Deep Roots

     One of my daily devotions this morning was on the topic of Palm Sunday where people lined the streets waving palm branches as Jesus returned to Jerusalem. The devotional passage associated with my devotion took me to Psalm 92:12. As a practice, I research the scripture that is associated with the provided verse because I have found that this gives me a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding that particular scripture and sometimes a clearer message of the intent of the verse in context. As I was reading today's verse the two verses that follow verse 12 gave me the thought for this week's FTM.  
12  The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
¹³ planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴ They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green
 Psalm 92:12-14
     When we look at a tree the things we notice are the outreaching branches full of life, the beautiful foliage that provides comfort and shade from the sun's wrath, and the fruit of which we partake and are nourished. Sometimes we may even take in the beauty of the trunk of the tree, the bark of the cherry tree is especially pleasing with it's sleek and shiny smooth base. These are the aspects of a tree that we find pleasure in, yet the most critically important part of the tree is the one that we do not see and does not receive many accolades for it's beauty or appearance.
     In the case of the roots of a tree we all realize that without the roots the tree would not exist. The roots provide the nourishment for the tree to grow and also for the blooms of spring to eventually result in the fruits of June and July. I suppose the roots are kind of like the "behind the scenes" contributor to a tree's success. Not only do the roots provide nourishment they also provide stability. Where we live we are surrounded by trees and during thunderstorms and high winds I say a little extra thank you for the roots of the tree that have spread out and down deep providing a strong, firm foundation as the winds sway the branches back and forth. Without deep roots trees would not survive even the mildest storms we experience each year. So, as beautiful and beneficial that the trunk, branches, leaves, and fruit are, without the roots none of these would be of relevance to our lives.
     Isn't that how it is in life? Aren't we recognized and acknowledged for what we do on the surface of life? Are not our accomplishments and accolades founded on what is seen and how we go about our business each day? We will be known by our daily deeds whether they are good or bad. The difference being in what we are rooted. In life our "roots" will determine how we grow and how well we will handle life's storms. If we plant our roots in the wrong places they will not flourish and when the winds are rising and our faith is challenged we will not be able to withstand the challenges facing us. If our roots are planted in faith and trust then they will grow deeper and stronger which in turn allows us to face and overcome the storms that we face in our families, relationships, finances, workplaces, and all other areas of life where we can experience hardship or tragedy.
     The fruit of the tree is what we enjoy, yet unless the roots are firm and have grown deep we may never get to experience the joy of the fruit! This week reflect on what you are rooted in and how that impacts your daily walk. You may find that your priorities are set on the things that others see such as the branches and fruit on the tree creating a need to reorganize your priorities giving more attention to the source of our growth, our roots! Have an amazing week and dig deep!
Coach Carter

Have a Great Day and Work Hard!

      Growing up in the southern region of our United States a common salutation might include something along the lines of "I'll see you later and don't you work too hard." A nice thought with good intentions, right? As a matter of fact that phrase was one of my most common quotes as I would say my goodbyes to family and friends. I would chime out that decree without giving one thought to what I was actually invoking with my suggestion to not work too hard. The fact of the matter is when I would say "don't work too hard" I was actually promoting somebody to be lazy or to not give their best! Now that one hit me right in the face! I know many of you reading this are thinking "Oh it's just a saying, you aren't really meaning to say to not do your share of the work that needs to be accomplished." Yes, but the message I was sending was exactly that. Subliminally would it suggest it's not only okay, but it is what is expected of me to do? Is the best job expected to be less than the best effort we have to give? When I received my epiphany about what message this simple salutation was purveying I had to stop and give myself a reprimand for suggesting it is okay to slack and do less than your best.
     For me one of the most important qualities I should display to my family, friends, students, colleagues, and others that I come in contact with is a superior work ethic. Giving our best is a true reflection of who we are, what we stand for, and what we represent. You can take that on many different levels and from multiple perspectives. As a father we want to demonstrate the benefits of a good days work, as a coworker we need to do our fair share and at times more when necessary, and as an American we should be proud to work and support our family, our government, and our way of life. Most importantly, for my faith, it is imperative that I do my best in everything and anything I set out to do. The apostle Paul penned a scripture in Colossians 3:23 that has become my rallying cry as an educator, coach, coworker, parent, husband, or any other role that I might carry in my life. Paul's encouraging words challenge us by saying "Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as you are doing it for the Lord and not for men". When you start thinking about the significance of how you go about your day's work it starts to change the purpose of what you are doing. Things no longer are just a job or just another day of work before you make it to another weekend. What you do and how you do it matter. People are watching you to see how you go about your business. Little eyes are set on you to learn how they should behave in their lives as contributors to this world.
     What I do is important, what you do is critically important to not only your livelihood but it will form the model of what your legacy will be in your circle of influence. How you go about your job, your responsibilities, and your daily routines will be a direct reflection on how you want to see others do their job. Instead of shouting out "don't work too hard" we should be encouraging and expecting our friends and families to "work hard", "give your best" "earn what you get", and "do more than what is expected". When we change our mindset to grasp the concept that how hard we work and the expectation of equally hard work from others makes a difference then we are on the road to real progress and real time pride in what we are doing! A hard days work never hurt anyone and expecting a hard days work from others is not asking for anything more than what they should be doing anyway.
     I created EXTREME TEAM sports as a way to get the message out that even in sports we should be giving our best every time we are on the mat or on the court. Think of it this way, Whatever you do, GO EXTREME, as if you doing it for the Lord and not for men. I'm not sure if Paul ever used the word extreme or not but the meaning is the same, give it all you got, go for it, and always do your best. If we adopt that mindset and if we display it in our lives and expect it in the lives of our family and friends our work takes on a whole new meaning. No longer will we be just making it through the day and doing just enough to get by, you know the "don't work too hard" concept, but instead when we are saying our send offs to those we come in contact with daily we will instead encourage them by saying "Work hard, do your best, and never give up!"
I work for a great big boss and I want to be the right kind of example and to make him proud!
Go for it and GO EXTREME!!
Coach Carter

