Are You an Inventor or Just a "Ventor"?

A valuable lesson I've learned over the years is that just because I am the leader of a school, a department, or even a school system, I don't always have all the answers to every question or situation. Leadership is developed through experience which in and of itself develops resilience, knowledge, and hopefully wisdom. (I say "hopefully" only because it depends on what we do after an experience whether it becomes wisdom or not. There is a definition of insanity that applies here if you'd like to explore that one.) Problem solving is a key attribute in leadership and developing that skill is one that benefits both the leader and those that he or she is leading. As a leader of leaders, one of the best strategies I have found in building problem solving skills is to provide the person with the issue at hand to be directly involved in the pursuit of an effective solution. There is one school of thought that holds to the idea of "Don't come to me with a problem unless you have two or three potential solutions", which sounds great in theory, but if the person had the best solution in hand why would they be coming to you for help? I recently had one of our principals reach out to me about an issue he is dealing with in his school. One of the last things he did in his email request to meet was state that he would bring some possible solutions with him for when we sit down to talk. For me that only expedites the process and provides us with more time to explore and dissect his potential solutions, while also providing me with more context of what type of outcome he is pursuing. What I bring to the table is a vast array of experiences that help guide our conversations and allow us to shoot holes in proposals that may have hidden land mines just waiting to happen. Here, past experience serves as the teacher of wisdom. Although each situation has its own nuances, similarities between past experiences and a current issue at hand offer a golden opportunity to talk through those possibilities before landing on the path forward. Remember, "the more things change, the more they stay the same!"

Today's Flat Tire Thought asks the question, are you an inventor or just a "ventor"? Well, I made up the word "ventor" and I also gave the word its very own definition. A "ventor" is a person who comes to a person they envision as being able to take care of whatever it is that is creating a hardship for said person. Now, don't get me wrong, I value and appreciate my colleagues coming to me to work through their thoughts and matters of concern, yet a "ventor" is someone that doesn't really have a possible solution, they just want to get their frustration off their chest and in the process gain some magical wisdom from the person "in charge". Well, if that was the proper way to develop problem solvers the old proverb about catching a fish for someone or teaching them to fish would not hold true and I believe we all can agree it is much better to teach others how to fish for solutions to their problems rather than setting the hook yourself all day long! 

I stand firm by my assertion above that just because I am the leader, that doesn't mean I have all the right answers. So, if I as a leader don't have all the answers the question begs to be asked, is there a better source to reach out to when there is a problem to be answered? In my own walk, there are friends, colleagues, and mentors that I reach out to when I have my own head scratchers to solve, and when that happens I always try to follow my own advice and go with some potential solutions in hand. That being said, do you have somewhere to turn when even your dearest friend or confidant can't seem to walk you through to a plausible solution to your problem? I turn to our God, He is closer than a brother and His knowledge and wisdom go beyond compare (Proverbs 18:24 & Proverbs 3:19).

I am so guilty of coming to God through prayer asking Him for answers to the issues I am facing in my life each day. Not that God doesn't want us to do just that, "Ask and it will be given to you' seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8. The God we serve is omnipotent and omniscient, yet in His infinite wisdom, he desires to see you and I grow in our own wisdom and knowledge so we can in turn invest the same in those we live, love, and work with each day. How much would you or I grow if all we had to do was come to God and "vent" our own frustrations or issues to Him and then just sit back while God lays out the perfect solution. If that were the case, who would need AI anyway, right? God is not artificial intelligence, the God of all creation knows all, yet rather than give us the answers to our dilemmas at the very moment we vent out our frustrations, God wants us to grow and become the leader in our world of influence we are designed and destined to be. 

Knowing that God desires for us to come to Him when we have problems that are weighing us down, and understanding that God wants us to grow and gain knowledge and wisdom through our experiences, what is the healthy balance between dependency on God and reliance on God. For me, I believe God expects us to depend on Him just as we depend on water to survive, God is our Living Water. (John 7:38). Yet, just as we should go to our leaders here on earth to help us work through potential solutions to our problems, hence "inventors" of solutions, God is there to direct our steps and illuminate our path (Psalm 119:105). It is our duty to call on God in all situations and circumstances, the Apostle Paul encourages us to "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."   I Thessalonians 5:16-18, and in James 1:5 we are instructed, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you". 

