Line Charts, Moving One Direction or the Other

Let us make an assumption that if our lives were on a line chart or graph we would constantly be moving in one direction or the other as each day passes. Try to get that visual as we get started today. Straight line an arrow on each end of the line pointing towards an unknown end, and then several key events plotted along the line representing milestones that have occurred throughout your journey in life. Usually on this particular graph there is a zero in the middle and the numbers usually increase as you move to the right or they move the negative zone as you move towards the left. Ample description for our purposes today. 

Now think about what moves us along life's line chart one direction or the other, would it be safe to say positive choices equal a move to the right end of the spectrum, and concurrently not so good decisions would move us to the left or negative side of the equation. Simplistic as this may sound, we go about our lives with the idea in mind that the things we do don't really have an impact on our lives now or in the future. Well if the data we collect from studying a graph such as this is correct, the simple math of the matter would provide a different response. 

As we delve in deeper please note that I am in no way judging anyone with this simple observation, why truth be told, I would probably be the one with the largest variance of plots on the line if it came down to a statistical count anyway. So, how do we move on life's line graph? In life, choices either move us closer to God or adversely further away from God. That old saying "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" aptly applies here. Whatever happens to us, is in no way greater than He who is in us! (I John 4:4) 

What we perceive as good, or what we deem as bad is all relative in the scope of which direction we are moving on the spectrum of closer to God or vice versa. On the surface, nobody would say that Joseph being thrown into a pit and then sold off into slavery by his brothers was a good thing to have happen in your life. Add being lied about by his boss’s wife and then imprisonment, and it would be hard to say the events in Joseph's life were aiding him in moving closer to God, but they did. Joseph trusted that God had a plan, although he didn't understand the plan, He believed in the One that created the plan. Eventually, Joseph's trust and faith moved him to the place where God had intended Joseph to be, second in command of Egypt and all the lands it controlled. Would it not be fair to say that Joseph's decision to stay the course and continue to serve God moved him to the right of the line graph closer to God and provided Joseph with the strength to carry on and move forward or to the right of the line graph?

Yet not everyone on their line graph of life moves in the right direction. Consider Cain, son of Adam and Eve, living in the lap of creation, yet jealous of his own brother Able. Cain's jealousy stemmed from Able's sacrifice to God of a lamb, whereas Cain had brought crops to be sacrificed. God preferred the sacrifice of the lamb and the rest of the story is what it is. Cain's choice to get angry and take revenge out on Able caused Cain a lifetime of pain and struggle, moving him further away from God, and ultimately passing that legacy on to his posterity. 

The bottom line is in each of these scenarios the Bible character had a choice to make, and that choice either pulled them away from God and His plan for their life, or the person gravitated closer to God and in essence became more like God. Choices move us one way or the other on our own line chart. As we make the decision to spend more time in God's Holy Bible reading, reflecting, and studying we are naturally going to move towards God, it will happen without you even really trying. Thus, it is safe to say that as we move our lives away from God or if we never strive to know God, and we put our efforts into pleasing self over others, we move further away from Him. 

Life is one choice after another. How you look at adversity and affliction in your life is a choice that will either draw you closer to God, or it can completely do the opposite and pull you down into a pit of despair and a landslide of destructive choices. The good part is the choice is yours. Nobody said life was going to be easy, matter of fact struggles are what make us stronger if we make the choice to grow in our conflicts instead of submitting to the burden of conflict and moving ourselves further away from the only one that can save us from ourselves and the negative mental state we are headed towards. 

As we are preparing to start a new year take a moment to verify where you are on your line chart of life. After self-reflecting, if you don't like where you are on the spectrum of life, you and only you can make that change. Choose life, choose God, and make a concerted effort to move closer to God. Move to the light of hope and you'll find yourself on the right end of your life's line chart. 

Looking forward to the New Year 2021!

Coach Carter

No Free Lunch

 

I read a devotion this week that built off the premise that there is no such thing as a "free lunch". I liked it so much I thought I would shape it a little more Flat Tire style and share my takeaways with you. The idea of the old cliché "There's no such thing as a free lunch" centers around the fact that regardless of whether your meal today was free to you, somebody or in many cases lots of somebodies paid for it. I mean we can all agree that meals aren't just falling down out of the sky, right? "Buy one get one free", "Free to the next ten callers", or "Take one they're free while they last" are all slogans we have heard over the years and oh boy when we hear the word "free" we flock to it! I guess the question is, is a free lunch actually free?

Well if you adhere to the cliché, the quick answer is an emphatic "No". The support for that summation is readily available, which makes the case for "No such thing as a free lunch" that much more plausible. Think about it, if someone buys your lunch today it was free to you, but only because your friend purchased it. Let's advance that a bit and put it in the context of programs that provide "free" or reduced priced meals to those that will benefit from the assistance, are those meals free? Obviously, none of us believe that those meals are bona-fide free, yet to those in need receiving the meal it is without an upfront cost to the recipient. So maybe it is free? If I receive it and I don't have to pay for it, would that not be the definition of free?  On the surface that is true, but the underlying theme of "no free lunch" is that somewhere, someone paid the price due for that meal.  The farmer paid for that meal with his hands and the land he purchased that produced the crops. The company that manufactured the processed products in that meal paid their workers to produce the food. The restaurant or person cooking the meal had to pay for the ingredients that make the meal, and then if by chance you received that meal for free someone paid the price for everything that went into that meal from the farm to the table. It definitely wasn't free.

Hopefully everyone knows where I'm headed with this one. My salvation is free. The mercy and grace that has been given to me that allowed me to be forgiven for my sins is free. God gave it to me even when I did not deserve it. That is a gift, much like a free lunch wouldn't you agree? So, when we are talking about a free lunch and the understanding that it really can't be free, how does that fit into the notion that we receive our redemption from the sinful life we have led free? 

