I recently went through a life-changing experience. After years of pain and struggle, I finally had a total knee replacement on my left knee. Before my surgery, everyone who’d gone through the same thing said having it done was a great decision. Today, one week after surgery, I am slowly beginning to believe that. The previous six days, however, have been marked with pain like I’ve never felt before. I’ve experienced new struggles that seemed unreasonable and have often been tempted to quit. All of this because of a change in my left knee.

I’m a Longhorn, a proud University of Texas graduate. I worked hard to earn a degree and even met my husband there. So, yes, we’re both Longhorns!

I used to say we weren’t those “fanatical Longhorn fans,” but then I noticed the amount of burnt orange clothing hanging in our closets, the UT flag on the front of the house, the room in our house that is painted burnt orange, and I realized I needed to admit we were a little more “fanatical” than I thought.

Fall has always been a wonderful season for me. I love the leaves crunching and the beauty of the harvest sunsets. I enjoy sweatshirts and sweatpants and the warmth of an outdoor fire. In fact, campfires are one of my favorite things. I love the sound, the smell and the fellowship that usually comes with a good campfire.

Recently, this short, yet powerful, verse from Proverbs caught my attention. Proverbs 26:20a says, “Without wood, fire goes out.” Don’t you just love how the Bible can be so simple, yet so profound?

When I read this verse, I thought, “Duh! Of course a fire dies out without wood.” And then the Lord rumbled inside my heart. He seemed to ask, “What are you fueling your fire with?” It was a great moment of conviction.

Watch any of the famous Rocky movies and you’ll find a prime example of someone who never gave up in battle. With every movie, Sylvester Stallone’s character, Rocky Balboa, faced an even bigger challenge. Yet through each 12-round beating, he always managed to get back up on his feet and find victory.

Competition is a great thing. It can move people beyond mediocrity to greatness. The Bible is full of examples that compare the Christian life to an athletic contest.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul wrote, “Do you not know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.” I like that! It’s said very simply, “Run in such a way that you may win.”

As students, we are often asked questions about our future plans. Whether we are asked about our plans for school, the weekend, or even just the afternoon, they generally aren't that hard to answer. "Oh, I'm going to [this university] and participating in [this sport]." Or, "I'm going to chill with some friends tonight." Recently, though, I found myself answering a question that was a little more serious: “What are your plans for your life?”

Man, this question hit me hard! And the reason it struck me so much was because I thought I had my life all figured out. Now, you may be thinking, "Hey, that's great that she has such plans." I thought so too at first, but then I realized that having my life all planned out wasn't that great.

Coaches are famous for using sayings and quotes to get players pumped up for whatever sport they’re playing. I have a friend who hangs signs with different sayings all over his team’s locker room. One sign in particular really resonates with me. It’s the one posted just above the door that leads out of the locker room. It says, “Discipline is not what I do TO you; it is what I do FOR you.”