Practice What You Preach

  Have you ever been chided with the directive to "practice what you preach"? Not the best piece of advice to be on the receiving end of, but one that can offer a chance to self-reflect grow from it. My goal in life is to be an obedient servant to the One that created me on purpose for a purpose. To fulfill that goal, walking my faith instead of talking my faith makes all the difference in the world. If the words that I write in this weekly blog don't represent the life that I live throughout the week, then all I am doing is writing. Straightforward enough right? On the surface it might appear so, yet as I was praying this morning I asked God to allow me to go deeper, to not just read some scriptures, do a devotional, and then say a prayer. I want to read the inspired words of the omnipotent and omniscient God, the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, the Great I Am with reverence and with a sense that His word for that day is a direct message to what lies in front of me and what I need to do with the opportunities I have been given. 

 

I think about the story of the good Samaritan and how two other "religious" men passed by the accosted traveler without offering any kind of support or care. Am I guilty of that same indifference to my fellow man? The other day I pulled out of a gas station which immediately placed me in a short line at a red-light intersection. There on the side of the road stood a lady who obviously was down on her luck. Like the majority of us in today's culture, I rarely carry cash. The lady's sign read, "anything will help" to which I replied, "Sorry I don't have any cash" as I pressed the gas pedal down and motored off to my destination. I knew I had a cannister in my dash where I stored change, but I didn't reach out with an offer of a couple of dollars in pennies, nickels, and dimes. In my hometown that is becoming a more prevalent sight on busy intersection street corners, and other high traffic areas. Should I be handing out money or meals each time I see someone with a cardboard sign sitting destitute and haggard? 

 

What about those that are taking advantage of us good hearted Christians you ask? "I bet they live better than I do", or "I bet they have a car around the block and they are just begging for money instead of working" are just two of the justifications we might employ to make us feel better about ourselves not providing support. Maybe they are taking advantage of our inner drive to help our fellow man, but think about the status of the person in that particular circumstance. There are myriad things wrong with that picture even if they are trying to beat the system by panhandling. Think about it, if you are at the point that you are trying to make money by dressing in tattered clothes, not shaving or grooming for days, unashamed enough to stand on a busy crossroads with a cardboard sign begging for food or money then regardless of whether it is a legitimate needs situation or not, that person is in need. 

 

So, let's put two types of people in line at that same traffic light and do a little comparison. The first car is a newer model import, a parent and two children in tow. This person's car has a Jesus sticker on the rear bumper and K-Love blaring out on the stereo while the two kids munch on their cheeseburger kids’ meal before gymnastics practice. This person looks over at the destitute individual and quickly looks down at their phone avoiding eye contact. The next car, it doesn't matter if it is a Ferrari or a clunker pulls up and hands the person a couple of bucks and then drives off, most likely never to see the transient person again. To the individual seeking "handouts" who did they just connect with in this scenario? What lingering message will he or she take away? If their situation accelerates and they get to the point that they really have nowhere else to turn will they turn to a religion that turned its back on them, or will they turn to a cold indifferent world that hasn't really got anything to offer beyond a quick, momentary fix. Think about it, who are you in this story?

 

As you ponder on that question, let me make sure you understand that I'm not pointing fingers and I'm definitely not suggesting that it is your duty to provide support to every struggling individual or family that you cross each day. Unfortunately, doing that could cause a person to be late for work every morning. Sad. No, as I think about how I can navigate who to help and when to help I am reminded of the story about a man standing on the beach tossing sand dollars back into the ocean as the tide abandons them on the sandy beach. A passerby takes notice and after watching for a few minutes remarks to the sand dollar Samaritan, "You know you can't save all of those don't you?" The man picks up another tidal victim and tosses it back in and says "I saved that one." 

 

As I child our youth choir used to sing a song, "They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love", a message we all need to be reminded of frequently. It isn't our place to judge or pass judgement for that matter, it is our job to love our fellow man and show them the God that lives inside of us in a world that can provide materialistic examples of "love", but nothing that compares to the loving care of our Father in Heaven. If we are to live out the words of our servant leader, Jesus, we must love God first and then love our fellow man as much as we love ourselves. (Matthew 12:37-39)

 

At the end of the story about the good Samaritan Jesus provided this question and command, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him. “Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37.

May the mercy and grace that God has shown each of us guide you today.

