Doodling takes on a life of its own with a youth basketball coach. Any scrap of paper offers the opportunity to diagram set plays.
Running structured plays though, comes in baby steps with the younger ages. Inbound plays underneath an opponent’s basket are a great place to get started.
Considering most opponents will be playing man-to-man defense on the younger levels, the “stack” is a common way to introduce a structured play starting underneath the opponent’s basket.
At least one of the four players in the stack should get open for a bounce pass or chest pass from the inbounder, and probably more than that.
Stack
To run the “stack,” the four offensive players on the court should line up in a row along the outside of the foul lane and face the inbounds passer. Make sure the first player in line is not too close to the end line, perhaps lining up inside the lowest block marked on the court. The man-to-man defenders will likely line up inside the offensive players, but, if not, even better, because that exposes an open path in the paint, and getting a close shot is every youth team’s intention.
A basketball coach has myriad options with the stack. The players in line can separate in different directions to get free for an inbounds pass. The first two players can separate and the third player slowly sneaks down the lane for a pass. Perhaps the first player in line goes away from the inbounds passer and circles around the top of the stack and back into the paint for a pass.
Basically, it’s the coach’s decision on what to do with the stack.
Box
During overtime, a coach can implement more inbounds plays. The best way to achieve success, and understanding among the players, is to run different inbound options from the same setup. For instance, a “box” brings excellent structure. In a “box,” four offensive players set up in that shape just outside the foul lane, with one player at each top corner (often called the “elbow”) and one player at each low block.
Make sure each player who is running off a screen doesn’t move until the teammate arrives to set it. Be sure to have one of the players who sets the screen, step out toward the baseline- corner near the inbounder to become a safety valve.
For the best success, use the same inbounds passer throughout an entire quarter or half. No matter what plays are run, the start is the same. The coach yells out, “Stack!”, “Box!" or whatever set-up is used. After the players set up and the referee hands the basketball to the inbounder, he or she then repeats the coach by yelling “Stack!” or “Box!” Then a simple command of “Break!” sets the four offensive teammates in motion.
Repetition is pivotal in youth basketball, so work on inbounds plays over a number of practices.
In this course, Coach Ryan Banta reveals multiple weekly practice plans for the 400m and 800m athletes that you need to know in order to improve their times. He emphasizes the necessity to train your athletes for both races. If you are a coach who wants to make your 400m and 800m runners stronger and faster, then this is the course for you! Book this course.....(Continued below...)
On this week's US High School Sports Show we bring you the highlight reel of an outstanding middle-distance sprinter from India. We cap it off with some distance running training advice from Coach Marisa Tuzzi. Let's get after it!
Part one:
Kimaya Tandon (Fall 2023) - College Track & Field Recruiting Video.
Contact information is on the video.
Part two:
Distance Running For Track - Weekly Schedule.
In this course, Coach Marisa Tuzzi details multiple workouts, and practice plans for long-distance training. She even reveals some of her own drills and sample weeks you need to know in order to make your athletes faster. If you are a coach who needs help planning practice or need some new drills to throw into the mix, then this is the course for you!
(...Continued.....)Coach Ryan Banta has been a Track & Field coach for 19 years. He is also the author of "The Sprinter's Compendium" and writes for elitetrack.com and speed endurance.com. He is the Head Women's Track & Field coach at Parkway Central High School starting in 2003. He is also the Head Women's Cross Country coach at Parkway Central High School starting in 2013. He also has USATF Level II in sprints, relays, endurance, and hurdles. Coach Banta is also the MTCCCA VP and an MSHSAA Board Member.
Coaching Accolades:
84 school records
2 top 4 finishers in 2008 and 2009
District Champions in 2007, 2008, and 2009
4 runner up finishes at districts 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014
After the squat, the deadlift might just be the most
important exercise for physical fitness. It's such a basic movement, yet
it involves almost every muscle in your body.
Even better, most
trainees can deadlift more weight than with any other exercise! No
matter your current goals, this is one move you've got to be doing. Here
are a few ways you can add deads to your own lifting program.
Heavy Lifting for Mass
Heavy deadlifts will put slabs of muscle on your back like no other
exercise. They'll also stimulate new growth in your quads, hamstrings,
traps, and even biceps. If you have one day per week for training your
back, try getting a few heavy sets in before your pull-ups and rows. If
you train your upper and lower body on separate days - or if you train
every muscle at every session - rotate deadlifts in with your other leg
exercises.
Deadlifts for Fat Loss?
