Instruction Manual for Leaf Blowing

      
     One of the good things about being an educator is Christmas break. Time to relax, recharge, and reunite with family and friends is much more attainable when you have a week or two off around the holidays. That being said one of the not so good things about being an educator is the breaks that you receive, because most of us spend a great deal of said "break" getting caught up on work around the house and yard. Don't get me wrong, I certainly do appreciate the time off, but man, most of the time I feel like I need to get back to work so I can get a little bit of rest!
     Due to the unseasonably warm weather we have been experiencing in our area, the leaves hung on to the branches a little longer than usual and I found myself up on the roof and out in the yard blowing the leafs into piles and rows during this year’s winter break. Most of the time when I am doing a job like this that doesn't require a great deal of focus or attention to detail my mind tends to wander and I do some of my best brainstorming for projects and plans. This particular winter, fall like, day was no different as my mind drifted off in thought about the possibility of a leaf blowing instruction manual. Is there such a document I asked myself? What would it include? How would it be accurate, due to the fact that every yard is shaped differently, some on a hillside, some flat, some small, some extremely large, some with maple trees, and some with oaks, poplar, or maybe even just a small pair of ornamental dogwood trees. A generic handbook on how to blow leaves effectively and efficiently would be a pretty broad topic to cover. (See what I mean about my mind wandering?)
      Armed with that bit of useless information, my mind drifted on down the line to a much more valuable nugget of information. A leaf blowing instruction manual probably wouldn't make the best seller list, one because it would be rather boring, and two because everyone's yard is different and what works for me in the forest I call home, probably wouldn't be so effective a strategy for those that maybe just deal with one of two small trees in the front yard of their home. That being said, we do have an instructional handbook that guides us each day, answers our FAQs, and is infallible whether you live in Tennessee of Timbuktu! The apostle Paul assures us that the Holy Bible is a sure guide with this promise in II Timothy 3:16,"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." When we aren't sure about how to conduct ourselves, or even better yet, to guide us each day in our business dealings, people dealings, or life situations along this journey we are all embarking turn to God’s instruction manual. Unlike my concocted "Leaf Blowing Guide for Beginners", the Bible serves as a direct line of communication from our Creator to each of us if only we will spend time in the Word and then mediate and apply the principles and lessons provided. You can rest assured that for any situation, question, or trial you have, are currently in, or will encounter going forward your life's instructional manual has the answers inside. Seek them. 
     As we enter the new year this week and we all make those New Year resolutions that are laced with good intentions, but not sewn with strong commitments, resolve to turn to "Life's Instruction Manual" and apply the principles, commands, and laws that it so readily provides. Who knows, you may even find some guidance on how to blow the leaves from your yard! Proverbs 14:23.
Coach Carter

When the Answer is "NO", Your Response Should Be "It's ON"

