Shop Thirty-One Gifts to Help Me Reach the Nations for Christ!

In case you didn't know....REACH is my 2013 word! :)

I have committed to doing a few intentional things this year, which will help me REACH the nations for Christ through sports evangelism . You can read more here.

And I am absolutely thrilled that my friend Maureen has graciously offered to donate 20% of the proceeds of my online 31 fundraiser party directly to this ministry!!!

That said...I am inviting YOU to the party! Your purchases will help us run more evangelistic sports camps and send more evangelistic soccer balls and basketballs to orphans and children in poor villages around the world! We are sharing the gospel message one ball and one camp at a time!

Will you join us on our mission? Simply place your order online here by April 26th.

If you are not familiar, Thirty-One offers fashionable handbags, totes, coolers, organizational systems and accessories for you, your home and your office...everything comes in a variety of styles, colors and patterns and can be monogrammed if you choose!

I am pretty much a 31 addict myself! ;)

One of my very favorite items is their Large Utility Tote! I own two already and continually find reasons to justify buying another!

It is very spacious and sturdy, stands up on its own...perfect for hauling sports equipment to little league games as well as beach toys and towels to the beach! I also load mine up and take it with me to school on the days that I teach and keep one in the back of my car as a "catch all."

I cannot get enough of their thermal coolers, pretty sure I own one in every size!

These are great for taking a lunch to work, snacks to the tball team, drinks to a birthday party, for keeping your groceries cold or for going on a family picnic!

I am in love with their brand new Rec & Roll duffle collection, which is available during the month of April ONLY!!!

I am definitely gonna buy Little A one in each size, in his team colors, with a baseball and his number on it as well...IconIt is only $7 this month!! He will be so excited to get this gear for his birthday in a few weeks!

Their Spirit Collection is awesome too, you can get a variety of bags, totes and thermals in your favorite team's colors! Certain school logos are available as well!

Or maybe you just need something for Mom for Mother's Day? Thirty-One offers all kinds of purses, makeup bags, wallets and accessories which are perfect for spring and summer!

Come on by here and take a look, I know you will find something you cannot live without...and you will be helping a worthy cause at the same time! Spread the word to your family and friends, all are welcome to the party!

Click here to shop my online 31 fundraiser party!

Happy Tuesday, friends! Thanks so much for your continued support...it means the world to me! :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

Reach 2013: Cover Photo

I mentioned to you here that I was working with a graphic designer on a branding for my 2013 word. So far we have come up with a cover photo for the Worthy of the Prize facebook page, which I am also displaying at the top of our blog to help keep our goal at the front of our minds this year!

What do you think?

Go here to read more about my 2013 word and goals for the year.

By the way, our first (ever) shipment of (evangelistic) balls has arrived at the Belize Basecamp ministry headquarters in Washington. A mission team will be taking them to Belize at the end of the month, where they will be used to share the gospel message with orphans and children in poor villages there, through sports camps, clinics and by simply making deliveries to the orphanages and schools! This time around we were able to ship a mixture of 35 soccer and basketballs, as well as 10 pumps and 60 gospel tracts, which use the colors on the ball to tell "The Greatest Story Ever Told!"

I am SO excited about this new aspect of our ministry and I cannot wait to see pictures of the kids using the balls!!! Thank you J316 Ministries for making this happen and to all of you who donated to this worthy cause!

Check back by often as I continue to report (probably about once a month) what God is doing around here through my 2013 word...REACH!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

My 2013 Word

Last year my word was JOY! And what an awesome year it was! You can read about my 2012 word and download our free "find joy in the journey" printable here, go here for my 2012 highlights and then download our "find joy in the journey: how 12 women could face tomorrow just because He lives" ebook, a direct result of what God showed me on my 2012 journey to find joy, despite my circumstances!

This year God gave me a very different word. REACH. He is calling me to reach the nations for Christ, one sports camp at a time!