A Dent in the Apple

     A morning ritual for me is my daily apple, which Nette Smith, our cafeteria manager and dear friend prepares for me before our school day begins. An apple a day, you know, keeps the doctor away kinda thing. Well one morning not too long ago as Nette pilfered through the apple box, she came upon an oddly shaped little fella that did not look exactly like a "normal" apple. The typical apple is of course shaped in a circular fashion a little larger at the top possibly, yet round would be the best description fitting of this delicious, nutritional treat. The apple in discussion did not meet that criteria. At first glance it was typically round, yet in one area of the apple the shape was indented, not from bruising or some other type of incidental contact, but as Nette and I concluded it must have laid up against a branch of the tree during it's formation causing the apple to not fully reach it's full potential. As Nette and I stood there hypothesizing about the apples shape, I told her there's a lesson to be learned here, and thus here is today's Flat Tire Ministries Thought for the Week!
     I read a quote once that went something like this, "If you rest on your laurels, you will only squish them." meaning if you get content in life you will only tarnish the growth and success you have experienced up to that point in your life. Much like the apple that sat too long against the branch of the tree, we too have to be careful that we do not get complacent with our position in life and not seek to grow or expand our knowledge base. There is way too much to accomplish in life and way too many needs to be met to ever think we have reached our destination and now we can sit back and celebrate our past successes and everything else will take care of itself. The aforementioned apple did not have control over it's situation in nature. The fruit was situated beside that branch and it's growth or non-growth in this case could not have been controlled without human intervention. Mankind, on the other hand, completely has control over our own choices in life.
     To choose to sit around and wait on someone else to do what needs to be done simply because you have already done your share is the quickest way to dissolve any progressive change you have made in life. To get comfortable and situate ourselves on a branch of the tree can only lead to a lasting indention on the potential we have to make a difference. My choice is to keep moving, keep seeking, keep knocking on doors, and to keep finding new ways to make life better for someone else in their life. Fortunately for me I have the grand opportunity to make that difference in the lives of young people everyday. It is my duty, no, my responsibility to find ways to place the leaders of tomorrow in a position to make a difference in the world they live in and to learn themselves to never be complacent with the way things are.
     It would be easy to get to that place where I might think I have done my share and now it's time for somebody else to step up, but I have to remember that as long as I have breath in my lungs to breathe then I have work that still needs to be done! Don't be that apple with an indention, don't squish your laurels by sitting on them, make a difference each day because that is what you were created to do! Have an amazing week and everyone around you will benefit from it!
Coach Carter