Coach Carter

Delayed Gratification

 

At a work retreat I attended last week in Baltimore the keynote speaker Nick Rodriguez, shared this jewel with those in attendance. His advice went something like this, "When you are making any decision, keep the long-term outcomes as your vision and purpose. Many times, the short-term results will not look pretty, but keep the long-term goal as your driving force and base your plans on that long-term objective." Delayed gratification. In education and in sports the teacher/coach has a long-term outcome in mind, we want our students/athletes to learn the content and skills that we teach them and then be able to successfully apply that learning to real world situations. Sounds simple enough right? You'd think so, but in today's society, so many people are seeking instant gratification over any situation where hard work precedes the payoff. Avoid the struggle, remove the barriers, and take the easy way out appears to be the accepted mantra of way too many folks. 

 

Over the weekend, my sister shared a positive note from this past week in her fourth-grade classroom, it resonated well with the whole idea of delayed gratification. At the beginning of the school year she had a student that she could immediately tell had the potential to be an outstanding learner. She pushed this student to be the best they could be. Inadvertently, his grades dropped a bit due to the rigorous challenges that my sister was placing on her student. The parent, contacted my sister concerned about the extra push and the slight slip in grades. Was he being pushed too hard? Could he really do the work she was expecting him to do? Assurances were given and as the year progressed so did the student's academic growth. At the end of this last week, Donna received a note from the parent thanking her for pushing her son this year and providing him with the opportunity to expand his learning and increasing his resilience in the face of adversity. Delayed gratification. 

 

As she shared her story, one of my own experiences came to mind that fit perfectly into our conversation around delayed gratification. In volleyball the preferred way to serve the ball is overhanded, which can be a challenge to master for many of our players. Being the kind of coach I am, I place more emphasis on the positive growth of my players over any number of championships I might be a part of with my teams. (Don't think I'm not out there trying to win, I am a competitor to the end!) A couple of years ago, I was coaching in our summer league and most of the girls on our team had not mastered their overhand serve. We were losing every match and, in some part, it was due to the other teams allowing players to serve underhanded if they couldn't consistently serve overhanded. After one of our matches a dad approached me about allowing the girls to serve underhanded. My response has become my go to for all such conversations. "If you can find me a basketball coach that teaches their players to shoot foul shots the old "granny style" between the leg’s way, then I'll let our girls serve underhanded.” I went on to explain that the goal of a summer league like this should be to get the girls ready for middle or high school competitive volleyball and that the overhand serve would be necessary to successfully make the team at that level. I could tell he understood what my goal was and we left with a common understanding. As the season progressed I noticed that this particular player's serve was getting stronger and she was beginning to get some serves in. By the end of the season, she had become our most consistent, dependable server. You could see the joy on her face, and the pride her parents displayed from the stands. What I didn't know, but found out later, was that after our chat earlier that season the dad had went home and constructed a makeshift volleyball court for his daughter to get extra practice in on her overhand serve. I'm not sure if I was prouder of the young athlete for mastering her serve, or if I was more impressed with this dad who bypassed the instant gratification of seeing his daughter's team win using a skill that would not impact her chances of making her middle school team and worked with her to conquer the serve. Delayed gratification at its best. 

 

At times we are all the coach or the teacher, what I want to make sure we all realize is that more often we are the student that needs to learn the lesson and apply it to our own life. How many of us are dealing with situations at work that make you feel like you should just throw up your hands and quit? Is there a situation in your marriage or a relationship that makes you just want to throw in the towel and call it quits? How about finances? You want what your neighbor has and you want it now! (Going into debt to satisfy that instant gratification may not be the best idea.) What about health issues? Anyone out there wanting to ask God "Why?" Why am I going through this health complication? Why was I born with this debilitating disease? Maybe it is time we started asking "What" instead of "Why". 

God, what do you want me to do through this situation or circumstance I am facing? God what can I do through this affliction or adversity that will help others see you living in me? God what is your purpose for this life you have given me to live? What do you want me to do God, so that the life I have been given will impact the lives of those you intended me to impact when I was created? If we focus on the short-term situations in our lives, we will most certainly miss out on the long-term purpose that we were placed on this earth to accomplish. It may feel better to take the easy way out, it might decrease the discomfort or pain temporarily, but is that what God wants for us? I don't think so. 