     
Here's something for you to think about as we head into the new year 2020. In life, you have a choice when a proposal is presented to you. You can answer "Yes" or you can answer "No". Pretty simple, and not very thought provoking you may be thinking, but what I'd like to share with you today is the "why" behind the "No" response and why the "Yes" response is what we need to align ourselves with as we enter 2020.
     I guess it would be best to remove the disclaimers first, so we are on the same page, a response of "No" is appropriate in cases of safety, morals, ethics, and when legality is in question. I am by no means advocating for lawlessness to prevail when it comes to questions seeking to get you to do something unacceptable in society or in the realm of law and order. A simple response of "No" is totally the right choice, but it is in those areas of moving people to action for the betterment of a cause or in making decisions about change in the way we do things that it is both undesirable and dangerous for anyone in a position that allows you the privilege of making those decisions to just say “No”. For my friend and colleague Daniel Aldridge, we have decided that when we get the quick answer "NO", all we can hear is, "It's ON!"
     Just a simple inversion of two letters. One vowel and one consonant, yet the power that each word yields can make a monumental difference in the course of life for an individual or for a shift in the way business is conducted. In too many instances the quick responses to a proposed change in the normal accepted way of doing things, (i.e. routine) is "Well we tried that before and it didn't work", or "We can't do that", or maybe you've heard this one, "We haven't ever done that before so would it be fair?", in other words those responses could be replaced with two simple letters "NO". In matters that will impact lives that simple response "NO" is just that a simple response. Basically, what that response says is I don't want to give the effort it will require to try something different,  that doesn't make it acceptable. It definitely doesn't make it right, and it isn't the mentality that has shaped this great country in which we live.
     What if George Washington had said "No" when he was asked to lead the colonies to freedom from Great Britain? He could have said "We can't do that Mother England is a powerful country with all the resources and military might to squash any effort we might conceive to put into action." Wouldn't that have been the safe answer to give? Wouldn't that have assured that George Washington would not be associated with failure? Yet because he along with the other founding fathers of this great country did say "Yes" we now live in the land of the free and the home of the brave! That is a pretty dramatic characterization of how saying "No" can impact society, yet put it in terms of a suggestion to make a change in the way your office conducts business, or in my profession attempting to make a change in the way we “do” education. If the question is one that will ultimately impact a child's life, instead of saying "No" we need to be saying "Okay, it's On, let's try to come up with a way to make this happen". By giving the quick response of "No" we proclaim that we are completely satisfied with the status quo, in essence we are stating that we are comfortable with sitting in idle on the interstate of life.
      The apostle Paul warns the church in Thessalonica about the dangers of sitting on your laurels and thus being stuck in idle in Thessalonians 3:6-15. Paul admonishes the believers by telling them that if they are idle, that basically is a disruption to progress. He goes on to say that if you aren’t willing to work towards progress and change then you basically aren't earning your keep and shouldn't be provided with the means by which you are able to pay your way in life. In other words, earn your keep. It's easy to say "No", it's easy to make excuses about why you are responding "No", and it doesn't require any energy or effort on your part to answer "No". Does that make it right? Or, does it make it the easy answer with the least amount of effort involved?
      Back to the previous example given about sitting in idle on the interstate of life. Picture a car on one of the tracks like at an amusement park. Without any effort on the part of the driver of that car the car is going to go around and around that amusement ride. Will you get anywhere in life by sitting on that track, car in idle, following the path of the zillion other passengers that have rode that same round and round circular path? That to me is how someone responding "No" to a new idea lives their life. Is that a safe ride, absolutely, little risk, small investment of energy, and almost a guarantee that we won't fail, yet is that how we make progress and how we challenge the status quo? Not for me. When you tell me No, all I hear, see, and think is "It's On!". Let's put our heads together, let's brainstorm, why don't we come up with ten ways we could change it and then figure out which one is best for the recipient of the aforementioned change and then put a plan into place that will make it happen. Decisions in life are too important to those that will be impacted to sit in idle and continue going around and around in circles. The latter part of the message from Paul to the disciples in Thessalonica challenges them to "Never tire of doing good". Say yes till it hurts, say yes in matters of what is best for those that will be impacted not best for yourself because it will require the least amount of effort, remember sitting in idle? I’m not even suggesting that the choice of the “No” answer is even intentional, I believe we have just got caught in idle and that is where we are living.
      As we barrel roll through this last few weeks of 2019, make a commitment, a resolution to hold back on the quick "No" response. Slow down, ask questions like "How?", "Why can't we?", and "What if?" before we blurt out that definitive short answer of "No". Saying no requires little effort, (sitting idle), instead when you face a dilemma or when someone proposes a new way, a new path, why not say to yourself and those you live and work with, "It's ON!!"
To paraphrase one of my favorite quotes from Winston Churchill which sums up today's FTM nicely,
"The pessimist sees the challenge in every opportunity, while the optimist sees the opportunity in every challenge."
Breaking the Norm in 2020!!
Coach Carter

"The Ocean Doesn't Need the Sailor"

         I heard a song yesterday that really hit home. I listen to a radio show on NPR entitled Etown which features musical guests from a wide and varied span of genres. Ron Pope, one of yesterday's guests sang a song titled "My Wildest Dreams" (just posted on my Facebook page) in which today's FTM is centered around a particular line from this musical journey.       A lot of times I'm bad about just listening to music without paying enough attention to the words or message of the content in the lyrics. I tend to just enjoy the beat, melody, or rhythm of the song, but in this case, one of the first lines in the song grabbed my attention and set me to thinking about how true the statement was. Mr. Pope, a folksy type artist chimed the line "The ocean doesn't need the sailor, the sky was there before the dusk", and suddenly my mind started thinking about how true that is. The ocean would still exist if there were no sailors to set sail upon it, yet if there were no ocean where would sailors go to sail? Not wanting to say that we are insignificant at all, but just think we need to put things in perspective a little and in so doing realize that our purpose on life is completely necessary, yet if we choose to ignore the purpose God created you for, His will, will be done.
      When we get so caught up in how important we are, how critical it is for our schedule to be the focus, how our plans should have the spotlight or even the idea that someone just cut "me" off on the highway, I would suggest we keep this little reminder in place that really the ocean doesn't need the sailor. We need to remember that just as with the ocean and sailor equation, this big, old world is spinning with no support from us, and if God wants us to do something and we choose not to do it, it will still be done it just may have to take a little different path to get there. The one that loses out in that situation is the sailor.
     Didn't want to sound offensive today by no means, just wanted to send a wake -up call to someone out there that may have a calling that they haven't answered yet or a mother or father that needs to place a higher emphasis on teaching their child about what Christmas is over who they still have to buy a present for this year. Maybe you're listening to the words of Ron Pope's song and that line makes you feel insignificant, well it shouldn't. The fact that the ocean doesn't need the sailor could make us feel a little insignificant, but in my mind all that is saying is yes, the ocean doesn't need the sailor, but the ocean gives the sailor a purpose and through that purpose the relationship of the sailor to the ocean is everlasting. The more the sailor depends on the ocean the more their existence is intertwined. May your life with Our Maker be the same. God existed before us and He will be in existence forever, I just want Him to be in existence in my heart forever! He may not necessarily need me, yet I could not imagine my life without Him in it!  
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Coach Carter

