The Wisdom Of Winnie

"I always get to where I'm going, by walking away from where I've been." I owe a word of thanks to my nephew/son for sharing this nugget of wisdom with me this weekend. Bogi and I were on a call when he recalled a quote that he had heard. I expected a Ben Franklin or Abe Lincoln memorable moment, or maybe even something from a business leader or military figure, but instead Bo shared the words of a children's literature book character, Winnie the Pooh. Regardless of the source, there is a tremendous amount of truth in Pooh's message. 

Often in life we allow our past to dictate our future. We allow past failures to immobilize us and label us incapable or inferior. Yet, if we dig a little deeper, the truth is our past failures can be more of a tool in our quest to find our true purpose in this life. In other situations, we fall into the rut of complacency, where the easier route to take is to sit right where we are. Kind of the "if it's not broke, then don't try to fix it" mentality. It is our responsibility to move forward, God has a purpose for each and every life and in my opinion I doubt very seriously that anyone's purpose involves dragging along the mistakes of the past, or lingering in the fear of "what's next". If you want to get to where God purposed you to be, it is going to involve some forward motion. 

I've written about it before, but there is a reason why the windshield is so big and the rearview mirror is so small. We need to spend the majority of our time looking at what is ahead of us and utilize the rearview mirror as a small reminder not to fall into the traps of the past that may have delayed our journey at some point. Whatever happened in the past is behind you now. God's best life is yet to come, you just need to embrace it and go for it. I firmly believe that God has a plan for each person's life, it is your choice to submit and follow His plan. It is a choice that God allows you to make, choose forward progress. 

I love the words of Paul in his letter to the church in Philippe where he proclaims, "Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14. Forgetting the mistakes and failures of the past, not allowing the comfort and complacency of yesterday to hinder my forward motion, I press on to the goal that God placed in my heart, mind, and soul when I was created. I'll get to where I'm going only if I leave where I was behind! 

I appreciate Bogi sharing that quote with me, encouraging words with a divine connection stoke the embers of my soul! There have been times when I felt like the past was an anchor around my neck weighing me down, not allowing me to proceed, but just as Pooh said above, when I make the decision to move forward, I have to leave the past where it belongs, behind me. Today, I pray that you will not allow the mistakes of yesterday to hinder your progress for today. You can make it to where you are going, you just have to leave where you are to get there! 

Coach Carter

 

Fill'er Up?

"Fill'er up?" I can distinctly recall that question being asked as Mamaw Whetsel rolled down the window on her 1963 Ford Falcon and CD Thomason darted up to see how much Fire Chief gasoline she wanted on this visit. On top of that CD would clean your windshield, check your oil, air up your tires, and report back his findings. This memory took place in the era of full-service gas stations. Definitely a memory from the past, full-service gas stations featured attendants who pumped your gas while providing a quick check up on your vehicle's condition. The nice thing about a full-service station was that the service was customary and basically free. A full tank of gas pumped by an attendant with a spot-free windshield, now who wouldn't go for that? Of course, those times have gone by the wayside as self-service fueling became the norm and multi-pump stations the likes of Buccee's have made it virtually impossible to offer any kind of customer service that would resemble those days of old. Yet, where gas stations aren't able to offer a full-service experience today, when our life’s tanks are low, we do have a free of charge offer to have our lives filled with the mercy and grace that God offers.

In society today, people are searching for something that will fill their tank. Wealth, material possessions, "likes" or reposts on social media, or the number of followers each seem to be drivers in the world today. When the material world doesn't provide us with a full tank then the next place to look is creating a new reality. Divorce rates inch higher and higher, drug and alcohol addictions are rampant, and the mental health crisis for children and adults is ever alarming. It appears the more we attempt to "Fill'er up" with the world, the emptier our tanks seem to be. How can that be? The answer is not to be found in the world, the Apostle Paul said it best in II Corinthians 12:9-10 "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  Paul had realized the truth about living for Christ,  the truth that when I am weak and empty, the world won't be able to help me, but the energizing strength of Christ would give Paul all he needed to move forward and succeed. "Fill'er up!"

Today you may feel like you are running on fumes. God may feel distant or even non-existent, yet He is real and God wants to service your head, heart, body, and soul. You may have strayed from God's love or you may have never given your heart and soul to God the Father, but you can rest assured that God is real, God is love, and God wants to fill your life's tank with His free gift of salvation. In I John 4:4 we are reminded that "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." With God all things are possible (Matt. 19:26), Christ gave His life for the sin of this world and now because Jesus willingly died for us, we have His offer to be full and never run dry!

If you feel like you are running on fumes or your tank is empty and you are stuck on the side of life's highway seeking roadside service, Jesus is asking you today, "Fill'er Up?"  

                                   

 "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Coach Carter

Pedaling Uphill

 "We are on a journey!" I declared that proclamation to Ella and ChaCha, two of our granddaughters as took a Saturday morning bike and scooter trek to the library. Distance wise we were talking less than a mile each way, but with a 4-year-old on a scooter, and her 6-year-old cousin on a bike with training wheels it might as well have been a Spartan race course for this 61-year-old Poppy! I may be exaggerating a bit, we had tons of fun, checked out several books for each girl, stopped by a pizza spot to refill our tanks, and then we finished out the morning just in time to hit the pool for an afternoon of splashing and swimming. Good day, sleep came easy. But, that's not necessarily today's topic for our Flat Tire moment. 