 

Jesus told His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Matthew 16:33. Delayed gratification! We may have to endure pain today, but we have the promise of peace for eternity. Others may appear to get there quicker and never seem to have to wait it out, but God's purpose for your life is unique and if we will stay the course His plan will be fulfilled in us and through us!

Each day we face the challenge of keeping our eye on the prize God has set for our life, yet way too many of us aren't willing to stay the course and struggle through to reach God's purpose. We want everything to be smooth sailing and when our sails hit winds that cut across our path too often we want to draw in the sails and sit it out or even worse turn around and go back because we don't want to fight the storm. As you set goals for yourself, your family, your marriage, your job, and any other aspects of your life, keep the long-term outcome in mind. In the short term, you will more than likely face adversity and struggles that will cause you to rethink your plans and you may even begin to contemplate giving up. But don't! God has a plan for your life, and if you seek His will the long-term outcome it will benefit so many others for generations to come. Put off the urge to accept the easy instant gratifications in life, and hold out for the long-term goals that are still to come. Delayed gratification! 

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 

 

Coach Carter

 

 

What Does It Mean to Be Content?

 

"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."                                                                                 Philippians 4:12

 I recently traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah to attend a conference for work, and let me say this first, "Thank you Salt Lake City for the kindness of your people and the beauty of your picturesque scenery! In the days and weeks leading up to my travel several friends and acquaintances had expressed how beautiful SLC was and how much I was going to love the Rocky Mountain backdrops. The snowcapped mountains in late April did not fail to disappoint, and a beautiful four-mile hike confirmed the majesty of the Rockies! As beautiful as the Rocky Mountains are and as inviting as the city of Salt Lake City is, I missed my home sweet home, which led me to an epiphany of sorts that prompted today's Flat Tire Ministries thought.

 

What does it mean to be content? In the verse above, Paul explained that he had gotten to the place where he was "content" when he had pretty much everything he needed, and also when he was in need and had nothing. Hungry or full, destitute or overflowing, Paul said he had learned the "secret" of being content. Why did Paul call being content a secret to be learned? Probably because so many of us don't possess the contentedness in our hearts that allows us to realize what we do have and how fortunate we are to have what we have. 

 

Early on in my visit to Utah, I started thinking about our own Great Smoky Mountains, a subrange of the Appalachian mountain range, and how beautiful they are. In contrast to the Rockies, the Smoky Mountains just have a different feel to them. Salt Lake City sits in a basin with the Rockies forming the bowl in which the city sits. Visiting the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee or North Carolina you don't get the feel of being surrounded by the mountains, it's more like a blanket that covers the region. The Smoky Mountains form a magnificent backdrop for amazing sunrises and breath-taking sunsets and the wide array of flora and fauna make it even more enjoyable to visit and admire. Sorry Rocky Mountains, but I'll keep my Smokies!

 

Yet my point isn't about which mountain range is the best, the point is that too often I get up in the morning and look out at the Smoky Mountains and that is about all I do, look. It took a trip over half way across the United States for me to realize just how fortunate I am to live in East Tennessee. I had heard a great deal about the Rocky Mountains, I had studied their formations in Geography classes, and I had viewed breathtaking photographs of their jagged, snow cased peaks. In my mind I just wanted to see it, I was certain I would be awestruck and that I was. But, I missed home. I realized that I had not been content with what I have right here at home. I had placed the everyday beauty of what East Tennessee provides aside for what I thought would be so much better with the Rockies. I wanted more, I had lost my appreciation for what I did have, and fortunately for me, I was wise enough to realize that I had coveted where I should have been contented. 

 

In your life what are you wishing you had "better"? Better car, bigger house, new job, new spouse, more money, any of those resonate? Being content isn't relegated to material objects, better health status, or a different life altogether also fit in the contented spectrum. Too often we want what we don't have, thus we are not content with what we do have. Being content doesn't mean that we should feel guilty about wanting to improve or increase, it just means that our driving force in life shouldn't be what's next, but more about what are we doing with what we have been given. Being content means I shouldn't be complaining about having to eat beans three times a week, but more about being grateful for the beans that are providing nourishment to my body and a full stomach so I don't go to bed hungry tonight. Being content doesn't mean that wanting a new house is wrong, but it does mean that as long as I am living in the house I am living I am grateful, thankful, and feel completely blessed for having the roof over my head and the comfort that our home provides. 