We can work and serve, serve and give, give and pray, yet none of that in itself will buy our salvation. In Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul explains that, "... by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." So, the work we do is a by-product of the faith we possess. What then is our faith supposed to be? Our faith is the understanding that God, the all-knowing, all seeing God of all creation, sent His Son to live with us and then die for us before ascending back to His Father so that we could be forgiven of our sins. If, and only if we believe. That is where our faith equals the free lunch we've been discussing. 

There is no such thing as a free lunch, I believe we can all agree on that. Someone has to pay the price at some point in the process. For us our salvation is free. We can ask for forgiveness and we are then forgiven, but if we are forgiven we also understand that the gift cost Jesus his death on the cross. That certainly equals a price paid so that we can be forgiven. The free side of this equation is that we don't have to have a list of things we have done to pay for redemption and salvation. God offers it to us for free and then we serve Him by serving others, thus our works basically are an outcome of our faith not a price to pay to receive God's free lunch!

Believe, submit, and then accept. The lunch is free, you just have to come get it! My prayer is that each person, each family, and all those that you come in contact this holiday season will accept God's offer and the free gift of salvation that Jesus paid for you and for me!

Merry Christmas, 

Coach Carter

Day 2133

 

I've been on a 30-day challenge for a while now, and each morning for the past 2137 days I have logged the days of my challenge as I go. Well on day 2133 this week, I suddenly paused and contemplated for a minute about the uniqueness of this particular day. As I entered my prayer time, I asked God to not let me take for granted this day that had been given to me. I'd like to share an excerpt from that prayer with you for our Flat Tire moment today:

"Lord, as I wrote down "Day 2133" a thought ran across my mind, "Do I take for granted that tomorrow will be "Day 2134" and the next "Day 2135"? Or, do I just say tomorrow will be and then go on? Do I write today's "Day 2133" and then not give thought to how unique this day is, how blessed I am to have this day? Father the uniqueness of today is that it has never happened before, and most importantly it will never happen again. What do I need to do today Lord that will allow me to serve you and give this day you have given me purpose? You call us to serve you today not on Sunday and then hang that hat on the wall until next Sunday. No, instead you call us to serve you today, the day that we have been given, "Today is the day that the Lord hath made I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24) If I am truly glad in it then let me show that gladness, let others hear it in my voice and more so in my actions. May I step up, step out, and do something today!... Amen"

The crisis of the global Coronavirus pandemic is real, children go to bed at night cold and hungry, those who have thoughts of harming themselves or act on those thoughts are on the rise, the drug epidemic is as much of a pandemic if not more than COVID-19, and one out of two marriages are ending in divorce. That is just a sampling of the myriad issues and concerns that are running rampant in our communities, cities, states, and around the world. Pick you place and make a mark. 

Our superintendent of schools is giving a drink tumbler to all employees in our school district this Christmas. Inscribed on the tumbler is this fitting quote from Esther 4:14 "Perhaps you were born for such a time as this." Perhaps I was born to do something on "Day 2133"? Perhaps YOU were born to do something today that needs to be done? Perhaps you are the one that has an answer to one of the countless problems and issues that are facing our students, our parents, our co-workers, or our neighbors. The apostle Paul encourages us to "Bear ye one another's burdens", and the prophet Isaiah shared his declaration of service over self with this reply to our Savior, "Who should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?" And I said, "Lord, I'll go! Send me." Isaiah 6:8. 

Each day is unique, this past Monday was day 2133 of a challenge that started almost six years ago, yet I am not promised tomorrow, I have been given today, so today is when I have to step up, step out, and do something about whatever it is you and I were individually created to do. You won't realize what that something is if you don't set out to find it. You won't make the difference you were created to make if you don't step out today. Someone's life, may depend on you taking that first step today. Today hasn't happened until you live it, and tomorrow isn't guaranteed to any of us, so I challenge you today to realize that YOU were made for such a unique day as this, live it well, live it out!

Coach Carter

 

Your Job or Your Work

 

You may have read the title to this week's FTM and thought what's the difference? Well, the semantics are in the same ballpark, yet if we dig a little deeper there is a wide gulf between the two. Let's look at these two words and see if we can clarify and prioritize where your bang for the buck is going to come. 

Goal one for me as a Career and Technical Education supervisor in our school system is to assist each and every student that graduates from our high schools to have post-secondary and career plans in place. I tell groups of students of all ages that if you are fortunate enough to be doing what you are really good at and something that you like to do, and something that people will pay you to do, then you probably won't ever feel like you are working! I know because I love my job as an educator. I have been involved in education for almost 30 years and each morning I wake up, I bounce out of bed and am eager to head into my job. Not going to sit here and tell you there haven't been "those days" along the way, but overall I am one happy educator! 

So that is my job. I have been a classroom teacher, an elementary school administrator, and now a district wide supervisor and each has been rewarding and all three have enabled me to support my family financially. That's what a job is supposed to do, make living possible. A job provides us with a certain standard of living based on our income which allows us to buy the things we need and also enjoy the little extras in life along the way. Definition of job: A paid position of employment. So, what's the difference in the phrase "your work" to the this definition of "your job" you ask?  Let's move in for the takeaway today.

I heard a segment on NPR's Story Court the other day that caused me to draw this distinction between a job and the work you do. In it the narrator shared a story about his grandmother and the sacrifices she had made throughout her life working to support her family. Lola, the grandmother in the story didn't finish high school, because of an untimely death in her immediate family that created the need for her take on a job. Throughout her life, she took several hard jobs just to provide for her children. As a widow and sole provider for her children, this "uneducated" mother was only qualified for laborious jobs that paid little, so she often took on multiple jobs to make the "ends meet". Later in life, she moved in with her daughter and grandson's family and still cooked food items to sale to supplement the family income, one more job that Lola had over her life. The key moment in this brief two minute segment is when the grandson, Tan, noted that what he had learned from and gleaned from his grandmother was not necessarily about her jobs, but about the love and dedication to her family that she had demonstrated over the years. Tan's takeaway is best described by his statement, "We leave our job at the end of the day, but what we leave behind at the end of our life is the product of our work." Wow, that hit home really quick. 