It's On You

     One of my favorite channels on the radio during my morning and evening commute is WETS 89.5 out of Johnson City, Tennessee. This NPR channel provides a variety of news stories and special interest segments, one of which is Story Corps. Story Corps is an effort to archive interviews between two family members just sharing some aspect of their family's life with future generations. On WETS Story Corps is aired around 6:30 Eastern Standard time if you ever want to check it out. A few weeks ago one of the thoughts shared between a mother and her son really caught my attention. The interview session was about the son's grandfather that had passed away a few years ago, and the impact he had made on his life. The boy's mother prompted him with questions and provided him with insights about her father that the young man may or may not have known as a child growing up around this man he so revered. Towards the end of the interview her son made a statement about how much he missed his grandfather, and the mother's response is what really grabbed me and inspired today's Flat Tire Ministry Thought.  The young man's mother told him that "just because your grandfather is gone that doesn't mean you are off the hook in how you live your life." She explained that the things her father had taught the grandson and the life that he had lived in front of the grandson were all lessons about how to live his life and now it was his job to teach them to his children. In other words, the grandfather's legacy was not only intended to help the grandson, but was intended more for his great grandson that most likely he would never meet. That puts things in a completely different perspective if you really sit back and think about it.
     In the New International Version Bible Proverbs 17:6 puts it like this "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." Our grandchildren are like a crown made of gold with diamonds and other precious stones embedded within and around the entire royal headpiece. The lessons we teach, and more importantly the life example we live, will be like a road map for our children as they grow and mature and eventually have a family of their own. What do we hope for them as parents? How do we want them to raise our grandchildren? The second part of the scripture in Proverbs 17:6 says "parents are the pride of their children", we know our children are always looking up to us, but do we remember that they are not just looking at us, but they are watching us and storing up memories of how to handle situations and how to react when the "going gets tough". Are we honest in front of our children in our dealings with others or are we guilty of telling little white lies or fudging on certain things that we honestly wouldn't want our children to teach our grandchildren in the future? Do we argue and fuss over matters that we hope our children will handle in a different manner when they have children of their own?  How about our habits and our lifestyles? Are we involved in the type of activities we hope our children will get their families involved and behaviors we hope they will model to their children? The basic thought today is if our children's children is our legacy, what type of legacy will we leave through the life of our children?
     For our family's future our choices obviously matter, but what about taking this concept and expanding it to our circle of influence? Dependent on where you are in your life you may not have children, but does that let you off the hook? I would stand on the side of "not a chance". In your job, at your school, wherever you spend your days you are interacting with people and they are watching you and learning from you. What legacy are you creating for their future generations? Regardless of what you think, what you do in your life and how you live your life will have a direct impact on the future of this world we live.
     If the pressure of that responsibility is too much for you to comprehend on your own, join the crowd because it is an awesome responsibility. Why do think our children's children are compared to a crown? Accomplishing a positive model for our children to raise their children by is comparable to the responsibility of a king, ruler, or even a president and the guidance and direction they lead the people they are charged with governing. The life they live and the choices they make will impact the lives of countless millions in the future. The impact of their legacy will be monumental. As you live each day going forward keep in mind that your life and the way you live it will have a direct impact on the lives of those you may never see. Then ask yourself these questions, "How do I want their lives to be?", "What legacy do I want my grandchildren to leave their grandchildren?" You are never off the hook and you never will regardless of the route you take it will leave a legacy. Make it a good one, you have the ability to make that choice. What an awesome opportunity to make a difference in the world you live! Go for it and live life intentionally every minute of every day!
Coach Carter