 

Being content is elusive for way too many people, our social culture forces us to want more, want bigger, better, and newer. God tells us something else. In the book of Hebrews, the message is clear, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”" Hebrews 13:5. Regardless of your situation you should be content because God is with you in every instance and in all circumstances. God wants you and I to be content, to understand that as we live our lives and we begin to thank God for our lives regardless of what our lives feel like in our minds, we are blessed and we should be content. Trust me, being content without God in the driver seat is a challenge, I know, I tried and it just doesn't work. My prayer, "God thank you for who I am and what you have given me in this life. Thank you for the beauty of your creation and thank you for allowing me to enjoy the world in which you have placed me to live at this moment in my life. May I focus on what I have and what You have done in my life, and allow Your purpose for this life you have given me to be where I place my efforts. Thank you. Amen."

Be content.

Coach Carter

Three "Ps" in a Pod (Part 3 of 3)

I remember being glued to the TV for each of the episodes of the Batman television series when I was a kid back in the mid-1960s. Looking back at the old rerun episodes it puts a grin on my face to think about how far Hollywood has gone in terms of technology and special effects. For an inquisitive five-year-old the blinking computer screen lights of the Batcave, the flames bursting out of the back of the Batmobile, and all the gidgets and gadgets located on Batman's utility belt made great fodder for my Batadventures in the barn and down on the creek. One piece of "technology" that still resonates in my mind was the Batphone. In Commissioner Gordan's office a special red phone sat isolated on a pedestal, which held the sole purpose of being able to contact Batman anytime and wherever he might be as a new menacing villain plagued Gotham City. The police commissioner knew that in an emergency situation he could pick up that phone and Batman would answer and soon thereafter show up to save the day!

How many of us find that our prayer life is just a little too similar to the Batphone and the good people of Gotham City's connection to the caped crusader? Two weeks ago, we started our "Three P's in a Pod" series as we looked at how our perspective in life can set us up to face adversity and use it for our benefit, and then last week, we gazed into the realm of perseverance and how the never give up and never give in attitude will carry us forward in life. Today we will conclude this series with what I would deem the most important tool for us to have in our own "utility belt", prayer.

 

The Batphone sat ready to contact Batman in a moment's notice. It wasn't set up for the Commissioner to have a nice chit-chat with the superhero, but as a direct line to be used in emergency situations only. Of course, Batman or his alias Bruce Wayne, was always there. If the Joker rolled into town, Batman was on the receiving end of the Commissioner's plea for help. When the Penguin wanted to destroy Gotham City, Batman answered the call and responded post haste. Reflecting back now, the one thing I never saw was Commissioner Gordan picking up the Batphone and saying "Thanks for all you do, and thank you for always being there." It definitely was a one sided, "take" only relationship. 

 

Think about how you pray with God. Do you pick up the Batphone of prayer only in your emergencies, tragedies, and crises? Is God your go to when calamity strikes, even if you haven't talked with God in years? Do you expect instant results when you do pray? Do we expect God to answer our Batcall and immediately heal our infirmities regardless of taking into consideration that God has a plan for each of our lives and it is our responsibility to learn from our adversities and afflictions and then apply what we learn to the life we have been given to live? 

 

Prayer is more than praying before we eat a meal giving thanks, and it is more than a ritual we do before we go to bed at night. Prayer is where we build a relationship with the God of all creation. In I Thessalonians 5:17 Paul instructs us to, "pray without ceasing" and then he follows that up in verse 18 with "giving thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you". How often do we pray just to give God thanks for what He is, has, and will do in our lives? To pray without ceasing doesn't mean to sit around day in and day out praying, it is more of a charge to believers to seek God in all situations and under all circumstances. God is there in our emergencies, but it is my opinion that He should recognize your number on His caller ID when you call in your moments of need. 

We pray because God directs us to let our requests be made known to Him, (Philippians 4:6), yet how often do we pray a prayer seeking God's will on our lives, and also to just to say thank you for all that He has done in our lives and the lives of our family and friends. We pray for strength to endure, but we also pray for discernment to better understand how we should be serving God through our service to others. Think about it, how many times did the good commissioner ever pick up the phone and ask Batman what the people of Gotham City could do to help him, no it was definitely a “I'll call you when I need you”, type of relationship. Don't get me wrong God wants us to come to him when we are burdened and when we face insurmountable mountains in our path (Matthew 11:28-30), yet when we truly have a relationship with God, our prayers will take on a completely different persona. Our prayer life will become more about how we can better fulfill the purpose God has for our life in our circumstances, then it will be about rescuing us in every situation and circumstance. 

