Let Your Light Shine

Up and down the eastern seaboard of the United States you will find stoic lighthouses scattered along the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean. More than 250 lighthouses support ships along the east coast, constructed during the time period where shipping goods by sea was the primary means of doing business. These stalwart features stand watch throughout the day, but their overarching significance occurs during the darkest of nights. Beaming out across the night sky, their beacon of light radiating from the tower serves as a warning for sailors as they pass shallower waters. In addition, the beacon also provides a better understanding of the path by which ships must navigate a safe landing port without crashing upon the jagged, rocky shoreline of the northeastern coast. That beacon of light serves as a constant reminder for all, the light from the lighthouse doesn't shine for its own benefit, instead each evening as dusk turns into night, this dedicated guardian sends out a warning beacon for the complete benefit of others.

Often, I reference the mindset that your life isn't about you, but that it is more about those you can serve and support through the life you have been given to live. What better illustration of that servant leader mentality than that of the humble lighthouse. Unassuming, yet iconic, a lighthouse goes about each night sending its bright beam of light out not to say, "Here I am, look at me", but instead to share the message of "Watch out, be careful where you go".  Is your life more about you shining so that others can see you, or are you living the life of a servant leader who lives to share your light with those you come in contact with each day?

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus shared this directive with His disciples, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." I'm pretty sure if lighthouses had of been in existence back then, Jesus would have used them as a visual for this message. Lighthouses were built in strategic locations to benefit the largest number of sailing vessels possible. Their light shines bright so that others are protected and that they can find their way in the darkest of nights. Your inner light needs to shine for good, we live in a world where evil seems to be at every corner we turn, so it is critically important that your beacon of light shines for all to see. Humble as the modest lighthouse, but shining His light brightly for all to see!

 Coach Carter

Practice What You Preach

  Have you ever been chided with the directive to "practice what you preach"? Not the best piece of advice to be on the receiving end of, but one that can offer a chance to self-reflect grow from it. My goal in life is to be an obedient servant to the One that created me on purpose for a purpose. To fulfill that goal, walking my faith instead of talking my faith makes all the difference in the world. If the words that I write in this weekly blog don't represent the life that I live throughout the week, then all I am doing is writing. Straightforward enough right? On the surface it might appear so, yet as I was praying this morning I asked God to allow me to go deeper, to not just read some scriptures, do a devotional, and then say a prayer. I want to read the inspired words of the omnipotent and omniscient God, the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, the Great I Am with reverence and with a sense that His word for that day is a direct message to what lies in front of me and what I need to do with the opportunities I have been given. 

 

I think about the story of the good Samaritan and how two other "religious" men passed by the accosted traveler without offering any kind of support or care. Am I guilty of that same indifference to my fellow man? The other day I pulled out of a gas station which immediately placed me in a short line at a red-light intersection. There on the side of the road stood a lady who obviously was down on her luck. Like the majority of us in today's culture, I rarely carry cash. The lady's sign read, "anything will help" to which I replied, "Sorry I don't have any cash" as I pressed the gas pedal down and motored off to my destination. I knew I had a cannister in my dash where I stored change, but I didn't reach out with an offer of a couple of dollars in pennies, nickels, and dimes. In my hometown that is becoming a more prevalent sight on busy intersection street corners, and other high traffic areas. Should I be handing out money or meals each time I see someone with a cardboard sign sitting destitute and haggard? 

 

What about those that are taking advantage of us good hearted Christians you ask? "I bet they live better than I do", or "I bet they have a car around the block and they are just begging for money instead of working" are just two of the justifications we might employ to make us feel better about ourselves not providing support. Maybe they are taking advantage of our inner drive to help our fellow man, but think about the status of the person in that particular circumstance. There are myriad things wrong with that picture even if they are trying to beat the system by panhandling. Think about it, if you are at the point that you are trying to make money by dressing in tattered clothes, not shaving or grooming for days, unashamed enough to stand on a busy crossroads with a cardboard sign begging for food or money then regardless of whether it is a legitimate needs situation or not, that person is in need. 

