From Educator to Encourager

     
What is an educator? Is it someone that goes to college to be a teacher, obtains a bachelor’s degree in education with a specialization in some specific subject matter? Or could it be a person that works in a skilled trade and mentors young apprentices with their knowledge and experience? How about a coach that drills skills, practices plays, and presses technique and proper formations each day of practice? And let us not leave out of our question the role of a parent. Parents are the most basic Pre-K teacher in the title "Pre-Kindergarten" teacher. And if we are going all-inclusive in our search for the definition of educator would we not also add those we work with that offer experience and advice on how to do our jobs more effectively and thus more productively for the organizations we work? So, if we are all in agreement that all of these are examples of what an educator is, then hopefully you should be getting the picture that you probably fit into more than one of the aforementioned categories and in many cases, you might fit into just about every single one of the educator categories listed. Today's question isn't who necessarily is an educator? It isn't even the question of what qualifies you to be called an educator? In our time together today my focus is more on what should our primary goal be as the "educator" in the moment be? What is our purpose as an educator to the pupil or pupils we have been given the opportunity to teach? For me I have had an epiphany of sorts about the title of educator which is today's title and topic for our Flat Tire Ministries Thought for the Week. 
     Face it, based on the descriptions listed above, pretty much all of us will assume the title of educator at some level or capacity in your life. I guess the real question is what or maybe how are you going to educate those you work with as their "teacher"? Unfortunately in some instances, we can be an educator via our example of poor choices or bad behaviors. Sadly, we can "teach" our "students" to make excuses or blame others for the circumstances they have been dealt in life, thus creating a next generation of individuals that are not interested in assuming ownership for their lives. And wouldn't it also be true that we could be labelled an educator just through the inaction we display when we witness injustice or inhumane actions taking place around us and abroad? The harsh reality here is that all of these are foundational settings for learning and thus the arena of an educator. Fortunately, we have the ability, no the opportunity, to be that positive influence in a "student's" life. Each day, whether you are standing in front of a classroom full of bright and eager young folks, or if you are working one on one with someone with less experience than yourself, you have the opportunity to be the encourager in the room. And that is where you can make all the difference in the world.
     For me the title of encourager just makes sense for anyone that is educating others. What is the primary role of an educator? In my opinion it would be to encourage those we are teaching to do their best, to persevere through adversity, and to seek out opportunities to utilize their powers for good instead of evil. Deem this positional power if you like, but whether you have a student or a classroom of students you have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their lives. Life is tough, so are some of the math skills we teach students, believe me I feel this one personally, but what is one of the best skills we can teach students as they face adversity whether it is in the Algebra II classroom, in the garage learning how to change your brake pads, or even out on the field when the other team is beating the socks off of our team? Grit, resiliency, and perseverance should be at the top of the goals in our "classroom". We should be encouraging students to not give up, to stay with it, and to seek out the tools or support they need to find an answer to the problem in front of them. Encouraging students to persevere teaches them to endure the bad and to see it through regardless of the discomfort they experience. Check out these words of encouraging advice from the apostle Paul found in Romans 5:3-4 "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." If we do nothing else but to encourage our students to never give up then we have made a positive impact on their lives.
      As educators, we should also be encouraging empathy, compassion, and hard work. Add to that servant leadership which we display through our own actions and walk in life each day. Here is the opportunity to encourage our students to do something for someone else without the thought of getting something in return. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" Matthew 7:12. You know they call that the "Golden Rule" for an obvious reason, learning that is more valuable than any amount of gold we could entrust to those we educate along the way. You are the teacher in your classroom, where ever that may be, remember school is always in session and your actions are going to be remembered more than your words ever will.
    Finally, I would encourage you to not become an enabler. An enabler is a teacher, but definitely not the type of educator that you want to become and most certainly not what we hope for our students. Enablers make excuses. Enablers find a finger to point at someone else or give you a sense of it doesn't really matter anyway so just go ahead and quit. DO NOT BECOME THAT EDUCATOR! Encourage your students to persevere. Be an example of choosing right and fighting for truth. If you aren't sure about what truth is look to the author of right and truth. His Word is filled with encouragement and when we place our trust in the Word then we can rest assured that we will be teaching our students up! I have been involved in public education for over 28 years now and just this year I have come to the awareness that my title should not be educator, it should be that of encourager. I believe this should be true for you today as well, you are an educator for someone, be their encourager, give them hope, and expect them to get back up when they get knocked down! You have the opportunity to be an encourager, "Just Do It!"
Coach Carter