Most people don't think of heavy lifting as good exercise for fat
loss. However, it's FAR more effective than cardio can ever be! Heavy
deadlifts activate muscles all over your body, and they have to work
hard to move all that weight. This is metabolically demanding, and
you'll burn hundreds more calories for hours after a good training
session. However, you've got to focus on deadlifts and other "big"
movements. Curls, raises, and other isolation exercise are not very
demanding, and they will have minimal impacts on your metabolism and
body composition.
Condition with High Reps
If you've got great form, then deadlifts can actually be a good
conditioning tool, as well. While sets of five or six are great for
building muscle, high reps will tax your cardiovascular system like
nothing else. When it's too rainy to run - or you just don't have time
to hit the track - try knocking out a few sets of twenty with short rest
periods. Just make sure you keep your back in a safe position when you
start to get fatigued.
Tips for Perfect Form
Despite its simplicity, there are still several important form tips
for the deadlift. Make sure you understand this advice before including
deadlifts in your physical fitness program.
*Keep your lower back in a safe position. Arched or flat is fine, but a rounded back will inevitably lead to injuries.
*Lift with your whole body. Make sure you're engaging your hips, quads, and hamstrings in addition to your back.
*Pull back. You should think about pulling the weight "backwards" as
you get it off the floor. This keeps the bar as close to your body as
possible, making for a faster, smoother rep.
*Mix your grip. Once you start deadlifting some heavy weights, you'll
need to alternate the directions your palms face when you grip the bar.
This keeps it from rolling out of your hands.
This paper discusses how social media is causing society to be more
polarized in politics. It can be argued that social media does not have
any impact on the standpoint of political and social beliefs, but there
are numerous examples of how it has impacted society and history. The
effects are not well known to many citizens on what exactly social media
is doing to society. Young people are easily influenced by social
media’s manipulative tactics. It is crucial to address the effects of
social media because it may ultimately change the future. A fundamental
problem in social media is that many people only see one side of a
story, which influences their political views. If many people become
increasingly divided in their beliefs and opinions from each other, it
can cause violence and prevent the advancement and growth of society.
This research project will pull from many databases and sources of
information to best examine how social media is impacting the
polarization of the public. The research shows that social media is
causing society to be more politically and socially diverse.
Abstract
Society is becoming more polarized because of social media’s numerous
platforms and manipulative business models, which have political and
social impacts. It is established that social media can be manipulative
and have very real effects on individuals. Research has shown that there
are and will be more problems in society due to social media, which
includes more violence between political groups and people with
different backgrounds and lifestyles. Polarization is the increasing
division between two attitudes or beliefs to ideological extremes, and
it causes many changes to occur in society throughout everyday life.
The research was gathered from online articles, databases,
documentaries, and books that prove social media is causing polarization
in society.
With all of the numerous platforms, there is a great amount of false
and biased information to possibly be spread. These platforms are
manipulative and cause polarization which has many political and social
impacts on society.
In conclusion, social media has many ways of being polarizing to
society. It is proven that social media does have a serious impact on
many people’s lives in society.
Democrat or Republican. White or Black. Us or Them. Polarization is
the increasing division between two attitudes or beliefs to ideological
extremes that causes many changes to occur in society throughout
everyday life. When social media was first created, many citizens did
not realize the possible and countless real effects of polarization in
society. Society is becoming more polarized because of social media’s
numerous platforms and manipulative business models, which have
political and social impacts.
The numerous social media platforms available provide more polarized
opinions than ever before and target age groups differently. Back in the
1960s, there were only three channels that were broadcasted on
television: NBC, CBS, and ABC (Ganzel 2007). These television channels
had minimal biases. Now, there’s Tiktok, Twitter, Instagram, and
Facebook, along with hundreds of cable networks and radio stations that
have all different kinds of information. The many platforms cause people
to be more polarized because more information can be false,
manipulated, or biased. Author Hong expresses that “Daily, citizens
share information published via government Twitter accounts, and the
content may be fragmented or customized. Furthermore, the trend for
information to be shared in this way may not be easily reversed” (Hong
2016). These platforms also target age groups differently. Facebook is
generally used by older citizens, TikTok is commonly used by teenagers
and younger kids, Instagram and Twitter are social media apps that are
commonly used by many different ages of people (but still mainly appeal
to the youth). Author Hong explains that “Twitter has emerged as a key
platform on which anyone with a smartphone can engage in political
discourse” (Hong 2016). Similar age groups engage in political debates
over social media, which separates the spread of ideas between
generations. This spread of false information causes differences in
viewpoints between those who are constantly fed information from one
biased source and those who are fed information from a different biased
source. Twitter can post something about politics and have it be spread
instantly to citizens all across the world with information many people
will remember. Overall, the many social media platforms available are
contributing to the polarization of the public.