 

So, let's put two types of people in line at that same traffic light and do a little comparison. The first car is a newer model import, a parent and two children in tow. This person's car has a Jesus sticker on the rear bumper and K-Love blaring out on the stereo while the two kids munch on their cheeseburger kids’ meal before gymnastics practice. This person looks over at the destitute individual and quickly looks down at their phone avoiding eye contact. The next car, it doesn't matter if it is a Ferrari or a clunker pulls up and hands the person a couple of bucks and then drives off, most likely never to see the transient person again. To the individual seeking "handouts" who did they just connect with in this scenario? What lingering message will he or she take away? If their situation accelerates and they get to the point that they really have nowhere else to turn will they turn to a religion that turned its back on them, or will they turn to a cold indifferent world that hasn't really got anything to offer beyond a quick, momentary fix. Think about it, who are you in this story?

 

As you ponder on that question, let me make sure you understand that I'm not pointing fingers and I'm definitely not suggesting that it is your duty to provide support to every struggling individual or family that you cross each day. Unfortunately, doing that could cause a person to be late for work every morning. Sad. No, as I think about how I can navigate who to help and when to help I am reminded of the story about a man standing on the beach tossing sand dollars back into the ocean as the tide abandons them on the sandy beach. A passerby takes notice and after watching for a few minutes remarks to the sand dollar Samaritan, "You know you can't save all of those don't you?" The man picks up another tidal victim and tosses it back in and says "I saved that one." 

 

As I child our youth choir used to sing a song, "They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love", a message we all need to be reminded of frequently. It isn't our place to judge or pass judgement for that matter, it is our job to love our fellow man and show them the God that lives inside of us in a world that can provide materialistic examples of "love", but nothing that compares to the loving care of our Father in Heaven. If we are to live out the words of our servant leader, Jesus, we must love God first and then love our fellow man as much as we love ourselves. (Matthew 12:37-39)

 

At the end of the story about the good Samaritan Jesus provided this question and command, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him. “Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37.

May the mercy and grace that God has shown each of us guide you today.

Coach Carter

Delayed Gratification

 

At a work retreat I attended last week in Baltimore the keynote speaker Nick Rodriguez, shared this jewel with those in attendance. His advice went something like this, "When you are making any decision, keep the long-term outcomes as your vision and purpose. Many times, the short-term results will not look pretty, but keep the long-term goal as your driving force and base your plans on that long-term objective." Delayed gratification. In education and in sports the teacher/coach has a long-term outcome in mind, we want our students/athletes to learn the content and skills that we teach them and then be able to successfully apply that learning to real world situations. Sounds simple enough right? You'd think so, but in today's society, so many people are seeking instant gratification over any situation where hard work precedes the payoff. Avoid the struggle, remove the barriers, and take the easy way out appears to be the accepted mantra of way too many folks. 

 

Over the weekend, my sister shared a positive note from this past week in her fourth-grade classroom, it resonated well with the whole idea of delayed gratification. At the beginning of the school year she had a student that she could immediately tell had the potential to be an outstanding learner. She pushed this student to be the best they could be. Inadvertently, his grades dropped a bit due to the rigorous challenges that my sister was placing on her student. The parent, contacted my sister concerned about the extra push and the slight slip in grades. Was he being pushed too hard? Could he really do the work she was expecting him to do? Assurances were given and as the year progressed so did the student's academic growth. At the end of this last week, Donna received a note from the parent thanking her for pushing her son this year and providing him with the opportunity to expand his learning and increasing his resilience in the face of adversity. Delayed gratification. 