The Air We Breathe

     I'd like to start out this week's FTM with a big thank you to my dear Union Heights Elementary family for inviting me out to speak at their Fellowship of Christian Athletes FCA meeting earlier in the week. It's always great to get around a classroom full of kids, they speak from their hearts and they intently listen to what we say. Their eyes are watchful and our actions definitely speak louder than our words! Advice to self and others, live life like you are on a stage, you are!
      As I prepared my message for the mighty Tornados, I wanted to come up with an object lesson so  they would have a visual image to take away with them as our small window of time together closed. Funny, the visual image I landed on isn't visual in a literal sense, yet figurative as it may be this image can be and should be as clear as the air we breathe. Here we go!
     Air, can you see air? We can see the impact of wind, but really if someone asked you what air looks like you would probably think they were a little bit loony. If we can't see it then how can we prove that air really exists? As one of UH's best put it, "You can breathe it in." which was exactly what I was hoping to get as a answer. The air we depend on, the air we take in almost unconsciously, is always there we just take it for granted. Once we established that we may not be able to see air, but we definitely proved it exists, I asked my "Fellow Christian Athletes" to take part in a little contest. I had the students take in a deep, deep breath and we were going to see who could hold their breath the longest. As expected they about all beat me, but as the contest prolonged it became harder and harder to hold in their "air". Finally, I along with some of the other participants in my little contest allowed their lungs to expel their hold with a burst of exhaled air. I had just set the stage for my object lesson in this message.
      We can't see air just like we can't "see" God. We take air into our body and it flows through our lungs into our veins and eventually makes its way to our heart. In much the same way, we breathe God into our lives and He flows throughout our body, mind, and soul. Ultimately, He lands in our heart and is pumped out through the intricate network of thoughts, instincts, and plans that we create. And then just like the deep breath of clean air that we take in, we exhale and share the air we took in with the world that we live in. Quite the visual for something that at first glance appears to be invisible. We know air exists because as we breathe it, the deeper the breath the more space it fills in our lungs, to the point that we can't hold it in very long because our lungs feel like they will pop if we don't exhale. Picture the type of exhaled breath like mine on my fifty-sixth birthday with all of those candles being extinguished, tsunami style!
      This is the same experience with God. When we take Him into our life, we breathe in, deep and long, but just as in the experience of holding our breath, at some point we exhale. In our walk with God that exhale should be just as animated as the visual you created of me blowing out the wildfire set on top of my birthday cake! What we breathe out should make an impact on those we live and interact with each day. The world you live in should feel the force of your exhale as you share what God gave to you when you made the conscious decision to breathe Him into your life. Jesus commanded His disciples to go out and tell everyone about Him and the precious gift of eternal life that he offers. Matthew 28:16-20. That charge still exists for you and I today, exhale. But, you are not alone. Just as the air we breathe is readily available and always present the same is true with God. In Exodus 33:14 God proclaims "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest".
Breathe in deep and exhale hard!
Coach Carter

To Get What You Want...

     What a wake up call I received this week. I'm not talking ATT or Verizon, I'm talking about an epiphany that has altered my mindset about many of the trials and circumstances I am either currently living in or those that I have overcome in life. As my daily prayer life has become a part of who I am, and as I have learned to go to God with thanks for what He has done in my life, I realized that during most of my prayers I am asking God for something. It may be strength, courage, perseverance, or wisdom, but whatever it is I guess I have always thought God was just going to pour it down out of Heaven much like the rain that nourishes plants and provides them with what they need to grow. Well, my "Aha" moment was this. Yes, God hears our pleas for strength or wisdom or whatever you may "want" in your life, but to get what you "want", you've got to do what it takes to get it.
     Let's take the virtue of patience as an example. We may desire to increase our ability to have patience with a loved one, a friend, or some type of situation at work. We go to God and make our request for patience known and then I guess we think all that we need to do at that point is to sit back and let the One that made us go to work on pouring some patience into us. I get a mental image of milk jugs on an assembly line making their way around to the milk dispenser and as each one reaches the delivery point it just sits there and the milk pours out exactly the amount needed to fill each jug to the lid. Sounds pretty easy huh? Unfortunately, fortunately that isn't how it works. You may have heard the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it", that's kinda the same principle here. If you ask for patience God doesn't work on the milk jug method of filling us with patience, instead to gain patience we have to go through the process of learning patience, giving patience, and enduring situations that build patience in us before we finally realize that we have become a more patient person.
   The training ground is what we would prefer to get a free pass around, yet that is exactly what we must have to actually gain the gift God wants to give. I've been enjoying the song "Let it Rain Is There Anyone" by Crowder and Mandisa lately and the gist of the song is to allow God to "rain" down on us the problems, issues, matters, and circumstances that will eventually create in us the person God wants us to become. There's one part of the song that really hits home with today's thought:

"So let it rain if You want
You are God and I am not
Let it rain, rain down on me
Every day whatever You want
Not my will but Yours, Lord
Let it rain, rain down on me"

 

If we truly want that strength to see us through each day, if we want wisdom to see us through a situation we are facing, or if we need God's courage to face those demons standing in front of us then we need to understand that to get what we want, we must go through what it takes to get there. 

