Living in the Dark

   As we enter the holiday season the vibrant colors of Poinsettias and Christmas Cacti are beginning to fill spaces around offices, business displays, and possibly even in your home. At our office, a beautiful white Christmas Cactus greets visitors in the foyer area. A few weeks ago, I overheard Ms. Parker explaining to someone that for the Cactus to reach its full potential it is recommended that it be placed in a dark area for long periods of time, which in turn prepares it to soak up the sun light when it is finally exposed to the light of the day. Upon researching the Poinsettia, it too follows a similar plan of action for blooming into season. For these two Christmas adornments, the lack of light prepares the plant to "soak up" the light when it is finally exposed to daylight.
      Many people are just like the Christmas Cactus. They walk around in the dark, they can't grow, and they do not provide any positive type of hope to the people they live and work with each day. Actually, the darkness becomes their home. Negative attitudes, poor self-esteem, hopeless or helpless outlooks on life, and an overall doom and gloom forecast for tomorrow become who they are. In the case of humans, it isn't beneficial to live in darkness, where the Poinsettia and the cacti actually get prepared for their showy season in the dark, people can get stuck in a rut or even worse it becomes who they are and how others perceive them when they dwell in the gloom and dark of their day. Fortunately, we do not have to live in the dark, there is a light that is readily available and always shining brightly for us. It is our job to move towards that light and build our world there.
      In the book of John 8:12 Jesus proclaimed to the crowd of people gathered, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” We are blessed to have His light available to us so we do not have to live in the darkness of gloom and hopelessness. You can exist in darkness in much the same way as the Christmas Cactus, you can live in the dark as long as you receive the nourishment of food and water, but you were not created to just exist. You were created to shine God's light through your life and to live your life in the bright shining light that He has provided to you and to me. As is the case with the cacti, you can exist in the darkness, but to grow and blossom you need the light. To fully share what God has placed inside of each of us we need the light that will illuminate His light through the life we live for Him. In 
I Corinthians 3:6-7 Paul explains, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." Paul understood that on our own we can accomplish nothing, but with the light of God pouring into us we can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)
       If you have been living in the dark, if you find that your days are actually filled with dark thoughts or you outlook is dreary at best, then it is time for you to move into the light. We are fortunate that we don't have to wait on someone to bring us out of the dark closet so we can take in the light, God's light is always on and it is always there for you even in what may appear to be a time of pitch black darkness in your life. Walk, no run to Him and then follow Him and you will receive His light. 
Coach Carter