 

The power of prayer is found when we truly establish a relationship with God through prayer. Prayer becomes a part of who you are, and it is where you begin to visualize things that happen in your life differently. You won't always be the victim, you will become the overcomer through adversity, you will be the servant to your fellow man instead of the downtrodden recipient of one tragedy after another. Meet with God in private, establish your quiet time so you not only pray to God, but you actually listen more than you talk. Just as Elijah realized in I Kings 19:11-13 God wasn't necessarily in the storm or the fire, He was with him in a small, still voice. "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13. Prayer will change your life, so just as we started today's FTM, my charge to you is to "pray without ceasing" not praying 24/7, but praying regularly, daily, and about all things. Amen

Coach Carter

 

Three "Ps" In a Pod ( Part 2 of 3)

 Last week we started this three-part series with the goal of sharing key characteristics that can and will make your life have more meaning and purpose if only you embrace them and make them a part of who you are. The good thing about each of these traits is that they are developmental. Last week we looked at how your perspective on situations and circumstances can change your outlook on life. The notion that some people are just born with a negative outlook or that some people just automatically look on the bright side of things is merely that a notion. The very situations and circumstances that happen in each of our lives are the same instances that help us develop our perspective. The same rule applies with today's trait, perseverance. 

Just as in running you build your stamina by training your body over a period of time, the same is true for perseverance. Marathon runners don't start training by running twenty-six miles, some started out walking around the block in their neighborhood, and even athletes that might label themselves as "conditioned" have to start somewhere to build up their endurance and stamina to eventually reach the goal of finishing a 42-kilometer race. So, as we jump into our Flat Tire Thought today, don't be too hard on yourself thinking that you are a quitter or that you don't know how to bounce back up after a fall. That is what perseverance does for you and a great deal of your development in the area of persevering is directly linked to one four letter word, hope. 

When I say perseverance is directly connected to the word hope, don't get confused thinking I'm talking about something like luck. "Oh, I hope I win the lottery" is giving the word hope more of that type of connotation. I don't believe in luck, to me there are no coincidences in life. God has a plan, we make choices about which direction we are going to go, but I trust that God's plan will be fulfilled whether it is by me making the right choices, or through some other means if I fail to fulfill God's purpose for my life in service to Him. So, if "hope" isn't just hoping for something good to happen in our lives, then what is this hope that pushes us to move forward and not give up?

Hope is the presence of faith that there is something bigger than ourselves out there. A firm, unwavering belief that the God who created Heaven and Earth, the Omnipotent and Omniscient Alpha and Omega, has His hand on my life, your life, and every other person's life. The hope that this type of faith builds is one that believes all things happen for a purpose and that God has a plan and His plan will be done. We persevere because we hold firm to this belief. I won't give up, because at the very moment I do I may have missed out on the door that God was getting ready to open. 

The tale of the race between the tortoise and the hare is an improbable one at best. Looking at the participants in that race it would be ludicrous to even think the slow, methodical tortoise would even have a chance to win that race, but that is exactly why they ran the race. The outcome is not settled until one of the contestants crosses the finish line. In the case of this proverbial tale, the tortoise prevailed because of its perseverance. Not because the tortoise thought all it had to do was show up and the victory was in hand, but instead, it was because somewhere along the way that tortoise had prepared for such as day as this race and in the tortoise's mind, the race could be won and in this particular instance win the tortoise did!

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1. We do not know the outcomes in life. We do not have a crystal ball that can show us whether we will win the race or if we will fail miserably finishing dead last. Even worse we don't have a guarantee that we will even finish the race that we are currently running. It is not our place to know the ultimate outcome of our races in life, it is our responsibility to run the race as if we are going to win the race. Even if we fall back or fall down, we must get back up and keep pushing for the goal that we are pursuing. Perseverance. Plainly and simply said, we don't give up because we have a faith in something bigger than ourselves and definitely bigger than what we can literally see. I have chosen to place my faith in Christ. 