God Given Talent

   
     Are you familiar with the parable of the businessman and the three talents? (Matthew 25:14-30) A wealthy businessman is going away for a period of time and he entrusts three of his servants with varying quantities of his talents (gold). No real instructions on what to do with the talents, just an understanding that he would want his property back when he returned. As the parable goes one servant who received 5 talents went out and doubled his master's money. Another that received 2 talents doubled his portion as well. The third servant was only given 1 talent, and out of fear of failing to improve his master's lot in life he went out and hid the talent so that he would be able to give his master back what he had been given. Playing it safe. In the end, that didn't work out to well for the cautious, unmotivated servant. Upon his return, the master ended up giving the first two servants what they had earned through investing their master's money, but the third reluctant servant was admonished for his cowardly actions and had his one talent given to the servant that had been given ten talents. Moral of the story, we all have been given gifts. Some may appear to be overloaded with gifts, God given talents, while some of us feel like we were in the wrong line when talent was being distributed. And that is where you are wrong, completely, 100% wrong. Like I previously stated, each of us has been given talents to the level of which we can handle them and use them by investing in others.
     Talent is a broad and encompasses a list of skills, attributes, and qualities that make us who God wanted us to be. It may appear that some people we know are talented in just about everything they do. Athleticism, mechanically inclined, high intelligence, or musical talented are just a few prime examples of recognizable talents, but empathy, serving, giving, counseling, teaching, and leading are other talents that many times go unnoticed or unappreciated. Each of us has been given talents according to what our intended purpose on this old rock is.
      Problem is too many of us either are afraid to invest ourselves in our talents or we are misusing our talents for our own personal gain and benefit. Think back to our parable for just a minute. The first two servants invested the talents they had been given even though there was no promise of profiting anything for their efforts to invest and produce a profit for their master. They did what they did because it was the right thing to do. They had been entrusted with something valuable, what good would it be to hid it in a corner. The opportunity was in front of them and they chose to go for it! Nothing ventured nothing gained! The sad, insecure servant hid his "God given" talent, afraid to take a chance, scared to invest what he had been given eliminating the opportunity to benefit someone else with the investment he could have made. Read the end of the parable and ask this question, "How'd that turn out for you?"
     Are you that servant? Are you afraid to go out and use the skills and abilities that you have been given? Are you afraid that you might fail and thus appear defeated? Again, nothing ventured nothing gained, I protest! You have a talent, myriad talents and God gave them to you for one reason, to use them for the benefit of others. When you were created, skills were placed in your DNA that are unique to you and you alone. What a shame to allow those talents to go hidden, forgoing the opportunity to help someone else or a whole group of somebodies. What is holding you back, fear? President Franklin D. Roosevelt dismantled that one pretty quick in his inaugural speech back in 1933 as he addressed a country climbing out of the Great Depression proclaiming that "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself."  Or is it lack of desire to use our talents for the good of mankind. A selfish man can't see how his talents were designed to help others, and many times feels that using his talent is a waste of time if it isn't benefiting himself. That focus on self- preservation usually ends up in a deficit model much like the servant with the one talent in Jesus' parable.
     You have been given the talent you possess for one of the following reasons, to help others, to benefit others, or to lift up others. When you invest your talents into the lives of others your return on that investment will pay dividends much like the first two servants in our parable. That investment will not only change your life, but also the lives of those you impact through your talent. Go out and sing, work, invent, or lead whatever your talent is. "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38.
Coach Carter 

 