You are Not Alone

    
Today's message may not resonate with you. You may be someone that is surrounded by family and dear friends that support you and provide you with a wealth of comfort and security each day. Or, you may be someone that has a loving family and a support system that is readily available, but yet you still feel all alone. Or, you may not have a support cast, you are disconnected from family due to some type of life circumstance. Your network of friends appears superficial, or it might be the case that you feel like you do not have a friend at all. Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, regardless of how much support you have or don't have, how much you feel loved or unloved today, I have one assurance that you need to know, "You are not alone!"
     As a society, we are around people more today than ever before in the history of mankind. Beyond physical social interactions which are almost unavoidable, we also are interconnected with "friends" all over the world by the simple clicking a button on the smart device of choice. Why in our homes we even have Siri and Alexia that are available to us providing facts, trivia, and even a joke when we need a laugh. So why is it that in a society where we can garner almost immediate support for our need of the moment that severe depression and feelings of hopelessness effect approximately 40 million adults over 18 in America alone. That's like almost 20% of our population! In a world that touts being so "connected", how is this possible? Could it be that in a world that has so many ways to connect with others, that we have lost our connection with the One that is and always has been and always will be right there for us and with us?
     One day last week my co-worker and friend Pam shared a picture of a breathtaking sunset that she had captured on her cell phone. The color scheme of that photo made the sky appear to almost be on fire. It looked like a deep red blanket had cloaked what normally is a blue sky. In another picture, she caught the morning sunrise with all of its warm orange, red, pink, blues, and purples signaling the beginning of a new day. As I skimmed through the collection of pictures on Pam's phone, I couldn't help but think about who the painter of these pictures was, and I couldn't stop being amazed at the omnipotence of God the creator of all and the one that is always with us. Later that evening as I sat down in prayer, I wrote this prayer of thanks for the constant reminder that God has given us to know we are never alone. 
"Lord God Almighty, my morning sunrise and my evening comfort and peace. Each day we are surrounded by your love. I am thankful for the assurance that you will never leave me nor forsake me. That assurance is renewed each morning. Lord help me to stop and take in the rising sun, the colors on display are vibrant and so full of life. As the day moves forward and your sun begins to peak over the tallest mountains it is evident and obvious that you are there, inviting us to rise ourselves and greet this gift of a new day. Throughout the day, you provide us with the light we need to see where we are going and what we need to do. Where darkness exists, you bring light, where injustice is berthed you weaken it with Your light. Then as the day comes to a close you glorify the day with the waning sunset, once again declaring Your mighty, awesome omnipotence through the brilliant colors of the evening sky. Father even when we can't see You, we know You are there because Your light reflects off the moon guaranteeing us that you are still there even in our darkest moments of despair. When we experience grief, it may appear that in our time of a "new moon" we are alone, but just as that thought enters our minds, Your light begins to wax the moon once again assuring us that you are ever present. At the darkest point of the night, when Your light seems to be gone, we have the stars in the sky as examples of how we are to live our lives spreading the light that You have placed in each of us. No Lord, we are never alone, and we are never forsaken, You give us that assurance with each day that your sun rises and sets. Thank you Father God for never leaving us alone. Amen"
Take a moment, a real moment to embrace a sunrise this week. Get up early, go to a window, go outside, or get in your car and drive to a place where you can take in the full omnipotent power that is evidenced by the sun rising for the new day. As you rush about your evening list of things to do before you reach home, stop and grasp the awesomeness of the sun as it sets on the horizon. You are not alone. 
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Coach Carter

