Congratulations to the MJAC Champions!

The Middle School Girls finished their conference season undefeated.  They went into the MJAC playoffs seeded #1.  Because of their #1 seeding, they received a bye for the first round.  In the second round/semi-finals, they took on Trinity. 

After a slow start, the Force came on strong in the second quarter and the rest of the game was history.  With a 25-6 win, they advanced to the finals.

  In the final round the Force met the Bobcats from Banner.  The Banner Bobcats kept pace with the Force and at halftime, the score was the Force 6, Banner 3.  The crowd was on the edge of their seats as the girls headed into the locker room. 

 Whatever it was that Coach John and Coach Charity told the girls at halftime worked, because the Force girls came out and scored 14 points in the third quarter and held Banner to 2 points.

  The Force won with a final score of 26 to 17.  Mckenzie Quick and Jackie Lamont were named to the All Tournament team and Joanna Hughes was named the MVP of the tournament. 

 Every girl played minutes in the tournament and every girl contributed to the win that was merely the icing on a season that was sweet from the start.  Congratulations goes out to our Middle School Girls! 

Verse of the Week

Verse of the Week for February 28:
Philippians 3:14
" I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus".


Discussion.....(taken from notes from the NIV Study Bible)
We have all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be.  Because our hope is in Christ, however, we can let go of the past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become.  Don't dwell on your mistakes.  Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with him now.

Verse of the Week

Verse of the Week for February 21:

Galations 1:10
    Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

The question we need to ask ourselves is do we want to be a servant of Christ or of ourselves? If we serve Christ then the following passage is true.

Proverbs 29:25
    Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

The Lord certainly kept us safe Monday night as the varsity boys and girls traveled home from Fulton County.

Who do we live and play for? Is it Christ or the praise of man?

Senior:: Emily Pritt

Q. How long have you been playing basketball?

Since I was two feet fall and Mom promised me a dollar for the first basket I scored!  I first played on a rec team in middle school.   

Q. How did you get interested in basketball?

When I was little, we used to go down to the basketball court to play ‘A.P.’s (Aged Parents) versus the Squirts (me and my big siblings).  I’ve always loved basketball, but especially since I started playing with you!  Because you are awesome!

Q. Do you participate in any other sports?....tell us about them

You bet!  Soccer!  I play with Krista (big surprise there) on an MSI club team in Middletown.  Our coach is pretty awesome and so are the girls, and it’s been an all around great experience!  I swim in the summertime too, which has been a little less thrilling (let’s just say….I am NOT fast).

Q. How long have you been home schooled?

For ever and ever…I’ve never been on a school bus!!  How upsetting…though my friends insist that I am missing out on NOTHING.  Haha

Q. What's your favorite thing about being homeschooled (other than getting to play for the Force, of course)?

Making my own schedule and working at my own pace.  Homeschooling has given me the chance to be a part of all kinds of extracurricular activities, even with a kind of heavy school load.

Q.  What are some of your hobbies?

I love to read, bake, and do almost any craft.   Do playing with my favorite toddlers count?  Cause that’s at the top!

Q. Where's your favorite place to eat out?

At Mrs. Duke’s.  No restaurant can compete with my mom and Mrs. Duke’s cooking.  Just sayin!

Q. What's your favorite movie?

Inception!!  At least in my dreams it is….

Q. What are your plans after high school graduation?

College!  I applied to Geneva, Grove City, Vanderbilt, Tufts, Emory, Johns Hopkins, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.  I should hear back from them by the end of March.

Q.  Would you rather drink coffee or tea?

Coffee is nasty.  I’m a teaholic.

Q. Who's your favorite musical artist/group?

Uh, let’s go with favorite songs instead.  “Jar of Hearts” (Christina Perri) and “Just a dream” (Nelly).  Most songs by Taio Cruz and Bruno Mars are at the top too!

Q. What would you do if you had an entire day to yourself and could do anything? 

Grab friends, dinner, and a movie!

Q. What's your favorite book?

Excluding the Bible, probably The Road by Cormac McCarthy.  Anything by Travis Thrasher is great for a fun read!

Q. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Next door to all my favorite people! 

Q. What college team do you cheer for?

Blahh I have no idea 

Q. What's your favorite scripture verse?

Isaiah 43: 1-7:   

¹ But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
      O Israel, the one who formed you says,
   “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
      I have called you by name; you are mine.
 ² When you go through deep waters,
      I will be with you.
   When you go through rivers of difficulty,
      you will not drown.
   When you walk through the fire of oppression,
      you will not be burned up;
      the flames will not consume you.
 ³ For I am the Lord, your God,
      the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
   I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
      I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
 ⁴ Others were given in exchange for you.
      I traded their lives for yours
   because you are precious to me.
      You are honored, and I love you.