The Bitter Root of Anger

     The story of the prodigal son found in the book of Luke, chapter 15, is a story that is very familiar to most of us. In many cases it actually is describing us at some point in our life. The son decides he is ready to take his part of his father's inheritance, squanders it living lavishly, hits the bottom of  life's barrel, decides to go back home and beg his father to let him be a servant, and upon his return the father celebrates the return of his son that was lost and now is found by placing a ring on his son's hand, providing him with new clothes, and then hosting a festive party in honor of his son's return. A true example of forgiveness that each of us can learn a lesson. Well, sorry that's not the part of the story that our FTM Thought is about today. Instead I would like for us to look at another character in this parable that many times gets not much more than a slight mention at the end of the story.
     The elder brother in this parable is the true and loyal son that stays at home and manages his father's businesses and estate. He is the one that while the younger brother was out living it up, he was hard at work doing double the work, carrying the load, and staying the course. With the feast in full swing, the elder brother returns home and questions what the festivities are all about. When a servant tells him that his younger brother has returned and their father has ordered a calf to be roasted and a huge party be held to celebrate the return of his lost son, the elder son goes off. He finds his dad and basically says this isn't fair. He states that he has been the one that has stayed loyal to his father and worked the fields, sweating and toiling in the hot sun while his brother went out and wasted away what his father had given him. The elder son complains that his dad hasn't ever even given him a goat to roast and share with his friends.
     Dad explains to the elder son that all that he has is his and that he should be celebrating because his brother that was lost is now found, he was dead but now he has come back to life. And that is pretty much where the parable ends, but there is one piece of information that is still unresolved. What happens with the elder brother? He has a choice to make, will he forgive his brother and join the celebration of his return? Or will he hold on to his anger and create a grudge against his younger brother because he went out and wasted his part of his father's estate on wine, women, and wild times and now has just came back home to take part of what is rightfully the elder's inheritance? We do not receive the answer to our questions in the parable, but we do know what the outcomes of his choice will produce in either situation.
     If the elder son chooses to follow his father's advice and forgive his younger brother regardless of how upset he is at his younger brother then all is good and life moves forward. But what if the elder brother remains angry and holds a grudge because his baby brother got to go out into the world and still gets his father's blessing equal to his own? That is the topic of today's Flat Tire Thought.
     Hebrews 12:15 describes anger as a bitter root that destroys our opportunity to enjoy life to it's fullest. Anger, resentment, grudges, and hard feelings rob us of our happiness. We sit around and say "well that isn't fair" or " I'll never be able to forgive them for that", while all the time life is moving forward. As we harden our resolve we deepen the bitter roots of anger into our life. Think of anger as a network of roots digging deep into the ground, spreading out it's tentacles, feeding the anger, and increasing in strength with every word of resentment and each thought of revenge that we create and allow to fester in our words and actions. The sad part of holding on to anger is as much as we want to enact revenge or see someone "get what they've got coming", the anger we hold on to actually only hurts us. Our anger is ours and it will only steal away our joy in life.
     Anger is a choice, just as forgiveness is a choice. The father in the story provides the example of the same type of forgiveness that is offered to each of us in life by our Heavenly Father. 1 John 1:9 tells us that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." If it came right down to it most of us would probably be deserving of a little punishment for the life we have lived and the decisions we have made along the path of life's journey. But we are able to ask for forgiveness and it is given. On the other hand, we want to see those that have wronged us get paid back for what they have done to us. We want justice served for the hurt they have invoked on us and if they don't receive the justice we feel is due them we scream "well that isn't fair". 
      Why should it be any different in our lives than it is in our search for redemption. We want to be forgiven, yet we won't forgive those that have wronged us? Well the result of that choice is to create a root, a bitter root of anger in our life that will only destroy our joy in life. To choose forgiveness is the example we should live by and in so doing we are granted a sense of peace that allows us to move forward enjoying the life we have been given to live. 
     This week give some time to a relationship that you have that is currently under the strain of anger. Are you holding on to the anger of unresolved situations or choices with a friend or relative? How about someone at work or at school?  Don't feed the bitter roots of resentment and anger, go to that person, sit down and talk with them, and sincerely forgive them. That forgiveness will set you free and dry up the bitter roots of anger in your life. Life's too short to live it in anger. Make this week an amazing week to be alive! 
Coach Carter

   
   