Hope for the Pessimist - The Grass May Be Greener on the Other Side

     
Glass half empty, I get it. Four hours in, but four more hours till quitting time, I understand where you're coming from. I can even grasp the concept of "It's a warm day outside", "Yeah, but that warm air is probably going bring rain with it." I am not a pessimist, maybe a realist, which helps me to see where those who land on the "Debbie Downer" side of things, but I can't live in that world, I see too much potential in the adversities of life. I'm pretty sure no one is outside hoping they will get caught in a torrential downpour, and if we all had our druthers we would rather have a full glass of water over the one that only has four ounces remaining, but for every negative thought that comes across our frontal lobe, I entertain a dozen positive twists on how to look at the other side of the fence. You know in this case the grass may be greener on the other side.
      The original meaning behind the old adage "The grass isn't always greener on the other side" was created to get people to realize that their condition in life may not be as bad as they think it is in comparison to someone else. But when you put things in the context of a pessimistic person's mindset they can only see that although things look bad, they will probably only get worse on their side of their fence. I have to force myself to look through the lens of this type of thinking, it just doesn't come naturally to me. For the pessimist out there I feel for you, like I said I am a realist, but the adjective I would attach to realist would be an "optimistic" realist. That's where the grass does get greener on the other side of things for me.
     When someone comments that it is such a beautiful, sunny day the pessimist declares "Yeah but it sure is hot out here." Do you know that person? Is that person you? Well when I hear that same dialogue, the optimistic realist in me replies, "Yes, it is an amazing day, and yes, it is hot enough to fry an egg on a rock, but won't we miss this when it's 7 degrees below zero here in a few months?" The realist recognizes it's hot, uncomfortably hot, but the positive optimist in me knows that in just a short period of weeks we will be wishing it was a little warmer and wishing our toes and fingers didn't feel like they were about to completely freeze! When the pessimist talks about how bad his or her condition in life is right now with a comment like "I'm stuck in this dead-end job and I'll probably be working here when I die." I would reply; "This may feel like a job that isn't going anywhere right now, but I'm capable of changing jobs if I want to put the effort into finding a new job, and while I am working here I have to be thankful that I have a job and that I am healthy enough to work at that job, which provides me with the basic necessities that I and my family need to survive." I guess what I'm trying to say is, you can be a pessimist if you want to be that is your choice in life, but at the end of the day you have to be able to look on the other side of your own personal "fence" in life and realize you do have it better than a whole bunch of someones on the other side of life.
      One of my favorite verses that the Apostle Paul gave us in his writings comes from Philippians 4:12 and it goes like this, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Paul found the answer to the pessimist, his reply would be, "I may be hungry, but I have been hungrier at times and I know there are others out there that haven't eaten as much in a month as I have thrown away in the last two days." "My glass is only half full, it may even be bone dry, but you know what, I've got a glass to fill when I finally run up on some cool, clear water to drink." I believe it comes down to believing that things are going to eventually get better, and more importantly to understand that if things don't change for the "better" it may very well be that this is where you are and where you are supposed to make the impact on others in this life you are living. At the end of the day, be a pessimist if you like, but by golly be a positive pessimist. Your life matters to someone and you can change their world from wherever your station in life is right now. You just have to realize that you do have two sides of the fence in your head, on the one side you may see that pessimistic side of things and that blurs your vision. My suggestion is get a new pair of shades and look at things from the other side of your own fence. I may have it bad, but being in this place right now will allow me to meet the needs of someone else that needs me more than I need myself! You and I both have a promise that will see us through, Paul stated it in the next verse when he proclaims that he can do ALL things through Christ which gives him his strength (Philippians 4:13). And that confidence is founded on the knowledge that God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us no matter what our condition in life may be at any given time (Hebrews 13:5). With that assurance, you have no option if you believe that God's Word is true. You may be a pessimist when it comes to your mindset in life, but when that little negative thought starts to cross your mind, stop and be thankful for whatever it is and wherever you are because that is exactly where you are supposed to be!
Coach Carter

     

"If You Don't Mind, It Don't Matter" Really??

