyball rotations? The 5-1 rotation is one of the most commonly used formations in volleyball, providing a structured yet dynamic approach to gameplay. This guide will break down the fundamentals of the 5-1 rotation, explaining how players should position themselves and transition throughout a match.

What is a Rotation in Volleyball?

In volleyball, a rotation refers to the movement of players in a clockwise direction each time their team gains the right to serve. To ensure proper positioning and avoid rotation violations, players must maintain their correct spots on the court until the ball is served.

The 5-1 Rotation: An Overview

The 5-1 rotation consists of one setter and five hitters, distributed as follows:

Front row: Outside hitter, middle hitter, and right-side hitter

Back row: Another outside hitter, libero, and the setter (when in the back row)

This system allows for consistency in setting, as the same player sets in all rotations. Players must adhere to rotation rules, ensuring they remain in their designated positions before the serve. Once the serve is executed, they can transition into their base positions.

Breakdown of the 5-1 Rotation

Rotation 1 - Service

This is the first serving rotation at the start of a set.

Players begin in their base positions after the referee checks the lineup.

Libero substitution:

The libero cannot be listed in the official lineup but may substitute in for any back-row player after the lineup is verified.

This substitution does not count toward the team’s total substitution limit.

Key transitions:

The setter is the first server. After serving, they move into their base position.

The outside hitter and right-side hitter switch positions once the ball is served.

The back-row outside hitter and libero move into their base positions.

Rotation 1 - Serve Receive

The first receiving formation in a match.

Objective: Hide the setter to ensure they do not pass the first ball and remain available to set the second ball.

Key transitions:

Since the setter is in the back row, the front-row outside hitter drops back to assist in passing.

Players remain in their designated spots for the first serve.

After the ball is returned over the net, all players transition to their base positions

.Rotation1 Serve and Receive

Rotation 2 - Service

Players rotate clockwise before the serve.

Key transitions:

An outside hitter serves, becoming a back-row attacker.

The other outside hitter rotates to the front row.

After the serve, players shift to their base positions.

Rotation 2 - Serve Receive

The second receiving formation.

Key transitions:

The front-row outside hitter moves back to pass, ensuring the setter is hidden.

Once the ball is played over, all players move to their base positions.

Rotation 2 Serve and Receive

Rotation 3 - Service

Key adjustments:

The libero subbed out in Rotation 2 is replaced by the second middle hitter.

The first middle hitter serves, then transitions into the libero’s base position, playing defense until the opposing team wins a point.

Other players adjust to their base positions after the serve.

Rotation 3 - Serve Receive

Key transitions:

The libero substitutes back in for the first middle hitter.

The front-row outside hitter moves back to pass, keeping the setter available.

Players maintain their correct positions before the ball is served.

After the ball is played over, players shift to their base positions.

Rotation 3 Serve and Receive

Rotation 4 - Service

Key substitutions:

A defensive specialist may substitute in for the right-side hitter to serve and play in the back row.

The defensive specialist’s base position is in the back-right.

If needed, the right-side hitter may remain in the back row instead of being substituted.

When the defensive specialist rotates to the front row, the right-side hitter subs back in.

Setter’s new role:

The setter is now a front-row player, leaving only two hitters at the net: an outside hitter and a middle hitter.

The setter must act as the right-side blocker and has the option to dump the ball when setting.

Having the setter in the front row enhances back-row passing efficiency.

Rotation 4 - Serve Receive

The setter, now in the front row, is stacked behind the other front-row players on the left side to facilitate movement into base positions.

The defensive specialist functions as the third passer, allowing the front-row outside hitter to focus on attacking.

Once the ball is played over, players transition to their base positions.

Rotation 4 Serve and Receive

Rotation 5 - Service

The outside hitter rotates to serve, while the other outside hitter moves to the front row.

After serving, all players transition into their base positions.

Rotation 5 - Serve Receive

The back row has three passers, reducing the need for the front-row hitter to pass.

Once the ball is returned over the net, all players shift to their base positions.

Rotation 5 Serve and Receive

Rotation 6 - Service

The libero substitutes out for a middle hitter, while the other middle rotates to serve.

This rotation is identical to Rotation 3 - Service in terms of positioning and transitions.

Rotation 6 Service

Final Thoughts

The 5-1 rotation is a highly effective system that provides offensive consistency while maintaining defensive stability. By understanding each rotation’s transitions and responsibilities, players can improve their positioning, minimize errors, and enhance overall team performance.

By mastering this rotation, teams can optimize their strategy and maximize their chances of success on the court.

Want to help kids find sports they love? Sign up to be a coach or volunteer in a local youth sports program. Learn more ways to support youth sports in the National Youth Sports Strategy: https://bit.ly/2lIHPUc