We all have jobs, at least I hope you have a job that provides for you and/or your family. We each also have an ongoing work that we are doing or should be doing. Our jobs provide sustenance for the day to day life we live. Our work, on the other hand, should provide a legacy that will last long after we leave this world. Work ethic, persistence, perseverance, grit, resiliency, integrity, compassion, empathy, love all of these should be the byproduct of the work you are doing. Above any of these there should be an underlying theme of faith. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" Hebrews 11: 1 Our work here on earth should have a direct correlation to our faith. We hope in spite of circumstances that appear overwhelming. We provide hope when others give up and quit. Our hope should not be in man, but instead our hope is in direct proportion to our belief in a higher power. Believing in God means that regardless of what happens to us, it could never be bigger than He who lives in us! 

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho it's off to work I go, every day, every minute of each day God grants me to live! Leave a legacy that will encourage and motivate those you live with, work with, and share life with each day. Make the world a better place because of the work you did while you were a part of it! 

Coach Carter

We Are Her Legacy NPR link

Driving Into the Fog

 

Although this Thanksgiving was a great deal smaller in terms of family members in attendance, we were able to give thanks for all we have been given and all we have to be thankful for. One of those blessings is our little angel Ivy, who was able to join us for the holiday down from Virginia. The hardest part of her coming to visit is having to say goodbye until the next time she gets down this way. The physical challenge of Ivy's visits is the drive up Interstate 81 to the Lynchburg area and the immediate turn around return trip, basically a nine-hour drive. Believe me it is worth every second of the drive! 

Our normal routine for the return trip is to get up super early and arrive at our meeting spot before noon. Well this particular trip was a little different than others we have made over the past ten years’ compliments of a heavy fog advisory alert I received on my phone Friday morning. Normally, the early morning drive is coupled with a beautiful sunrise which is a joy to view as it illuminates the morning sky, although that same sunrise also creates somewhat of a driving hazard as the sun glares directly into driver's eyes as you barrel east up the interstate.  That was not to be the case on this particular drive. 

About the time I crossed the Tennessee/Virginia border patches of fog had settled among the peaks and valleys of the farms, rivers, hills and valleys. I also noticed that the normal morning sun hazard was suddenly not a driving hazard. I thought to myself, "Well this fog issue might actually work out to my benefit, I may not have to deal with the sunlight in my face." That thought dissipated much quicker than the fog as I drove deeper into what eventually became a thick grayish, blanket enveloping the whole landscape. My driving speeds dramatically slowed and I honestly could not see twenty feet in front of my car. It did not take very long to realize I was in a very precarious predicament. What I had thought was going to be a relief from the morning sun in my eyes, turned into a dark cloud that hindered my vision and created extremely dangerous conditions for driving and the safety of my precious granddaughter. Fortunately, on this particular day the fog lifted soon thereafter and we were able to resume our trip unhindered by the dense fog, nor the morning sun angled directly in my line of vision. 

As the danger subsided my thoughts as they normally do began to wander around a bit, and as in many cases, today's Flat Tire Ministries Thought was berthed. The dread of the sun beaming in my vision path led me to believe that the fog which hid the sun's light was going to be a positive, but as I drove deeper into the fog my vision became impaired to the point that I literally couldn't see at all. What I thought was an answer to my original problem quickly became a far greater problem with dire consequences immersed in the morning blanket of fog. That's how life and the decisions we make are so many times. We take things into our own hands and believe we are capable of solving problems all on our own. What starts out as taking prescription medicines for the pain associated with a painful surgery recovery is acceptable, allowing those pain pills to become an addiction that destroys your life is a masked danger that lurks around much like the blanket of fog I encountered. Sharing your marital struggles with a co-worker is okay on the surface, yet the potential extra marital affair may loom right around the bend in the road, or financial matters that start out as "just this one time" can land one into a future of embezzlement or fraud. You can see how the foggy conditions of our choices can become dire as fast as my vision was blanketed by that morning mist. The biggest danger we are confronted with is the risk of driving through life without a relationship of faith in our God. 

It is possible to drive through life without a relationship with God (not advisable). Inconveniences rise up and we make adjustments like lowering a sun visor which can provide relief from the problem, but does not remove the problem. We drive into the fog thinking we are getting relief from what is hindering us, only to find that we are now completely engulfed in darkness and our sight has been completely obstructed. We then are driving around blindly, hoping we are in the right lane and that there are no dangerous obstacles in our paths ahead. We need the sun. Just like we need the Son. Leaning on, learning from, and standing with God allows us to see even when the fog of life's problems rise up around us. Will our problems dissipate like the fog did on me the other day? Not necessarily, but knowing that you are driving through life with God inside you and all around you gives you a sense of comfort that nothing else in life can do. Even when I am facing the fog of adversity in my life, I am confident and assured that the illumination of God's love will enlighten my path and protect me along this journey. "We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!" I Corinthians 13:12 (The Message Bible) We do not have to remain lost in the fog, God is the light that lifts the fog and clears our path, find God and stay His course. 

Coach Carter

 

Tested by Fire

 The key step in purifying raw silver is the smelting process, which removes the impurities of the silver under the extremely high temperatures of a forged fire. As the heat intensifies the "cream" kinda of rises to the top you might say. This intense heat for our purposes today can be defined as adversity or affliction. We are just like silver, in our raw state we are full of impurity, yet if we are able to "stand the heat" instead of getting out of the kitchen, the end result is a valuable servant capable of withstanding the fire of life's trials and tribulations. 

Psalm 66:10 is an acknowledgement of this process and a statement of gratitude in the presence of adversity, "You have tested us, oh God; You have purified us like silver melted in a crucible." The current state of this pandemic could very well be the fire that was meant to test you, and through the challenges and uncertainty you are being forged into something that wasn't there before. God takes what we see as being a negative and uses it to build us up to where we are better able to do His work. The key is we must be willing to grow through the process and that is where we find the crux of the matter. 