The business models of these platforms are polarizing their users
because they focus on selling ads, reinforcing viewpoints by showing
people what they want to see, and fostering addiction. Platforms sell
advertisements to companies for a profit. Instagram’s website appeals to
businesses by telling companies that “each ad is tailored to the
actions users took on [the business’s] site” and that they can “promote
specific products a user viewed or are likely to buy” and “up-sell
existing clients with related offerings” (AdRoll 2021). Social media
apps track what a viewer does on an app and then sends ads that are
believed to be related to what the viewer likes. A simple advertisement
shows people what they want to see (they are exposed to only what they
are already interested in). Similarly, social media can make a person
have a certain belief about something that they can reinforce by never
exposing them to the other side or by portraying the opposite side in an
excessively negative, harsh light. Reinforcement of viewpoints is
another highly common business model of social media apps. Algorithms
are the way in which a viewpoint is reinforced to a citizen through an
app and there are many different ones. Certain algorithms send and
suggest information to a viewer that is related to what was looked at
previously and is information that the viewer wants to see. On TikTok,
there is something called a “for you page,” which has endless videos
that are related to videos the viewer has previously watched. James
Cooper talks about how “TikTok focuses on the performance of each
individual video rather than [taking] into account your whole profile.
The platform looks at the amount of rewatches, shares, comments and
likes each video gains” (Cooper 2021). Viewpoints on social media that
people disagree with are rarely shown to opposing sides, leading to
social media “bubbles.” “Polarization in the U.S. could be driven by
exposure to views people disagree with, rather than being separated from
them by filter bubbles'' (Lee De-Wit, Sander Van Der Linden, Cameron
Brick 2019). This leads to an increase in polarization. Another
documentary says, “We’ve created a world in which online connection has
become primary. Especially for younger generations. And yet, in that
world, anytime two people connect, the only way it’s financed is through
a sneaky third person who’s paying to manipulate those two people. So
we’ve created an entire global generation of people who were raised
within a context with the very meaning of communication, the very
meaning of culture, is manipulation.” (Lainer 2020). Social media apps
are designed to be addictive and manipulative, which is caused by
algorithms designed to keep people happy in their comfort zones,
contributing to polarization. The business model of these apps also
fosters addiction. One reason people get addicted to social media is
that it creates a sense of well-being. If someone posts something and
gets many likes and followers, it can cause a feeling of euphoria, which
would not have occurred without the use of social media. “When we
replace the human-level communities we thrive in—such as religion, civic
responsibility, education, and volunteerism—with communities online
that give us a false sense of power, we are heading down the path of
failure” (Zito 2019). Social media provides a false sense of power and
righteousness because people are manipulated into developing extreme
opinions through the problematic business models of social media
platforms and are rewarded by the addictive nature of these apps to keep
their opinions.
The effects of polarization range from political riots to social
beliefs that focus on an “Us vs. Them” attitude. One of the biggest
effects of polarization is seen in politics. The article “Are Social
Media Driving Political Polarization?” says “Since 1994, the number of
Americans who see the opposing political party as a threat to ‘the
nation’s well-being’ has doubled.” (Lee De-Wit, Sander Van Der Linden,
Cameron Brick 2019). More citizens are either Democrats or Republicans
instead of moderates, which is caused by social media feeding negative
beliefs toward the opposing political group. There is even evidence that
shows that the most recent election has affected people’s viewpoints
because of social media. Violence at the capitol building is the result
of social media encouraging political violence by spreading rumors about
rigged election counts and secret terrorist organizations. There are
also numerous amounts of social polarization in our society. Social
media has created tension about the subject of racism in society today.
“Cancel culture” pits the public against a single individual and allows
people to be easily criticized. When this happens, some people apologize
for their actions and join the canceling majority, but others, rather
than admitting to making a mistake, only strengthen their previous
beliefs to justify their actions. Many people believe that African
Americans are still not completely equal to white Americans, and this
has caused lots of anger in society. "Big Walter used to say, he'd get
right wet in the eyes sometimes, lean his head back with the water
standing in his eyes and say, 'Seem like God didn't see fit to give the
black man nothing but dreams - but he did give us children to make them
dreams seem worth while” (Hansberry 29). Many African American citizens
in society today are still being degraded and people on social media are
arguing about it, which has caused lots of violence and riots from
those who support this idea and those who do not. “I used to support
BLM, but now I see them as violent domestic terrorists not interested in
addressing the real problems within the Black community. BLM is about a
communist revolution not about helping the Black community…” (Perrin
2020). This is an example of a person who had his beliefs manipulated by
social media. His opinion on Black Lives Matter changed because of
misinformation that has been spread about the purpose of the movement.