I may fall down ten times, I will get back up eleven! I might lose the race today, but I will continue to work and improve for the next race tomorrow. I may lose the battle over and over again, but ultimately, I know who has already claimed the victory! "For we walk by faith, not by sight" II Corinthians 5:7, and that faith tells me to keep fighting when the odds are improbable, to keep rising up when the mountain looks insurmountable, and I will continue to give, serve, and lead because I believe that is what I was placed on this earth to do. On purpose for a purpose! My prayer is that you will develop your perseverance capacity. Overcome obstacles by making them ladders to what's next instead of barriers to what might have been. Constantly move forward in the face of adversity because the faith you have in Christ will empower you to overcome it if it is His will, or endure it and thrive in it if that is His will. Learn from your mistakes because those are the building blocks for your next opportunity in life. You've got this! 

 

Coach Carter

Three "P's" in a Pod (Part 1 of 3)

 

How we live our lives depends a great deal on our mental attitudes. One person owns a business, while another person in desperation makes plans to rob that business. One person wins the marathon, while another looks at running the race as an insurmountable task to complete. One person stops what they are doing and leans down to pull their neighbor out of the ditch, while another person sees that same person and thinks "Why don't they get up and get out of that ditch?" I would propose that there exist three qualities that encircle a great deal of what goes into the thinking behind each of the scenarios above. We were all made unique, just like a snowflake, there is no two of us exactly the same. Yet, in our differences there are opportunities to mold and shape who we are and in so doing, shape how we will believe and achieve. For the next three weeks we will be looking at the "three P's in a pod" that have the ability to change you and your outlook on life. Perspective, Perseverance, and Prayer and where you fall in the development of each of the three will determine a great deal of how you will respond to adversity, affliction, and life in general. Today we'll be looking at your perspective. 

 

I was listening to a radio broadcast out of Nashville this morning, and the two disc jockeys were sharing that one of the pair had broken her wrist over the last day or so. The DJs joked back and forth about the incident that led to the injury, but the point in the conversation that caught my attention the most is when the injured person's counterpart paused to point out all the things she could still do with only one healthy arm. Of course, his suggestions were for pure entertainment purposes as he offered activities such as filling in for the Queen as she waves to the crowds, raising your hand to volunteer, and still being able to eat an ice cream cone were a few of his comical suggestions, but inside of his comedic relief, I heard the message of perspective in our circumstances being shared. 

 

Half empty, half full, half way up the mountain or still have half of the mountain to climb, we each have our own perspective on how things are fleshing out in our lives. To label yourself as either a pessimist or an optimist is a cut and dry way of creating a persona, but for me it is so much more. Your perspective on the situations and circumstances you endure and overcome is critical to what you do and how well you do it to benefit others in your world. 

 

When it comes to perspective, Lieutenant General Lewis "Chesty" Puller provided a view of how your perspective can impact not only you, but those you live, work, or serve with each day. Puller is a United States Marine legend, stories like the one I am about to share explain why. During the Korean War, Chesty and his troops found themselves completely surrounded by enemy forces. Surrounded by your enemy, where do you place your focus in a situation like that? In that setting you couldn't even say your back was up against the wall, because your enemy was at your front and at your back. My thought would be there was a bleak sense of pending doom on the minds of many of the soldiers that day. How commanding officer Lewis Puller reacted demonstrates how perspective is paramount to success. Puller gathered his men and shared the situation in the following manner. I paraphrase, "Men for days we have been searching for our enemy, we now have intelligence that informs us that the enemy is positioned to our north, to our south, to the east, and to the west", I am sure men's hearts were dropping fast, but then, the leader in the room, Puller shared this perspective, "that's good news, they can't get away now!" What a rallying cry, to hear your leader proclaim victory in the face of what might otherwise appear to be insurmountable odds. Puller and his men survived that harrowing experience, and I have to believe a great deal of it was due to the attitude of "we can do this" that the man leading the charge provided. 

 

Your perspective will cause you to give up and quit, or it will inspire you to forge forward and fight regardless of the adversity you are facing. When Jesus realized that He soon would be arrested, most likely tortured, and then ultimately hung on a cross to die a criminal's death, his humanness felt afraid. Nobody wants to endure pain and suffering, but in this case, Jesus knew it was inevitable. As much as He knew what had to happen, Jesus still asked His father if He could be spared, "Father, if you will, withdraw this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be fulfilled." Luke 22:42. The perspective Jesus provided is one of sacrifice over self. "I don't want to endure this cross, but if it is better for me to suffer, so that others might be saved then so be it." is a trait that characterizes servant leadership, and instills a sense of a much bigger purpose for us and the life we live. 