     Mark Twain, the 20th century American author and playwright, once said, "Age is a case of mind over matter; if you don't mind it, it doesn't matter!" I believe the meaning behind his thoughts was probably that as we get older, if we only think of age as a number, then it doesn't really matter how old we are in terms of going out and enjoying life. At least that's what my takeaway is from Mr. Twain's quote. That's all well and good, but in reality being indifferent about our getting older doesn't change the fact that we are aging. Being indifferent about that fact allows us to move forward with what we want to get done, so in this case being indifferent about getting older is a positive thing. Problem is our indifference in other "matters" can become a real stumbling block for ourselves and for humanity. 
      Take the "if you don't mind it, it don't matter" philosophy and apply it to things going on in your life and all of a sudden it does matter. Some things in life aren't worth getting tore up about, for example if you don't mind that your favorite football team got destroyed today, then does it really matter in the scope of things? I used to be a Bigggg University of Tennessee football fan, I graduated from UT and I followed the Vols pretty much everywhere they traveled. If I wasn't at the game, I was in front of a TV watching it, my Saturday calendar was set by when the Vols were going to be playing. I'm still a loyal Big Orange fan, but a few years ago my mindset changed. I started looking at how much of my weekend was being consumed with my Big Orange Saturday, and when I really put things into perspective I was giving most of my weekend up to a football game that in all reality would not be impacted based on whether or not I was there in body or mind. Regardless of how angry I got when our quarterback threw an interception, or how bad I thought that last call by the ref was, whether I was there or not was not going to change that game. In other words, "If I didn't mind, it didn't matter". There exists a long list of items that would fit under that category in your life. If you don't mind that someone swerved in front of you in heavy traffic, then it don't matter and you hopefully won't experience road rage. That's a good thing. You can fill in the blanks for your own "if you don't mind" instances. 
      Today's FTM isn't really about those experiences where it probably is a good thing that you can be a little indifferent to the scope of what really matters and what doesn't, but instead today I want you to focus on the consequences of being indifferent in the world you live in each day. Does the "If I don't mind, it don't matter" way of thinking apply if when we walk down the street and a displaced man or woman is sitting on a curb surrounded by two or three trash bags filled with their whole life's possessions? What if they look to us for some type of hope and we walk on by? Does that make the problem go away? Maybe in your mind if it doesn't matter because it isn't you or someone you directly care for, but to that person filled with hopelessness, life is still hopeless. If you can sit down to watch the evening news and the vast sea of injustice, hatred, and division that fills this country doesn't directly impact you, you can sit there and flip on through the channels and say that you don't really "mind", does that mean it really doesn't "matter"? One more, if you can wipe out the visions of children in despair, in need physically, mentally, or emotionally, children of all races and from all socioeconomic classes and convince yourself that you really don't mind does it mean that it doesn't really matter? You may be able to convince yourself that it is the victim's fault, you may be able to even be able to convince yourself that you are the victim in all of this, but does that mean that just because you don't mind IT, IT really doesn't matter? 
       Mark Twain's words of wisdom may apply to the efforts of so many that strive to stay young at heart and active in life, but I'm afraid Ole Samuel Clemens may have missed the mark, (pun intended) when it comes to the responsibility to react and respond to the needs and care of our fellow man. In the book of Revelations 3:15-16 the author shares this warning to each of us, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Sorry to be so blunt, No, there isn't room here for being nice and hiding reality behind the mask of "If I don't mind it, it doesn't matter". We were created to be called to action, to be humane, to care, to give more than we receive, to live in harmony, and to love in the same way that our Lord and Savior loves each of us regardless of the color of our skin or the circumstances that life has placed us at this moment in our lives. Who are we to be the judge and say "Well I don't mind, so it really doesn't matter"? When did we become so arrogant to assume that we are so entitled to the point that we can decide whose life deserves to have a better quality and who doesn't deserve that same basic human right? "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." Romans 2:13.
      Our heart can grow cold and indifferent, we can assume that if we look the other way that it really isn't there, but at the end of the day IT is still there and IT does matter. Stop and reflect on what you have pushed to the far reaches of your conscience and pull IT back to the front of who you are and what you believe. If it doesn't matter to you anymore, maybe it's time you realized it really does matter.
Stop. Reflect. Then React.
Coach Carter

Be the Church You Want Others to See

    
Sunday morning large numbers of people will make their way to their weekly place of worship and when they arrive, they will enter the front doors, take their seat on a pew, sing praises to our Heavenly Father, and then listen intently to the sermon being preached. Afterwards, the families will make their way off to an afternoon meal and then head off to a restful afternoon. For those that this sounds familiar, this is a normal, weekly occurrence, this is how we do "church" in America. The only problem with this is if church is only found inside the four walls of a building, we will miss the most important part of being God's hands and feet, bringing others to God.
     Attending church is critical to our growth as disciples for Christ, yet what good are we as disciples if we aren't going out and living as the church for others to see? Our lives are the best representation of what it means to be a Christian. You've heard the expression "You just can't talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk”, well in this case that is so relevant and vitally important. You can invite others to church with you on Sunday, but wouldn't it be easier for them to be in church every time they are with you? Real time, authentic time showing others the heart of God. Your words, your choices, your attitudes, and your actions will reveal so much about you and your spiritual life. What do you do on a daily basis that shows those that do not have a relationship with God who He is and what it means to live for Him?
     Each day we have unlimited opportunities to live out, "walk the talk", what we claim to be. Authentically living out our faith is much deeper than just telling someone you are a Christian or placing a sticker on the back of your car's bumper, or even heading to church on Sunday. Persevering through adversity, sharing and giving of your heart and your efforts, being there in the moment when you are needed, and living each second of every day in a manner that shows you are grateful for all that you have been given good and not so good, hard times and mountaintop times is the life of a true servant of God. Paul said it best in Philippians 4:11-12 "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." For us to live a life that will demonstrate to others what it means to be a Christian this is a big part of that lifestyle. Most definitely, how you choose to react and act in all situations will demonstrate who you belong to, and how you persist through life's challenges will cause others to inquire about "how" you can be content in life's storms and struggles. 
      If we are His servant, which is what we become when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, then our lives will become like a reflection of His life here on earth. During the short time Jesus spent here on earth He served, He gave, He spent time with those that were in need both spiritually and physically, and then He provided us with a model of selflessness that we must all strive to live out in our own lives. Be authentic, be real, give, give of yourself, teach, and most importantly live each day as the gift it truly is. Doing that will be more of a reflection of what Christ's church is then any temple we can build or any church we can attend. 
Coach Carter

