Biggest Fear

It isn't too surprising to find that the fear of dying is one of the top "fears" that people around the world admit to dealing with in their day to day lives. What was surprising is that a fear of snakes, spiders, and other creepy crawly things ranked higher than the fear of death. In my own mind it isn't that I'm afraid of dying, but more so it is the fear of not living out the life God has given me to live, and fulfilling His purpose that I was uniquely created to fulfill. 

Make no mistake, you were created on purpose for a purpose. In all of history, there has never been an exact carbon copy of your DNA, your mind, body, or soul. This includes every thought, attitude, and mindset that you possess, they belong to you and you have complete control over them. This should serve as a motivation for us, but unfortunately, way too many people spend their time not living the life they were designed to live, replacing God's purpose with the plan of making sure they do all they can to satisfy their own worldly bucket list. If God designed me on purpose than that surely means God has something that He wants me to accomplish for His glory. I just don't want to miss out on doing what I was meant to do. 

 

How do we know if we are fulfilling God's purpose for our life? We may never fully know the exact answer to that question, but I'm pretty sure we can conclude what wasn't on God's mind. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” Ephesians 2:8-10. Paul was reminding the Christians in Ephesus that they were created to do the "good works" that they were created to fulfill. If what we "do" each day doesn't feel like it is having a positive impact on others then I would most likely suggest you re-evaluate what your main priority is in life. 

 

You can live your life working, or you can work your entire life and never really live. You can incorporate God's will for you to do "good works" through your work, your past-times, and your relationships. By living your life in that fashion, I believe you will fulfill God's purpose. God doesn't need us to change the world, although by sharing the love that God has placed in our hearts with those that are hurting and need to see God in action, your random act of kindness may be the very change God created you for on that particular day and at that particular moment!

 

Sadly, there will be way too many people that do not fulfill their purpose. That is the downside to free will, you can choose to fulfill your purpose modeling the life Jesus lived out as your model, or you can choose to live out a life that on the surface feels like it is satisfying, yet at the end of your life there will be a definite void where there should exist contentment and confidence. Don't be afraid to die, but most definitely be afraid of not living out the life God purposed you to live before you die! 

Coach Carter 

Having Sight but No Vision

Helen Keller, the early twentieth century societal leader for individuals with vision and hearing challenges, once remarked that, "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." If for some reason you are not familiar with the work and advocacy that Ms. Keller accomplished during her life, let me just say one word, amazing. As a young toddler, Helen Keller lost both her sight and hearing while recovering from a traumatic childhood sickness. Over the next several years, Helen lived in total darkness and silence. I cannot even begin to imagine what that trapped existence must have felt like. Fortunately for Helen, Anne Sullivan came into her life and eventually broke the chains of silence and solitude which had kept Keller captive a great deal of her early childhood. Sullivan, her teacher and lifelong companion figuratively opened her senses to the world through sign language and life experiences. Based on the quote above, I wonder if Helen Keller may have had better vision than the majority of sighted folks?

 

Do we attempt to see what our lives should be, or are we comfortable seeing only the parts that we want to see? We need to be cautiously aware that having sight does not guarantee we can "see" the true purpose of this life we have been given. Let's look a little deeper at the difference between sight and vision that Helen Keller shared. 

 

How do you look at people that are "different" from yourself? Do you see skin color variations? Do you look at how someone dresses, customs they observe, or possibly even the religion they worship and make a judgement call about that person as a human being? If we only see the surface layer of a person's outward appearance, do we actually have vision? Vision sees beyond what is visible, vision allows us to see the potential in something, or in this case, someone that has worth and value to family, friends, and society. We demonstrate blindness when we don't look beyond what is on the surface of a person's physical appearance (Matthew 7:1-2).  

 

As leaders of our homes and families what direction are we leading? We can't see the future, yet we know that there is an eternal destination we are all striving towards if only we believe and seek His will for this life we have been given to live. It is way too simple to allow life to happen without us being involved in the decision-making process or goal setting for the future. We have to have a vision of what is most important and then just as aptly important is setting a course for how to arrive at each person's individual goals in life. Too often, our vision is stuck on how am I going to survive the day or week, instead of focusing on the end goal or destination. Having a vision of what is in store definitely shifts the purpose and vision of the life we are living. 

 

The foundational difference between seeing what is going on, and having a vision for what the goal for something is transfers to pretty much any aspect of your life. I challenge each of you to step back, slow down, and do a little self-reflection about whether you just see what is visible, or if you have a vision for the long-range purpose or plan in each aspect of your life. Don't be blinded by the interference of your daily grind, things do not happen by coincidence, you have a purpose and your life's purpose will impact others and ultimately the future. What is your vision for the future you will impact?           