     How could we gain strength without doing the workouts? Remember "No pain no gain"? Bodybuilders go through a tremendous amount of pain and sacrifice before they ever reach the level  professionals in that field strive to achieve. Same for us, when I pray for patience I must understand that I'm going to have to go through some pretty uncomfortable situations to reach my destination. Along the way, every situation I endure builds that patience I so desire to obtain. To acquire wisdom, I have to go through some experiences where I probably won't look very wise in my decision making, yet the lessons I will learn through those experiences is where the wisdom is actually obtained. This may have been a no-brainer for most of you, but for some reason this one just hit me full frontal this past week. 

     To close out today's time I'd like to share one last thought for the week. You may need forgiveness. You may be asking for forgiveness and just don't feel like you could ever be forgiven. Keep in mind, none of us really deserves forgiveness, yet God has a plan for each of us to receive forgiveness. Within that plan we have to be willing to forgive those that we may not want to forgive. Today's  principle holds true in this situation as well. How can we gain forgiveness if we are unwilling to forgive. Jesus shared a parable about a king that forgave a servant of a huge debt owed to the king, and then the same man went out and threw a man in prison for a small debt owed to him. The king found out and placed the first debtor in prison. (Matthew 18:21-35) Whatever we want, whatever we ask for, be reminded God will give it to you if it is truly what you want and what He believes you need, but it doesn't come in a neat little box with a pretty little bow on it. We have to be willing to do what needs to be done to receive the gift, so as for me, "Let it rain, let it pour, let it rain, rain down on me!" 

May God richly bless you today and every day going forward! 

Coach Carter 

 

"Try It, You Might Just Like It"

      
     This week families will gather around tables filled with turkey, ham, dressing, potatoes, gravy, and a plethora of other vegetables and of course their favorite desserts as well. I faintly remember as a child that some of those dishes just didn't really appeal to me and I would slide right by those as I made my way down the buffet style table. Today I don't experience that issue in the least, I love to try new foods and in many cases I'm asking for recipes so I can duplicate them in the future for family and friends. But as a child my memory serves me well, maybe because I've encountered the same experience with our own children, I was the kid that liked cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and pizza and the green stuff or any other bright red, orange, or mixed colors usually triggered a snarled nose and an emphatic "No thanks" when offered this fare. As I did with my children, my mother would systematically make her plead, "Chuck, just try one bite you might just like it" to which I would reluctantly open my mouth, pursed lipped, and take what would have amounted to a "nibble". In most cases my mother was right, of course, so I would end up adding a serving to my plate. As I grew older and my taste-buds matured I don't seem to have that problem anymore. If anything, I have to watch my plate to make sure I don't end up with an extra one! 
      Our walk of faith could be compared to this same mentality of "Try it you might just like it". Regardless of where you are currently on the faith spectrum, taking just a small bite could be the difference maker in your perspective on life. David was a man after God's own heart. From giant slayer, to refugee on the run, to King of Israel, David's faith ran a wide spectrum of reliance on God. In Psalm 34:8 King David proclaims, "Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!" Just take a bite David seems to be saying, give God a chance in your life's ups and downs. Some of us have a relationship with God established, but when it comes to life's challenges and struggles are you relying on Him for your strength and encouragement? Take a bite. When life gets tough, I mean really tough, do you give God your problems or are you going it alone? Try a bite. For those that don't have a relationship with Him, life is tough going it alone, my advice would be to try just a bite, you might find that you like it and you really needed it!
      As you sit down to eat your turkey and dressing this Thanksgiving, be sure to take the time to give thanks first. Give thanks for the relationship you have! If you don't have a personal relationship you can start one today, "try it, you might just like it!" 
Happy Thanksgiving every day!