Persevering Through My Leaky Faucet

    
     I scored a big victory this week and I thought it would make for a nice FTM Thought so here we go! I recently traveled to Nashville for a conference and upon returning home I was greeted by a leaky kitchen faucet that would soon create a major water damage issue if it wasn't given my direct attention quickly. Well that was on a Friday, and my Saturday that week started at 8:00AM and ended around 10:30PM so it was actually Sunday afternoon before I could give any attention to the faucet and any plans to repair or replace this critically important component of the kitchen. Upon evaluation, I determined that repair was not going to be an option. The faucet only leaked when you turned the water on, but being that this is the sole purpose of a faucet a plumbing task was deemed necessary, ASAP! Disclaimer, I am not a plumber. Disclaimer two, I am not a handy man. And Disclaimer three, I am by no means mechanically inclined. Those facts being made known I do have some assets on my side that would ultimately serve me well in this endeavor and those are the nuts and bolts of our time together today.
    I don't know why I'm not more mechanically inclined? My dad was a contractor and a large- scale farmer with all sizes and shapes of equipment that had to be fixed on the spot during my childhood. Unfortunately for me, I didn't take advantage of the opportunity to gain those skills and experiences when I had the chance, I spent more time getting out of work and heading to the VFW swimming pool, hindsight is 20/20. Well, since I don't have the inclination or the experiences factor on my side, in years past when faced with a similar dilemma I would just pick up the phone and procure the services of someone much more talented in the needed area and allow them to fix what was ailing my house, car, or kitchen faucet in this case. That was then. The whole premise of Flat Tire Ministries started for me around ten years ago which is a whole different story, hence my unpublished book, "How to Fix a Flat Tire" and the new toolbox I acquired through the "flat tires" life has thrown me both literally and figuratively. One of those tools has served me well as I have moved from customer for the handy man to the actual "Mister Fix-A-Flat" himself, perseverance.
     Sunday I set the repair in motion disconnecting the water lines and assuring I had no other leaks involved in the equation. From there I visited Lowe's and purchased a new faucet, and from there it was time to get some guidance and "next steps". I contacted my brother-in-law, who by the way is an amazing repair artist, to inquire about what I might run into that would require certain tools I might not have readily available. Glen made not only a list for me, but also provided me with two tote bags full of adjustable, crescent, open-faced, closed, and pipe wrenches. Also in one of the bags he included what probably turned out to be the most critical tool in the job, a basin wrench. To not get too technical, the basin wrench provides a flexible head that allows you to get into those tight spots where a wrench is necessary, but not able to be used due to the limited area to turn the wrench. That pretty much ended Sunday's portion of the job. Monday was a work day, and with no after work duties I was able to get started around 5:00 on my plumbing adventure. Let's just say things didn't really go the way I imagined they would from there. By the time 9:00PM rolled around I was about one tenth of a mile into my 26- mile plumbing marathon. I had made very little progress on disconnecting the current leaky faucet and I needed to finish up my evening tasks and hit the hay, so feeling frustrated and partially defeated the thought that I should just get out the old yellow pages and find me a plumber that would probably come in and knock this small job out in an hour or so really crossed my mind. The problem there was that the hour or so was going to cost me around $100.00-$150.00 minimum and I did not want to spend on a plumber when I knew exactly what needed to be done, but just was not getting it done!
      After a restless night of dancing nuts and bolts in my dreams, I awakened with a new sense of resolve that told me I could do this thing. I used part of my morning routine time to perform a self-inspection of what I needed to do to get this job done. Of those, two items proved to be the difference makers. First, I concluded that I was going to need a new basin wrench. Glen's was a wonderful tool, but the one I saw online at Home Depot looked like it might serve me better for this particular job. So off to Home Depot I trekked before work on Tuesday. Much to my surprise, the associate at Home Depot, who was much more knowledgeable about plumbing than I, agreed with me and directed me to a $15.00 basin wrench. The wrench would prove invaluable, but the other Aha moment I had while constructing my day three strategy, is applicable in life as much as it would prove to be in this particular situation.
     I called J.D. my son-in-law to see if he would provide me with an extra set of hands to hold down the faucet while I removed the faucet nut off the sink. This part of the job was not one that could easily be done by just one person. I needed a friend or the job would not be completed on day three. He agreed and that evening around 5:30 J.D. showed up and provided me with that extra layer of support that allowed me to keep tension on the faucet nut, which allowed me, armed with my new basin wrench, to remove the hard to reach, hard to loosen nut and eventually the leaky faucet. Not wanting to kidnap J.D.'s evening I thanked him for his help and recommended he head on to the house. The rest of the job was definitely a job for one person. "Who is this saying he can handle a repair like this on his own??" And that I did. The installation of the new faucet went smoothly and honestly without a hitch. I completed the rest of the task promptly and before you knew it, we once again had a fully functioning faucet with both hot and cold running water. (Thanks to our two district wide plumbers, Jack and Jackie, for teaching me the basics of plumbing hot's on the left, cold's on the right, and stuff in the pipes has to run downhill!) Job well done, I had completely forgotten that it was less than 24 hours ago that I was thinking about which plumber I could possibly schedule to alleviate my plumbing woes. Pumped and proud, I ran water through that faucet like never before, and with a broad smile beaming across my face!
     Point to take away from my adventure in plumbing is this. We all face leaky faucets, broke down cars, broke down family members, health issues, financial matters, and even work related breakdowns, but none of these will get fixed if we give up. Just as I could not continue to allow the faucet to leak down on the cabinet's floor, we cannot expect that our own life situations will not damage our life and our relationships if we do not address the problem. Is that easy? More than likely not or you would have already corrected the issue. Is it something you will be able to do on your own? In my situation, I concluded that there's not much that I can do on my own. I called on both my brother-in-law and my son-in-law, and also had to request the assistance of the staff at Home Depot, but the job got done because I didn't give up on it, perseverance, and I sought out the help I needed to guide me through the process. Guess what? Regardless of who you have or don't have at your beckoning call for assistance we all have the opportunity to call upon our faith to see us through the leaky faucets of life. Psalm 55:22 gives us this assurance, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;" and Jesus offers to us all in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Whatever you are facing, whatever your leaks look like in life, there is a "Fix-it-Man" that is ready to support you and see you through whatever life is throwing your way. He doesn't promise to remove your problems, He promises to carry you through your situations in life.  I still had to fix my sink, it just made it all possible when I committed myself to being a little more gritty than that nut on my sink and when I called out for guidance and support. 
Endeavor to Persevere!
Coach Carter

