Tribulation is a Tool for Revelation

    
Dr. Robert Schuller, renowned author and pastor, puts it like this, " Tough times never last, but tough people do!" So many times, we look at our situations and circumstances and we think to ourselves or sometimes to anyone in earshot, "How much longer is this going to last?" In our minds it is only natural to look at our afflictions and adversities as the worse thing possible that could ever happen to someone, and in our mind we only want a solution or cure to fix the problem so we can move on to a better day. In today's FTM Thought I want to suggest to you that just as Dr. Schuller states the tough times won't last, but it is the takeaways from those tough times that will last and make us a better person because of them if only we will allow the lessons to resonate in our hearts, minds, and souls.
      So many real-life examples of how the actual thing that appears to be destructive in life, is the one thing that has to happen for the outcome we are seeking to take place. For example, the blacksmith has to plunge the iron into the fire, and then pummel the iron with a hammer until the iron actually reaches the shape that allows it to reach its potential. Tough times in this example are what created the tough creation that will endure. The plight of a seed is another grand example of this principle. We take a seed, bury it in the ground and then the seed's adversarial journey begins. For a seed to overcome its adversity it actually has to die first. Then as the supply of nutrients makes its way to the dead seed a miraculous transformation begins. A tender new plant is born and it must fight its way to the surface so that the sunlight, rain, and other elements in nature can better provide what is needed for this plant to produce its fruit. Tough times never last, but tough trees do!
     You may feel like that shapeless piece of iron or that seed buried in a mound of despair that doesn't provide even a glimpse of what the outcome could possibly be, but you must endure. You must persevere, and you must hold on to hope which is the essence of our faith. The title of today's message came from a radio broadcast I was listening to the other night on my way home from volleyball practice. The pastor delivering the message suggested that in every instance that we only see tribulation or affliction as a determent to our life, but there is actually a revelation hidden within that will carry us forward and make us stronger in the end, if only we will hold on to our faith that God doesn't make mistakes, and that God is with us through all of our hardships, hard times, and all of those "tough" times in life. This isn't an easy thing to do, but if you believe, if you trust in that belief, and if you hold on to the hope that God's plan will produce a positive outcome for you or for someone else, then you can reach the place where you believe that tough times won't last, but the inner strength you have gained will last a lifetime.
      Does this mean that all tough times are going to healed, corrected, or reversed? Not necessarily, but what it does mean is that if we will seek God and His plan for our life we will reach the revelation that the tribulation we are enduring is actually the very thing that will provide us an opportunity to change the world we live in and the lives of those we live with, work with, and share life with each day.
     I started today's message with a quote from Dr. Robert Schuller and I want to end today's message with another quote from the same man. In a section of his motivational and inspirational "Tough Times Don't Last" book, Dr. Schuller provides us with the following reminder, " When you've exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You Haven't." Don't ever give up, Don’t ever quit, and keep pushing upward even when it feels like you have nothing left in you to push. "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" Philippians 4:13. Paul also reminds us in Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." And one last scripture from God's disciple in the New Testament as he wrote to Timothy near the end of his life here on earth, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Stop looking at your tribulation as a destructive force in your life, and open your eyes to the work God wants to accomplish through you in the midst of your new-found revelation!
Coach Carter