The Purpose of a Wall

    
Let me file this disclaimer before we get started, today's message is not meant to be a political stance message. If it lends itself to anyone in a political sense then that is yours to internalize. Okay, now that we have that established let's get on with the purpose of a wall.
     The intent of a wall is to provide a barrier between two things. For a house that's a good thing, but even there without windows and doors we would be living inside a box. For practical purposes walls serve both practical and beneficial functions, yet in many instances a wall is seen as something that limits us or keeps us from reaching our purpose in life. How many times have you experienced a mental block that just won't allow you to think through a problem or challenge? What about when you run into a block wall in an alley, we would say that you have hit a dead end and turning around to head in the other direction is the only way to continue moving. So we have just established that a wall can be mental or physical and although walls do provide us with a certain amount of safety from the elements of nature, they can also be a hindrance to going beyond where we currently reside. Walls can definitely be a deterrent, yet I want to propose to you that we don't need to let walls be a negative force in our lives, but instead turn a wall into a creative opportunity to overcome and surpass what was intended to stop you in your tracks.
     A wall is just one type of barrier that hinders us from moving forward. We just recently celebrated Columbus Day in the United States, a day set aside to recognize the significance of the accomplishment Christopher Columbus made back in 1492. To the majority of people of that era, the Atlantic Ocean was just as much a wall as the brick and mortar types that we associate with being a wall today. Either when you reached the horizon you were going to just drop off the flat world they were living in, or since you couldn't see anything else out there, the logic was that nothing else must exist beyond there. To possess the ability to think outside the box, pun intended, in the manner that Columbus did is exactly what I'm talking about when it comes to overcoming a barrier, i.e. a wall. Columbus didn't allow what appeared to most as a dead end to stop him from dreaming, planning, studying, and eventually conquering what others before him had dared not even propose. Columbus took what was meant to be a stop sign and turned it into a challenge to overcome, go across, and conquer!
      When I see a wall, I don't want to think dead end, instead I want to think how can I go around, under, over, or through this wall that is deterring my progress! Too many times we see a wall and we instantly see a stop sign, why, because we only see walls as a blockade. What if we looked at a wall and saw it as an opportunity? What if walls were actually created so you would have to stop only momentarily while you figured out a way to bust through them to where you needed to go? Wouldn't that change the image of a wall? Instead of us looking at a wall as a bad thing we would actually see it as an opportunity. Not a stopping point, but instead a creative point to find an answer, to create a solution, and to scale our wall.
       I imagine that when man first devised a wall whether it was made of wood or rock, he realized pretty quick that he had to have a window to see what was outside. I also guess that the need for more than one door entered his thoughts pretty quick, so that there would always be an alternate route for an escape or exit. Windows and doors were created as a means to get around walls. We cannot allow a wall to be something that limits us or hinders our progress, but instead walls should only prod us to think of ways to surmount that thing that lies in our path towards progress. Keep in mind walls without doors create boxes, we do not want to ever convince ourselves that we can't go beyond that wall that is in front of us.
      It's time to bring this message to an end. As I was studying and seeking guidance for today's message the image of a mountain continuously came to the forefront of my attention. In the seventeenth chapter of the gospel of Matthew Jesus' disciples ask him why they are unable to remove a demon from a young man. Jesus' reply is a fitting scripture to conclude today's thought. "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." Matthew 17:20. When we are faced with walls, mountains, or whatever stands in front of us we must believe in the depths of our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies that we can and we will go around, go over, go under, or go through it regardless of how insurmountable it may appear. We can and we will, if only we believe!
Coach Carter

