72 Degree Mentality

Beyond my life experiences as an educator, I also spent over 30 years of my life either working in or operating a market/deli that our family owned. Over the course of those 30 years I held pretty much every job title available from parking lot sweeper to manager and eventually owner. I guess one of my favorite roles, outside of working the grill, was as a cashier. I enjoyed talking with our customers and over the years developed so many friendships that have endured long after we sold the business in 2010. What became a common closing to the majority of those conversations was a salutation that I carried with me beyond my years in retail to the point that it flowed out of my mouth at the end of most of my conversations. As a person turned to leave our establishment I would quip, "See you later, don't work too hard". Looking back now from my more experienced and hopefully wiser lens of life, I have to ask myself, "What were you thinking?" For over thirty years I basically advised people to take it easy on the job, don't do your best, and definitely don't work too hard!" 

 

Inherently, my intent was never to encourage mediocrity, yet as that phrase became the prevalent closing remark in conversations with my own son and daughter, I had to rethink what kind of subliminal message about work and life I really wanted to convey. Somewhere along the line, that phrase, "Don't work too hard" became more of a warning to those who were putting in a good day's work. Today I cringe when I think about the hundreds or thousands of times I made that farewell to customers, friends, and family. Over the last twenty years I have reinvented my "see you later sentiment" to more of a "work hard and do a good job" statement. In a society where working hard somehow has become equated to a lower level of life, I believe it is our responsibility to inspire every generation that we can have an iota of influence with to definitely work hard, get dirty when necessary, and always give your best. 

 

Regardless of the type of work we are doing whether it is our job, volunteer efforts, or even chores around the house, we should model and make working hard the expected norm. I recently heard a statement that aptly fits in this conversation on the state of being comfortable and not "sweating" in our day. Author and financial advisor Dave Ramsey commented that "We have become a society that leaves a 72-degree house, gets into a 72-degree car, and then arrives at our 72-degree office." This is a curt commentary on where we are as a society, yet I feel this same statement is an appropriate reflection on the mentality of "Don't work too hard". America was founded on the backs of men and women who worked hard, it is imperative that we regain that mental toughness and that we instill a work ethic that will persist through the not so comfortable hot and cold moments in life. As we raise our sons and daughters, and as we educate the next generation of leaders, let's make sure we instill in them the inert desire to work hard, work through being uncomfortable, and to always give their best. 

 

A favorite scripture of mine from the Apostle Paul reminds me that we must get outside of that 72-degree comfort zone. Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,". In other words, give your best and work hard, what you are doing is a direct reflection on our service to God. It is time to remove the "Don't work too hard" context from our vocabulary. Civilizations and countries were not built on the back of mediocrity and comfortable 72-degree settings. As parents it is critical that we move from a society of not wanting things to be too tough, to a mind shift of you can do tough things. This should carry over into academics in school, participation in athletics (not everyone needs to get a trophy, I'm just saying...), and most definitely on the job as we give our best and do the hard work that is necessary. What are your expectations in your own life? Do you model grit and resilience in your work life? When work gets tough do you give in or do you dig in? What lessons are you teaching those you have influence over whether it is your family, young people you teach, coach, or work with each day. Work hard, give your best, and know that you will influence someone each day, what will that takeaway be?

 

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3

Coach Carter 

 

The Easy Wrong or the Hard Right

As humans we have been given the innate ability to make tens of thousands of choices each day. Whether we fully realize it or not, each of those decisions have either a direct or indirect impact on your day. The alarm clock blares out its morning wakeup call and we either hit the snooze button or we decide to roll on out of bed and into the shower. That choice, simple as it may seem, will impact your morning and potentially the whole day.  Think about it, that 10-minute snooze causes you to be off your regular schedule so automatically your day is going to start behind schedule. The ensuing chain of events minor as they may be are just that a chain reaction of sorts. When you do rise from your extended slumber your heart rate is naturally going to run a little faster because you are off schedule. You may have to skip or at best decrease some important aspect of your morning routine such as working out, devotional time, or consequentially passing on breakfast. In much the same line of thinking as "If you give a mouse a cookie..." skipping breakfast leads to making an unwise substitution for your morning meal, i.e. high caffeine, high sugar, low nutritional value option (I'm thinking white cup, green logo). This in turn may cause you to over respond to the hunger pangs and you hyper indulge when it comes time to eat the midday meal. I could go on and on about the simple choice of hitting a ten-minute snooze button, but I'm guessing you can see the picture I'm attempting to paint. The key message here is this, easy decisions, in this case simply touching a snooze button on your phone, lead to numerous outcomes throughout your day. Restating the obvious, life is full of choices and decisions each day, yet the matter at hand is more about whether you will choose what is labelled the "easy wrong" or will you step up and choose the "hard right"?