Coach Carter

Hitting the Curve Ball

    
     In baseball, there are a number of different types of pitches fastballs, sliders, screwballs, changeups, and of course the elusive curveball. In youth baseball leagues most pitchers rely on their fastball as their main pitch and a good fastball is often enough, but as pitchers develop and expand their pitching arsenal the curveball is the one that they work to master. Why? Well, a properly placed curveball hit by a batter typically results in a ground out ball that is easily played by the infielders. The key to hitting a ground ball is learning how to go against what visually appears to be the right ball to swing at, and instead figuring out where the not so attractive curveball sweet spot as you swing for the fence. That is a not so easy skill to master as even major league baseball players struggle with hitting a curveball specialist. If our young boys and girls struggle with the whole concept of learning a curveball, and then as professional baseball players they are still struggling with this batter's nightmare, then how is it that batters still experience success on all levels getting singles, doubles, triples, and even the celebrated home runs in their games? The obvious answer is they learn from a batting coach that can see from the outside where the batter is biting at the wrong pitches and teaches them what to look for and how to train and develop their eye to pick out the right curveball to attack. Most assuredly, having a batting coach that knows and understands the curveball is a key asset to a batter's success in conquering the curveballs that are thrown his or her way.
     Many times in life we hear someone say, "Boy, life really threw him a curveball" in describing an out of the blue life event that really changes the trajectory of what a person's normal life looks like. Unexpected diagnosis at a doctor's visit, a downturn in the economy that hits right as your new business opens its doors, or a spouse leaving a note on the kitchen table announcing that they are leaving and won't be coming back. Each of those would qualify as "curveballs" in life, and there are a ton of other personal curveballs you could attest to in your own life. The point is though curveballs are tough to hit in baseball, and in life when we get a curveball pitched our way it is just as difficult to overcome and conquer.
     In our analogy of the progression in learning to hit a curveball I stated that most young players haven't been exposed to curveballs so when they do they rarely experience success. Having to face the unexpected death of a family member is a curveball that we don't come equipped with the ability to face and know how to react or respond. Being faced with a life-changing accident that leaves our health altered isn't in our DNA at birth. A curveball in life is just as elusive to conquer as a baseball curve is, and without proper coaching our success rate on facing those curves is going to be a struggle almost every single time. The good news is we have a coach that is always available to "coach" us up, and His playbook is easily accessible and always available.
     For the person that has a personal faith based relationship with God, life's curveballs are a challenge to conquer, just because we say we believe in God doesn't necessarily equip us for an unexpected, life-changing event in much the same way as saying I'm a baseball player so I should be able to hit a curveball. A life without faith, and trust in that faith, is a life that will struggle to handle the curveballs that life will inevitably throw your way. Capsizing events in life happen and without a "coach" to teach us and show us the way to face them head on, our batting average is going to suffer.
      The words of Jesus are a comfort and encouragement to us as we face life’s curveballs in John 16:33 "In the world you will have much trouble. But take hope! I have power over the world!” Paul, probably one of the Bible's best hitting coaches, tells us "Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ” 1 Corinthians 11:1, and again Paul proclaims what is probably the most encouraging scripture for us as we face life's curveballs in Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me". Without Christ, we will struggle to overcome life's curveballs almost undoubtedly. With God, we are guaranteed to have a coach with us each step we take and every curveball we face, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5. Why face life's challenges alone? Turn to Him and look to Him as you face the curveballs as they come your way.
Coach Carter

Faith of a Mustard Seed

     I am fortunate to have the opportunity to assist with setting up and overseeing our high school football stadium. I may be a little partial, but I believe we have one of the best stadiums in East Tennessee. An artificial turf field, jumbo tron scoreboard with video, and an accommodating visitor and home set of bleachers. The home side has been in place since before I attended East High in the late '70s and early '80s, and I can distinctively remember running "goat trails" on those very bleachers during wrestling practice from time to time. Walking up and down the bleachers to the press box is a task today, the steps feel like they reach above the tallest treetops. Part of our responsibilities in preparing the stadium early in the mornings is posting a number of flags for whichever home team is playing that week. It was on one of those early morning postings that today's FTM came to me, so here's "Faith of a Mustard Seed", hope you enjoy!
     When the stadium is empty and the morning is quiet and still, it's easy for your thoughts to wander as you go through the stadium flipping trash cans, setting up the field, and of course, as I already mentioned, posting the flags at the top of the stadium. Standing on the top tier of our bleachers, trying not to lean too hard against the chain link fence, and standing on my tippy-toes may not sound exactly daunting to you, but for me I kind of get a little weak in the knees if I lean a little too much towards the fence and the 200 or so foot drop that awaits on the other side of the translucent wire barrier. Yet on this particular morning, my thoughts were directed to the bleachers themselves, and to be more precise the rivets, bolts, and nuts that hold those bleachers together.
      Each week the stands are filled with hundreds of fervent fans, rising to their feet, children pouncing from one bleacher to the next, and students pounding down on the metal structures as they are either celebrating a winning touchdown, or agonizing over an incomplete pass that could have won the game. As I was walking across those same bleachers early that morning, the thought crossed my mind that really all that holds those bleachers together are small nuts and bolts, some riveted together and others cranked tight by hand or machine. Really? People jump up and down on, rest comfortably on, and fully place their trust in a quantity of nuts and bolts that would probably fit in the bed of my little old red Ford pick-up truck? That's trust, or it's being oblivious. Take your pick. The same would be true for Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, over 100,000 screaming, crazed fans will be jumping up and down on a structure that at its foundation is held together by rather small nuts and bolts in comparison to the task they are charged. Yet we never give it a second thought, we trust that the engineering feats of the skill sets of those that designed and built our stadiums are far more superior than the force of gravity which is constantly pulling things downward. That's a considerable amount of faith I would venture to say.
       If we will place our faith in nuts and bolts to hold not only the bleachers up in our stadiums, but also safely protect our own lives and the lives of our children, then what type of faith does it require to trust that God's Word is true, Jesus' life and teachings were real, and that our faith in God is centered around a trust that God is real and that he is there for you in your adversities and afflictions? The words of Jesus recorded in the gospel of Matthew 17:20 assure us, Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."  In our daily lives the first thing many of us do is give up when we face adversity. We don't turn to our faith in God and seek His guidance or ask for His strength to face the challenge in front of us. Faithless, we attempt to conquer life's setbacks on our own. If we do turn to our faith, we too often place a limit on what is possible thus limiting our faith, which grows and matures as we hold tight to our faith in the midst of turmoil in our lives.
        Mustard seeds are small, so tiny that a large hand full would probably fit on the head of one bolt that holds our bleachers together. Yet, in a second parable also found in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32. If having the faith the size of a mustard seed enables us as Jesus shared in the first parable, then wouldn't it be safe to say that as our faith grows from mustard seed size to the size of the mustard tree, our resolve and perseverance should be growing just as well. As our perseverance grows and our faith matures, should we not arrive at a place where we can place our trust in God regardless of the circumstances or outcomes we traverse through in our lives? 
     Faith is organic, we don't just obtain it at its most intimate level when we accept God as our personal Savior, instead it grows as we invest ourselves in reading, studying, worshiping, and trusting in Him. Just as the mustard seed starts out tiny and grows into a mighty tree, your faith too will grow and mature as you learn to trust and obey God's plan for your life. 
Coach Carter 

