Like a River Flowing Downstream

    
     I love rivers. Partially because I am a kayak enthusiast, but mainly because rivers represent life in so many ways. The symbolism connected to the flow of a river makes for a fantastic end of the year Flat Tire Ministry Thought for the last few days of 2018 and also will serve as a challenge for all of us as we venture into 2019.
     First consider that all rivers have a beginning, a source that provides life and the opportunity to grow. If you've ever visited the Chattanooga Aquarium you may recall that as you ride up the escalator to begin your downward descent through the elaborate aquatic attraction, you encounter several video monitors that show the progression from a small drip of melting ice on a mountain top, eventually forming a small vein of water, leading to a creek, on to a larger tributary, eventually spilling into a mighty river, that ultimately winds up in an ocean or sea. Impressive and thought provoking. Life is so much like the life flow of a river. We begin as a small baby, ever growing and ever increasing our impact and opportunities to influence. So many obstacles confront us as we progress and grow causing us to zig one way and divert another, yet always moving forward. When storms hit, rivers flood and actually become destructive forces of nature demolishing pretty much everything that lays in its path. Over the course of history new paths for rivers have been created by the forces of nature in a storm. The essence of a river is that it is alive, it is constantly moving, and it has a destination that it will reach regardless of what stands in its way. Why even a dam built to control the flow of a river eventually has to have an escape route for the water when the dam's capacity is reached. Rivers were not made to be contained and neither were you.
     As we grow and mature our lives will make an impact on those that we come in contact with, whether it is the people we see on our daily path, family, co-workers, friends, and those we pass on our way to work, school, or any other of our scheduled journeys, or as in the case of a river when it is flooded by a storm, our lives have the potential to create new paths for others or in some scenarios create a destructive force with negative outcomes. The main difference in a river and your life is simple, you have the ability to choose how you will impact the landscape you encounter. The lives you touch as a trickle in short daily interactions, the nurturing flow of knowledge you impart on others, the opportunities you provide to help others reach their destinations in life, and the source of life flowing energy you exude make for your life to be a living river of hope in others lives. We must be cautious though because we will encounter storms in life, but just as I have previously mentioned the difference for us is we are able to choose how we will impact others in our adversities and the afflictions we encounter. Will we forge a new path that leads to discovery and a new chapter in our life, or will we allow the storms we encounter to be a force of destruction and despair?

       Our lives and rivers have one more similarity that bond us together, both were created by our Father in Heaven. In John 7:31 we are given this promise, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" You and I have the guarantee that if we trust and believe in our Heavenly Father, His life will flow through us just like the ever moving, always living rivers found in nature. Rivers provide nourishment to all that come in contact with it. Rivers are a reliable means of transporting goods and people to their destination. And most importantly the river of our life is constantly with us and will never leave us. Our source of energy is available to flow through you and yours each moment of every day. 

     Be a source of energy that impacts lives in a positive manner this year. Live life in a forward going motion and make opportunities for others to grow, learn, and give because of the time they spent with you. 2019 is going to be an amazing year, you will be a part of this new year, how will you forge a new tributary of life for those you impact? Be a river of positive energy and life-giving strength. 

Looking forward to an amazing year of growth and opportunities!

Coach Carter

Humble is as Grateful Does

   
I'm pretty sure we all know how to show express gratitude for all the gifts and presents each of us will receive this holiday season. Whether we like the gift or not we are all pretty much going to say thank you and tell the giver how much we appreciate the gift and the thoughtfulness. Not that we are an unappreciative society, that's a topic for another day, but rather I'm pretty sure we could all agree that we definitely take way too many things for granted living in this land of plenty that we call home. You see it isn't really that we say thank you for all we have, you may do that each day and night in your prayers, it's more than that, it's truly being humble about what you have been given.
     To me, being humble is the attitude of recognizing what you have, how you got it, and who gave you what you have. It would be easy for us to think about all the hard work we have done over the years to have all the "things" we enjoy today. Cars, homes, above average way of life, vacations, and a plethora of other luxuries that we have accumulated over the years definitely make life easier. The idea that we work hard so we ought to be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor is an idea that is both Biblical and part of our American Dream, (Galatians 6:9). The matter at hand isn't that we take the time to enjoy the fruits of our labor, it all boils down to whether we truly recognize and give thanks to the One that made it all possible for us to have all that we have. That thanks is deeply embedded into what we are giving thanks about when we say our thank yous each day.
      I recently heard a sermon where the pastor made a profound statement about gratitude that has closely stuck in my mind ever since. The preacher's message was centered on recognizing where our blessings come from, when he shared this thought "You need to get down on your knees and give thanks that you are on your feet!" Wow, we give thanks for the gifts that we tangibly receive each day, but do we give thanks for the true gifts of life that we pretty much take for granted? If we give thanks for our homes and the security that they provide us from the elements of wind, rain, storms, and outside threats, do we actually give thanks for the fact that we were able to get up out of bed? The most basic things that we do each day make all other things that we accomplish possible.