Simple to Say, but So Hard to Do

      
The basis of a relationship with God is faith. We can define faith as a trust that in all things God is in control. That is easy to say when things are going our way, but what happens when the tables are turned and life starts dealing out a hand that isn't appealing or desirable? Such was the life of Job. The Bible tells us that Job was a righteous man, so much that Satan wanted to discredit Job and prove that he was actually just a "fair weather friend". Job's life was turned upside down and in the process, he lost everything, family, possessions, and even his health fell victim to this plight. How can we maintain our faith and our trust when things go bad, when life feels like it just got turned upside down? How can we trust God when it feels like we are all alone, fighting just to get up and go when our get and go feels like it is gone? When you begin to breath out the word WHY? just remember so did Job and the answer to that question is the topic of our time together today.
      Why? Job asked God. What have I done to deserve this? Why would God that I love and trust in allow this devastation to consume my life? Why would a God that is supposed to love me allow me to go through this tragedy? Job's faith was being pushed to the limits, he had trusted God and this was what he got in return for that trust? Surely either he had committed some sin that would justify the tragedies he was living through, or could it be that God really isn't in control after all? Those thoughts could easily be yours or my thoughts as we journey through life. It could be that you have already asked some of those very questions due to your circumstances or life events that have happened that have no real explanation of why they had to happen in your life or the lives of those you love. What did Job do when he got to this place? He prayed. Earnest, sincere, and focused he prayed for answers to his questions, and guess what? God provided him answers to his questions?
     Keep in mind, we are talking about someone with faith, "a trust that in all things God is in control", so without developing that type of trusting faith, it is going to be hard to believe that God does answer prayers. What we have to come to terms with is understanding that the answers we get may not be the answers we hoped we would get, but God does answer our prayers. Paul prayed multiple times for God to take away a throne in his side, but finally came to understand that God's answer to Paul's request was that when Paul feels weak that is exactly the time that he will be his strongest if only he will place his trust in God, "for when I am weak then I am made strong" II Corinthians 12:9-11. In Job's situation God answered Job's "Why?" with a series of questions back to Job. God asked him why he would question the God of all creation? If God had created the heavens, this earth, and all that exists therein, should Job not trust that He is in control of everything even Job's situation? God asked Job about the creation of the oceans, the stars, the mountains, and the rivers. Questions about the lives of animals and their purpose that God created, and then ultimately the life that he had given Job and in whatever state that happened to be at any instance in life. When you put things in that perspective, when we can accept that regardless of what is happening to us or happening in our own little world, then we allow our faith to trust and believe that God is in control of everything. Sounds simple in theory, but doing so is so hard to do. That's why God gave us His Son to provide us with the ultimate example.
      As Jesus hung on the cross, in His pain and suffering asked God "Why?" He asked God to give him relief and to take Him out of the situation He was enduring. Jesus prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luke 22:42. That is the type of faith that Jesus provided to us, nevertheless, not what I want, but what you need to be done in me, through me, or to me, Thy will be done. That is where Job landed, that is where Paul lived, and ultimately that is exactly what Jesus accepted in faith. In our life situations, circumstances, life-altering events will occur. It's not that we are asked to be happy that tragedy has befallen us, but instead it is all about trusting that what is happening to us is not even close to what is happening in us if only we will get to the place that we trust and believe that everything, not just some things, but everything happens as a part of God's plan. Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.". Trust, believe, and never give up on your faith.
Coach Carter