As you may or may not know, Worthy of the Prize is first and foremost, a sports ministry. We run volleyball team camps all summer long, partnering with high school teams to get them ready for their upcoming season. And after many years of running evangelistic sports camps for kids, we have written a sports camp manual for churches and mission organizations, giving them everything they need to run their own evangelistic sports camps in their community or on mission. Most recently, we have partnered with J316 Ministries to send evangelistic balls to orphans and kids in poor villages across America and around the world, with the hope that we will one day be able to follow up with evangelistic sports camps in those areas.

Because God blessed us with two baby boys, just two years apart, and because we have moved twice in two years, this mission has been somewhat on hold. This is actually why I branched out into other areas of ministry (things I could do from home), causing us to grow tremendously. And I am SO thankful for the glory God has brought to His name through those ministries.

BUT...I am thrilled that He is allowing me to return to my first love...sports ministry!!! And that He is giving me the GO ahead to pursue those ministries full force this year!

Will you join us?

Happy 2013, friends! May God get all the glory!!!

Go here for more information on the One Word movement and how to get involved.

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization, and her ebook find joy in the journey: how 12 women could face tomorrow just because He lives for inspiring stories of women who found overwhelming joy despite their circumstances . Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

Free Friday! {Gratitude}

Since this is the month of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be appropriate to provide a {gratitude} print every Friday in November.

I have noticed that alot of people are posting {30 days} of thanksgiving, giving thanks, thankfulness, etc on their blogs, facebook pages and twitter pages this month.

Wouldn't it be fun to do something like that here each Friday?!

I will blog about gratitude and tell you what I am thankful for and then you can do the same! What do you say?

Source: restoredstyle.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

I just love this print. I found it on Pinterest several weeks ago and have been saving it to share during the month of November.

We can get so caught up in focusing on what we need, what we want, what we do not have and what other people have that it robs us of our joy.

I want to encourage you this month to focus on what you DO have. I will be sharing with you some ways to do this over the course of the next few weeks but first, I challenge you to write down 1 thing that you are thankful for each day this month.

It can be anything. Simple, small things. Things we usually take for granted. Write it in a journal or on your blog, facebook, twitter page or on a piece of paper. Encourage your family members to do the same.

Ok, my turn.

Today I am VERY thankful that my book is in print!!!

After years of hardwork, it is finally finished! You can pre-order it now, directly from my publisher, and save $4.05! Just in time for Christmas, only $10.94!

Buy it and then give it to one of the ministry leaders at your church/mission organization to be used as a community outreach or on mission. Go here to pre-order it.

Now it's your turn.

What are YOU thankful for today?! Leave me a comment!

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. {Philippians 4:11-13}

It's Official!!! I'm A Published Author!

My book is in print!!!! After years of hardwork, I am SO excited to be done! Now here's to hoping someone actually buys it! ;)

It is a guide for churches/mission organizations or any group that wants to run an evangelistic sports camp for kids as a community outreach.

It gives you everything you need to make it happen, kind of like when you purchase VBS materials for your church. All you need is a willing heart and someone to coordinate it. The rest is given to you in this book.

I have actually been partnering with churches to run these camps since 2004 and have seen many successes and lives changed as a result.

I encourage you to buy one and give it to one of the ministry leaders at your church/mission organization. You can pre-order it now, directly from my publisher, and save $4.05! Just in time for Christmas, only $10.94!

Go here to pre-order a copy.

Several have asked about getting an autographed copy from me! You can order one from my shop here and I will sign it and ship it to you myself. It will take a few weeks and you will not get the special pre-order price but it will be autographed! :)

Please help me spread the word!!! Thanks!

{giveaway}: It's A Celebration!!!

Today is a HUGE day of celebration around here!

The Texas Rangers are headed into the World Series, they are gonna rock Game 1 tonight AND....my book is FINALLY going to print!!!!

Wooooohooooooooo!!! In celebration, we are having a BIG Texas Rangers prize package giveaway on the Worthy of the Prize facebook page!

The winner will receive....