 

As she shared her story, one of my own experiences came to mind that fit perfectly into our conversation around delayed gratification. In volleyball the preferred way to serve the ball is overhanded, which can be a challenge to master for many of our players. Being the kind of coach I am, I place more emphasis on the positive growth of my players over any number of championships I might be a part of with my teams. (Don't think I'm not out there trying to win, I am a competitor to the end!) A couple of years ago, I was coaching in our summer league and most of the girls on our team had not mastered their overhand serve. We were losing every match and, in some part, it was due to the other teams allowing players to serve underhanded if they couldn't consistently serve overhanded. After one of our matches a dad approached me about allowing the girls to serve underhanded. My response has become my go to for all such conversations. "If you can find me a basketball coach that teaches their players to shoot foul shots the old "granny style" between the leg’s way, then I'll let our girls serve underhanded.” I went on to explain that the goal of a summer league like this should be to get the girls ready for middle or high school competitive volleyball and that the overhand serve would be necessary to successfully make the team at that level. I could tell he understood what my goal was and we left with a common understanding. As the season progressed I noticed that this particular player's serve was getting stronger and she was beginning to get some serves in. By the end of the season, she had become our most consistent, dependable server. You could see the joy on her face, and the pride her parents displayed from the stands. What I didn't know, but found out later, was that after our chat earlier that season the dad had went home and constructed a makeshift volleyball court for his daughter to get extra practice in on her overhand serve. I'm not sure if I was prouder of the young athlete for mastering her serve, or if I was more impressed with this dad who bypassed the instant gratification of seeing his daughter's team win using a skill that would not impact her chances of making her middle school team and worked with her to conquer the serve. Delayed gratification at its best. 

 

At times we are all the coach or the teacher, what I want to make sure we all realize is that more often we are the student that needs to learn the lesson and apply it to our own life. How many of us are dealing with situations at work that make you feel like you should just throw up your hands and quit? Is there a situation in your marriage or a relationship that makes you just want to throw in the towel and call it quits? How about finances? You want what your neighbor has and you want it now! (Going into debt to satisfy that instant gratification may not be the best idea.) What about health issues? Anyone out there wanting to ask God "Why?" Why am I going through this health complication? Why was I born with this debilitating disease? Maybe it is time we started asking "What" instead of "Why". 

God, what do you want me to do through this situation or circumstance I am facing? God what can I do through this affliction or adversity that will help others see you living in me? God what is your purpose for this life you have given me to live? What do you want me to do God, so that the life I have been given will impact the lives of those you intended me to impact when I was created? If we focus on the short-term situations in our lives, we will most certainly miss out on the long-term purpose that we were placed on this earth to accomplish. It may feel better to take the easy way out, it might decrease the discomfort or pain temporarily, but is that what God wants for us? I don't think so. 

 

Jesus told His disciples, “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.” Matthew 16:33. Delayed gratification! We may have to endure pain today, but we have the promise of peace for eternity. Others may appear to get there quicker and never seem to have to wait it out, but God's purpose for your life is unique and if we will stay the course His plan will be fulfilled in us and through us!

Each day we face the challenge of keeping our eye on the prize God has set for our life, yet way too many of us aren't willing to stay the course and struggle through to reach God's purpose. We want everything to be smooth sailing and when our sails hit winds that cut across our path too often we want to draw in the sails and sit it out or even worse turn around and go back because we don't want to fight the storm. As you set goals for yourself, your family, your marriage, your job, and any other aspects of your life, keep the long-term outcome in mind. In the short term, you will more than likely face adversity and struggles that will cause you to rethink your plans and you may even begin to contemplate giving up. But don't! God has a plan for your life, and if you seek His will the long-term outcome it will benefit so many others for generations to come. Put off the urge to accept the easy instant gratifications in life, and hold out for the long-term goals that are still to come. Delayed gratification! 

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 

 

Coach Carter

 

 

What Does It Mean to Be Content?

 

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."                                                                                 Philippians 4:12

 I recently traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah to attend a conference for work, and let me say this first, "Thank you Salt Lake City for the kindness of your people and the beauty of your picturesque scenery! In the days and weeks leading up to my travel several friends and acquaintances had expressed how beautiful SLC was and how much I was going to love the Rocky Mountain backdrops. The snowcapped mountains in late April did not fail to disappoint, and a beautiful four-mile hike confirmed the majesty of the Rockies! As beautiful as the Rocky Mountains are and as inviting as the city of Salt Lake City is, I missed my home sweet home, which led me to an epiphany of sorts that prompted today's Flat Tire Ministries thought.