 

Your perspective matters. It will dictate how you respond in adversity, it will move you to action or it will freeze you in fear. Your perspective will cause you to feel sorry for yourself or it will allow you to realize that someone out there has a much harder life than you and they are still moving forward making the most out of the life they have been given. Your perspective will carry your family forward when the going gets tough, and having the ability to put things in a proper perspective will change the way you feel when you get up each morning that you have been the God given ability to get up! I believe I can move mountains, one spoonful at a time if necessary, but move that mountain I can and I will! God is faithful and He will not leave me alone along the way! Where are you on the perspective spectrum? My prayer is that you will seek God's perspective of hope and an enduring faith that promises "all things work for good ..." Romans 8:28.

Coach Carter

As Much as Things Change, One Thing Still Remains the Same

Have you ever stopped and given thought to how the world, as we know it, is changing so rapidly right before your eyes? Technology is almost outdated before it hits the store shelf, advances in medical treatments have elongated the life span of mankind exponentially, and the internet continues to shrink the world in terms of a global community. When I think about the changes that have taken place in my fifty-eight years, I can only shake my head in amazement. You have to realize, I'm still trying to figure out how I can be sitting right here in Morristown, Tennessee talking on a device to someone across town, on the other end of our state, or to our friends across the big pond! I mean when I was growing up the Jetsons was a popular cartoon based around the "future". George Jetson, patriarch, had video calls coming in on a wall mounted TV monitor and I was so impressed with the idea of being able to talk to someone and see that person on a screen. Zoom? Teams? Google Meets? Who would have thought? I guess I'm waiting on the chance to shout out the command, "Beam me up Scottie!" 

 

Cars that drive themselves, artificial intelligence that can perform so many "human" tasks, and most recently a miraculous vaccine for a global pandemic produced in months as opposed to years, these are things that we barely even blink at, but if you sit and really give them some thought it certainly does borderline with incredible! Life as we know it will continue to change, yesterday's science fiction is today's reality, that is just the reality of life as we know it. But, I would make a proposal that is not a new mindset, but one that takes on a whole new perspective when placed in its proper context, “The more things change, the more they stay the same!”

 

How we conduct business may change to a virtual world, yet we will always be dependent on business to make the global economic world go around. People may interact through virtual formats, but we will always thrive on making connections with our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and acquaintances even if they are on the other side of the world! And learning, which is essential to progress, may become more of a personalized experience filled with online, simulated, and asynchronous components, but the necessity of learning will always remain a primal obligation for mankind if we plan to continue moving forward. The more things change...

 

As much as this world has changed there is one constant that has not changed, one person that has been the same since the dawn of creation and will remain the same regardless of how "things" change in our world. We serve a great big God, a God that loves you just as He loved the Jew and the Gentile, the wealthy and the poor, the downtrodden and the honored, God's love has not changed, and the pathway to receiving His love remains as simple today as it was over 2000 years ago. Ask, seek, and receive His gift, it is free of charge and available anytime day or night!

My generation has lived through land lines and party lines (you may have to ask someone about party lines), to smart phones that can be accessed on your wrist, or hands free in your vehicle of choice. I have gone from ordering my burger through a little box mounted beside an illuminated menu board and then having my order delivered to me by a wheeled carhop, to ordering that same burger via Uber Eats and potentially having a drone drop off my meal at my front porch steps, with equal delivery times! Change is good, and progress is inevitable, but I am thankful that my God, your God, our God is the same God today, tomorrow, yesterday, and forevermore! 

 

The Bible assures us that our path to eternal life is simple and unchanging, "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." I John 2:17. In relation to today's topic we are reminded that, "... we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." II Corinthians 4:18, and above all matters past, present, and future, it is paramount that we understand the sacrifice that was made so that we can gain our eternal salvation through Christ, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. It doesn't matter who you are, what you have done, or where you exist on life's spectrum of clout and position in life, salvation is yours forevermore! I thank our Father in Heaven for the eternal gift that was given for each of us, a gift that regardless of how much things change, His love will forever remain the same! Hallelujah! May you receive and accept His eternal love today!

Coach Carter