The Difference in Hearing and Listening

     I enjoy listening to Contemporary Christian music when I'm working out, driving down the road, cooking, or pretty much any other time. It would be easy for me to say this genre of music has become one of my favorite modes of worship each day. What I do have to be careful about is not allowing myself to just hear the music, but instead I want to make sure I am listening to the music and the messages that can be received through that mode of sharing God's Word to my heart and soul.
     It's easy to hear music and not really listen. Think about being in a store where background music is being played, or how about mood music that is playing softly in a restaurant with the intent of creating a warm and comforting atmosphere. In settings such as those it is easy to hear the music playing, but not give it much of our focus or attention. We hear it but we don't really listen to it. There's a big difference there. In my profession, what if the only thing that mattered was that the students heard me in front of the room, but weren't really listening. Would learning take place, doubtful, so it is crucial that we require our students to be focused in on our lesson and the message we are delivering. I feel safe to say that rule applies in pretty much any business, organization, club, or home. We don't want to spend our time talking if nobody is listening. The intent and goal of delivering a message isn't that the recipient hear us talking, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH Charlie Brown style, but rather a message is only as good as the listener listens and responds to our message.
     Take for example my regimen of playing Christian music while I work out. If I'm not careful I will find myself caught up in my workout while the music is playing, but the words and the message found in that music are lost because I didn't really listen to the song, it was just playing in the background and my mind is focused on something much less important. I can tell the difference when I enter my workout with my focus being on the words of the music I am listening to, it becomes more of a true opportunity to meet and hear from our Lord and Savior. That is when I really receive a bump in my morning ritual. This same principle holds true for all forms of worship, praise. and even prayer.
     What if we prayed and God heard our prayers, but He wasn't really listening to our requests and our concerns? What if we aren't listening to His message at church, during a lesson, in a conversation with a friend or family member,  or even in a song? We trust that God hears our prayers, that's why we pray. Shouldn't we give that same focus in our time we spend with our Father?
      Don't allow yourself to be distracted when you are reading your Bible or a devotion, that is a prime opportunity to hear God's guidance to you. Take away distractions and place a focus on your time in prayer so that you aren't just talking to God, but during that time you are listening for God's small, still voice (I Kings 19:11-13) and then focus on His message to you. In all places, during all times listen for God's voice, and then make sure you listen and respond to what you are hearing. We want God to hear our prayers in our times of need, shouldn't he expect the same from us?
Coach Carter

Family First

    
This morning as I sat down to write today's blog, my intent was set on a completely different topic, but when I noticed today's date December 2nd, I was reminded that my dad's birthday is coming up this week on December 5th, and that took me in a completely different direction. For those that know a little bit about me, you may know that my father passed away a long time ago, 24 years ago to be more exact. He was in surgery for a biopsy on a brain mass and due to complications during the surgery, our father never woke up, bummer right? Sorry to start today's thought off with a sad recollection, but I'm headed somewhere with this, with the hope that it inspires someone out there to action.
     Coupled with the loss of our father in 1994, it's necessary to add that we lost our mother in 1985 over 33 years ago. Both sets of grandparents have been gone for many years, so it goes without saying that I am thankful and blessed to have my brother Bob and my sister Donna. We were blessed to have caring parents while we had them, and they taught all three of us valuable lessons about life and how to live life that have carried us all forward and allowed us all to be "successful" in life. Thank you Joe E. Carter and Martha L. "Whetsel" Carter.
     So, the question is what do I mean with the title "Family First"? Today's blog is a call to action for someone out there that has allowed some type of personal injury to sever a relationship with a loved one. Mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, aunt uncle, cousin, or other it doesn't matter we are all going to have disagreements, disappointments, and even devastating circumstances that take place in our relationships. It's easy to become the judge and jury when we are hurt by anyone, especially someone we love and give of ourselves completely. We may forgive and forgive until it feels like we have nothing left in us to forgive with one more time. In other cases, some of us have severed ties with family members due to one particular hurt and in your mind that one hurt is all it took to build that wall. Whatever the case if you are distanced from a family member or even a former friend you have justified the break in your mind and that is that, right?
     Holding that grudge, handing down the sentence, or severing the ties that bind in life are all actions that we take without considering the consequences of our choices, many times until it's too late to reconcile. I've practically lived over half of my life without my mom, and close to half of my life without my dad, what I would give for a chance to say I'm sorry for so many things from those years I did have with them. So many missed chances to say "I love you" and so many minutes, hours, and days missed together sharing and making memories. Oh, what I would trade for those times today. I know they are there watching, living in us, and living through the lives we have created in our own children. But dang, it's just not the same.
      You may be justified in the reasoning behind a break you are a part of in a relationship of your own. You could probably sit in front of a judge or a jury and in most situations they would be in full agreement with your verdict of guilty, but who is the one that is actually going to serve the sentence? What if that former "loved one" were to die today? What if you were to die today? You know none of us has the "due date" for when we will actually check out of this life we are living. Forgiving someone isn't saying what you did or what you are doing is acceptable, and it isn't providing one more opportunity to hurt you one more time, forgiving is just that an act of forgiveness. Over the years, I have talked to people that have severed ties in a relationship to the point that they do not even want to be in the room within 15 feet of that other person. Not even one ounce of care due to the hurt that this person has invoked on their life. What if we were judged like that by our Maker?
     I think it is pretty safe to assume that if we were judged by the same measure that we have judged others, Heaven would be a pretty vacant space. So many failures, so many wrong decisions and choices we have made, and so many times we have turned our backs on God when we knew we were hurting His heart and we continued anyway. What if we could not gain forgiveness for our mistakes? What if forgiveness was not an option because Jesus was not alive today? Would any of us want to be judged for our past without the opportunity to be forgiven for our past transgressions? You know the answer to that one.
     Fortunately, we can be forgiven, fortunately we are forgiven. As cruel as man was to Jesus persecuting Him, beating Him, and ultimately hanging Him on a cross, His final request to His father in Heaven was "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" Luke 23:34. So if God will forgive you and I for all of the letdowns, failures, and mistakes we have made, who are we to not forgive those that have hurt us? My dad's birthday is this week and I would love to tell him how sorry I am for so many things I did in my life, but unfortunately that isn't possible. My job is to make sure I don't end up in that situation with my own children, my wife, my other family members. Also, my job today is to tell you that it is time for you to make sure this doesn't happen in your own life.
     Forgiving isn't forgetting the past hurts, those are scars that will always be there. But, as it was explained to me a long time ago, the scars are there as a reminder of the hurt, but the actual hurt has been healed and the pain from that injury is gone. We have to move on from the injury, we must forgive those that have hurt us and we have to move on if we want to live our life without regrets. Be the bigger person in your broken relationship. Go to them, forgive them, and put your family first!
Coach Carter