We all want life to go along smoothly and our schedules to be exactly what we planned them out to be as each day unfolds. Wouldn't life be nice if it were so? My response is a direct "NO". Although it is easy when life is going smoothly, I would not have started writing Flat Tire Ministries if it had not been for the excessive number of literal and figurative flat tires I experienced a few years ago. Through those experiences, and life was not easy then, I grew, I was purified in a sense. The weaknesses in my life that caused me to rely on self instead of God had to be removed. My self-reliance and my self-centered view of how life was impacting me personally had to be purified to a place where I released adversity is a tool and the growth I experience through that adversity allows me to serve others over self.  Moreover, I relish in those moments because I am assured that I am not facing life's storms and disappointments alone. God is with me. “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction”. Isaiah 48:10

Being tested by fire comes in such a wide array of life experiences relationships, finances, health issues, physical attacks or abuse, setbacks, set ups, knock downs, and kicked arounds all qualify as fires that can be a valuable part of our lives if only we can pluck out the opportunity from the adversity, and then purify it into a silver aspect of who we are. Does it feel good? I don't even need to answer that one, of course not. Do you think a little baby attempting to walk says "Wow that really feels good when I fall down and bust my chin on the floor"? Yet if that baby doesn't get back up armed with the experience and understanding of what made her fall the last time she may never learn to walk, which leads to skipping, which leads to running, jumping, and eventually standing still giving thanks for the ability to walk where He leads us to go! Praise God not for the adversity, but for the growth that we can experience through the fire if only we will allow it to purify us for His purpose. "... And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:2-5 

You were created for such a time as this. That doesn't mean that you will thrive through whatever "fire" you are facing today. That my friend is your choice. You may choose to wallow in it, make excuses through it, or just lay down and hope to endure it, but I won't do that. The purifying of who I am has taught me that only when the fire gets hot, does the growth occur. Do I enjoy the flames of adversity? No. Do I understand that God won't give me more than I can stand and through any adversity or affliction that comes my way God will be there with me? ( I Corinthians 10:13) Yes, and that is the difference. If you are reading this thinking "Yeah right, you just don't know what I'm going through, if you were dealing with what I'm dealing with you wouldn't be so sure about this whole idea of growth through suffering." And you would be correct I don't know your personal circumstances, but you may not know what your neighbor has endured and has grown through just the same. It is your choice to grow through and purify your mind, soul, and body by way of the fires of life. Earlier, I mentioned the word resilience. Just the other day I was listening to a podcast about success and it was stated that one of the most predictable qualities of someone's level of success is resilience. Being able to get back up again, learn from our mistakes, and then push forward helping others to get back up again is exactly what resilience is all about. Use the fires of today to create the silver inside you for tomorrow!

Coach Carter

 

Veteran's Day Recognizing Sacrifice

 

This week we recognized those that have given of themselves to serve our country and defend/protect the freedoms that we enjoy as citizens of the greatest country on earth, the United States of America. As I thought about the sacrifices of our veterans and those that are serving in the military today, I had to stop for a moment and think about how relevant the term sacrifice is for all Americans and really everyone around the world as we battle the Coronavirus. I can rest assured that the sacrifices that we are making in our daily lives do not equal or even come close in comparison to the sacrifices made by our military veterans, so I would like to spend just a moment today, giving us all something to think about before we blurt out again that we are making grand sacrifices in the pandemic war that is being waged around the earth.

Call it WWIII if you like, but please don't compare it to the two previous World Wars. Talk about the things you are having to endure like avoiding large social gatherings, having to eat take out instead of dining in, or maybe even the most controversial sacrifice being asked of all Americans to wear facial coverings, but please think about your use of the word sacrifice and stop. The World Wars, Vietnam, the Korean War, and the extended years of war and conflict in the Middle East have impacted the lives of thousands and hundreds of thousands of young men and women across this great country we call home. In most cases these heroes made the voluntary choice to serve their country, in some cases our government volunteered young men to serve by means of the draft. Regardless of the means by which they ended up serving I feel pretty confident saying they endured so much more than we will ever be asked to "sacrifice" during our battle with this virus. 

In no way, a comparison worthy to be made, but during the Vietnam War nearly 60,000 American soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice of laying down their life for their country. In less than one year the COVID-19 virus has taken the lives of well over 200,000 Americans and counting. I was a young preteen during the Vietnam era, but being a history major and just knowing the history of that time period, it would be fair to say there was some controversy surrounding our reason for being in that region of the world. The loss of life that our country sacrificed in that war, not to mention the number of lives that have long been impacted by what these patriots endured in that war, should make most of us red faced in shame for talking about the discomfort of wearing a mask to "possibly" protect the life of another person that might be at risk more than yourself. I won't even go into all the "sacrifices" you and I are making in this war that we are fighting today because they are not sacrifices. More like inconveniences than anything remotely similar to a true sacrifice. Those serving our country in the medical and educational fields are making sacrifices by exposing themselves in our hospitals and schools placing their health on the line each moment that they are working, providing health care to a certain percentage of individuals that have stated they won't stay home and sacrifice going out to eat Friday night. Educators are faced with classrooms packed with students whose parents are not wearing a mask, because they are Americans and nobody is going to tell them that they have to wear a "diaper" on their face. Something to consider, if the men and women who we recognize on Veteran's Day and even more so those we remember on Memorial Day had said I'm not going to serve my country because it will mean I have to sacrifice some aspect of their life, or even considered the possibility that they might very well never return to American soil again where would the "land of the free" and "home of the brave" be found today? Shame on us, we are spoiled. Notice I'm not pointing fingers, I own this myself as well as each and every American should!