 ⁵ “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
      I will gather you and your children from east and west.
 ⁶ I will say to the north and south,
      ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel
      from the distant corners of the earth.
 ⁷ Bring all who claim me as their God,
      for I have made them for my glory.
      It was I who created them.’”

Q. When it snows, how do you spend your day?

Inside with some hot chocolate, homemade donuts, a book/movie, and (unfortunately) all the homework I haven’t done yet. 

Verse of the Week

Verse for the week of February 14:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant."  Philippians 2:3-7

Discussion points:

This passage doesn’t ask us to belittle ourselves, but rather to understand who God made us to be.  Christ understood and accepted his identity.  This freed him from having to prove who he was to others, as well as from having to grasp and cling to his rights as Creator of the world.  Understanding who he was enabled him to fulfill God’s plan by taking on a servant nature and dying for us, even though he was “in very nature God.”  Who has God made you?  Have you embraced who God created you to be, or are you trying to be someone else?  Are there rights that you are grasping or holding on to?  Is this preventing you from looking to the interests of others?

Senior:: Krista Duke

Q. How long have you been playing basketball?
I think I started before soccer, so I've been playing for about six-and-a-half years. 　
　
Q. How did you get interested in basketball?
　 To tell the truth, at first I wasn't interested in basketball at all. My mom got me started because she thought it would be a good workout for my arms =P
Once I began playing, however, basketball kind of grew on me.
　
Q. Do you participate in any other sports?....tell us about them
　 Yes. Besides basketball, I also play soccer. I've been playing for about six years now... I won't say that I love it more than basketball, but I know that it has come much more naturally to me. No plays to memorize =P Haha.
But the thing I love most about basketball is my team. No other team I've been on has come even close to being like you guys!!
　
Q. How long have you been home schooled?
　 I've been homeschooled since second grade. Seems like forever haha. Before my parents started homeschooling me, I went to private school.
　
Q. What's your favorite thing about being homeschooled (other than getting to play for the Force, of course)?
　 Growing closer to my family! We have our occasional squabbles (ok, maybe a little more than "occasional") but I definitely believe homeschooling has given me the opportunity to get to know my siblings and my parents in a deep way. They are all always there for me...
　
Q.　 What are some of your hobbies?
　 Definitely art and music. Does reading count too? Haha.
I've been doing art forever. I started young (something like preschool =P) and have been mostly teaching myself ever since. It wasn't until high school that I started taking "real" art classes. And it's been great! I've learned so many things about art that I never knew (and probably couldn't have taught myself) -- especially from my recent painting class. (I've always been more of a drawing person. Painting is cool because it has COLOR!)
I've also been doing music forever =) I've played piano since I was six or so, and violin since I was eleven.
If reading does indeed count as a hobby, then I am a reading-maniac. I absolutely love to read! I mostly do it over the summers when school is over. My favorite types of books are fantasy/adventure/romance.
　
Q. Where's your favorite place to eat out?
　 Ooooo that's a hard one. I LOVE to eat, and I can basically eat everything. (Except liver, and papaya. And any sort of animal intestines, etc.)
Chipotles is definitely one of my favorite places to eat out. Carrabas and Macaroni Grill are also pretty good. And then there's this Spanish restaurant in Rockville (I think) called Pollo Primo. It serves the BEST chicken!!! I love that place lol. And of course I can't forget Chick fil A.
=)
　
Q. What's your favorite movie?
　 OK, now that's another hard one... I really don't have a favorite movie -- I have many favorites. Some that come close to #1 would be: the Get Smart series (soooo funny!), Inception (recently came out: it's really good), and the Bourne trilogy (also very good, but I suggest watching it with ClearPlay).
　
Q. What are your plans after high school graduation?
　 Going to college! Woohoo another 4 years of...schoolwork... (Hmm maybe I should rethink this??? Lol jk).
I'm not sure which college I'm going to yet: I'm still waiting for replies. As for my major, I'm thinking of the biological field right now. But who knows? Maybe God has other plans for me ;) I'll see where He will take me.
　
Q. Would you rather drink coffee or tea?
　 Probably coffee. I'm a coffee addict. Strong coffee + lots of cream + lots of sugar = yummy.
　
Q. Who's your favorite musical artist/group?
　 Enigma.
　
Q. What would you do if you had an entire day to yourself and could do anything?　
　 Go shopping!!!!!!! And then after I'm exhausted from that, I'll go home and curl up on my couch and read. Maybe I'll draw something. And bake something.
　
Q. What's your favorite book?
Gee I don't know. The one that I've read the most times is Fire by Night (by Lynn Austen). It's a Christian historical fiction novel set in the Civil War. And it's a romance =P
　
Q. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
　 Right where I live now =) I love my house and my family.
　
Q. What college team do you cheer for?
　 OK, this is going to sound really sad: We don't have cable or satellite TV so I can't watch any college or professional games. So, I don't really cheer for any team. (Except for Maryland, of course). =)
　
Q. What's your favorite scripture verse?
　 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
　
Q. When it snows, how do you spend your day?
Usually I try my best to stay indoors, complaining how cold it is.
On occasion, my siblings sometimes drag me outside and maybe I sled for a little bit before escaping back inside to a warm cup of hot chocolate. Or coffee =)