Changing Your Perspective

    
Where my family lives, our home is pretty much surrounded by a grove of mixed hardwood trees. The oak and maples form a canopy of sorts around us and as a result of that canopy we have a very limited view of the night sky. Where the trees were cleared off for the building site of the house there exists an almost perfect picture frame view of the sky and on a moonless night that pocket sized view gleams with myriad stars. As breathtaking as that star-lite view is, it is still limited in comparison to the view from our wide-open fields on the Carter -Whetsel family farm in Russellville. On a star filled night there you can lay down on your back and take in an awe-inspiring show filled with constellations, the man in the moon smiling down on your face, and the occasional shooting star racing down to its earthly resting place. Quite a bit of difference with the two views, and much the same as how we approach the perspective we take on life.
     We all have circumstances, adversities, and life situations that seem to dictate to us what our day holds in store for us. Each day for someone living with paralysis has a certain amount of regimen predetermined for the individual with a health plan created for therapy, medicine, and other procedural requirements which dictates a great deal of the person's life. I can speak to this a little better than most because I lived it with my amazing brother-in-law Jay Harold Greenlee. Harold was the unfortunate casualty of an auto accident that left him with a broken neck and a crushed spinal cord. The neck would heal, but that was not to be the case with the spinal cord injury. That injury left Harold paralyzed from the neck down with limited use of his two arms for over 20 years of his life. With an injury like that your perspective on life could really be a downer. Having to depend on someone to scratch your nose, give you a bite of pizza, or to move you by a hoyer to a shower chair each day could definitely give you reason to complain about life and the hand you have been dealt. That wasn't the case with Harold.
      Harold's smile, his wisdom, and his compassion for others gave him a different perspective. As easy as it would have been to lay there and complain, I do not recall one time in all of those years that Harold Greenlee ever complained about his injury. Sure, there were times when he hurt or the pain of some type of infection caused him to sweat profusely and hurt internally, but as far as complaining about his paralysis that didn't happen. He took a different look at life from the perspective he was placed. We didn't discuss it too much back then, but I believe Harold looked at life from the point of view that this is where he was, he could lay around and complain all day, or he could make the most of each day, being grateful that he was alive and able to watch his nephews and nieces grow and mature. He was so proud of Bogi, Rae, Jordan, Ethan, and Jacob. He loved to hear about their accomplishments whether on the playing field or in the classroom Harold was a big supporter of all of his family and friends.
     What situation or circumstances are shaping your perspective on life? Chances are it isn't a literal paralysis, but what other life matters are hindering you from moving outside of that little cut out view in your mind to the bigger wide open picture that is out there? Regardless of your situation we all have something that is shaping our mind's perspective on life. I choose to see the wide-open field view although I live in the woods with a limited view. It is my responsibility to move my mindset towards a better perception on life, and that is only possible through faith. Faith creates hope and hope doesn't fail. Regardless of what happens to us, if we have hope then we understand that whatever happens to us is not near as important as what then happens in us. My faith tells me to stand strong and believe, to trust that God has a plan and that plan is bigger than anything I can conceive. Through that mindset my perspective is completely altered. Life is no longer about me, but all about what I can do to fulfill God's plan for this life. The circumstances and situations become part of that plan and my view opens up just like the view from up on the hill at our farm! Change your perspective change your life!
Coach Carter

This Isn't "The People's Court"