      That's where the whole concept of humility comes into place. We can give thanks and never truly humble ourselves in giving thanks. We believe that we are the reason we have what we have, our hard work, our clean living, or even our heritage kind of entitles us to have what we have in our minds. That way of thinking is way off base, God's Word tells us in I Peter 5:5-6 “... God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." To me our giving thanks needs to include thankfulness for all the "things" we have, but it so much more needs to begin with giving thanks for the very gift that has allowed us to wake this morning, and go about our day each day. Be grateful yes, but be humble in that thanksgiving even more so. 

     For a much deeper look into being humble before God from where all good things come, go to II Peter 1:1-10 and read how Peter's take on gratitude looks and how we should put things in the proper perspective. I am blessed, I have a healthy body that allows me to work and move about freely, I have been blessed to be involved in one of the most important careers in our society, and I have a healthy, loving family. Beyond that we are comforted by a home, nourishment beyond our needs, and a lifestyle that is both safe and enjoyable. All of this is amazing and I truly am grateful, yet without the mercy and grace that was shown to me and to all of us for that matter we would have nothing. I give thanks for the gift that we will celebrate on Christmas morning of the birth of God's own son that was born only to be an eventual sacrifice for our sins, so that we might live eternally with our Lord and Savior in Heaven someday. For that gift, I am humbled and for that gift I am forever grateful! 

Thank You God!

Merry Christmas to all! 

 Coach Carter

Tribulation is a Tool for Revelation

    
Dr. Robert Schuller, renowned author and pastor, puts it like this, " Tough times never last, but tough people do!" So many times, we look at our situations and circumstances and we think to ourselves or sometimes to anyone in earshot, "How much longer is this going to last?" In our minds it is only natural to look at our afflictions and adversities as the worse thing possible that could ever happen to someone, and in our mind we only want a solution or cure to fix the problem so we can move on to a better day. In today's FTM Thought I want to suggest to you that just as Dr. Schuller states the tough times won't last, but it is the takeaways from those tough times that will last and make us a better person because of them if only we will allow the lessons to resonate in our hearts, minds, and souls.
      So many real-life examples of how the actual thing that appears to be destructive in life, is the one thing that has to happen for the outcome we are seeking to take place. For example, the blacksmith has to plunge the iron into the fire, and then pummel the iron with a hammer until the iron actually reaches the shape that allows it to reach its potential. Tough times in this example are what created the tough creation that will endure. The plight of a seed is another grand example of this principle. We take a seed, bury it in the ground and then the seed's adversarial journey begins. For a seed to overcome its adversity it actually has to die first. Then as the supply of nutrients makes its way to the dead seed a miraculous transformation begins. A tender new plant is born and it must fight its way to the surface so that the sunlight, rain, and other elements in nature can better provide what is needed for this plant to produce its fruit. Tough times never last, but tough trees do!
     You may feel like that shapeless piece of iron or that seed buried in a mound of despair that doesn't provide even a glimpse of what the outcome could possibly be, but you must endure. You must persevere, and you must hold on to hope which is the essence of our faith. The title of today's message came from a radio broadcast I was listening to the other night on my way home from volleyball practice. The pastor delivering the message suggested that in every instance that we only see tribulation or affliction as a determent to our life, but there is actually a revelation hidden within that will carry us forward and make us stronger in the end, if only we will hold on to our faith that God doesn't make mistakes, and that God is with us through all of our hardships, hard times, and all of those "tough" times in life. This isn't an easy thing to do, but if you believe, if you trust in that belief, and if you hold on to the hope that God's plan will produce a positive outcome for you or for someone else, then you can reach the place where you believe that tough times won't last, but the inner strength you have gained will last a lifetime.
      Does this mean that all tough times are going to healed, corrected, or reversed? Not necessarily, but what it does mean is that if we will seek God and His plan for our life we will reach the revelation that the tribulation we are enduring is actually the very thing that will provide us an opportunity to change the world we live in and the lives of those we live with, work with, and share life with each day.
     I started today's message with a quote from Dr. Robert Schuller and I want to end today's message with another quote from the same man. In a section of his motivational and inspirational "Tough Times Don't Last" book, Dr. Schuller provides us with the following reminder, " When you've exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You Haven't." Don't ever give up, Don’t ever quit, and keep pushing upward even when it feels like you have nothing left in you to push. "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" Philippians 4:13. Paul also reminds us in Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." And one last scripture from God's disciple in the New Testament as he wrote to Timothy near the end of his life here on earth, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Stop looking at your tribulation as a destructive force in your life, and open your eyes to the work God wants to accomplish through you in the midst of your new-found revelation!
Coach Carter