-1 copy of my book {which includes a foreword by Jim Sundberg, Vice President of the Texas Rangers baseball organization}

-1 Texas Rangers fit band and 1 Texas Rangers half loop

-1 sports-themed faith memory pack from Scripture Art Designs {the company of Josh Hamilton's wife and sister-in-law who I happen to be in partnership with}

AND.....

-1 autographed baseball signed by THE Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers!!!

Go here to enter. You can enter through the final game of the World Series. Winner will be announced when the series is over.

Goodluck and GO RANGERS, WIN IT ALL!!!

Sports Ministry Opportunities {Prayer Requests}

I do not normally blog on the weekends but I have 5 really important things to tell you about and I want to take this opportunity to ask for prayer---so stick with me!

1. As you may or may not know, I am a Compassion Blogger which means about once a month or so, I will tell you about something special going on through Compassion International so that you can help take care of the orphans as God commands us to do! {James 1:27} I am one of many voices for orphans and underprivileged children!

Meet Emilda.

Emilda is an 18 year-old sponsored Compassion child with the mental capacity of a 3-year-old who lives in the Philippines.

And she is FAST!!!

In 2009, Emilda competed in the Philippine Special Olympics and she did SO well that she qualified for the World Special Olympics in Athens, Greece this Summer!!

BUT...she needs your help to get there.

Neither Emilda's parents nor the Philippine government are able to pay her way to Greece.

She needs $19,857 to get there.

Will you help her?

Go HERE to make a donation---any amount, no matter how small will help!

You can also go HERE for more information related to Emilda and her story.

2. I have been asked to be apart of an amazing team going overseas to teach basketball to orphans and underprivileged children! The trip is totally up my alley since WOTP is all about sports and orphans---however, I do have some concerns and am having a hard time discerning God's will concerning my involvement. Please pray that God will quickly and clearly reveal His will to me.

3. It is time for us to start planning our summer schedule as far as volleyball team camps go! If you are apart of (know of) a volleyball team that would like to set up a WOTP Volleyball Team Camp for Summer 2011, please email us at worthyoftheprize@yahoo.com.

4. I am in the final stages of the publishing process of my sports camp manual, Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps! Please pray that everything will come together in God's perfect will and timing.

5. Finally, yesterday I had the privilege of attending a FCA event here in town! I am somewhat connected with a local FCA group---I served as a counselor at the Fields of Faith event (where athletes and coaches from the area gave their testimonies) at a local highschool back in October and yesterday I was invited to attend the basketball game of the #13 ranked NCAA women's team and it was a blast! The UWGB women's team is fantastic and fun to watch---and the best part is that the coach is an outspoken Christian! He was the guest speaker at the Fields of Faith event in the fall and yesterday we got to hear him, his assistant coach and one of his players speak and give testimonies before the game! Please pray for his ministry there at the college and in town. Also, this same FCA group has asked me to come to a breakfast in March where we will be talking with the teenage girls about "worth" while the guys talk about "purity." Pray that God will speak through us and that He alone will be glorified!

Be sure to stop back by tomorrow for our weekly mom2mom {linky party} and either link-up or leave comments of things that "work for you" as a mom!! Can't wait to see what MJ has in store for us!

Have a great week!

2009 AMBC Sports Camp

We had the honor of hosting the 2009 AMBC Sports Camp for boys and girls who have completed grades K-5th, and it was a blast!! We averaged around 75 campers each night and had just under 100 different campers throughout the course of the week! The campers enjoyed learning basic skills in volleyball, basketball, baseball, soccer and cheerleading, while having FUN and also learning about Jesus! We hope that they have a great 2009-2010 school year and that we see them again next summer!

Here is the video from the week:

2009 AMBC Sports Camp

AMBC Sports Camp details:

August 3-6, 2009
6-8pm
Ages: Completed K-5th
Volleyball, Basketball, Baseball/Softball, Cheerleading, Soccer
$10 (Price includes t-shirt if you register by July 20th)

Click here to download registration form!

Soon you will be able to register online at www.ambcaustin.org!