 

You can replace hitting the snooze button with pretty much any choice that you will make on a daily basis. You can extend this concept outside of the mundane and apply it to decisions you make surrounding school, work, family, finance, and ultimately your faith. Let’s look at a couple of examples of how the "easy wrong" can lead us towards a hard and bumpy road, while choosing the "hard right" thing to do creates pathways towards resilience, integrity, and ultimately faith. After a late-night ballgame, you make the decision to not complete your homework and hope that the teacher will have mercy on you due to the late ending game. That represents an "easy wrong" while the "hard right" choice clearly is to persevere through the assignment knowing that you really want to make a strong grade in this challenging class. The teeter totter effect of this simple choice in a high school class creates a trajectory for future choices in other classes, and ultimately in life. The "easy wrong" choice develops a sense of self-pity and lack of accountability creating an adult that makes excuses and blames others or circumstances for their life's outcomes. The resilience and fortitude that you develop by choosing the "hard right" of being responsible and accountable to your grades, classes, and teachers spills over into your life as you become someone that others can count on when the going gets tough and the deadline is approaching. For our next example let's close our eyes and place ourselves in a situation. You're driving down the interstate and up ahead you see a car sitting off the road with a flat tire. As you get closer you realize the sidelined auto belongs to an elderly couple who appear to be struggling with the situation. Do you choose the "easy wrong" and excuse yourself out of stopping to aid? "They probably have already called their family to come help." Or, "I would stop, but I'm already running late for my dinner date." The "hard right" in situations such as this has us thinking about what we would want someone to do if it was our teenage daughter stranded on the highway. The "easy wrong" in any similar situation like this feeds a "me first" personality that often justifies away accountability by excusing ourselves out of civic duty or even blaming the victim so we don't have to get involved. The "hard right" fosters a sense of service before self and a servant leadership mindset that we must instill in those we come in contact with each day. 

 

At the end of the day the "easy wrong" and the "hard right" choices we make have a far-reaching impact on the life of each individual, way beyond one homework assignment or a little snooze button support every now and then. Joshua, who followed Moses as the leader of the Israelites made his own declaration of choosing the "hard right" near the end of his life. "Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!  And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:14-15. The "easy wrong" here is live life for self. No sacrifice, no service, no placing God first before the material world. The true "hard right" choice is all about deciding who you will serve. The more we commitment the easier life becomes, in the hard times, in the rough moments, we have God's promise that he will never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus had a choice to make when he faced Calvary's Cross, the "easy wrong" choice would have been to let us face life on our own, the "hard right" choice cost him pain, suffering and ultimately a cruel death on the cross. His "easy wrong" choice would have meant life without the promise of salvation for mankind. His "hard right" choice gave us a chance to have life eternally with Him. You may have already made the choice to give your life to God and you understand that you will still face those "easy wrong" and "hard right" choices each day. Or, you may not have ever made the decision to follow God and give your life as a living sacrifice in service to Him. Regardless, be certain, we all will face "easy wrongs" and "hard rights" throughout our lives. God's word will guide you as you navigate life's choices. Follow the example of the One who made the "hard right" choice to give His life for you and for me. "My Father, if it can be done, take away what is before Me. Even so, not what I want but what You want” Matthew 26:39. 

Coach Carter

"Whistle While You Work"

The Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" provides us with the title of today's blog, a catchy jingle jangle type song that the main character, Snow White, sang as she undertook the task of cleaning up the disastrously dirty house she came upon in the forest. I probably haven't watched that movie since I was a young lad, but that song has stuck in my head for decades, and I truly do believe there is a great deal of significance to the idea of "whistling while we work". Recently, I've been spending a great deal of my Bible study time focusing on work, and a common underlying theme seems to be the idea that our work should be an extension of our walk with God. If you attend church you most likely spend on average between two and five hours per week at the church building itself. We sing, we praise, we honor, and we worship God throughout the time we spend "at church", but what about the other 144 hours that are available to us from Monday through Saturday? We live out our relationship with God on Sunday's, but what about where we spend the majority of our waking hours?