The Difference in Hearing and Listening

     I enjoy listening to Contemporary Christian music when I'm working out, driving down the road, cooking, or pretty much any other time. It would be easy for me to say this genre of music has become one of my favorite modes of worship each day. What I do have to be careful about is not allowing myself to just hear the music, but instead I want to make sure I am listening to the music and the messages that can be received through that mode of sharing God's Word to my heart and soul.
     It's easy to hear music and not really listen. Think about being in a store where background music is being played, or how about mood music that is playing softly in a restaurant with the intent of creating a warm and comforting atmosphere. In settings such as those it is easy to hear the music playing, but not give it much of our focus or attention. We hear it but we don't really listen to it. There's a big difference there. In my profession, what if the only thing that mattered was that the students heard me in front of the room, but weren't really listening. Would learning take place, doubtful, so it is crucial that we require our students to be focused in on our lesson and the message we are delivering. I feel safe to say that rule applies in pretty much any business, organization, club, or home. We don't want to spend our time talking if nobody is listening. The intent and goal of delivering a message isn't that the recipient hear us talking, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH Charlie Brown style, but rather a message is only as good as the listener listens and responds to our message.
     Take for example my regimen of playing Christian music while I work out. If I'm not careful I will find myself caught up in my workout while the music is playing, but the words and the message found in that music are lost because I didn't really listen to the song, it was just playing in the background and my mind is focused on something much less important. I can tell the difference when I enter my workout with my focus being on the words of the music I am listening to, it becomes more of a true opportunity to meet and hear from our Lord and Savior. That is when I really receive a bump in my morning ritual. This same principle holds true for all forms of worship, praise. and even prayer.
     What if we prayed and God heard our prayers, but He wasn't really listening to our requests and our concerns? What if we aren't listening to His message at church, during a lesson, in a conversation with a friend or family member,  or even in a song? We trust that God hears our prayers, that's why we pray. Shouldn't we give that same focus in our time we spend with our Father?
      Don't allow yourself to be distracted when you are reading your Bible or a devotion, that is a prime opportunity to hear God's guidance to you. Take away distractions and place a focus on your time in prayer so that you aren't just talking to God, but during that time you are listening for God's small, still voice (I Kings 19:11-13) and then focus on His message to you. In all places, during all times listen for God's voice, and then make sure you listen and respond to what you are hearing. We want God to hear our prayers in our times of need, shouldn't he expect the same from us?
Coach Carter