It proves that social media has caused many citizens to argue issues
about racism and think negatively toward someone who has a different
view on something. Along with these topics, there is an increase in
polarization on the topic of sexism and sexual preference. All of these
are just examples of how the public is becoming more polarized.
Social media is contributing to the polarization of the public. There
are many effects, such as an increase in people who have extreme views,
which can lead to violence between opposing groups. People on social
media and social media platforms have greatly contributed to an increase
in polarization in society. Many citizens do not realize how social
media’s manipulative business models are making people more separated
from each other. There have been many effects and more will continue to
happen if social media keeps reinforcing polarization in society.
Works cited
AdRoll. “Facebook and Instagram Ads with AdRoll.” AdRoll, 2021,
www.adroll.com/sem/facebook-instagram-ads?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=intl-facebookbudget-signup&utm_term=instagram-ad&utm_content=instagram+ad&ar_clx=yes&ar_channel=google_ads&ar_campaign=10167352534&ar_adgroup=101817626877&ar_ad=506815353270&ar_strategy=search&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0oCDBhCPARIsAII3C_FScYs0bLRyK1fAI8cwrfbSFDTf6kyFg2cyCzkliImv9P0WuBmNgV4aAuxMEALw_wcB.
Cooper, James. “TikTok Marketing Companies (2020).” Business of Apps, 10 Mar. 2021,
www.businessofapps.com/marketplace/tiktok/.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Great Gatsby. New directions, 2021
Instagram for Business, Instagram, 1 May 2019, business.instagram.com/.
Lee de-Wit, Sander Van Der, et al. “Is Social Media Driving Political Polarization?” Greater Good,
Greater Good Magazine, 16 Jan. 2019, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_social_media_driving_political_polarization.
Orlowski, Jeff. “The Social Dilemma.” Netflix Official Site, 9 Sept. 2020,
www.netflix.com/title/81254224.
Perrin, Andrew. “23% Of Users in U.S. Say Social Media Led Them to Change Views on an
Issue; Some Cite Black Lives Matter.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 16 Oct. 2020,
Zito, Salena. "Social Media Does Not Reflect the Real America." Gale Opposing Viewpoints
Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/EGEVZE488199519/OVIC?u=cast18629&sid=OVIC&xid=f3dd7713.
Accessed 18 Feb. 2021. Originally published as "The perils of trading
social
Annotated Bibliography
Hong, Sounman. Political Polarization on Twitter: Social Media May Contribute to Online
This is a great source written by a professor from Harvard who talks
about social media and how it is creating polarization in society. It
says that social media creates networks of people with similar
viewpoints which can influence many things including politics. It even
states that the recent presidential elections have been manipulated
because of social media. Political leaders and followers of them can
easily and quickly spread information about them or events related to
them and it causes numerous impacts and polarization.
Lee de-Wit, Sander Van Der, et al. “Is Social Media Driving Political Polarization?” Greater Good,
Greater Good Magazine, 16 Jan. 2019, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_social_media_driving_political_polarization.
This is a reliable resource that talks a lot about how social media
is contributing to polarization in the United States. It specifically
says how in politics the percent of democrats and republicans has
increased greatly rather than groups in between them. It also states
that social media only shows one side to an event which is and can lead
to polarization. Many democrats and republicans have thoughts that the
opposing political party is a threat to the nation's well-being. This
source has a lot of good and reliable information I can use in my
research paper.
Orlowski, Jeff. “The Social Dilemma.” Netflix Official Site, 9 Sept. 2020,
www.netflix.com/title/81254224.
The social dilemma is a Netflix documentary that thoroughly discusses
the effects and the dangers of social media in society. It talks about
how social media was designed and its effects can be very polarizing. It
talks about how social media easily manipulates a person; it keeps
showing information that the person viewing it wants to see which can
reinforce opinions. This is a reliable source to use with lots of
information to show people how social media is very much impacting
society and making it more polarized.
Zito, Salena. "Social Media Does Not Reflect the Real America." Gale Opposing Viewpoints
Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/EGEVZE488199519/OVIC?u=cast18629&sid=OVIC&xid=f3dd7713.