The Thermal Dynamics of Our Faith

     
     The Second Law of Thermal Dynamics and Entropy, (disclaimer I am not in any way, form, or fashion claiming to be a physicist) states that in nature things do not tend to increase or improve they only over time decrease or devalue. Think about a rock wall for example, when our ancestors built walls around their property the rocks and mortar that were used were sturdy and firm. Over time, left to the elements of wind, extreme temperatures, and various forms of precipitation that rock wall slowly erodes and at some point, left to its own care, falls into disarray. That principle transfers into just about everything in life. If you buy a new car, the value depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot. When we plant flowers the seeds begin the process of growing, yet all the time the plant is decreasing in its lifespan. Ouch, I need to be careful with this one, it could drop into some depressing thoughts if you were to dwell on it too hard. The concept to take away from today's message is that an object left to its own accord will not improve over time, it will only topple into a lesser state of being. Build a fire and let it burn without adding more wood to the pile and eventually it will burn out. If this is true in nature, what about our faith based relationship with God?
     Just as in any relationship the law of entropy has that same impact. Entropy states that things do not decrease they only increase which kind of sounded backwards to me at first, but think about it this way. Back to our example of the rock wall diminishing, the impact of the forces of nature on the rock wall continue to increase over time causing more damage to the wall's sturdiness. The wall doesn't get stronger due to the forces of nature. In much the same way, our earthly relationships do not tend to just get better over time. If we do not make a concerted effort to maintain and improve our relationships they will crumble and fall into disarray in much the same way as our rock wall example. Relationship building requires a maintenance contract, remember "for better or for worse, in sickness and in health" those commitments were provided to assure that we understood that there would be work to be done as this relationship moves forward beginning day one. It isn't just in the marriage relationship where this holds true. You can apply the law of diminishing effect to your friendships, workplace colleagues, and yes it certainly does apply to our relationship with God.
     In I Thessalonians 2:13 Paul shared this encouraging message to the church there, "Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe." When we accept Christ as our Savior, our relationship can start the process of entropy if left to its own accord. As Paul states the Word of God continues to work in those who believe, but faith without works is dead or falling into a state of entropy (see James 2:14-17). The good news here is that if we trust and believe, we will continue to grow in Christ, we will strive to know Him better, to serve Him deeper, and to love Him with all of our heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37). 
     In nature, the Second Law of Thermal Dynamics applies aptly, in the realm of God the same law does not apply. We have a choice, we can form a relationship and then allow the world to steal away the joy that we first found through our relationship with God, or we can enter our relationship with a common understanding that we must continually learn and grow into the servant God has purposed us to be. Our relationship with God does not have to ever be diminishing, we are in charge of that piece of the puzzle. It is our charge to improve our understanding of God's Word and then apply it constantly and consistently to our everyday lives and the relationships we have with those we know here on this rock and more importantly our relationship with the author of our faith. 
Be encouraged, you are not in this alone!
Coach Carter

    

What's at the Tip of a Triangle?