  "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he."                      Proverbs 29:18

Coach Carter

Choosing Your Roommate

Play along with for a minute. Let's say that you need a college roommate to split the cost of your new housing arrangement off campus. You share your "Roommate Needed" post on social media and receive several messages of interest. After narrowing down the electronic applications, you decide to set up in person interviews with two individuals. Applicant #1 arrives five minutes early for the interview, has a list of references to provide, and upon further discussion you find that Applicant one has several similar values and characteristics in line with your own. Applicant #1 suggests that whether the roommate possibility works out, or not, the two of you should grab a bite sometime and provides a firm and reassuring handshake. Later that afternoon, you receive a text message from Applicant #2, stating that they will be a few minutes late due to all the slow, stupid drivers that are causing them to be delayed. Disheveled and grumpy upon arrival, Applicant #2 complains about the apartment being on the second floor of the complex and that it really was tough making it up those steps. The analysis continued as Applicant #2 remarks that "there are too many windows (which equals more windows to keep clean)", "the color scheme is a little bright don't you think?", and tops off the meeting with an inquiry about whether their two cats, one dog, and Burmese python would be permitted in the apartment. By the end of this visit, you realize that you have absolutely nothing in common with Applicant #2 and you breathe a sigh of relief when you close the door behind Applicant #2. Which applicant would you choose? Not even a decision to be made I would guess. Ten out of ten times Applicant #1 would be your choice. Wouldn't life be much easier to make decisions and choices if everything was as black and white as the above scenario? 

Let's look at the options for our choice regarding life perspective. In my devotion this morning the subject was Paul and how he always saw the good in the bad, and how he turned what on the surface appeared to be a terrible situation into a victory for God. The devotion proceeded to suggest that when Paul was tortured and cast into prison and then shackled to the prison guard, Paul's perspective most likely wasn't that Paul had been cuffed to a prison guard in terrible circumstances, but instead that the prison guard had been chained to Paul so that he could share the Gospel with this prison guard. (Acts 16:26-34) Paul had a choice to make, he could wallow in self-pity and ask God "Why?" or Paul could look at the opportunity to witness to a lost soul that couldn't get away from him, because they had been cuffed together, which was all a part of God's plan and purpose for Paul's life. Which perspective do you tend to adhere to? I hope you do realize it is a choice? You have the option and you get to choose your mind's roommate. 

The reality of life is that all lives are going to have good and not so good occurrences and circumstances that exist each day. Even in lives that things are going well in, there are times when not so welcome circumstances take place and we have to make the decision on what our perspective is going to be. In the roommate example above, it was overtly apparent who the right choice would be for a new roommate. The majority of us would not want to invite Negative Nancy to become our new roommate and the uplifting smile and friendly gestures of Applicant #1 definitely made that decision simple. So why would we choose to look at the bad in every situation or circumstance? The opposite is just as available and the cost associated with choosing a positive outlook over a negative perspective is identical. It doesn't cost us a penny more to take the positive outlook on life, and actually it pays dividends to have a positive attitude, because it starts rubbing off on others that you interact with each day. 

Paul chose to look at his circumstances and make the best out of the situation God had placed him in at that moment of his life. Today, you have that same option which roommate will you choose? One that complains about everything and can't see the forest for the trees? Or, will you look at every circumstance and ask God what He wants you to accomplish in each situation and at this exact moment in time? "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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13

You will choose your soul's roommate each day that you live, choose wisely!

 

Coach Carter

Waltzing with God

 

I have a goal for Missy and I to enroll in a ballroom dancing class. Healthy exercise, and an opportunity to learn an art form that is highly entertaining. Honestly, it is almost magical to watch as two individuals move synchronously around the ballroom floor twisting, twirling, and dipping all in perfect time with the orchestra's accompaniment. Even a mere spectator understands that so much time and practice is required for this syncopation to occur, training that begins with the decision of who will be leading and who will be following that lead. It would seem to be a no-brainer, but who leads and who follows in life is a question that traverses more than the ballroom dance floor. In life we have to decide who is in charge, who or in many cases what is calling the shots, directing the steps, and creating the plans by which we will live out the life we have been given to live. 

 

The names Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are two that are commonly recognized as outstanding examples of ballroom dancing partners. This dynamic duo entertained audiences on the big screen for years in the early stages of cinematography with their seamless promenades and pivots back and forth around the dance floor. At its best, it is a challenge to discern who was leading the dance when Fred and Ginger floated across the stage, yet inevitably there had to be one partner leading and one following the other's lead to ensure toes were not getting stepped on and unintentional collisions were avoided. Sit back and really watch a pair of ballroom dancers and attempt to ascertain who is leading and who is following, challenging may be an understatement. That is when dancing is on display at its finest. In your dance with God is it obvious who is leading and who is following? And how do you know the steps of the dance he has choregraphed for the life you were created to live?

 

So many times, we speak of our "walk" with Christ, referring to our relationship with our Creator. When we dance with Christ, it is taking our walk and moving it up a notch to the level of a choreographed masterpiece. Think about our Fred and Ginger example. Floating around the room, beaming smiles, and an energy level that can be felt by even the most inexperienced observer. But how did Fred and Ginger get to that level of two becoming one on the dance floor? Practice, time spent together studying, mapping out the steps, and yes coming to a consensus of who would lead and who would follow. That's what happens when two become one. The union of marriage is an example of this union of two becoming one, and much like a dance the two participants learn that there is a certain sense of dependence that is created when you truly are one flowing body on life's dance floor. 