 

It is estimated that most people will spend between 60 to 80 percent of their waking hours at work. Alarmingly, it is also estimated that close to 75% of surveyed workers say they are discontented with their work. So, if most people spend well over 50% of the time they are awake at work, yet 3 out of every 4 workers are unhappy at work, it would be reasonable to surmise that there ain't a lot of whistling going on in the workplace! Considering the numbers we started with about time spent at church or even adding in church related activities, we are looking at less than 5% of our waking hours. During "church" we sing out praises to God, we worship God through our prayers, and we grow in Him, by listening, sharing, and giving our full attention to God. But for today's purpose, my question is are you giving God that same spot of importance throughout the work week? 

 

Let's put this information into a perspective about how we approach our attitude toward work. We have established that our time at work and the time we spend at church are significantly different, with our "at work" time far outdistancing time at church. Add into that equation the data that says only about 30% of Americans attend church. Having that piece of information to add into the equation, where is it most likely that you and I will have an opportunity to show someone who God is and what following Him actually looks like? At work! That brings us back to the statistic that three out of 4 people say they are unhappy at work. I believe we can safely say that some of those 3 out of 4 would qualify themselves as followers of Christ, and if they are unhappy at work what image of God working in us is on display? The Hebrew word "avad" translates as "to serve" and is used in both the context of work and also in reference to your witness. If the terms "to work" and "to witness" are one in the same, should we not be a witness for God through the work we do each day? 

 

In Colossians 3:23, one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible, Paul encourages the church in Colossae with this charge, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters". I believe that term "whatever you do" is pretty encompassing and definitely includes our jobs and the work we do each day. Whatever we do, do it as if you are doing it for God and not just because it is your job. Paul goes on to say to give it all you got while you are working. If our work is a tremendous part of our waking hours, and if we are to witness through our work, would it not also stand to reason that we should be "whistling while we work"? 

 

I have been blessed to be the "1" in that 3 out of 4 statistic that loves the career field I have been blessed to give over 30 years of my life. Over the years I have literally caught myself whistling on my way in the door whether that door led to a classroom, the principal's office, or most recently the door to an office at the Board of Education. Is it that everyday has been filled with rose petals and gumball machines? No. Is it because I believe God has a purpose for each of us and I have been blessed to have the opportunity to impact lives through His will for this life God gave me to live? Most certainly. If you are not whistling while you work, could it be that you need a career change? Possibly. Is it more likely that you are looking at your work as just that, work? Possibly as well. Is it thinkable that if you were to build a personal relationship with your Creator and earnestly seek His will in the work you do each day you might begin to fill fulfilled? Absolutely. God first created the earth and everything in it, and then He created man to take care of it (Genesis 2:15). In other words, God created work, and then He created man to do the work. You are doing God's work each day, whatever it is you do, God has placed you in that setting for a purpose. Work earnestly, diligently, and with do your work with everything you got! (Colossians 3:23)

 

Allow God to work in you and through you. May the work you do be an extension of who you are in Christ. Whistle while you work!

 

Coach Carter

An "Act of God" Incident

Over the years I have made references to why this weekly message is titled Flat Tire Ministries, yet if you are new to the blog it is worth noting that over a period of two to three years of my life I experienced an unusually high number of flat tires. Non-coincidentally, during that same period of my life, I experienced a number of figurative "flat tires" that posed the potential for my family and I to be stuck on the curb of life's highway if I didn't get out of the life situation and fix the flat! I learned a great deal about resilience, grit, and perseverance through that period in my life, I developed character through adversity, and I grew immensely in the area of servant leadership as God taught me that my life is not about me. 

 

Interestingly, my wife and I have also been the recipients of a rather high number of busted windshields, each the victim of flying debris coming off the road and landing of all places right there in the middle of our windshield. I haven't researched it, but I would go out on a limb and say our five busted windshields ranks pretty high for families in the busted windshield arena. Nothing like our nearly 30 flat tires, yet more than the average family experiences through their comings and goings. So, if I figured out that God was using those flat tires to spur me forward in life, then using the same methodology leads me to believe God has a purpose for our busted windshields as well. Let's dig in to that analogy a little deeper. 

My guess is the majority of folks driving a vehicle on the highways and by-ways across the world have at one time or another had a rock, pebble, or some other debris bounce around on the road in front of you only to watch the last bounce land the object reflecting off your windshield. We possibly flinch, winch a bit, and then we survey our windshield to see if there is any damage that was not there literally a few seconds ago.  Fortunately, not every reflected ding off our windshields creates damage that must be repaired or replaced, but unfortunately many times we are faced with trailing spider legs of cracks, or direct impacts that actually shatter the area impacted forcing us to replace the windshield in our cars, trucks, or SUVs. If God uses flat tires to help us learn to persevere through adversity then surely He can use a busted windshield to teach us a valuable lesson for living life and living it more abundantly for Him!

