Basketball Playoffs

Basketball playoffs, here is where champions are born.  Who will rise or fall under the pressure?  It is where all is left on the court.  The battles on the hardwood.  The fans are loud.  Best of 7, every game counts.  Teamwork, defense, fundamentals, who wants it more?  A lot can be said, but what happens in the games is what counts.  The teams that have made it have proved themselves throughout the season, but what they do now is what counts the most.  Forget the season, they now have to perform.

 Life can be like the basketball playoffs.  What we do here determines if we will become "champions."  We have choices to make, will we "rise or fall under the pressure?"  Life isn't easy, we must give it our all.  Life can be a "battle."  We are being "cheered" on by our Heavenly Father.  Every day counts.  What do we desire, and what are we willing to do?  A lot is written in the scriptures about life and what we need to do.  We proved ourselves in the premortal existence, but what we do now is what counts the most.  We all have had a lot of ups and downs getting to where we are today, but what we do now with life is of the most importance.  

I will write on the subject of enduring to the end.  Like the basketball teams competing for the trophy, we must "play very well to the very end."  Just because we chose to follow our Heavenly Father's plan and come to earth, doesn't mean we will automatically make it back to live with Him.  Just because we chose to be baptized and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, doesn't mean we will automatically be saved.  Just because we have gone to the temple and been sealed as families forever, doesn't mean we will automatically have these great blessings.  Like the teams that have made it to the playoffs, we must do our very best now!  Whether we have done our best or not up to this point, what we do now is what matters.  Whether we are ranked number 1 or 8, we can win.  All of us can win.  Because of our Savior and His sacrifice, we can become new and finish strong no matter where we are at right now!

Here is the game plan.  This is how we win.  We must put the "ball" in our Savior's hands and He will win it for us.  We have been told in the scriptures how this is done.  The "play" has been written up; it is one that won't fail.  Here it is: we must grow in faith, repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost.  If we have ran through this "play" before, we must keep doing it.  Keep growing in faith, repenting, taking the sacrament to renew the covenants we have made.  We keep doing the fundamentals.  We read, pray, and go to church.  This is what wins "ballgames."  I know that if we do these things and work to the end, we will be victorious.

Mortality, here is where eternal destinies are born.  Who will rise or fall under the pressure?  It is where we are tested.  The choice between good and bad is a battle.  Lots of things compete for our attention.  Every day counts.  Prayer, church, scripture study, what do we desire? 

Images found at:
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http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.coachingtoolbox.net/images/Plays/choice-zone-inbounds/basketball-plays-choice2.bmp&imgrefurl=http://www.coachingtoolbox.net/plays/diagrams/basketball-plays-choice-zone-inbounds.html&h=722&w=578&sz=1225&tbnid=rVh_ZvOihOykcM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=112&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbasketball%2Bplays%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=basketball+plays&hl=en&usg=__4scmC8Qc6gca5ffoLEi01_BbP00=&sa=X&ei=pcvKTbrYJ6HjiAKo7ImrBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEEQ9QEwAQ
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0T1QLVp9TeQmjhyax0bau1RFnoLdaYWAM2f57OumMXF2vaxzMtA769c3QEpVzGEEKjxoqf0XRcReVcr5sNIMC_nk3Iq_uGcMXXjxp69wfdH_eow_2E5bCz1okJlNXQlL_sodRjkfcyMy/s400/basketball.jpg&imgrefurl=http://spacademy.blogspot.com/2009/02/cif-basketball-playoffs.html&h=300&w=400&sz=23&tbnid=TqeDIBt9ISj20M:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbasketball%2Bplayoffs%2Bimages%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=basketball+playoffs+images&hl=en&usg=__jPSR-BPzKcB3sfZnBBuii3L65bo=&sa=X&ei=MMzKTcu1OOLjiAL22oD7Bw&sqi=2&ved=0CDgQ9QEwBQ