My daily prayer is that I am always more of an "inventor" rather than being a "ventor" and I also pray that I will always be a positive thought partner for those I work alongside each day. Yet, I know that there is only one true problem solver and He is always available for both you and I as we traverse life's journey each day! Keep on seeking His will, and keep on knocking on His door! Amen. 

Coach Carter

"Be Like Mike"?

 The "Be Like Mike" Gatorade commercial campaign from the 1990s convinced youngsters, and some not so young youngsters, that if they wanted to be more like basketball star Michael Jordan, drinking Gatorade was a big part of the process. Great marketing campaign, Gatorade saw an iconic legend in the making and they positioned themselves right there alongside Michael Jordan's thirst quenching image. As it was in the 1990's it is still the same today in 2026, people are desperately looking for someone to "be like". Sports figures, glamorous movie stars, or possibly even more current social media influencers garner thousands or possibly millions of followers who dream to be like ______________. (You fill in the blank). The question begs to be asked, if the world wanted to be like Michael Jordan then and the world wants to be like X, Y, or Z, is there a firm, more reliable example that we should all be striving to be like? 

I would like to suggest that there is an example that exists and His example has been available for us to follow for over 2,000 years. Jesus came to this world and lived a sinless life. Now that example may be hard for us to follow, the Bible even tells us in Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". We aren't and can't be sinless like Jesus, but in comparison, I can't drink Gatorade and suddenly start doing 360 dunks either. I can't be Michael Jordan, that job has already been taken, and I can't be Jesus either. I just have to strive to be more like Him, "Be Like Jesus". 

The early followers of Jesus had a real life upper hand on us, they actually walked with Jesus, listened to His teachings, observed His healings, and learned first hand what Jesus lived out when He, by example, displayed to them how to forgive and to love even in the most extreme circumstances. Jesus was arrested without committing a crime, convicted by a mob jury and sentenced to death, beaten and tortured by Roman soldiers, and laughed at in His pain and suffering. (Luke 22-23). What did Jesus do? Before we hear the answer to that question, we need to compound the pain and suffering by adding being nailed to a wooden cross so that he could be crucified as demanded by the mob that had gathered that day. And what did Jesus do? First, we know what He didn't do, Jesus did not seek retaliation. His purpose was not to condemn or punish people, Jesus came to this world to save it not destroy it. "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28. While Jesus hung on a cross between two convicted criminals, suffering the pain and agony of crucifixion, beaten, downgraded, mocked, and spit upon, Jesus quietly whispered a prayer to His Father in Heaven, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do". Luke 23:24. "Be Like Jesus".

After Jesus' death on the cross, it would have been plausible to believe that the movement He had started would sputter and eventually fade out for whatever religion came next. His resurrection provided the evidence that this was not just another man, this man Jesus, was truly more than just "another man". Men like Peter, James, John, and eventually Paul who converted from being a persecutor of Christians to the author of the majority of the books in the New Testament, lived out the example that Jesus displayed. One minor character's story found in the Book of Acts truly exemplifies the impact Jesus had on His early followers. In Acts 7:54-60 we read about Stephen who was stoned to death because he was sharing the Good News of life eternal through the redemption of sin which the death of Jesus provided to us all. Stephen's unwillingness to break from his trust and faith in God is an example many would shy away from today, but it was something else that I read in the account of Stephen's death that glared out at me that needs to be shared. As the blunt impact of heavy stones crushed his body, Stephen prayed. And what did he pray? Lord have revenge on these people who are murdering me, not a chance. Stephen who in moments would take his last breath cried out "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Acts 7:60. "Be Like Jesus".

Stephen was a minor character in the Bible, his role in demonstrating that the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross was not lost is a major story worth sharing. Today, you will make hundreds of choices and decisions that will influence or impact those you love or share life with in many different capacities. What example will you display? Will you live a life that looks like the way of this world, or will you choose to... "Be Like Jesus"? 