   
       I recently listened to a sermon from Chip Ingram on the subject of relationships and the visual he utilized, although on an audial platform, was as vivid a picture as I will ever see. Ingram's sermon was about the relationship bound through marriage, but I would suggest that the same visual aid Pastor Ingram provided for his sermon on the marriage relationship is just as applicable in our work relationships, friendships, classroom relationships for those in education, oh what the heck this visual is pretty darn good for just about any type of relationship you can imagine. In our time together today, I'd like to share my "Aha" takeaways from his message.
      First, get the visual of a triangle in your mind. Got it, yeah three equal sides, three connecting points, a peak at the tip of the triangle, and two points extended out away from each other. I believe my dear colleague and mathematician extraordinaire, Jeff Kinsler might even be impressed with my math application here! Okay, so you've got that image in your head now place yourself at one of the bottom points of your triangle, then place your spouse, students, co-worker, family member, _______ you fill in the blank, at the other side of your triangle's base. Got it? Now you probably have guessed what goes at the top of the triangle, you guessed it God. Triangular perfection! What you need to be able to see is that the two points at the bottom of the triangle are as far apart from each other as they are from the tip of the triangle at the top. This may all seem really elementary to you, but this is where the visualization really hit home for me. In a relationship, I believe it would be safe to say that the ultimate goal is for the two entities in that relationship "partnership" to get closer so that their working outcomes are more beneficial to all involved. I guess that's why the institution of marriage brings two together to become one.  If we want our relationships to improve, albeit, get closer to one another then the points on our triangle have to move in one distinct direction, in tandem, towards the tip of the triangle.
      I'm sure there's some math principle out there, "Help Jeff", that explains this, but for our purposes today, we'll just agree that as two points get closer together they come closer to being unified as one. In our relationships, the further away from the tip of our relationship triangle, God, we are the harder it is going to be for us to be a functioning, productive partnership. Apply this to your marriage, if you are living outside of Biblical principles in your marriage and your relationship with God is strained at best or non-existent at worst, then what will you use to bring that divide together. What will be the force of nature that will bring those two distant points together? When adversity rises its head and your working relationship with your business partner or the company is at jeopardy what business technique will be utilized to bring the two together? As a coach, if conflict exists between the coach and her team what relationship building techniques will bridge that great divide? In all of the aforementioned instances the only way to bridge that gulf is to create equal vertical movement towards the tip of the relational triangle. In my vision of that tip of the triangle I see the word GOD!
     If one point of the triangle is working in that vertical direction that's great, but if we are talking about relationships, and it's all about relationships, both sides of the triangle have to be moving in unison towards the tip or the distance continues to broaden and that actually works against the whole concept of being unified. Each clip of shared movement in the direction of the tip of the triangle creates visual evidence that the two distant "partners to be" are gaining momentum and getting closer to each other as they also get closer to God and His plans for their lives.
     "Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:8 proclaims. That is the plan for successful relationships. Plain and simple as it is, as basic a shape as you can get outside of the circle or square, the triangular trajectory of our relationships here on this earth is totally dependent on how close we are to the tip, GOD, of our triangle. How do we do that in our everyday life you ask? Well for me it means living out our relationship with God and inviting others to come along with us on that journey. What if the other party is reluctant or adamantly refuses to go along with you? It is my belief that we don't just leave them behind, that could lead to a broken triangle if the distance gets too expansive. When one point of our triangle isn't moving in the same trajectory that you are, don't slow down so they can catch up, but instead throw them a line and tow them along with you inching your way towards that point of the triangle you are striving and working towards. All the time hand over hand towing that line in closer to you and in return guiding them closer to our Creator.
     Sounds simplistic too some possibly. That's okay in reality it is meant to be a simple equation. You, your partner, and God working in unison to come to a place where the synergy is directed upwards, climbing and sometimes pushing and pulling each other towards that tip of the triangle. That tip of the triangle is the secret to relationship success. Jesus said it best in John 14:23 “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." If your desire, which it should be your desire, is for your relationships in all areas of your life to be productive and successful then draw close to the tip of that triangle! 

Coach Carter

From Educator to Encourager

     
What is an educator? Is it someone that goes to college to be a teacher, obtains a bachelor’s degree in education with a specialization in some specific subject matter? Or could it be a person that works in a skilled trade and mentors young apprentices with their knowledge and experience? How about a coach that drills skills, practices plays, and presses technique and proper formations each day of practice? And let us not leave out of our question the role of a parent. Parents are the most basic Pre-K teacher in the title "Pre-Kindergarten" teacher. And if we are going all-inclusive in our search for the definition of educator would we not also add those we work with that offer experience and advice on how to do our jobs more effectively and thus more productively for the organizations we work? So, if we are all in agreement that all of these are examples of what an educator is, then hopefully you should be getting the picture that you probably fit into more than one of the aforementioned categories and in many cases, you might fit into just about every single one of the educator categories listed. Today's question isn't who necessarily is an educator? It isn't even the question of what qualifies you to be called an educator? In our time together today my focus is more on what should our primary goal be as the "educator" in the moment be? What is our purpose as an educator to the pupil or pupils we have been given the opportunity to teach? For me I have had an epiphany of sorts about the title of educator which is today's title and topic for our Flat Tire Ministries Thought for the Week. 
     Face it, based on the descriptions listed above, pretty much all of us will assume the title of educator at some level or capacity in your life. I guess the real question is what or maybe how are you going to educate those you work with as their "teacher"? Unfortunately in some instances, we can be an educator via our example of poor choices or bad behaviors. Sadly, we can "teach" our "students" to make excuses or blame others for the circumstances they have been dealt in life, thus creating a next generation of individuals that are not interested in assuming ownership for their lives. And wouldn't it also be true that we could be labelled an educator just through the inaction we display when we witness injustice or inhumane actions taking place around us and abroad? The harsh reality here is that all of these are foundational settings for learning and thus the arena of an educator. Fortunately, we have the ability, no the opportunity, to be that positive influence in a "student's" life. Each day, whether you are standing in front of a classroom full of bright and eager young folks, or if you are working one on one with someone with less experience than yourself, you have the opportunity to be the encourager in the room. And that is where you can make all the difference in the world.
     For me the title of encourager just makes sense for anyone that is educating others. What is the primary role of an educator? In my opinion it would be to encourage those we are teaching to do their best, to persevere through adversity, and to seek out opportunities to utilize their powers for good instead of evil. Deem this positional power if you like, but whether you have a student or a classroom of students you have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their lives. Life is tough, so are some of the math skills we teach students, believe me I feel this one personally, but what is one of the best skills we can teach students as they face adversity whether it is in the Algebra II classroom, in the garage learning how to change your brake pads, or even out on the field when the other team is beating the socks off of our team? Grit, resiliency, and perseverance should be at the top of the goals in our "classroom". We should be encouraging students to not give up, to stay with it, and to seek out the tools or support they need to find an answer to the problem in front of them. Encouraging students to persevere teaches them to endure the bad and to see it through regardless of the discomfort they experience. Check out these words of encouraging advice from the apostle Paul found in Romans 5:3-4 "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." If we do nothing else but to encourage our students to never give up then we have made a positive impact on their lives.
      As educators, we should also be encouraging empathy, compassion, and hard work. Add to that servant leadership which we display through our own actions and walk in life each day. Here is the opportunity to encourage our students to do something for someone else without the thought of getting something in return. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" Matthew 7:12. You know they call that the "Golden Rule" for an obvious reason, learning that is more valuable than any amount of gold we could entrust to those we educate along the way. You are the teacher in your classroom, where ever that may be, remember school is always in session and your actions are going to be remembered more than your words ever will.
    Finally, I would encourage you to not become an enabler. An enabler is a teacher, but definitely not the type of educator that you want to become and most certainly not what we hope for our students. Enablers make excuses. Enablers find a finger to point at someone else or give you a sense of it doesn't really matter anyway so just go ahead and quit. DO NOT BECOME THAT EDUCATOR! Encourage your students to persevere. Be an example of choosing right and fighting for truth. If you aren't sure about what truth is look to the author of right and truth. His Word is filled with encouragement and when we place our trust in the Word then we can rest assured that we will be teaching our students up! I have been involved in public education for over 28 years now and just this year I have come to the awareness that my title should not be educator, it should be that of encourager. I believe this should be true for you today as well, you are an educator for someone, be their encourager, give them hope, and expect them to get back up when they get knocked down! You have the opportunity to be an encourager, "Just Do It!"
Coach Carter