 

What does it mean to be content? In the verse above, Paul explained that he had gotten to the place where he was "content" when he had pretty much everything he needed, and also when he was in need and had nothing. Hungry or full, destitute or overflowing, Paul said he had learned the "secret" of being content. Why did Paul call being content a secret to be learned? Probably because so many of us don't possess the contentedness in our hearts that allows us to realize what we do have and how fortunate we are to have what we have. 

 

Early on in my visit to Utah, I started thinking about our own Great Smoky Mountains, a subrange of the Appalachian mountain range, and how beautiful they are. In contrast to the Rockies, the Smoky Mountains just have a different feel to them. Salt Lake City sits in a basin with the Rockies forming the bowl in which the city sits. Visiting the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee or North Carolina you don't get the feel of being surrounded by the mountains, it's more like a blanket that covers the region. The Smoky Mountains form a magnificent backdrop for amazing sunrises and breath-taking sunsets and the wide array of flora and fauna make it even more enjoyable to visit and admire. Sorry Rocky Mountains, but I'll keep my Smokies!

 

Yet my point isn't about which mountain range is the best, the point is that too often I get up in the morning and look out at the Smoky Mountains and that is about all I do, look. It took a trip over half way across the United States for me to realize just how fortunate I am to live in East Tennessee. I had heard a great deal about the Rocky Mountains, I had studied their formations in Geography classes, and I had viewed breathtaking photographs of their jagged, snow cased peaks. In my mind I just wanted to see it, I was certain I would be awestruck and that I was. But, I missed home. I realized that I had not been content with what I have right here at home. I had placed the everyday beauty of what East Tennessee provides aside for what I thought would be so much better with the Rockies. I wanted more, I had lost my appreciation for what I did have, and fortunately for me, I was wise enough to realize that I had coveted where I should have been contented. 

 

In your life what are you wishing you had "better"? Better car, bigger house, new job, new spouse, more money, any of those resonate? Being content isn't relegated to material objects, better health status, or a different life altogether also fit in the contented spectrum. Too often we want what we don't have, thus we are not content with what we do have. Being content doesn't mean that we should feel guilty about wanting to improve or increase, it just means that our driving force in life shouldn't be what's next, but more about what are we doing with what we have been given. Being content means I shouldn't be complaining about having to eat beans three times a week, but more about being grateful for the beans that are providing nourishment to my body and a full stomach so I don't go to bed hungry tonight. Being content doesn't mean that wanting a new house is wrong, but it does mean that as long as I am living in the house I am living I am grateful, thankful, and feel completely blessed for having the roof over my head and the comfort that our home provides. 

 

Being content is elusive for way too many people, our social culture forces us to want more, want bigger, better, and newer. God tells us something else. In the book of Hebrews, the message is clear, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”" Hebrews 13:5. Regardless of your situation you should be content because God is with you in every instance and in all circumstances. God wants you and I to be content, to understand that as we live our lives and we begin to thank God for our lives regardless of what our lives feel like in our minds, we are blessed and we should be content. Trust me, being content without God in the driver seat is a challenge, I know, I tried and it just doesn't work. My prayer, "God thank you for who I am and what you have given me in this life. Thank you for the beauty of your creation and thank you for allowing me to enjoy the world in which you have placed me to live at this moment in my life. May I focus on what I have and what You have done in my life, and allow Your purpose for this life you have given me to be where I place my efforts. Thank you. Amen."

Be content.

Coach Carter

Three "Ps" in a Pod (Part 3 of 3)

I remember being glued to the TV for each of the episodes of the Batman television series when I was a kid back in the mid-1960s. Looking back at the old rerun episodes it puts a grin on my face to think about how far Hollywood has gone in terms of technology and special effects. For an inquisitive five-year-old the blinking computer screen lights of the Batcave, the flames bursting out of the back of the Batmobile, and all the gidgets and gadgets located on Batman's utility belt made great fodder for my Batadventures in the barn and down on the creek. One piece of "technology" that still resonates in my mind was the Batphone. In Commissioner Gordan's office a special red phone sat isolated on a pedestal, which held the sole purpose of being able to contact Batman anytime and wherever he might be as a new menacing villain plagued Gotham City. The police commissioner knew that in an emergency situation he could pick up that phone and Batman would answer and soon thereafter show up to save the day!