Coach Carter

Failure Defined Differently

 The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the term failure as "a lack of success". There are numerous varying meanings for the word failure such as, not reaching a measurable objective, an inability to perform, or giving way under pressure. The root core of the word failure is a feeling of not living up to the expectations of the person who is experiencing the "failure".  I prescribe to a different definition of this word that so many people allow themselves to be labelled by. For me failure is best defined as "an opportunity to learn and grow". Failures can define a person in a positive or negative sense, but that is up to the person. Rather than allowing what others may perceive as a failure to define us, choose to use the experience as an opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. 

Learning from our failures i.e. mistakes, is a part of life's normal process in growing and becoming the person God created you to be. When we make a mistake, we gain an opportunity to figure out what went wrong, what we did that messed up, and gain additional knowledge so that mistake doesn't happen again. In my role as a teacher/coach the vast majority of student/athletes I have coached do not come onto the playing field having mastered every aspect of the sport they are embarking upon. My hope is the young person has a mindset of wanting to grow, which ultimately will traverse through many wins, losses, setbacks, and advances. It is essential that the student/athlete doesn't give up when things get tough, but instead they embrace the struggle as a viable part of the learning to succeed process. 

The old expression, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" aptly fits in our conversation around growing through our mistakes. If we are fooled or tricked by someone once that is on them for tricking me. If it happens a second time then I obviously did not learn from my previous mistake and learning, which leads to growth, did not happen. I have to accept ownership for my lack of learning from my negative experience. To put this more in context for our discussion today, if I don't learn from my mistake and it happens again, that is the bedrock foundation of what we would label as a failure. As in any classroom or sport, making the mistake is not the issue, not realizing you made a mistake and thus not correcting your mistake is where true failure creeps into the equation. We fall down, we get up, we analyze why we fell down, and we take the corrective steps to learn and adopt new strategies that will keep us from falling down due to the previous reason for our fall. 

I'm pretty sure most of us have heard of the "school of hard knocks". In essence life's bumps in the road equal the classroom of lessons learned and skills attained. Without education, there is no learning. Without learning there is no growth, and with no growth there is no progress. We stand still in our mistakes and if we persist in our mistakes we actually begin to lose traction and slide backwards, losing any positive momentum we may have experienced. 

The Apostle Paul put it this way in this discussion regarding failing, getting back up, learning from mistakes, and then continuing to press forward, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Philippians 3:12-14. I can almost hear Paul on the sidelines shouting out the same support for his "players" that He learned through the greatest "Coach" of all time, "Don't give up, Don't Quit, and Always Do Your Best!"  Paul doesn't say things are perfect and obstacles are obsolete. Instead Paul's message to the Christians in Philippi was, I haven't learned it all and at times I get knocked down, but you can't keep me down because I am chasing after the perfection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. You will get knocked down and you may at times feel like a failure due to your circumstances or situation, but remember this, failure is temporary while you are learning from your mistakes. Progress and change occur when you learn from your mistakes, take corrective action, and then launch yourself right back in the life God purposed you to live!

Coach Carter

Be Careful What You Ask For

In thinking out loud, have you ever said, "I wish I had a little more patience" . Over the years, I have said that myself numerous times, and I have heard it said by others more times than I can count. What stands out in my memory about quipping that phrase is, inevitably someone would quip back, "You better be careful what you ask for". Why should anyone be careful when asking for more of a virtue that we can all benefit from seems like a fair and logical question? A question I'd like to explore today in our time together. 

For an athlete to get stronger they have to exercise their muscles. For most athletes that means they are, to some extent, going to be exercising with weights. Barbells, dumbells, weight machines, whatever form it is, weightlifting increases our strength and builds our muscles. An important aspect of weight training is that as our muscles develop, the weight being lifted has to be increased or the muscle becomes complacent and doesn't grow. Muscles won't grow unless they are challenged. In much the same way, our patience quotient does not increase unless it is challenged, in most cases challenged daily over an extended period of time. This is the essence of the warning behind being careful what you ask for. 