God Given Talent

   
     Are you familiar with the parable of the businessman and the three talents? (Matthew 25:14-30) A wealthy businessman is going away for a period of time and he entrusts three of his servants with varying quantities of his talents (gold). No real instructions on what to do with the talents, just an understanding that he would want his property back when he returned. As the parable goes one servant who received 5 talents went out and doubled his master's money. Another that received 2 talents doubled his portion as well. The third servant was only given 1 talent, and out of fear of failing to improve his master's lot in life he went out and hid the talent so that he would be able to give his master back what he had been given. Playing it safe. In the end, that didn't work out to well for the cautious, unmotivated servant. Upon his return, the master ended up giving the first two servants what they had earned through investing their master's money, but the third reluctant servant was admonished for his cowardly actions and had his one talent given to the servant that had been given ten talents. Moral of the story, we all have been given gifts. Some may appear to be overloaded with gifts, God given talents, while some of us feel like we were in the wrong line when talent was being distributed. And that is where you are wrong, completely, 100% wrong. Like I previously stated, each of us has been given talents to the level of which we can handle them and use them by investing in others.
     Talent is a broad and encompasses a list of skills, attributes, and qualities that make us who God wanted us to be. It may appear that some people we know are talented in just about everything they do. Athleticism, mechanically inclined, high intelligence, or musical talented are just a few prime examples of recognizable talents, but empathy, serving, giving, counseling, teaching, and leading are other talents that many times go unnoticed or unappreciated. Each of us has been given talents according to what our intended purpose on this old rock is.
      Problem is too many of us either are afraid to invest ourselves in our talents or we are misusing our talents for our own personal gain and benefit. Think back to our parable for just a minute. The first two servants invested the talents they had been given even though there was no promise of profiting anything for their efforts to invest and produce a profit for their master. They did what they did because it was the right thing to do. They had been entrusted with something valuable, what good would it be to hid it in a corner. The opportunity was in front of them and they chose to go for it! Nothing ventured nothing gained! The sad, insecure servant hid his "God given" talent, afraid to take a chance, scared to invest what he had been given eliminating the opportunity to benefit someone else with the investment he could have made. Read the end of the parable and ask this question, "How'd that turn out for you?"
     Are you that servant? Are you afraid to go out and use the skills and abilities that you have been given? Are you afraid that you might fail and thus appear defeated? Again, nothing ventured nothing gained, I protest! You have a talent, myriad talents and God gave them to you for one reason, to use them for the benefit of others. When you were created, skills were placed in your DNA that are unique to you and you alone. What a shame to allow those talents to go hidden, forgoing the opportunity to help someone else or a whole group of somebodies. What is holding you back, fear? President Franklin D. Roosevelt dismantled that one pretty quick in his inaugural speech back in 1933 as he addressed a country climbing out of the Great Depression proclaiming that "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself."  Or is it lack of desire to use our talents for the good of mankind. A selfish man can't see how his talents were designed to help others, and many times feels that using his talent is a waste of time if it isn't benefiting himself. That focus on self- preservation usually ends up in a deficit model much like the servant with the one talent in Jesus' parable.
     You have been given the talent you possess for one of the following reasons, to help others, to benefit others, or to lift up others. When you invest your talents into the lives of others your return on that investment will pay dividends much like the first two servants in our parable. That investment will not only change your life, but also the lives of those you impact through your talent. Go out and sing, work, invent, or lead whatever your talent is. "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38.
Coach Carter