Dear Younger Me, ...

     There's a song out that I really enjoy entitled "Dear Younger Me" by the Contemporary Christian band Mercy Me. If you haven't heard it give it a listen it shares a great message about this crazy life we are all living. The premise of the song goes along with the old saying, "hindsight is always 20/20". I would like to pose a question to each of you reading this message today, "What would you do if you could somehow go back and tell your younger self what mistakes you made and how to avoid those same mistakes as you grow and mature?"
     At first the idea sounds enticing, just as it did to me, yet after listening a little closer to the words of this insightful, musical proverb you might need to rethink your thought process. The idea of going back and redirecting some of the choices we made along the way in life seems like a no lose situation, yet as the song suggests the end result could possibly change who we are today. The lyricist ponders "Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life
Or do I go deep
And try to change
The choices that you’ll make cuz they’re choices that made me".
And that is the thought I want to clarify today. If we could go back and coach our younger selves and through that coaching we keep ourselves from going through the adversities, the trials, the wrongs, and even the tragic choices that we made would that change who we are today? Would you be part of the same family? Would you have the same career? Would you have the same opportunities to make a difference that you have today due to the choices that you made along the way?
     I'm pretty sure some of our readers today are saying "Yes that would give me a chance to do things differently and I wouldn't have ended up where I am at today." But what if where you are right now is exactly where you are supposed to be? As the lyrics suggest the choices you make are the choices that make you who you are. If you aren't happy with who you are then it is time for some self reflection.
     I have learned many things in life yet none of them have been more important than understanding that everything that happens to you in life prepares you for what you are to do in this life. What appears to be a terrible page in your life's story, may actually be the precursor to what would amount to your biggest success in life. The trials and tribulations that we endure are actually the lessons we must learn so that we can fulfill what we were created to do in this life. That may be a hard thought to process let along accept, yet when you are capable of looking at adversity as a growth opportunity then you are on the road to becoming who you were created to be!
     At first it sounds very tempting to think that we could go back and change the bumps and barbs that we had to endure in our younger lives, yet just as the story of Joseph from the Bible teaches the adversity we endure is actually what must happen for the good that was intended to take place. Joseph's brother's were jealous of their younger brother and sold him into slavery. Bad time right? Yet Joseph ended up being one of the most powerful leaders in the land and much later in life during a famine Joseph was able to save his family from starvation. The same brothers that sold him into slavery came to him pleading for help, fearful for their lives yet with no where else to turn they came  and here is what Joseph said to them,
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Genesis 50:20 
     That is where we have to get if we want to grow and become all we are meant to be in life. Hard times are just that, hard. Yet if we can trust that those very hard times are essential to who we are and what we are to become then our lives are transformed. How is this possible you ask? How can I use the bad choices I made in the past to make a way for a better future? The answer is found in two simple words FAITH and TRUST. Without those two words it is virtually impossible to see what your true purpose in life is.
     Today's thought goes a little deeper than normal, yet for somebody out there this is the very thing that is holding you back. You were created to do great and wonderful things, don't let the adversity that can catapult you to your purpose be an anchor that weighs you down and causes you to sink. Take the experience and rely on your FAITH that their is a bigger outcome for good designed to come from your experience and TRUST God to see you through!

"Every mountain every valley
Thru each heartache you will see
Every moment brings you closer
To who you were meant to be
Dear younger me, dear younger me"
Mercy Me

Make a difference this week, start with yourself and then go out and find someone that needs help more than you and lend a hand up!
Coach Carter