There is a second part to the statement "Be careful what you ask for" it goes something like this, "because you might just get what you asked for." For our purpose and in relation to our weightlifting analogy, if you want to develop more patience, just like building our muscles, you have to exercise the muscle of patience through things that require patience. In the Bible, Job demonstrates what true patience looks like. Job was being pounded on by the devil, who was attempting to show that Job wouldn't be so committed to God if things weren't going so well for him. Job lost his children, his possessions, and was stricken with an ailment, yet through all of the tragic losses, Job's faith did not waiver or wane. Even Job's wife questioned how Job could remain faithful after losing their children and all their possessions, "Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold on to your faith? Curse God and die!" Job 2:9. Even with this encouragement from his wife, Job would not recant his trust in God. Job's stance was firm and each time he was challenged to turn his back on God, Job stood committed. "He said, "when I was born, I had nothing. When I die, I will take nothing with me. The Lord has given me all the things I have. The Lord may choose to take those things away. I will continue to praise the name of the Lord!" Job 1:21. In other words, regardless of what happens to me, I am going to trust the One who lives in me. (I John 4:4). Job basically was saying I don't really know what God is doing here, but at the end of the day, I am going to trust in God and I am going to never give up on God. Job trusted God and through all of the adversity and affliction he endured, Job would not give up on God. Job's example is the textbook definition of what patience looks like for each of us. 

Job's friends tried to get Job to acknowledge that he was being punished by God, as we discussed above Job's wife tried to get Job to basically renounce God, but through it all Job made the decision to persist and persevere. This is where patience is developed. Just as a muscle is built and made stronger through the adversity of the increased weight it is forced to lift, Job's faith was increased through the adversity and affliction he endured. This doesn't happen overnight. This is a time consuming journey and all the bumps and potholes along the way make it an uncomfortable ride. God never left Job and He will never leave you alone to travel down the lane of adversity you most certainly will traverse. 

In the end of Job's story, the devil realizes that Job's faith and endurance are real and that Job is not going to falter and stumble into blaming God for his misfortunes. Instead Job does exactly the opposite. Job places his trust in God and basically says if this is the way my life is going to be then so be it. Yet as we read the rest of the Book of Job we learn that Job's health was restored, his livestock and possessions were multiplied, and Job's family was expanded as well. Job would not give up on God, through all of the adversity he endured, his patience was challenged and Job proved faithful. 

Job was challenged and for his endurance Job was awarded back more than he lost. When we feel like we are at the end of our rope and our patience is fading fast, may we be reminded that just as Job confronted adversity with patient trust and faith, we too must choose to do the same exact thing. Patience is a virtue that is learned and without adversity there is no lesson to learn. Hold on to your faith, trust in God, and He will patiently walk alongside you each step along the way! 

Coach Carter

Ponds or Rivers

If I asked you to imagine a visual of living water, which image more likely would come to mind, a river or a pond? For me that is a pretty simple response, a river is constantly moving, winding back and forth, carrying boats, tree limbs, and other items downstream. In contrast, ponds may appear stagnant and stale, there really isn't any movement of the water in a pond. If you had to choose one of the two sources of water for a drink, would you choose the ever moving, bubbly fresh water from a river, or would you choose the stagnate, stale pond to quench your thirst? That choice is obvious, yet in life we many times forego the living water to instead choose the stale pool that this world offers. 

Before we "dive" into our comparison of rivers and ponds, it is relevant and important to define true living water. For our Flat Tire Thought, we need to envision "Living Water" as God. There are numerous references throughout the Bible referencing the living water of God, His Word, and Jesus His Son. God is alive and His Holy Spirit flows through our lives. The Holy Bible is the living word of God. Historical in context, preordained in purpose, the Holy Bible is God's guidebook that surpasses all time and perspectives. Finally, Jesus makes reference to Himself as the true Living Water in the Gospel of John, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:14. Shall we continue? 

In my purview ponds appear lifeless. In most cases the boundaries are visible and there is no life force outside of rain adding to the quantity of water available. In a good rainy season ponds may appear fresh, but when there is an extended dry period, the perimeter of a pond begins to decrease and the water begins to develop algae due to inaction and a lack of a fresh water source. In much the same way, the ways of this world may appear to be thriving and growing, but in reality the ways of this world will only leave us thirsty for another drink of the next mounting wave. As a pond begins to shrink when the precipitation decreases, so do the ways of this world as it becomes obvious that the stagnancy of this world cannot meet the needs of our heart and soul. 