Family First

    
This morning as I sat down to write today's blog, my intent was set on a completely different topic, but when I noticed today's date December 2nd, I was reminded that my dad's birthday is coming up this week on December 5th, and that took me in a completely different direction. For those that know a little bit about me, you may know that my father passed away a long time ago, 24 years ago to be more exact. He was in surgery for a biopsy on a brain mass and due to complications during the surgery, our father never woke up, bummer right? Sorry to start today's thought off with a sad recollection, but I'm headed somewhere with this, with the hope that it inspires someone out there to action.
     Coupled with the loss of our father in 1994, it's necessary to add that we lost our mother in 1985 over 33 years ago. Both sets of grandparents have been gone for many years, so it goes without saying that I am thankful and blessed to have my brother Bob and my sister Donna. We were blessed to have caring parents while we had them, and they taught all three of us valuable lessons about life and how to live life that have carried us all forward and allowed us all to be "successful" in life. Thank you Joe E. Carter and Martha L. "Whetsel" Carter.
     So, the question is what do I mean with the title "Family First"? Today's blog is a call to action for someone out there that has allowed some type of personal injury to sever a relationship with a loved one. Mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, aunt uncle, cousin, or other it doesn't matter we are all going to have disagreements, disappointments, and even devastating circumstances that take place in our relationships. It's easy to become the judge and jury when we are hurt by anyone, especially someone we love and give of ourselves completely. We may forgive and forgive until it feels like we have nothing left in us to forgive with one more time. In other cases, some of us have severed ties with family members due to one particular hurt and in your mind that one hurt is all it took to build that wall. Whatever the case if you are distanced from a family member or even a former friend you have justified the break in your mind and that is that, right?
     Holding that grudge, handing down the sentence, or severing the ties that bind in life are all actions that we take without considering the consequences of our choices, many times until it's too late to reconcile. I've practically lived over half of my life without my mom, and close to half of my life without my dad, what I would give for a chance to say I'm sorry for so many things from those years I did have with them. So many missed chances to say "I love you" and so many minutes, hours, and days missed together sharing and making memories. Oh, what I would trade for those times today. I know they are there watching, living in us, and living through the lives we have created in our own children. But dang, it's just not the same.
      You may be justified in the reasoning behind a break you are a part of in a relationship of your own. You could probably sit in front of a judge or a jury and in most situations they would be in full agreement with your verdict of guilty, but who is the one that is actually going to serve the sentence? What if that former "loved one" were to die today? What if you were to die today? You know none of us has the "due date" for when we will actually check out of this life we are living. Forgiving someone isn't saying what you did or what you are doing is acceptable, and it isn't providing one more opportunity to hurt you one more time, forgiving is just that an act of forgiveness. Over the years, I have talked to people that have severed ties in a relationship to the point that they do not even want to be in the room within 15 feet of that other person. Not even one ounce of care due to the hurt that this person has invoked on their life. What if we were judged like that by our Maker?
     I think it is pretty safe to assume that if we were judged by the same measure that we have judged others, Heaven would be a pretty vacant space. So many failures, so many wrong decisions and choices we have made, and so many times we have turned our backs on God when we knew we were hurting His heart and we continued anyway. What if we could not gain forgiveness for our mistakes? What if forgiveness was not an option because Jesus was not alive today? Would any of us want to be judged for our past without the opportunity to be forgiven for our past transgressions? You know the answer to that one.
     Fortunately, we can be forgiven, fortunately we are forgiven. As cruel as man was to Jesus persecuting Him, beating Him, and ultimately hanging Him on a cross, His final request to His father in Heaven was "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" Luke 23:34. So if God will forgive you and I for all of the letdowns, failures, and mistakes we have made, who are we to not forgive those that have hurt us? My dad's birthday is this week and I would love to tell him how sorry I am for so many things I did in my life, but unfortunately that isn't possible. My job is to make sure I don't end up in that situation with my own children, my wife, my other family members. Also, my job today is to tell you that it is time for you to make sure this doesn't happen in your own life.
     Forgiving isn't forgetting the past hurts, those are scars that will always be there. But, as it was explained to me a long time ago, the scars are there as a reminder of the hurt, but the actual hurt has been healed and the pain from that injury is gone. We have to move on from the injury, we must forgive those that have hurt us and we have to move on if we want to live our life without regrets. Be the bigger person in your broken relationship. Go to them, forgive them, and put your family first!
Coach Carter