I could go on, but deep down inside, do I really need to go further? If you can't see that the small sacrifices you are being asked to make in the effort to fight an unknown enemy that we are finding out more about each day that passes, then this message probably still won't make a difference to you. But if you won't think about the sacrifice you are being asked in comparison to the men and women who have defended and are defending our country today, then maybe you will consider this last comparison. God sent His son to die for the very people that would eventually hang Jesus on a cross. Jesus knew that He was about to be tortured, shamed, and then murdered on a cross that he was nailed to, and the only thing He asked His father in Heaven was to "let this cup pass" if possible, but if not then "Thy will be done".  Matthew 26:39 As Jesus was taking His last breath He cried out to His father, "Forgive them for they know not what they do" Luke 23:34. Love is sacrificial. Not love of self, love for those that you disagree with, love for those you serve, love for thy neighbor, and love for all mankind over love of self. The Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" Matthew 7:12, certainly does apply here. God gave His son knowing what the outcome was going to be. Jesus willingly went to the cross to die for YOUR sins today. Jesus died for all the sins I have committed against Him and He did so without a question about what that sacrifice was going to be for himself. 

If I complain about my french fries being cold because I am unable to eat inside a restaurant, if I dare refuse to wear a mask in public because "I don't want to and I don't have to", or even if I deny the reality of a virus that has ravaged the world and continues to be a war that we have not yet won, I certainly hope that I won't deny that the men and women who have fought, and in many instances given their life for me sacrificed so much more than I will probably ever be asked to sacrifice. I pray that as we place men and women, boys and girls, health care personnel, educators, cashiers, waiters, and all other public servants at risk because we don't want to be inconvenienced, we will stop and consider the sacrifice our Lord and Savior made for each of us and then think about what our "sacrifices" are in comparison. 

May God Bless America, I for one do not deserve His mercy nor His grace!

Coach Carter

Your Children's Children

 

When people used to tell me that if they would have known how wonderful it is to have grandchildren they would have had them first, I would chuckle a bit, but that was about as far as my mind would go. Now that I have grandchildren, I know exactly what they meant. It is amazing! Love my granddaughters. As a grandparent, I will have a certain amount of influence in their lives, yet at the end of the day it will be their mother and father that will have the biggest impact on their young lives. So, does that mean I'm off the hook? Unfortunately, I'm directly on the hook because the life I lived with my own children and the influence I had on them is going to have a direct impact on the way they raise their children. Solomon wrote about this very topic in Proverbs 17:6 with this declaration laced with a cryptic warning, "Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children is their fathers." If you are a parent, may be a parent down the line, or even for us that have the pleasure of being a grandparent today's FTM is for you.

Let's set a little mental image really quick before we go any further. You know that feeling you get when you are watching a movie and there is a person holding on to the outreached hand of someone else that just happens to be dangling over a deep, dark drop into oblivion, and then suddenly loses that grip and the person begins a descent becoming fainter, and fainter as they fall? Okay, well keep that image in mind as you think about what happens as your children reach adulthood and they move on to start their own family. When your sons and daughters are little you feel like you have all the time in the world to pour into their lives, yet the truth of the matter is "time" actually does fly. Toddlers become teens, teens become young adults, and as we lose that grip on their hands all of a sudden, our little babies are expecting their first born. This isn't meant to be a downer, I promise. That is just the circle of life, but what we do with that precious time we have with our children is what makes that circle of life continue to go around and round and not upside down!

How are you investing in your children's lives? Do you provide an example about how to treat other people by the way you are treating people? How do they see you display empathy? What do they see in you that shows them that we are all created equal? What does fair look like in your home? What do your children know about faith? Is it something you do on Sunday and then just like your Bible, it is placed on the shelf until next Sunday? Promise I'm not judging you, if anything I am convicting self. As a parent looking back in the rear-view mirror of life, boy there's a laundry list a mile long of things I would have done differently. Can't go back, but you can move forward. That's my saving grace, but maybe you don't have to rectify the past like me, maybe you've got the chance right now because your children are still children at home under your direct influence. That is something to give thanks for every day if you can turn the corner and make a difference today in the lives of your grandchildren down the road. 

You see, the training we do with our children is going to have an impact on their lives obviously. What we don't always think about is that the way we raise our children will have a direct impact on the way they raise their children. Obvious again right? Maybe not. Remember that image of the guy falling that we painted in our minds earlier? Well think about your influence on the lives of your children and the children they will raise with that same image in mind. As your daily influence begins to fade, the lessons you taught or didn't teach, the values you showed or didn't show, the trust and faith that you lived out or ignored will all be aspects of your child's parenting skills on your grandchildren. As I pointed out earlier, your influence on your grandchildren is going to be limited and minimal at best, because as wise old Solomon pointed out "the glory of children is their fathers". So, once we watch our children in action we will either smile or cringe, because we have to own it either way. 

Now I have heard young people say, I'll never be like my dad/mom was when I was a kid, and I guess that is in a sense teaching your kids how "not" to raise your own children, but I don't think too many of us want that to be the driving force in our sons and daughter’s child rearing resources, "How to or How Not to...”. We are blessed and fortunate all rolled into one life that we are living, there is a handbook that we have access to, and we have examples to model after, and we have a Heavenly Father that is there to hold our hand and guide us as we make this journey through parenthood. This help is always available and always applicable. If you are a parent, going to be a parent, or have been a parent and now you are a grandparent God gives you an example to follow that directly speaks to every quality we would ultimately want to forge into the lives of our children. 

The goal is that we aren't sitting here as grandparents thinking "Why would my kids allow their kids to do whatever it is that they are doing?". Ultimately, we have to own that. The psalmist is clear in psalm 103:17-18, "But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments." Righteousness is choosing to live a just and moral life. Jesus was the true example of being righteous, and through his life we have a model by which we should be living and inadvertently pouring into the little eyes of those watching us. I am proud of my children, I pray that I didn't do too much damage in their lives due to the person I was when they were children, and my hope is that as I am still their father, they will see the difference God has made in my life since I gave Him my life, and they will follow my choice to follow God for the rest of my life on this earth!

Praying for all parents today!