Conversely, from the moment we are in the presence of a river, the water appears to have a life of its own. Always moving, increasing in volume and speed after a storm, and eager to arrive to fulfill it's purpose of providing life to the bigger body of water it is destined to support. The sound alone of a mighty river flowing over rocks in a rapid demonstrates the livelihood and power of this body of water. Teeming with life, rejoicing in its purpose, and resistant to man's constraints, a river provides a wonderful comparison to the Living Water of our God. Jesus definitively proclaims His role as the source of living water in this scripture taken also from the Gospel of John, "... Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:37-38. Notice verse 37 says that Jesus said in a "loud voice", which creates the image of the mighty river of life that Jesus is for all that believe. Not just a mighty river, but a river of living water that will flow from within us. Most certainly, we are to drink from the true well of Living Water which is Christ and then per the words of Jesus we are to allow His Living Water to flow outwards forming tributaries of the good news of hope and life eternal with God our creator and Heavenly Father! 

The question today is a choice. Do you want to drink from the stagnate pond of this life, or will you choose to drink from the well of Living Water that flows like a river from God, through His Son Jesus, to all who accept His offer to drink from the water that never runs dry and will eternally quench our thirst? The choice is yours. Choose God's river of life!

Coach Carter

Are You Spending or Investing Your Time?

 How do you "spend" your time? Do you spend your time earning an income to in turn spend your income on material possessions? Or do you spend your time chasing worldly pleasures and treasures? I'm not completely convinced that I've figured this one out at this point in my life, how about you? If I make the decision to purchase a brand new 2026 Ford Bronco, I will "spend" a number of years paying for that vehicle. Maybe I really "need" a new vehicle, or maybe I just want that new Bronco because they look really cool and I'd love to have one? The point here is, I am making an investment of more than my resources to make this purchase. I am committing to "spending" my time, which is finite not infinite, on a vehicle that may or may not be worthy of that investment. The question I have to ask myself is whether the time I will spend paying for something like a new vehicle is going to be a worthy investment of my energy and time.

Let's just say for our purpose today that you purchase that new Bronco, vacation condo, or whatever it is you might be contemplating making an investment in and the payback covers the next 5, 10, or even up to 50 years (if lenders are allowed to offer 50 year mortgages as recently rumored) of your life. You will "spend" those years paying off the loan you made. That is a major investment of your time. Now let's throw an unexpected emergency expense into the equation and suddenly you may be taking on a side or part time job to maintain your quality of life. That means you are going to be making an adjustment to how you "spend" your time. Time that was formerly spent with family or supporting others suddenly is being "spent" on paying for your investments. Again the common denominator is found in the idea of, is what you are investing your time in worth the time you will be spending. An applicable verse here is found in the teachings of Jesus as He exhorted,"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19)

Keep in mind as I mentioned earlier, time is finite. We do not know how long our lives on this third rock from the sun will be. We can bank on the averages that an adult male in the United States lives to be around 75 years and for females that number sits at approximately 80 years of age. Those are averages which basically means some will live well beyond those averages, but on the flip side some of us will not live out the full three quarters of a century. Based on this knowledge, shouldn't we make sound investments of our resources which ultimately have a huge impact on how we "spend" our time? The accompanying verse in Matthew 6:20 provides a better investment of our resources and time, "But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Investments are for the most part a choice. I will choose to purchase a 2026 Ford Bronco, (as much as I like those, I won't be purchasing one), or I can choose to keep the dependable Toyota Rav4 I have or possibly purchase a well maintained used vehicle, reducing the investment and the time that will be spent paying for my investment. Something that needs to be thrown into the mix on the decision making process of how we spend our time is the return on our investment or the ROI. This is critically important, regardless of the cost of the item being purchased, what will that investment bring back to the investor. In our vehicle illustration, it is well documented that a brand new vehicle drops in value as soon as you drive it off the lot. Is that a good investment? I'll leave that one up to you to decide. With material purchases you can do the same ROI analysis, but the investment of where and how we spend our time has a different ROI analysis formula. For us to "spend" our time on an investment it needs to pay back an eternal return on that time spent. Investing in your family spending time sharing, playing, learning, teaching, serving, giving, and training them to be leaders is an investment that we will never regret spending the time we invest. The ROI here is eternal, what we value and invest in will flourish because we care about the future of our investment. That is time well spent. Jesus completed the lesson above with this investor's gem, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21). 