 

How can you be a better dance partner in your relationship with God? Spending time in His Word, meditating on His will for your life, practicing the principles that are given to us through countless examples both in the Bible and throughout history. We work on the dance steps daily through prayer and our works that share God with those that are watching our syncopation through our daily dance. There is nothing routine about our dance with God. If you don't have a relationship with God, you are pretty much just out on the dance floor moving around. There is no rhythm to our choices and there is no coordination to our plans. We are just bouncing around hoping a partner, some partner will become the lead that we can follow. Addiction, depression, and disappointment are potential partners when we don't head to the ballroom of life with a partner that will lead us upward in every aspect of our lives. 

"You shall walk/dance* in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land which you shall possess." Deuteronomy 5:33 *my addition.

 

Who is leading your dance of life? Are you going to the dance alone? There is a partner that will lead you in His paths of righteousness a dance partner that won't let you fall and who will dance through life with you for eternity! Care to dance?

Coach Carter

Lightbulbs

 

I recently ordered a copy of author Richard Rohr's, timely book "Falling Upward", a journey of the realization of the two halves of one's life. I won't elaborate too much at this point, as I am just getting started, but for our purpose today the overarching theme of Rohr's book is that our lives are separated into two distinct parts. The first part is living our life for ourselves, learning, growing, falling down, and getting back up. The second part of life's journey isn't necessarily a given that everyone will attain this new adventure in life. If we reach the "further journey" that Rohr describes, our lives no longer are impacted by what happens to us, but more so, what happens through us that impacts the lives of those we share life with each day in our homes, on the job site, or in many cases the encounters and acquaintances we happen upon throughout our day. In attaining this new journey in life, Rohr shares a truthism that Desmond Tutu shared with him on a visit to South Africa with the anti-apartheid leader, "We are only the light bulbs, and our job is to just stay screwed in." Wherever you are in your journey of this life you have been given to live out, you are a light bulb. Plain and simple, you are a light bulb. What do light bulbs do? Well that depends. 

 

Some light bulbs are still in the box. Their potential is obvious because the label on the box informs us of what wattage the bulb is and what type of light is capped inside of the tiny filament of the bulb. A bulb in the box may very easily live out its existence stuck in a box, never gaining an opportunity to share its light with anyone. For some of us we are living that style of life. We have potential good to share, we have skills that God gave us and yet we either hold back from sharing our light because we don't want the extra work load or we may fear the possibility that we might fail in our endeavors and thus appear to be a failure. People who live their life in the light bulb box may be very successful in life, their family is growing, their jobs are secure, and they appear to be doing all the right things and checking all the right boxes at just the right time, but something is missing. Their true potential is not being reached, because light bulbs are only beneficial when they are screwed in to the source of their energy which will then illuminate their lives for the true purpose they were created, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” (Ephesians 2:8-10). 

 

Other light bulbs are screwed in to the socket and have seen how their light can illuminate a room, but for some reason their power button has been turned off. A light bulb in a socket has the potential to impact the room in which they are situated, but with no power running through the bulb, there is no light available. In the lives of way too many people this is the case. You attend church, you pray for those in your life that are sick or hurting, and you give your tithe each week, but when the rubber hits the road, you aren't shedding light in the darkness of the world in which you live. God has more in store for us, we just have to be willing and ready to turn the switch on and start fulfilling God's purpose for our lives.

 

Finally, there are the light bulbs that are out of the box, screwed into the power source, and are illuminating their world. There is nothing more fulfilling than sharing the light that has been given to you. Light bulbs were not invented to keep their energy and light to themselves. Jesus commented on this in Matthew 5:15 "No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house." Light bulbs that shine their light are bright and their sense of purpose is fulfilled. Their light beams out and provides guidance and awakening to those in need. A light bulb that is turned on for God shares the energy that God has placed in their life into the lives of others thus creating a new source of potential light from that person's life well lived. The only potential pitfall for us here is that we, as Tutu warned, must stay screwed in to the source of our light. 

 

Personally, I have not reached the second half of my life's journey yet. There is so much potential energy locked up inside of this life, and I am ever so eager to connect my potential light with the true energy source from which each one of us receives our strength to boldly move onward and upward. The light I have to share is not mine to keep and place under a basket, but instead, God has placed the light that He wants me to share inside of this life I have been given and there is no better time to allow that light to shine. Oh, the fear of not living out my life in a manner that illuminates what God has done for me, and how that same light is available to anyone that wants to turn on their own life's light bulb. "We are only light bulbs", what we choose to do with the potential inside our life is a matter of what we do with that light God has given us. Will you stay in the box and never use what God gave you to share with others? Have you been screwed into the source of your power, but failed to turn the switch on, thus stifling the potential light you have to share? Or, are you a light sitting on a hilltop beaming out the light that God placed inside of you? If you are not that light bulb, you can be. Use what God gave you today, begin the journey that God intended you to traverse. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Shine on!

Coach Carter