Road Maps and Instruction Manuals

     I believe it is in our DNA. I mean what is it with men and asking for directions when we happen to get on the wrong road and are headed in the wrong direction. Not only will we not admit to the other passengers in the vehicle that we might be "lost", but we will bull headedly continue to drive ahead stubbornly thinking to ourselves that just ahead there is going to be a magically placed connecting road sign that will get us back on the path we are supposed to be traveling. Then there's instruction manuals, I remember so many Christmas gifts and birthday presents that came in a box with over 500 pieces, a tool that I have still to be able to name, and a limited number of hours to get the thing together before the appointed celebration took place. The easy thing to do, but the thing that wasn't going to happen, would have been to follow the directions, 1. Make sure all pieces are included in your package. 2. You will need the following tools.... 3. Do not do step ten before you do steps 4,5,6,7,8, and 9, you get the picture. Many of you that are reading this know exactly what I'm talking about because admit it or not you probably are guilty of committing this breach of protocol, or you may have been the one sitting in the passenger seat or on the couch as the other person delved down the path of "doing it my way". I can't explain why it is the way it is, but I do know that when I in my own experiences tried to find the right road on my own, or when I tried to put that 500 piece Barbie playhouse together without following the instructions I generally just made a mess and wasted a great deal of time getting to my original destination. Honestly who really wants to end up in down south Mississippi when you are actually headed for Orange Beach, Alabama? Or who among us wants to put the whole project together just to find out that the one piece you left out is the one piece that allows the whole thing to light up or roll around the house?
     Whether we want to admit it or not this is not the only place that we fail to follow the directions or read the instruction manual in life. Unfortunately, too many of us, too many times try to do life without following the directions or reading the instructions before we proceed. In our lives we have been provided with an instructional road map that will provide us with the directions that will always lead us to the right destination. Solomon, the author of the book of Proverbs in the Bible, lays it out pretty plainly in Proverbs 16:9 "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." When we seek guidance, when we ask for directions in life's decisions, and as we are making plans for our day or for our future there is a ready made instructional manual that will guide us in all things. The reality of it is we try to do things "our way" or we think we know the directions to our destination so we attempt to get there without following the road map that is available. 
     If you seek guidance and you follow a map in your life currently you know how much easier it is to make it through the missteps and detours of life that are bound to happen. If you read, study, pray, and meditate on scripture the directions are right there for you to follow. If you don't believe me check out Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you^.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." The key to success in asking, seeking, and knocking is that you are looking in the right place for the answers you are seeking. 
     It would be too easy to advise you to pick up a Bible and tell you to just start reading and you will receive the answers to the questions you have. No, that may not be the easiest way to find the directions for your journey that you are seeking. Find a study, partner up with your partner, take part in a support group, join a small group at church, or go online and google devotional studies that are available. Your time spent in the Word needs to be purposeful, deliberate, and destination driven. If none of these seem to be working reach out to a mentor, a COACH hint, hint, and see if they can offer some advice. Just remember it's all about understanding that we can't do this life alone. Our children, our spouses, our co-workers, decisions on the job, decisions about finances, all of these are areas that are covered in our instruction manual for life. Will you ask for directions?  Will you read the instructions before you make the decision you are about to make? It's all a choice, put your pride to the side, commit to spending time in reading your instructional guide, and then put it to practice in your life. It will make a difference I know, I do it daily and the Lord establishes my steps! 
Have a great week and ask, seek, and knock it's all there waiting on you! Coach Carter

Trial by Fire

     When I think of the phrase "trial by fire" my mind envisions a piece of unforged steel being cast into the midst of a pulsating bin of fire and coals and then pulled out only to be beaten and formed into it's eventual destiny of a razor sharp sword. When I looked up the origin of the phrase I found three different ways that "trial by fire" is used in context. None of these have to do with the testing of precious metals such as silver, gold, or even steel for that matter, but instead all three deal with the mettle of men and women in the face of some type of adversity. The first is when someone is exposed to flames to test their courage, truthfulness, or commitment, you get the picture. The second use of this phrase is when soldiers are faced with fire from their enemies and the testing is of one's fortitude in the face of this threat. The third usage for this trial by fire is found in any ordeal that "tests" someone's strength, endurance, or resolve.
     So it is, the essence of withstanding a trial by fire is not directly related to my visual image of a mass of steel being submerged into the fire, but instead it is directly related to how we, throughout our lives are tested and formed by the trials by fire in all the various forms those tests present themselves. Nevertheless, let's stay with my visual image and relate it to the trials by fire in our own lives. If we were that piece of unformed metal preparing to face the trial of fire what would we be thinking and how would we present ourselves? Would we willingly accept the adversity or would we "melt" under the heat of the fire?
     When we face adversity or affliction many times it is to test just how committed we are to our purpose in life. When the metal is placed in the fire it has to withstand the heat and maintain it's form. Regardless of how hot the fire gets we must persevere! Situations can test our fortitude or our ability to withstand uncomfortable circumstances, but when we endure the test our character is strengthened and those around us that look to us for guidance are assured that they are in the company of someone they can depend on and trust. It is our responsibility to endure for the sake of those that we have been entrusted to care for and direct along the way. Just like our comparison of the bar of steel that is forged and formed into a razor sharp sword, we must endure the heat and allow the blacksmith to create in us that same sharpened tool.
     Life is full of trials and unfortunately most of them are more along the line of the "fire" type. As you enter this week and as you journey forward keep in mind that the trials by fire in life are necessary to create in us what we are truly supposed to become. Stay the course and endure the test, the resulting impact will allow you to grow and mature into who you are meant to become!