At the end of the day, when the rubber hits the road, each person has to evaluate their time and how they will spend it. My request is that in that evaluation consider the investment of your time and the return on your time spent. What do you value? What do you want to receive in return for the time you will spend obtaining your investment? Those are critical to making a sound investment. Do you want a garage full of things that eventually will rot and rust, or do you want to "spend" your time investing on things that will impact the world eternally? "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24) 

Invest well, the dividends are eternal!

Coach Carter

Endurance

 John 3:16 is probably the most frequently quoted verse in scripture, and if that is true, Philippians 4:13 isn't far behind. Athletes preparing for competition may be the group that most commonly recite this verse. Picture an Olympic weightlifter as he approaches the bar holding what will be his personal best if he successfully lifts the weight. Over and over again he repeats the verse, "I can do all things, I can do all things, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!" That may very well be an appropriate application of Paul's declaration, yet I believe Paul had a varying mindset as he penned this encouraging verse. For me this verse "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" Phil. 4:13, screams of endurance and perseverance. Allow me to explain myself. 

Overcoming a challenge requires endurance, but in the above example of our muscle bound Olympian, the encouragement of referencing Philippians 4:13 is more of a motivation to excel rather than endure. I can win this race, I can get this job promotion, I will have a successful surgery. In these instances the support of leaning into Philippians 4:13 is more about the outcome than it is about the investment of time and patience to endure through whatever lies in front of us. Paul penned this scripture not in isolation, but as a culmination of a much larger proclamation of faith. The preceding verses are critical to understanding Paul's declaration of faith found in Philippians 4:13. 

In the same chapter, just before Paul shares his "I can do all things" statement,  Paul shares his adherence to the concept of faith through endurance in verses 11-12. "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." Philippians 4:11-12. To me this speaks more to enduring circumstances and adversity rather than an encouragement to win the competition of a sports arena. 

Paul says he has learned to be content whatever the situation is. He has learned to endure hunger and he has learned to give thanks in times of plenty. For me, the best application of this verse is found in our reliance on God to walk alongside us regardless of what is happening in us or to us. Sickness, work challenges, relationships, financial uncertainty, all of these can cause us to waiver and stumble if we don't understand that the endurance we embrace, will build the perseverance that will lead us to the contentment that Paul references and most certainly adhered to in his own personal life journey. 

Whatever you are going through I will not minimalize in any manner, in your world it is big. What I will tell you today is you can do this, not on your own, but because you are not alone! Our daughter recently shared that the girl's preschool director and my dear lifelong friend, Mrs. Judy Wise, frequently reminds the boys and girls that they can do hard things. That is God's message to you through the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul, YOU can do hard things, YOU can do ALL things, not on your own, but through Christ who gives us the strength, the will, and the endurance to persevere regardless of what is standing in front of us. The contentment which could be labelled peace, is where the strength of this verse is found. Paul said "I have learned to be content" (Phil. 4:11) regardless of his current situation. When you are enduring  sickness for yourself or a loved one, being content sounds off center. I don't believe God was telling Paul to be content in the sickness, but to be content in knowing that God is in control, God has a plan for each of our lives, and we find the peace and strength to confidently move forward because "He who is in us, is greater than he who is in the world" I John 4:4. Our peace and endurance isn't because of anything we can do, but our comfort is found in trusting that we can do ALL things through Christ who is living in us. That is the essence of Philippians 4:13, I can, you can, we can do ALL things through Christ who is in me, in you, in us and He gives us the strength we need to not only endure, but to conquer and overcome! 

Confidently move forward knowing that the God of all creation lives in you, and His strength walks before you and in you! Amen

Coach Carter