Thanksgiving Should Be Just Another Day

     Whoa! Before I start a controversial online war, let me clarify the title of today's Flat Tire Ministries Thought. I love Thanksgiving and I am so "thankful" for the opportunity to lay aside a day specially created for each of us to stop and reflect on what we have to be thankful for and then sincerely give thanks for all we have. In a culture where the commercial world barely squeezes Thanksgiving in between the goblins and pumpkins of Halloween and the snowmen and Santas of Christmas it is critically important that we as parents, teachers, and caring adults teach others of all ages the importance of giving thanks. Today's thought has two goals in mind. First I hoped the title would spark an emotion of "hey what's he mean Thanksgiving should be just another day??",  secondly my goal today is to motivate you into not waiting on Thanksgiving day to give thanks. It is my hope that you will begin to look at what you have to be thankful for each day and give sincere thanks each day. Unfortunately many people will even forget to give true "thanks" on Thanksgiving. The hustle and bustle of preparing the turkey dinner, cleaning up the house for the visit of family and friends, taking advantage of a day off from work to get caught up on some fishing or hunting, or the latest news about which players are injured and will be unable to play in the Thanksgiving Day ballgames engulfs many people's thoughts on the day that we should be spending deep sincere time giving thanks. My question at this point is, if we are too busy on Thanksgiving to really stop and give thanks, is it even feasible to think we are stopping to give thanks each day for our countless blessings?
     Here's something to ponder, when can you recollect the last time you gave thanks for your car? May not take too long for many of us. The answer is most of us don't give thanks for the means by which we make a safe, daily commute to school, work, or any of the other many tasks our vehicles allow us to do on a regular basis. Now take a moment and think about when was the last time you complained or gave thoughts to wanting a newer, bigger, smaller, faster, sportier, or flashier car, truck, or SUV? Nothing wrong with wanting to do better for yourself, yet when have you honestly given thanks for the one you have? Okay how about this one, when is the last time you gave thanks for your job? Or When was the last time you woke up and growled about having to get up and go to that same job? What about something basic like your vision? The other night at our school's Thanksgiving program, I forgot my reading glasses and I struggled to read basic lines from pages I had in front of me, yet how often do I give thanks for eyesight that allows me to see perfectly even if it is with the assistance of a dollar pair of reading glasses? If I were blind I might just appreciate the opportunity to wear reading glasses if they would allow me to see. Are you starting to understand where I'm headed today?
     Here's something you might want to do to help you see where you are in the giving thanks business. If you made a list of things that you give thanks for on a daily basis, or even a weekly basis, and then you made a list of things you complain about on a daily basis, which list would be longer? Remember if you do this be honest with yourself nobody else is looking. Whichever list ends up longer the great thing about your list is you are in charge of it. If you don't like what your list reveals then change it! Start your day in reflection and meditation giving thanks for all you have been blessed to have. If your muscles ache when you get out of bed, be thankful you are able to get out of bed. If your oatmeal is mushy or your biscuit is hard, be thankful you have the means to buy the food you have and that you have food to eat. When you arrive at work and the first thing that happens is a calamity, be thankful that you are capable of handling calamities and that you have a job calamities or not. When you want to argue and complain about your marriage, your children, your finances, your life in general, I want you to really stop and look at the gifts you have been given and learn to be thankful for each of them each day!
     We are way too blessed and we need to be giving thanks for those very blessings each day! It is so easy to get caught up in the rush of each day to the point that we need a special day to stop and give thanks, yet if we would only stop each day long enough to reflect and give thanks for all we have and all that has been given to us our "Thanksgiving Day" would mean so much more! Ephesians 5:20 encourages us with, "Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ". Whatever you do this special holiday season, take time to give thanks and then make it a part of every day you are given! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Coach Carter

Red Bull? Monster? NOS? What Energizes You?

     Not sure where they came from, but "energy" drinks are pretty much a part of our national retail effort to energize young and old alike on a daily basis. What happened to black coffee? Somewhere along the line soft drinks like Mountain Dew entered the equation and from there we have entered the realm of "five hour" energy solutions. I'm not so certain that these "energy" drinks are actually supplying us with energy, if you qualify caffeine as a source of energy then I guess they meet the mark, but I'm not so convinced that we need to be getting our energy from a chemical substance in a high octane form.
     As normal culture goes I guess I am pretty much the weird guy in my world. I gave up soft drinks  almost forty years ago, cokes were still being sold in glass bottles, and I haven't regretted it yet. I never was a big coffee drinker, but I did enjoy a glass of refreshing sweet tea on a daily basis. Almost two years ago I decided to cut those two items out of my drink selections as well. I really haven't missed either of those either. I have yet to drink an energy drink and to be honest with you I'm not sure how people could handle me if I did!
     Today the majority of my liquid intake is water, and I do enjoy fruit juices or an occasional hot green tea with honey. I can tell you most people would ask me where do you get so much energy? "They ask me how many cups of coffee have I had today?" or "What are you on?" Of course as I have explained no coffee, no caffeine, and no supplements, so why do I have so much energy? My secret is really not a secret at all. Let me share.
     When I wake up each day I carry out a stretching regimen, series of core exercises with a run or walk, and light weight lifting on alternating days. Then I spend a period of time in devotion and prayer with my Lord and Savior each and every day. After that part of my morning is complete, around 5:30 AM, I get ready for work and head out the door energized and pumped! When I get in my truck I turn on some inspirational music, 106.9 is my favorite, and make the morning commute to work arriving most days around 6:30 even more pumped from the influx of positive messages I take away from the uplifting music. By the time I start unloading my students from their cars and off our buses at 7:00 I am so energized a Red Bull energy drink would be a like a sedative to me!
     The point I am trying to make today is not that everyone should quit drinking caffeine, nor is it that I think everyone should get up at 4:30 each day and spend an hour or more exercising. No the critical component for my energy output is the input of positive influences I ingest literally and figuratively each day. The old saying you will get out of it what you put into it applies well here. If you spend your time laying in bed until you are forced to roll out and the first thoughts that go through your head are "Oh I wish I could lay here another hour" or the last thing and the first thing you see and hear each day are the rantings and ravings of the TV what can you expect to takeaway from it? "Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord maker of heaven and earth" Psalm 121:1-2. I have made the personal choice to place as many positive influences in my daily life as possible and I firmly believe that is where my strength and energy come from each day.
     When I look around I see God's creation and it makes me smile. I give thanks for the opportunities that I will have each day to help others. I reflect on how fortunate I am to have the home I have, the truck I drive, the job I am blessed to have, and the bountiful blessings of my family, friends, and coworkers. The opportunities that I have been given that allow me to make an impact on not only the students in my school, but all the opportunities I have been blessed with to work with children and adults for the betterment of our community and beyond. I could go on and on because I have so much to be thankful when it comes to opportunities to help others.
     You have to make the decision. Where will you get your energy? Will it be in a bottle or will it come from the life you have to live? Will you stop and reflect or will you pop the top and say "I hope I can make it through another day"? I challenge you to look at life as a chance to make a difference and through that kaleidoscope you will begin to see life differently, you will begin to feel differently, and you will receive more energy to do more for others and thus yourself than you will ever receive in a 10 oz. bottle!
    