What's Your Life's GPS

     
GPS, Global Positioning System, is an amazing thing. Its surreal to be able to ask "Siri" to find directions to the closest pizzeria and instantly have directions that include every turn, red light, exit, and even detours to avoid accidents or long traffic waits. This technological advance has made us all a little more adventurous armed with the assurance that if we get lost, we are only a single voice command away from step by step directions to find our destination. In our day to day lives it is definitely a reassurance to know that we can find where we are in this world just with the click of a button or even one simple voice command, but how about your life's GPS? How do you know where you are headed? Are you following the right directions? Whose directions are you following? Knowing where you are headed is important, but more important is knowing how to get there.
      When I was thinking about this topic as a FTM Thought, the message that really came to mind was, "I don't know where I would be without You God, but I do know exactly where I am with You in my life!" How do I know where I am? What gives me the confidence to state that I know where I am? God's GPS is available to anyone that calls upon it. Just as we can ask our mobile device for directions to anywhere we want to go and we can locate the pinpoint coordinates for where we are, God's word provides that same pinpoint accuracy. As independent humans, we are prone to want to figure things out for ourselves, we like to think we did it on our own, but in reality, without His road map for our life's journey in hand, we are just aimlessly moving through the days, weeks, and years of our lives.
     On our own, we try to convince ourselves that we have the answers, we want to define ourselves as self-sufficient. If that's you, how's that working for you? Whether you are living in a five-bedroom luxury home, or if you are scrapping by renting a place that you really don't feel safe in, my guess is there are issues of uncertainty, insecurity, and even hopelessness that swerve in and out of your mind. Life without a defined purpose only sets us up for a life of aimless journeys. If you are going it alone and you feel like you don't need anyone or anything to help you, then what will you do when you fall down and life keeps pushing you in that downward spiral? Who can you turn to? Where is your comfort, guidance, and security? That's what I am talking about, my life's GPS knows where to go, and I center my life on that one location.
     For those that have found their GPS in life, we know that life's difficulties, challenges, and even tragedies still confront us every day. As a person that believes and lives life through a faith that is much bigger than anything that this world can offer, you understand that we aren't immune to life's adversities, but what you do know is that you are not facing those adversities alone. That level of assurance makes life's struggles bearable. Having the knowledge of where you are and who is there with you is so much more of an assurance than the satellite system that leads us to our physical destinations.
      I know where I am. I know where I was before I gave my heart to Him. I could not tell you where I would be today without Him, but because I found Him and gave my heart to Him, I know exactly where I am today and where it is that I need to go for Him! If you know where you are with God as your GPS then you know this peace that I have. If you are out there driving around aimlessly, uncertain of where you are headed, don't know where you need to be headed, or just utterly lost with no idea of where to go, turn to God, read His word, talk with Him daily, and listen for His guidance. He is there, He always has been, and always will be, it is up to you to turn to him.
                     "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalm 119:105 
Coach Carter 

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