Accessed 18 Feb. 2021. Originally published as "The perils of trading
social interaction for social media," Washington Examiner, 18 Aug. 2019.
This database is all about how social media does not reflect the real
media because of its information. It says that social media was
designed to bring people together but in reality, it is doing the
opposite. It says that social media can often punish people with
unpopular ideas because the apps create standards to be the perfect
person. I also learned and read on the website that social media creates
a false sense of power. On social media people receive likes and
comments which can often create a false sense of fame which in real life
people do not receive. This database article gave me a lot of good
information that I can use to show how social media is making society
more politically diverse.
I am a Softmore at Chaparral Highschool. This is my
research paper on how social media is making society more diverse. My
email is Barrettlm@s.dcsdk12.org.
We promote a self-defense strategy that begins with a proper mindset of awareness and avoidance. Unfortunately, avoidance isn't always possible, and when de-escalation is ineffective or impractical, we can make the mistake of thinking our everyday carry (EDC) handgun is the solution. Without question, a handgun is a fantastic tool in some self-defense situations, but certainly not all of them.
Close-Quarters Self-Defense:
We need to develop other skills to defend against an attack at a close distance. Unfortunately, even though most of us know this reality, many still fail to grow in this area.
For this reason, our friend and instructor, Matt Numrich, has produced an 11-part video training program on Close Quarter Defensive Tactics. Today, we will share one of the videos from that series below, but please note, the entire course is available now for Guardian Nation Members.
Combatives instructor Matt Numrich produced this 11-part course, only available in its entirety to Guardian Nation members. Today, we will bring you the final special preview of Numrich's online course, Close Quarters Defensive Tactics.
Self Defense Techniques – Using a Handheld Flashlight
You probably carry a handheld flashlight on you every day. It's great for illumination and can be incorporated into hand strikes in a non-permissive environment where the flashlight may be all you're armed with. Like any other self-defense technique, it should involve a simple process that we can perform under stress, not just at half-speed with a compliant attacker.
The fundamentals covered in this lesson are:
Areas of the body to target when using a handheld flashlight
How to strike using a handheld flashlight
Like any other self-defense technique, these techniques are not overly complicated. The methods are repeatable and straightforward so that we can perform them under stress, not just at half-speed with a compliant attacker.
As you will see when viewing this lesson, the course requires active, physical participation. Therefore, getting a buddy or family member to take the class with you would be ideal. This way, you have a person with whom you can go through the repetitions.
The MFC (Modular Compact Flashlight) Spark flashlight from ReadyUpGear, is a fantastic administrative handheld light that I carry daily. It has aggressive knurling that provides grip and, while it's pretty compact, works well in the techniques described in the video. If you have big hands and need a flashlight with a longer body, consider this one from Streamlight.
Take a look at this week's lesson from Matt Numerich's course Close Quarters Defensive Tactics.
As I mentioned, this 11 part video course is available for free to members of Guardian Nation.
SPECIAL BONUS: Right now, Matt Numrich is offering a special free DVD to our readers. You can claim a copy of Matt Numrich's Krav Maga online training course for free (just pay shipping and handling). Some of the topics covered in the course include:
A specialized hand strike that will drop any attacker who gets hit in this unguarded target
Devastating self-defense move, perfect for the street, and showed three different ways to cover different kinds of attacks
.How to “strike low” when an attacker outside your peripheral vision attacks you
Discover a defensive and offensive kick that will move a guy back ten feet while letting all those around you know that you mean business
Learn how to defend yourself if pushed or knocked down to the ground
Find out the three-step defense technique to counter anyone who chokes you on the ground in the scariest position!
The FIVE key elements of effective self-defense training, so you can learn these moves quickly and defend yourself even faster
Find out how to quickly get out of a common ground position, which takes MMA champs years to learn! You'll learn a better way in seconds!
The best fighting stance, which mimics what the body naturally does to defend itself and will help your moves become like second nature
A dominant defensive position that will control your opponent and position them for incredible and brutal follow up strikes after they try to attack you
Cartoonist Walt Kelly modified and changed Commodore Perry’s
famous quote to, “We have met the enemy and he is us” in a cartoon he
created in 1970 celebrating the first Earth Day in 1970. The message
being that man from his treatment of the earth is the planet’s enemy.