Coach Carter

Loan Forgiveness

 Federal Student Loan Forgiveness, also known as public service loan forgiveness, or in my line of work may be commonly referred to as teacher loan forgiveness is a lifesaver for many young professionals. The idea is to "reward" those who work as public servants in areas of high need by "forgiving" their massive student loans after a certain number of years of service. Teaching in an impoverished school, or teaching in a hard to fill subject area such as math or science are examples of qualifiers for teacher loan forgiveness programs. By serving students and communities that have high needs, your college debt that was accrued obtaining the degree that allows you to teach can be forgiven. After reading a parable found in the Book of Luke, I'm convinced Jesus must have been in the financial loan forgiveness business himself. 

While spending the evening at a religious acquaintance's house Jesus was encountered by a remorseful woman wanting only to show her desire to be forgiven of her sins by Jesus. As she bowed down before the Son of God she wept and her tears enabled her to wash his feet. From there the woman dried His feet with her hair and then finally poured expensive, perfumed oil over his feet all the while asking Jesus to forgive her sins from her past. The host was annoyed and confused about Jesus allowing a sinful woman like this to be around Him. The man's thoughts were centered around how someone so holy could lower himself to the level of a person that was so well known for their sins and sinful lifestyle. At that point, Jesus laid the groundwork for today's Flat Tire Thought. 

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Luke 7:41-42. The man who questioned Jesus answered much in the same manner that we would, obviously the one with the greater debt would be more appreciative since his debt was higher. Cha Ching! Loan forgiveness 101. Jesus was in essence saying the deeper your sin debt is, the more willing He was to forgive if only you will trust in Him and serve Him with all you have. 

What a beautiful picture that paints. The poor, sinful woman had nothing but her tears, hair, and an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, plus a trunk load of past sins, but Jesus was eagerly prepared to stamp her loan forgiveness papers. Student loan forgiveness is offered when someone offers their service and skills to someone else that needs their service, and Jesus forgives us our sins because he wants our service and skills in service for Him. 

Today, we are forgiven. Not because we have earned it, but because we come to God and ask Him to forgive us. We serve God because He loves us and shows us that love through the sacrifice He made with His own Son, Jesus. If you know God, if you have asked Him to forgive your sin debt, then just as the woman in the parable, you are forgiven. If you humbly serve God through service to others your "loan forgiveness" has been marked paid in full and you are set free from the bondage of debt and sin. I pray that I will be more like the woman in the parable and not the man judging others because of their sin. My personal debt is marked "Paid in Full", seek the Father and your debt can be cleared and expunged from this life you are living. 

Coach Carter

 

Performance Based Faith

 

In our society, today there is a great deal of momentum around the concept of performance based evaluations. On the job, incentive pay rewards the employee for increasing their productivity. In education, some states reward teachers with "merit pay" based on the performance of their students on state mandated assessments. In our homes parents reward their sons and daughters for completing chores, making exceptional grades, and at times the reward is just a recognition of the child's positive behavior. The idea here is the harder I work, the more I do, the more I can potentially be rewarded for my efforts. This mentality may have benefits in the right arena, but when we start transferring this mentality to our walk of faith it starts turning sideways.

I'm not sure if Performance Based Faith is a real term or not, yet surprisingly when I Googled the phrase Performance Based Faith a plethora of options filtered through on my screen. So I started prowling around the different articles and sure enough the notion of improving one's position with God is in many people's minds a reflection of how much time is spent on "doing" things for God. The more time I spend at my church serving on committees the more relational equity I am acquiring with God. Or the more I go out and give of my time in the community, the better the investment will provide a positive yield with God. The more I do good, the more I give above my tenth, and the more I stretch myself thin doing, and doing, and doing obviously result in a positive response from our Creator, right?

Well.... let me just say, if we are walking with God, if we truly have a relationship with God, then absolutely we are called to serve in all of the areas listed above. We are called to serve, but the issue at hand isn't the service we provide, it is more about the intention behind the service that can get us out of line with our true faith and trust in God. "For we walk by faith not by sight" II Corinthians 5:7 is the battle cry that Paul, a true servant of God, proclaimed as he mentored the church in Corinth. We are to serve for sure, but at the end of the day if that service is solely an effort to display our faith to man or even to God then it is highly possible we may be missing the target. 

We serve God because of our faith, not the reverse. We trust in God so we are able to place our trust in Him and we understand that it is God who is in us that allows us to serve others. God in us allows us to do what we do and for that we need to give credit where credit is due. My service to God has nothing to do with me accomplishing anything. Instead, the service I provide to others is a direct result of what God has done for me and in me and what He is now allowing me to do for Him. In other words, my performance isn't mine, it is more of God working in me and through me allowing me to carry out the purpose for which I was created. What I do is directly correlated to what God has chosen to do in me and through me. 

What then are we charged with doing in our walk of faith you ask? "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up" James 4:10. Don't get caught up in the "Look what I've done" mentality that can easily ensnare us as we begin a walk with God. It isn't about what we do, but it is all about what God can and will do through us if we allow Him to and humbly thank God for allowing us to be His chosen vessel. "Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world" I John 4:4 comes to mind here. Without God receiving all the glory, it starts to become more about me and what I have accomplished for God, when in reality it is all about God and what He has chosen to do in this His willing vessel. Without God I am like an empty, clay jar sitting on the shelf, worthless. Once I allow God to fill me and pour me out as His Holy Spirit guides, then I can truly serve God. As that service ends and I move to the next step in my walk of faith I am constantly giving all the credit to God and basking in the knowledge that I was found worthy to be used! 