 

Many times, the debris flying up off the road is birthed in a vehicle’s tire, chassis or attached trailer then hitting a little chug hole in the road releases the aforementioned rock, or other formidable loose debris causing it to bounce around the road until it lands on our forward driving glass window. On one personal occasion I happened to get the name of the company that owned the construction vehicle from whence the object was propelled. I searched out their business number and called to inform them that their truck had launched a missile of sorts into my windshield and wanted to request that they compensate me for the now shattered windshield. Much to my chagrin, the owner of the business on the other end of the phone informed me that I could contact his insurance company, but it wouldn't get me anywhere because that type of accident is considered an "Act of God". Basically, meaning that an accident such as a rock bouncing up off the road cannot be predicted or prevented so it is considered an "Act of God".  

 

How fitting, a busted windshield for the most part is considered an "Act of God". Proves my point, job done! But if our busted windshields are a metaphor for something in our life and God wants to use those broken windshields for His benefit, the question begs "What are we supposed to gain from a busted windshield?" For me the answer is clear, (more so than our current windshield), our windshield serves as the lens by which we see where we are going in life. If our windshield gets dirty from bugs and dirt we have to clean it so that we can see where we are going. If our windshield ends up busted as a result of debris flying up and decreasing our visibility then we have to get a repair done or possibly replace our windshield for a new view of where we are going. Our lives are the same way, many times we allow the dirt and debris to distort our visibility of what God has intended for our lives. At other times our life's windshield gets busted and where we thought we were intended to be going is delayed or at best distracted by debris such as relationship matters, work related issues, financial concerns, injuries, or any other type of life event that distorts our view of where God has purposed us to go in this life He gave us to live. 

 

One company that offers repairs or replacements for our vehicle's busted windshields is Safelite. Their mission statement is to "build trust and assure that their customer's experience fuels their company's road to greatness." In our figurative world of busted windshields God provides us with a "Safe Light" as well.  In John 8:12 Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Safelite can repair your car's damaged windshield so you can see where you are going, in the same way God is the light of this world, He can and will fix your busted and broken life and give you a new lens to see where He wants you to go and how He wants you to proceed moving forward. 

 

In closing, you don't hear of too many busted rear windows getting busted, in most part because we look in the rear window to see where we were and to learn from those experiences. God doesn't want us to live in our past, He wants us to live for Him by serving others and moving forward each day. Is your windshield of life cracked? Is your view of God's plan for your life being distorted by the dirt and debris? If so call on God to provide you with the repair you need! God will repair what is broken and He will make your way clear! Call on Him today.

Coach Carter

Left Out In the Dark

Have you ever heard of or used the idiom "left out in the dark"? Leaving someone in the dark basically means not including them in relevant and/or important information that the person probably needs. So, that raises the question, why was the dark chosen for this particular idiom? Obviously, when you are literally in the dark, it is nearly impossible to see what is in the room which increases the likelihood of someone bumping into something like a table, chair, or other object that may cause you to stump your toe, bruise your shin, or possibly trip you up for a fall. Being left out in the dark also conjures up images of someone being left outside among the elements of the night which we all pretty much associate with negative outcomes. Being outside after dark is when the creatures of the night howl and prowl, where robbers kill, steal, and destroy (see John 10:10), and when I as a little boy was told to come inside because it was "getting dark". 

 

When we talk about being "left out in the dark", we are saying that someone doesn't have the information they need to make an informed decision. In the Gospel of John 1:4-5 we are told that "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." In other words, darkness or the dark of night could not comprehend what the light was. If you think about it that kind of makes sense, when it is dark outside there is no light, the sun has set and darkness prevails. If you go into a room, close the doors, and turn off the lights it suddenly gets pitch black dark leaving the darkness with no idea of what light is or what it can do. Darkness cannot comprehend light simply because once light appears, darkness dissipates. Where light exists darkness is eliminated, and in that same mindset, where darkness prevails there is no understanding of what light is or what it can offer. 