It may also be true that the greatest enemy of democracy is not our
corrupt leaders, but that a large part of our country’s citizens do not
love or understand what democracy really means. If they do not love or
want a free press that allows opposition and differences of opinion to
flourish, then they do not love or want democracy. If legislators take
away the rights of any minority and hamper free elections and the
ability for every eligible citizen to easily cast a vote, then they do
not love democracy. If school boards take books out of libraries as
Texas is doing, because they consider the books too disturbing or
controversial, then they are going down the path of the book burnings
that happened in Nazi Germany and they do not love or want democracy.
Instead of democracy they want only their own opinions and their own
laws to prevail and flourish and are willing to vote for leaders who
will give them what they want. But leaders who willingly lie and bend
the laws to obtain power eventually take away not only the rights of the
minorities they oppose, but also ultimately take away all their
citizens rights as we have seen in other countries that have become
authoritarian and have lost their democracy.
In the United States we are on a dangerous road toward losing our
freedom. If in the next few elections the people vote for leaders with
selfish and corrupt motives and authoritarian tendencies, then the
voters will ultimately be responsible for giving away their precious
freedom and once you give away your freedom, it is very difficult and
perhaps impossible to ever get it back.
In a Democracy everyone has a voice and is worthy of respect. Poor
people, rich people, minorities and majorities and people of different
religions and different ethnicities. If a voter does not believe in
that, then they do not love democracy. That is the dilemma that the
voters in America will soon be facing in the coming elections in 2022
and 2024. How many voters still love democracy and are willing to vote
for and support leaders who will protect it? The future of our country
and the future and well-being of our children and all future generations
are now in the hands of all of us who are voters—an awesome and
frightening responsibility. We must now all work and fight to protect
our ability to vote. We must fight for the "For the People act of 2021"
that will help to protect every citizen’s right to vote. We must all
make an effort to get the information we need from many different
reliable sources so we can become wise and informed voters and
ultimately cast our vote for leaders who will always protect our
democracy and the rule of law and keep it forever strong and safe.
Democracy needs every voter now as it has never before needed all of us
to work and fight for its very survival.
June Stepansky is a published writer and poet who writes
books and articles about happiness, self-improvement and social and
political issues. Her poetry has been published in the literary magazine
Vol No 21 Childhood and in Vol No 22. Poems that Need to be Explained.
A Different Voice—free self-help book
A Different Voice, by June Stepansky: FREE Book Download (free-ebooks.net)
Kaleidoscope—free poetry book
Kaleidoscope, by June Stepansky: FREE Book Download (free-ebooks.net)
We live in a world that knows nothing about the nature and character of God and the love He has for us. When most people think about God, they conjure up images of a frightening deity who either hates them or is angry with them; this is heartbreaking and just plain wrong. He’s not a vengeful God waiting for us to make a mistake so He can have a reason to condemn and punish us. He’s the essence of love and wants very much to enfold us in His arms and embrace us.
We all share the same basic needs for love and happiness, but most people don’t know where to find them. The world only offers substitutes that leave a person feeling empty and unfulfilled inside. By contrast, God stands ready to offer us what the world can’t. He wants only good things for us. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV).
God’s kind of love goes much further, wider, and deeper than human love. Humans love cautiously, conditionally, and with reservations; God’s love is unconditional, eternal, and has no boundaries. God loves us so much, He sacrificed His own Son on our behalf so that He could have a relationship with us. “For God so loved the world,that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16, 17).
Jesus, who is the perfect image of His Father, died a painful death on a cross for us; He then rose from the dead with the promise that we can have access to the same eternal life in heaven that He has. Out of love for us, He sealed the promises He made with His own blood; we have His Word that He’ll be faithful and true, unlike any fair-weather friend. “For though a thousand generations may pass away,he is still true to his word.He has kept every promise he made to Abraham and to Isaac. His promises have become an everlasting covenant to Jacob,as a decree to Jacob” (Psalm 105:8-10, TPT). God is exceedingly, abundantly good. Believers can be confident that they will inherit the same loving promises that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob received.
God wants to be with us, just like earthly parents enjoy being with their children. Our acceptance by faith of what Jesus did for us on the cross to save us from our sins makes us God’s children. “…But ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8:15-17). As His sons and daughters, we also receive peace, joy, prosperity, safety, forgiveness, wisdom, and victory in life. These are things the world can’t receive because it doesn’t know God.
When we accept the love God has for us, He’ll fill us with it until it runs over, spills out, and splashes onto others. In this way, we’ll experience—perhaps for the first time in our lives—what it’s like to receive and give His love. When we’re embraced by Him, we’ll definitely know it. Our heavenly Father is simply waiting for us to reach out to Him.
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