Verse of the Week

 Since the Frederick Force is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, FCA would like us to incorporate Christian development through some form of Bible study into our program. We held a short devotion early in the season on Ecclesiastes 4:12 where the athletes where given several strands of blue thread symbolizing each athlete on the team and a strand of gold thread to symbolize God’s Word and they successfully  made a cord with them. Each athlete was then given a copy of the verse with a piece of that cord attached to it.   

  It has been the board’s wish to continue such devotions, however, time has not allowed us to do so. Therefore, we would like to start posting “The Verse of the Week” on the blog so the Frederick Force families and/or individuals can be studying the same verses together as a team. This would also provide an opportunity for the players to share any prayer requests and thoughts they may have in the comment section on the blog.

photo via: Meditations of His Love

The verse for the week of Feb. 7th is:  James 1:2-4

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Supporting verses are:  James 1:12

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

And Romans 5:3-4

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

May you and your family be blessed as you soak in the truths of God's word throughout the coming days. 

  

Senior:: Jessica Hughes

Q. How long have you been playing basketball? 

This is my fourth year of basketball. Some of the best years of my life!! 

Q. How did you get interested in basketball?

Well...I didn't. My siblings did, then dad and mom encouraged me to play, and suggested I play for one year before I say no. I didn't really want to at first, but then being with the girls on my team just made it so I couldn't leave! :) 

Q. Do you participate in any other sports?....tell us about them

Nope! Just basketball! 

Q. How long have you been home schooled?

All of my school years. I've never been to public school. 

Q. What's your favorite thing about being homeschooled (other than getting to play for the Force, of course)?

Being able to have more sleep than public schoolers!! Sleep. Yes most definitely the fact that I get more sleep. 

Q.  What are some of your hobbies?

Hmm. I like making things to give to other people. Cards, etc. Whenever I can, I like to make little things when people have birthdays or for Christmas. Things like that. :) 

Q. Where's your favorite place to eat out?

Hmm...probably Panera Bread. 

Q. What's your favorite movie?

That's a tough one! I don't think I have a favorite movie! haha! 

Q. What are your plans after high school graduation?

I might be going to FCC for a few years, then I'll transfer to a college where I can get my ASL interpreters certificate. But you never know with God!! We'll see where He takes me! I'm trusting Him to lead me. He's led me this far :) 

Q.  Would you rather drink coffee or tea?

Probably coffee...but I like both!  

Q. Who's your favorite musical artist/group?

Ohh that's a tough one! I love Bethany Dillon, Francesca Batistelli, and Meredith Andrews. Its a hard choice between those three! 

Q. What would you do if you had an entire day to yourself and could do anything? 

Get a bunch of friends together and do something fun!! 

Q. What's your favorite book?

I don't have a favorite book! I actually haven't had much time lately to read a good book outside of school. But I think my favorite series might be "A life of faith". 

Q. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Right here ^_^ hahaha! All my friends are here :) 

Q. What college team do you cheer for?

Oh boy...I really haven't watched much college anything. But for football, it's Penn State. And anything but Duke for basketball lol. Basically. :)

Q. What's your favorite scripture verse?

Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. You will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart." 

Q. When it snows, how do you spend your day?

Well first I'd probably take the opportunity to catch up on schoolwork or chores or something. I'm ALWAYS behind in something lol. Then I'd read a book, watch a movie or play a game with my family! Or anything else creative we can do. If its OK to play outside, I'd probably do that too!! :D 

Senior Spotlights!!!

Senior Day is February 19th and the Force will take on the Front Royal Flames at New Life Christian School.  In anticipation of Senior Day, over the next couple of weeks we'll be shining the spotlight on our seniors.  This year we have 3 graduating seniors.  They are: Krista Duke, Jessica Hughes, and  Emily Pritt.   They've been asked a few questions and we're going to share those answers here in an effort to allow everyone to get to know them better.  They are a great group of young people. We're blessed to have them as a part of the Frederick Force.  Oh and the really the neat thing about it is that they will become the first Frederick Force Alumni!  So check back often to learn more about our graduating seniors!