Something that Ella has been dealing with on our biking excursions is the little inclines along the way when you transition from roadway to sidewalk. Those slight and modest inclines have been like a brick wall barricade as she pedals across an intersection to the next sidewalk area. When she gets across a street her inclination is to pause and timidly approach the upgrade, which in turn leads to her being stuck in place right there in the middle of neither being up the hill or down at the base of the ramp up. That in turn leads to a cry of "Poppy help me, I'm stuck." I, not wanting to be an enabler, decided it was time for Ella to overcome her mountain and so I talked with her about what to do at the next uphill approach we reached. What I told both girls is that when you reach any uphill struggle, you have to pedal faster and harder to make it to the level ground that awaits. As we crossed the next intersection, Ella checked for clearance and then pedaled her way across the street. She started up the ramp area, cheered on by ChaCha and I. "Harder, harder, keep pedaling, don't give up, don't stop you can do it!" I encouraged my little trekster as she overcame that "hill" and proudly pedaled on ahead of our entourage. I could sense the pride of her accomplishment when we stopped not far from there to catch a drink and cool down for a minute. Mission accomplished, for the rest of our morning walk, push, and ride, Ella pedaled through each and every intersection incline as we journeyed back home. 

I'm not sure if Ella and ChaCha were completely ready for one of my motivational talks on life being tough and that sometimes you just have to pedal a little harder to overcome the obstacles to reach your destination in life, but that is exactly what came to mind as I briefly stopped and noted this "Aha" moment for me. There are so many instances in life where pedaling uphill may feel more like pedaling on one of those stationary bikes where it doesn't matter how hard you pedal you are still sitting in the same exact place. I know in my own life there have been times when it was more like being on an escalator trying to go up hill on a downward ride. Progress just wasn't there. I suppose it is safe to say that in life you have  overcome several uphill climbs, or it may be that you are currently in an uphill struggle, or it could be that you will be pedaling through an uphill climb soon, but regardless of when it occurs, we all have or will be facing a time of pedaling uphill to overcome that mountain in front of us.

Regardless of what your struggle is, be it relational, financial, or possibly a health related uphill struggle, you are not pedaling alone! Just as I encouraged Ella as she pedaled up that slight incline in front of her destination, God is right there with you in life's uphill challenges. Everyone's hill is unique, and in your life it most likely is the focus of your morning, day, and night. Know this, just when you feel like you want to give up because the struggle feels like it is too much to overcome, keep pedaling you can't give up! There is a helper who is there with you encouraging you on whispering in your ear "Harder, harder, keep pedaling! Don't give up and don't quit! You can do it!" " The prophetic words of Isaiah share God's encouragement to each of us "So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed. For I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10. Whatever it is you are facing today, pedal on! God is near and He will see you through! 

Coach Carter

Hope

 My morning devotional today was centered around Hebrews 11:1 which declares, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” The emphasis in my devotion was more of the literal application that we place our hope in Christ, I’d like to take the discussion about our “hope” a little different direction today as we delve into our Flat Tire Ministries Thought this week. 

Modern society’s definition of the word hope is different than the hope we read about in Hebrews. Today we use the word hope interchangeably with thoughts such as making a wish or some sort of good luck obligatory comment. “ I hope the Vols win today” or “ I hope everything works out for you and your family” are examples of our culture’s idea of hope. Or at least it appears that way to me.  

The hope that the author of Hebrews was talking about centers around faith. Disclaimer, the deeper the faith the clearer the understanding of hope in our context today. Without faith it is hard to comprehend the true essence of hope. In our conversations today the word hope isn’t based on a maybe/maybe not mentality, true faith creates an assurance of something that we can’t necessarily see, yet our faith provides peace and comfort because we know God’s will is about to be fulfilled in each and every situation. Paul shares his explanation for hope through our faith in Romans 5:3-5 “Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”  Does this mean that as long as we adhere to hope things are going to always work out the way we want them to? I’m sorry but that isn’t hope and it most certainly isn’t faith, that is more of rubbing on the magic lamp and being granted three wishes over and over again. 

So, if hope doesn’t produce wins for the Vols, and it doesn’t guarantee us that our loved one will be healed from their terminal illness, what is hope and how does it reveal itself in our lives? True hope is grounded in a faith that rests in our heart, mind, and soul that gives us the strength to face any and all circumstances and challenges knowing that God is in control and at the end of the day, His will will be done. Paul said hope doesn’t disappoint because when we trust God and place our faith in God then we believe that God’s plan, as difficult as it may be to accept, is bigger and broader than any plan we could ever imagine or conceive. Remember earlier when I said the deeper your faith the better you can understand the true meaning of hope? Well, Jesus, Son of God and son of man is our example of placing our hope in God our Father beyond compare.  

Jesus, knew He could impact this world teaching, preaching and modeling what a Christian life is, and evidence of that was bountiful during the time Jesus walked this earth. As Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He knew what kind of impact He was having on mankind. Jesus also knew that what He was getting ready to endure was going to be painful to the extent of costing Him His life. Armed with that knowledge, Jesus prayed to His Father, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Jesus knew that God’s plan needed to be fulfilled, regardless of the pain and suffering He would endure, Jesus knew that God’s plan through His death on the cross would have far reaching implications and outcomes beyond anything that His momentary suffering could produce. 

We can’t fathom God’s plan for our lives, plain and simple. Placing our faith in Christ means that we trust that God’s plan is being fulfilled through whatever it is we have to endure. God gives us that hope, a hope that says, “Father, not my will, but Thy will be done!” May your faith in God fortify your hope through whatever life situation you are going through today! Amen.

Coach Carter