How many of us find that our prayer life is just a little too similar to the Batphone and the good people of Gotham City's connection to the caped crusader? Two weeks ago, we started our "Three P's in a Pod" series as we looked at how our perspective in life can set us up to face adversity and use it for our benefit, and then last week, we gazed into the realm of perseverance and how the never give up and never give in attitude will carry us forward in life. Today we will conclude this series with what I would deem the most important tool for us to have in our own "utility belt", prayer.

 

The Batphone sat ready to contact Batman in a moment's notice. It wasn't set up for the Commissioner to have a nice chit-chat with the superhero, but as a direct line to be used in emergency situations only. Of course, Batman or his alias Bruce Wayne, was always there. If the Joker rolled into town, Batman was on the receiving end of the Commissioner's plea for help. When the Penguin wanted to destroy Gotham City, Batman answered the call and responded post haste. Reflecting back now, the one thing I never saw was Commissioner Gordan picking up the Batphone and saying "Thanks for all you do, and thank you for always being there." It definitely was a one sided, "take" only relationship. 

 

Think about how you pray with God. Do you pick up the Batphone of prayer only in your emergencies, tragedies, and crises? Is God your go to when calamity strikes, even if you haven't talked with God in years? Do you expect instant results when you do pray? Do we expect God to answer our Batcall and immediately heal our infirmities regardless of taking into consideration that God has a plan for each of our lives and it is our responsibility to learn from our adversities and afflictions and then apply what we learn to the life we have been given to live? 

 

Prayer is more than praying before we eat a meal giving thanks, and it is more than a ritual we do before we go to bed at night. Prayer is where we build a relationship with the God of all creation. In I Thessalonians 5:17 Paul instructs us to, "pray without ceasing" and then he follows that up in verse 18 with "giving thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you". How often do we pray just to give God thanks for what He is, has, and will do in our lives? To pray without ceasing doesn't mean to sit around day in and day out praying, it is more of a charge to believers to seek God in all situations and under all circumstances. God is there in our emergencies, but it is my opinion that He should recognize your number on His caller ID when you call in your moments of need. 

We pray because God directs us to let our requests be made known to Him, (Philippians 4:6), yet how often do we pray a prayer seeking God's will on our lives, and also to just to say thank you for all that He has done in our lives and the lives of our family and friends. We pray for strength to endure, but we also pray for discernment to better understand how we should be serving God through our service to others. Think about it, how many times did the good commissioner ever pick up the phone and ask Batman what the people of Gotham City could do to help him, no it was definitely a “I'll call you when I need you”, type of relationship. Don't get me wrong God wants us to come to him when we are burdened and when we face insurmountable mountains in our path (Matthew 11:28-30), yet when we truly have a relationship with God, our prayers will take on a completely different persona. Our prayer life will become more about how we can better fulfill the purpose God has for our life in our circumstances, then it will be about rescuing us in every situation and circumstance. 

 

The power of prayer is found when we truly establish a relationship with God through prayer. Prayer becomes a part of who you are, and it is where you begin to visualize things that happen in your life differently. You won't always be the victim, you will become the overcomer through adversity, you will be the servant to your fellow man instead of the downtrodden recipient of one tragedy after another. Meet with God in private, establish your quiet time so you not only pray to God, but you actually listen more than you talk. Just as Elijah realized in I Kings 19:11-13 God wasn't necessarily in the storm or the fire, He was with him in a small, still voice. "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13. Prayer will change your life, so just as we started today's FTM, my charge to you is to "pray without ceasing" not praying 24/7, but praying regularly, daily, and about all things. Amen

Coach Carter