Thank you, God, for choosing us to do your work here on earth! We can do nothing without you, but with you all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26). As we live, love, work, and grow in you, may our prayer be that our performance is not an effort to "show" our faith, but instead may our faith in you be a direct driving force behind all we do for you and you do through us! Amen

Your Servant, 

Coach Carter 

Would, Could, Should

 

Today's Flat Tire Thought is for me. Call it my personal testimony I suppose, or just my acknowledgement of the fact that there is a God, He rules all things, and His Son died on a cross for me. I know that God reigns supreme and I know that He gives me each morning that I rise and each day that I live. I know that I don't deserve the love God has shown to me and shows me each day, but He loves me in spite of me. The bottom line is this, through all of my failures, my long list of shortcomings, promises broken, and gifts unappreciated God still loves me. Nobody would love me, nobody could love me, nobody should love me like God does, but He does. 

When I think of all the broken promises that I have made, all the times that I have said "Lord if you will just take care of this problem or that situation I'll be your man." only to move on with life after God has intervened and carried me through the adversity of that moment. So many times I have prayed and made promises to Him, but then as the days unfold, those promises are not kept and I have to keep coming back asking for forgiveness and mercy that I certainly do not deserve. Who would love a person like that? A person that continuously asks for answers and solutions, but then when asked to just love others in that same manner, turns around and expects something in return for that kind of love? Who would love me like that? God does. 

Nobody could love me like God does. Look at the world we live in today, the divorce rate is basically every other marriage fails. Why is that? Broken trust, failed promises, lost love, or broken dreams, all top the list of reasons why, so if a man and a woman can fall out of love and are able to get a divorce so easily when the going gets a little tough, then how could I imagine that God could love me when I break my promise to him many times before I even walk out of the door of my house?  I say I love God, but do I show Him that I love Him through my interactions with those I encounter throughout each day? Do I even show God that I love Him with my words and even more so with my actions? I cannot imagine how God could love me when He looks at me each day and sees the worst of me as I take another day that He has given me to live and not do all I could do to serve Him with that gift. How could anyone love me with so many shortcomings and failures? God could and He does. 

Should God love me like He does? When I turn my back on God and do want I want to do instead of what I know I should do, should God so easily forgive me and call me His own? Should God love me when I see the needs of others and then tend to my own personal needs first and then give what's left over to those in need? Should God forgive my sins, the very sins that I just asked forgiveness for yesterday? Should the God that gave His only Son to die for my sins love me when I go back on my word and go about my life like He doesn't know what I am doing? God shouldn't love me, because I am not worthy of His love, but guess what, God still loves me. 

Nobody would, nobody could, and nobody should love me like God does, but He does. Not only does God love me like that, God loves each of us just like that. God knows our failures, He knows our thoughts, and He knows what our intentions are way before we carry them out in our actions. He forgives us, He asks for nothing in return, and He walks beside us through the storms of life even if we steer our boats right into the path of the winds and torrents of the sea. Nobody would, could, or should, but God does. It is that simple, I am not alone, my God is with me and He loves me in spite of myself. He loves you too. I won't try to go it alone, God loves me like no one would, in a way that no one could, and at a time when probably no one should! Thank you God for loving me and thank you for loving all of us the way you do!

“O give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His mercy endures forever!” Psalm 118:29

 Coach Carter

Contentment or Comparison

I recently listened to a series by Pastors Chip and Ryan Ingram on the topic of relational intelligence in which one of the sermons was on the idea of "being happy". The premise of the message was that the mindset of "happiness" or contentment doesn't come with the completion of a checklist of goals or items attained, but more from a sense of a life well lived. I'd like to spend just a few minutes today discussing how to be "happy" and how to get to that place of contentment. 

If you ask most parents they will tell you that what they want most in life for their children is for them to be happy. Happy at Christmas, happy on their birthday, happy, happy every day of their lives. Nothing wrong with that at all, I pray regularly for my children's health and happiness in life. If you surveyed a group of adults and asked the same about their life goals, being happy would probably rank at the top of the list. There again nothing out of line there. The trouble with this whole idea of "being happy" is what we perceive as the route to reach that happiness and the components of what we believe will actually "make" us happy. The title of today's FTM is "Contentment or Comparison" because in our society today we are fixated on evaluating our level of happiness in relationship to the lives of others we know or see on television, social media, or any of a numerous other marketing platforms we are bombarded with each day. The question you must ask yourself at the end of the day is this; am I happy because of what I have or am I happy because I have what I need? 

If what you have or want to have is what is going to make you happy, please be forewarned, you will never be happy. There is always going to be the next thing, the newer model, the better choice that you will always be seeking. Is it alright to want better for your family and self? Yes, but if your happiness is dependent on having or attaining then that is where the alignment gets out of whack. The American Dream as it has been termed is to have a family, a home, a secure career, and all the amenities that you want to make life easier and more comfortable. That is what will make you happy right? If that is the case why is the divorce rate almost 50% in our country? If having a home, a car, a boat, a supersized smart TV, or whatever it is that you are pursuing will make you happy, why is it that home foreclosures, loan defaults, and broken down "toys" are a constant and familiar spectacle? I don't believe it is the "thing" that we believe will make us happy, no it is actually the attainment level of getting and being like our neighbor that we believe will make us "happy". Unfortunately, that route to happiness just won't work and any degree of "happiness" you might feel if you are caught up in comparing your life to the life of others you see in life will be fleeting at best and will always be coupled with the next euphoric goal to attain as your driving force towards "happiness".

The Apostle Paul speaks about being happy in Philippians 4:11-12 as he explains, "... I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Paul was happy with his life. Could he have been more comfortable with a better, faster mule and a bigger, better tent? Of course. Would Paul all of a sudden have been happier if he received those gifts? Based on his proclamation above I just don't think that would have mattered in his pursuit of "happiness". I believe Paul is telling us that regardless of what you have or what you don't have, you must be able to be content in that current state of being. This is the true pathway to being happy and being content in life.

Man is driven to compete, I am a competitive person that's why I have coached over 30 years of my adult life. In our drive to compete we often get caught up in comparing ourselves to others. We actually begin to covet what they have and begin to dwell on how we can get what they have so that we can be more content in what we have. That is a cycle that only goes around in a circle. Once your life gets stuck on that track you will never reach contentment, only the need to get the next newest model or the bigger, better version of the one you have now. That is not the recipe for happiness and actually will only lead to emptiness and an unfulfilled life. But there is a path to happiness that is readily available and easily attained. 