     I'll start out by saying I do not watch "The People's Court" T.V. show. I'm not saying I haven't watched it ever, I'm just saying I'm not a fan. The whole idea of going to court is a necessary part of our justice system, but in today's culture we are just a little to quick to do our own judging of right and wrong and innocent or guilty and I believe shows like that just feed the "I'm right and you're wrong" mentality. I find this to be especially true in our American society. It is a sad reality that we feel privileged enough to judge our fellow man on the basis of our own personal views, beliefs, or cultural norms. Do I believe that if you murder someone you should be held accountable for your murderous actions? Yes of course. On the other hand, do I believe we should be calling out someone because they have different political views than our own to the point of making a judgment that they are evil and we are above reproof? No way. What determines right and wrong, and who gets to make that determination?
     In most cultures some type of religious or moral compass sets the standards of what is acceptable thus creating a platform for one opinion or interpretation and also an opposing or alternate interpretation of the same principle or cultural norm. Which one is correct? Why does one have to be absolute? Who gets to make that call? Who among us is blameless enough to be the judge of his fellow man? As I stated previously, there are basic crimes that stand true in all cultures, no stealing, no murders, no abusing, no harming children, you get the idea and we can all agree those are things that we feel comfortable with a judge or jury presiding over. It's more the questions of principle, beliefs, and our moral compass that cause us to take sides. Conservative, liberal, right wing, left wing, far right, or ultra-left these are the areas of judgment that I am really referring to today.
     I turned fifty-six this year and in all my years I have not witnessed the level of judgmental one sidedness that is so prevalent today. Why does one side get to be right and the other side is cast as the enemy of all that is good and pure? Who gets to make that call? Why does someone have to make that call? I believe in the bottom of my heart that those that live on the conservative side of life feel like they are doing the right thing. I also would contend that those that sit on the left side of that same spectrum believe in their heart and soul that they are right in their moral calibration. I'm also pretty sure neither side has all the answers, or at least the correct answers to every one of life's right or wrong issues. When the crowd wanted to stone the woman for her past sins, how did Jesus respond? To paraphrase, I believe it went something like this, "If you haven't ever sinned then you go ahead and throw the first stone." John 8:1-11. Or, in other words, don't be judging others when you could be judged in pretty much the same manner. The fact is we all have opinions, and we all believe our opinions to be true, true to the point that we believe everyone else is wrong and that they must be some type of agent of evil if they believe differently than we do.
     I may be wrong about this, remember opinions every one's got one, but for me I believe we should live our faith, and allow judging to be done by the powers of right and wrong when it is time to be judged. If we live our faith then we are living what we believe to be right and others can see us living that faith and make their decisions about our level of right or wrong without us having to condemn the other person for their choices and lifestyles. But I do not want to judge someone for the faith they have and I really don't want them to judge me for my faith either. I would much rather estimate the value of a man by the content of his heart as opposed to the words that come out of his or her mouth.
"Judge not lest ye be judged ..." Matthew 7:1-3 would serve us all well. If you don't like the direction politics are headed, then run for office. If you don't like the laws or focus of an official then by all means campaign against the person's ideology not the person. We all have an opinion, and you are entitled to it, it's just not our place to be the judge of our fellow man nor his politics.
Coach Carter