Thank you for reading, reflecting, and sharing this message. Your supportive comments and thoughtfulness to share this blog with others that might benefit from it are an inspiration to me! Go out and do something amazing! Coach Carter

Don't Stop You Are There

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." Thomas Edison  inventor of the lightbulb who made thousands of attempts to create the light bulb before experiencing success.
     Yesterday, my wife, Missy, and I went for what we had planned to be about a mile and a half hike on a trail at nearby Panther Creek State Park. It was mid afternoon when we pulled in at the trail head so with a little over a mile hike in front of us their was ample amount of daylight left in the day and the beauty of the fall foliage was in full array for us to enjoy. After venturing through the first half of our hike we came upon a fork in the trail with an option to veer off our main trail to reach an outlook point with the distance being little more than a few hundred feet. Call it curiosity, we decided with such a short distance to travel why not detour quickly and gain an opportunity to see the lake and the surrounding areas from a "birds eye view". As we made our way along the detour we traversed what we thought would have been around 400 feet which was the distance on the trail marker and we were no where near anything that would resemble an outlook destination. We began a back and forth scaling of the peak that lie in front of us each time thinking that the next turn back would signify our ultimate goal. At this point the westward sun was beginning it's dissent and we were beginning to worry a little about how much daylight we still had left and the topic of turning back entered our conversation. At the very moment both Missy and I wanted to say let's turn back, the two of us agreed that we would venture on just a little further. We finally reached a plateau and it was obvious that our goal was within site just a few hundred feet ahead. Somewhat more fatigued than originally planned, and definitely more time invested than we had allowed for the hike we reached "Lookout Point". And may I say, "WOW" what a view we were rewarded with by not giving up on reaching our detour's destination. The beauty of God's creation was on full display and my binoculars enabled me to view so many wonderful sites. I knew our journey had been worth it all. After enjoying the view and recouping our energy we safely made our return trek down the mountainside and returned to our vehicle with a more challenging three mile hike completed and a feeling of accomplishment stored inside our hearts and minds. It was a good day!
     In life we face those same uphill challenges, sometimes what feels like daily and for others it is more like one major obstacle that just will not move on out of your path in life. At times the challenge begins to feel like it is too much and we cannot see what appears to be an end in sight. Your challenge may be physical in nature such as a medical condition, disease, or other health related matter, or it might be a marital issue, financial problem, job or school related matter, or possibly a battle with something internal such as addiction or depression. Whatever it is you are facing it is  imperative that you do not give up in working towards surmounting the obstacle in front of you.
     I challenge you to never give up and never quit in life. Just as Edison made thousands of what most would have labelled failures in his quest of inventing a light bulb but never quit, you too must not look at your failed attempts as failures but instead as part of the journey to your success. You must adopt the mindset that anything you are facing or going through is all part of the training you are intended to do in life for who you are supposed to be in life. Think about it as practice and preparation for game day.
     During practice many times it hurts to the point of wanting to quit. The level of intensity placed on the athlete in practice enables him or her to withstand the pressure of the actual event. Remember "no pain, no gain", that's what I'm talking about! At just the precise moment when we feel like we just can't go on, we turn the corner and we have finally reached our goal. A proverb comes to mind here, "It is always darkest just before the dawn". When you are tempted to give up, when life is dark (possibly the darkest you can imagine) don't ever give up. Instead look up and see your adversity through the eyes of God. His plan for your life is so much more than we can see and the trail you are traveling is all part of the preparation for what you are ultimately supposed to be in life. Don't ever give up, don't ever quit, and always give your best!
Remember Galatians 6:9 "So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up." NLT
Go climb that mountain one more time, ten more times, ten thousand more times if necessary, but always keep in mind, you are just around the bend of reaching your destination! Just as I tell my athletes GO EXTREME or go home!
Coach Carter