If I'm hungry I can choose to complain about my current status, or I can reflect on the fact that as a country we throw away more food daily than most countries touch in a week or month or even a year. If I am unhappy because my neighbor just bought a brand new forty something foot tricked out RV and I only have a thirty-five foot tricked out later model RV then I only have to stop and think about how fortunate I am to even have a home with a real roof, windows, and doors on it, and that I have cool air in the summer and I have warm heat in the winter to keep my family warm and then all of a sudden what model of RV I have moves out of my mind and the thankfulness for the more basic things I do have takes center stage in my mind. Hamburger or filet? Ford or Ferrari? You can't buy happiness, you have to be content in what and where you are right now in life before you can ever be happy in life with all the bells and whistles attached. 

Today, check yourself, are you in search of the next thing on your list that is going to "make you happy"? Do you think frequently that if you could just get that new job, new house, new husband, or new wife you would instantly be happy? Well that won't happen, the only route to try contentment in this world is to be content with the world you are living in at this current moment. A life well lived will tell you that it isn't the things in your life that make you happy, it is the memories that are made spending quality time with family, friends, and our Creator in Heaven. Be content with who you are and where you are right now today and then you can be content and happy wherever you may be and whatever you find yourself doing in this life you have been given to live!

Be Happy!

Coach Carter

Self-Check: Moving Forward or Laying Down

 

This week's FTM is going to basically be a self-evaluation of sorts. I had a revelation this week that every now and then we need to stop and do a little internal check just to make sure we are moving, and that our moves are moving us in the right direction.

If there were an imaginary line graph with "Moving Forward" posted on one end of the spectrum and "Laying Down" on the other end of the line where would you say you are relative to any or all of the following areas of life: work, marriage, family, and faith? I guess before you could chart that on our graph you'd need an idea of what the markers are and the varying divisions along the spectrum of the graph. Wait no longer here are the points I have created. 

Moving Forward- "Life is good." I may get knocked down, but I definitely am getting back up again. I understand that life is filled with adversities, yet I also realize that what doesn't kill me only makes me smarter and stronger. I take adversity and use it to make me a better, more patient, emphatic, and wiser person. Then I use my experiences to help others with their own issues and concerns because that is what this life I have been given is supposed to be about, helping others more than pleasing myself. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

Standing Still - "Life is good, I guess." My marriage, my job, my faith in God, and my walk with Him are all in place and I'm living out each day the way I should be living it. I'm doing everything right that I am supposed to be doing aren't I? Problems come and I deal with them, but it really isn't fair that when I do everything I'm supposed to be doing, it seems like I still end up getting the short end of the stick and those that don't try seem to end up doing better than I'm coming out of this thing. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

 

Sitting Down - "My life is so messed up." Things going on in my marriage, on the job, day in and day out, and at my church are just wearing me out. I need a break, I'm the only one that does anything around here, and I believe if everyone would just pick it up a bit, my life would probably be a little better and a whole lot easier for sure! Why is it that I am the only one around here that seems to be doing anything about anything? Life just isn't fair, I am tired. "Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them." Isaiah 30:20

 

Laying Down - "You know what, I quit!" It really doesn't matter what I do anymore, things are going to be just what they are going to be. Nobody cares anyway. It really wouldn't matter if I was here or if I suddenly wasn't. When I get up; if I do get up today, what is going to be different from yesterday? Nothing, my guess. Life sucks and mine is like a Roomba Plus. "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." II Corinthians 4:8-10

 Of course, as is with any graph your "life measure" could be anywhere on the spectrum and more than likely falls somewhere between one point or the next. The question for you now is did you really self-reflect? Did you really stop and think about am I moving forward with this life God gave me to live, or do I think I'm moving because I'm going through the motions each day? I get up, kiss the kids good-bye, tell my husband/wife that I'll see them later, then off to work or school I go, and there I do my job, I get things done, leave work, run crazy getting things done on my list, all before I come home eat dinner, watch some TV, spend some time on social media, take a shower, and head to bed. Then I get up and do it all over again, waiting on the weekend to get here not a moment too soon! Guess what that's not moving forward, that is getting grabbed by the current and washed downstream headed for the falls. 

The thing to consider as you move down the line away from really moving forward to the laying down side of things is that life becomes more about "me" and how "my" life is being impacted negatively by all the things going on in "my" life. Notice the emphasis on "me"? You see the more you place the emphasis of how life is treating you only the more the ups and downs of this life cause you to feel like somebody is out to get "me" and "my" life isn't what I deserve. 

For those that can truly reflect and find themselves on the moving forward end of things life's experiences are happening just like they are for those on the other end of the spectrum, but the difference is you look at everything that is happening in your life and you realize that at the end of the day you have a pretty good life, as convoluted as it may be, and if you stay the course, if you give your matters to an omnipotent God, He will work them out just as they should and literally, not necessarily for "my" benefit, but always for those I live with, work with, and love!

Trust me you can't just see where you are, you have to stop and take a minute to do an inventory of your mindset, your approach, your goings in and your goings out, your perspective, and to a great deal your ability to see how what is going on in your life, is not near as important as what is happening in your life due to the things that are going on around you and your world. I've said it numerous times, but it is well worth stating over and over again, your life isn't about you, it is all about how God can use you to impact as many lives as He wants you to impact today and every day going forward.
"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:24

 Take a minute, heck take 30 minutes, and sit down, breathe in, and hold it. Exhale. Now reflect on your life using the scale above. If you like where you are great, if not then may I pray for you, that you will make the necessary moves to get to where you need to be. I pray that if you don't feel like you can do this on your own you are most certainly correct you can't, but you understand that God can. I pray that as you place yourself on that line graph, you will gravitate towards the "Moving Forward" and that your light will so shine that others will be impacted just by your mere presence in the room! Amen

Coach Carter