The Hidden Strength of Trees

     
Trees are majestic. It's easy to take a grove of trees for granted never giving much thought to all the life-giving resources that are provided through our forests or even that solo tree standing tall in your front yard. Oxygen to breathe, shade from the sun, protection during a storm, beams and boards for our homes, not even mentioning all the fruit, nuts, and berries that give us nutrition to be healthy. Trees also add beauty to just about any landscape in view with foliage that transitions each Fall and blooms that practically blind your eyes in the Spring. I say all of that to point out that the one part of a tree that doesn't get any credit, isn't recognized for its beauty or contributions, and isn't even visible in most settings is the one part that a tree cannot exist without, the roots.
     Trees without a strong root system are destined for trouble. In most situations the root system's strength is found in the type of soil the tree is planted. Sandy soil provides little stability to the tree's root system and clay dirt makes it challenging for the tiny roots to spread and mature into a stabilizing force. Fertile soil with an adequate water source that provides nutrients and suitable conditions to grow makes for the best situation for all trees, and offers the best environment in which a tree will flourish and produce an abundant harvest. It would be safe to say that where the tree's roots are planted makes all the difference in the life of a tree.
      Aren't we the same way? What our culture deems as beautiful is visible to anyone that can see us. As we grow and mature we produce more, provide more, and expand our life's touch with the fruits that we bear. In much the same way the abundance of what we produce is directly connected to where we are rooted. If our roots are planted in sandy soil we will struggle to withstand life's storms. We will topple when the winds blow too hard and what we produce will always be limited by the quality of nutrients we have gained in life. If we become hard-hearted due to our circumstances, afflictions, or other storms of life the tiny roots that need to grow and mature are limited or actually hindered by that hard-heartedness. And just like the tree without the proper nutrients and appropriate soil, we will struggle to withstand life's storms and we will undoubtedly give back in proportion to what we have been given in life.
     Where a tree is planted is not determined by the tree. The elements of nature take the seed and place it where it may, thus limiting any choice in the matter to the tiny seed. For us we do have a choice. Regardless of where we are originally "planted" we determine where our roots will be firmly planted. Psalm 92:12-15 provides this encouragement, "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.” and in Psalm 1:  the psalmist declares that "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers." Each of us has choice. We will decide where our roots are planted, we will choose what we feed our hearts, minds and souls. What we produce will always be in direct proportion to what types of "nutrients" we take in and then what we sow into the lives of others. Our roots will become the legacy which we leave to our family and those we live and work with each day. If you are planted beside the river of life you will produce a way for others to succeed. Choose to be like the tree and get rooted in Christ. 
Coach Carter

Que Sera, Sera

     Doris Day took the song "Que Sera, Sera" to the top of the billboard charts back in the mid 1950's and then used the song as her network show's theme song in the late 60's and early 70's. The title translates as "whatever will be, will be" and the lyrics take a small child through adulthood asking their mother what is tomorrow going to be like and what will I be when I grow up, to which the mother replies "Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be" and then follows with "the future's not ours to see Que sera, sera." Therein lies a great deal of wisdom being handed down to the young daughter, if we are going to spend all of our time worrying about tomorrow we will never truly get to enjoy today.
      I don't think it is wise to live each day so vicariously that we aren't making preparations for our future, yet preparing for tomorrow as opposed to worrying about tomorrow are two completely different items on the spectrum of living today to its fullest. So many times we use up the joys that are the gift of today by worrying about the matters of tomorrow that may or may not ever transpire. A great example of this is found in a quote by Corrie Ten Boom a Holocaust survivor that went on to write, encourage, and share her experiences with thousands upon thousands of people young and old. Her encouraging warning was, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength." In other words today is the day we have been given to live, why let the things that may or may not ever happen tomorrow steal away the joy of the gift of today?
     You may be reading this and thinking, "yea, but my troubles won't be gone tomorrow regardless of what I do today" due to medical, financial, or other personal matters your situations are not just going to magically disappear overnight. That may be true, but what if tomorrow never comes? What if we spend today worrying about how we are going to make it through the next day, the next week, month, year, or the rest of our lives with this issue, and then tomorrow for whatever reason never happens. Did we spend today getting the most out of it and enjoying the day that is ours to appreciate and enjoy?
     Corrie Ten Boom learned through her experiences that life today is a gift and it can be stolen only if we allow it to be. Living under the constant, daily threat of the Nazi terror, it would have been very easy to shut down and just give up, yet Boom found strength in focusing on the day that she had been giving and making the most out of that day, just in case she did not have a tomorrow. We can spend our days worrying and complaining about our lives and all the complications and issues that we are facing, or as Ms. Boom did, we can make the most of the day that we have been given and let tomorrow's worries take care of themselves tomorrow. Que sera, sera.
      During His time here on earth Jesus taught pretty much the same message to His disciples and to us today, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34. In His directive to not be worrying about tomorrow he tags the comment, "each day has enough trouble of its own." I don't believe this is a message of doom and gloom that life is a bowl full of cherry pits, but instead I take the message away that there are so many opportunities to go out and help somebody else today that we sure shouldn't be worrying about what lies in front of our own lives tomorrow. We can sit around complaining and fussing about our situations and circumstances or we can place those behind us because those are what they are, and then put our time and efforts into helping others that have needs bigger and more significant than our own. 
     As we conclude today's thought to ponder, keep this in mind, our time on this earth is not infinite, there is a beginning and there will be an end, but what we do with that time can either be productive and beneficial to others, or we can sit around and mope and complain about what our circumstances in life are and never do anything that leaves this world a better place than what is was when it was given to us. All I can say is I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I do know who holds tomorrow! I choose to live today and let tomorrow bring what it will. Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be!
Go out and make a difference today!
Coach Carter

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.
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