 

If we apply this same way of thinking to our own lives, it stands to say that if we are living in the darkness of this world, then we have no understanding of the light that God provides. The scripture from John 1 tells us that the life Jesus came to share became like light to all that believe in Him and follow Him. Without God we stumble in and out of days, accumulating bumps and bruises and many times falling down without hope that we will ever get back on our feet. Accepting the light that God offers illuminates our life, internally and also externally as we share His light with others living in darkness. 

 

We can hide out in the basement to hide or ignore the light of day, we can hang dark curtains over our windows blocking out the sun and pretending that it is not there, but the light is there waiting on us to accept His eternal light of hope and life! The dark of night has no option but to yield to the morning light as the sun rises in the east, we have a choice that must be made. We can choose to live in complete darkness or we can accept God's offer of life everlasting and allow His light to shine in you and through you to a dark and needy world! 

 

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12

Coach Carter

 

Treadmills

 Travel was a pretty significant aspect of my job this past year working with the Tennessee Department of Education. Throughout my journeys one thing that I didn't want to slack on was my exercise regimen, so it was important to me whether the hotel I was going to be staying in had an exercise room. Running and walking have always been included in my daily exercise schedule, so treadmills are a must for any indoor exercise area. The neat thing about treadmills is how they have changed over the years in an attempt to provide a more realistic, lifelike experience in a stationary indoor setting. 

 

Regardless of how "life-like" a treadmill feels it will never replace the benefits of running or even walking out in nature. Hills and valleys provide real cardio challenges that build endurance and resilience as we conquer the summit and overcome the depth of the valley. Having a path or course to follow makes our running purposeful and allows us to pace ourselves as we progress and build stamina. Potholes, cracks, and other obstacles create the potential for injuries, but they also keep us alert and focused on what lies ahead. Overcoming those obstacles makes us a better runner, in life overcoming the obstacles we encounter has that same positive impact on our spiritual fitness. 

 

In a number of scriptural instances, running "life's race" is referenced. Hebrews 12:1 says, "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”, and Paul shares this encouraging message in I Corinthians 9:24-27 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." Once again, the Apostle Paul references running in his letters to his protege Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." I just don't think Paul would have ever been a treadmill kind of guy. Fighting the good fight, overcoming adversity, persevering through when it might feel like it would be easier to just quit and lay down, these are the areas we grow in as we run life's race. Standing still isn't an option, we grow as we endure, we produce character as we endure and overcome, and as our character is strengthened, our hope is fortified. And God's good news is this, hope does not fail us in life (See Romans 5:3-5).

 

Exercising on a treadmill is of course an option when it comes to physical fitness, but in life running through the ups and downs that we face each day is where we learn to lean in on God and allow Him to build our endurance through faith in Him. Run the course that God has prepared for you, the benefits are eternal!

 

Coach Carter

 

Toxic Positivity??

 

 Is there really something called toxic positivity? I was browsing through a news magazine in the waiting room of a doctor's office when I ran across an article warning of the dangers of becoming too positive, or what is labeled as “toxic positivity”. As timing would have it, about the time I started to read the article, I was interrupted by the call "Charles Carter" from the nurse standing at the entrance to the examination rooms. Although I went along with my well check visit and then hurriedly returned to my work schedule, that term "toxic positivity" kept circling around in my head. I vowed to research this phrase and see if I could find anything referencing what appeared to be an oxymoronical phrase at best. I asked myself, "How could being positive be a "toxic" experience?"

 

Over the next couple of weeks toxic positivity would creep into my head which served as a gentle nudge to Google the term and see what I could find. So here we are today, me in front of my laptop glaring at the Wikipedia definition of the concept of "toxic" positivity. "Toxic positivity is dysfunctional emotional management without the full acknowledgment of negative emotions, particularly anger and sadness." or in layman's terms, "a pressure to stay upbeat no matter how dire one's circumstance is". Seriously? I'm curious to whether Wikipedia and all the other "toxic" positivity naysayers out there have ever heard of two little words, hope and faith? 

 

Label me toxic if you like, but I believe the sun will come up each morning, rising in the east and setting in the west. My cup doesn't sit half empty, because as long as there is some level of fluid in my cup, it is nowhere near empty! And aligning myself with the teachings of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28 assures me that "... all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Operative word in that verse, "all", not some things or just the good things, but ALL things work together for good, most importantly for those that are called according to God's purpose. I can grasp the understanding that those without hope may have a hard time understanding and accepting the truth that all things work together for good, yet I place my hope in my belief that God has a purpose for each life. That purpose may or may not work for the apparent good in that individual's life, but I hold strong to the word of God that "all" things will have an impact on the overall plans of God. 

 

In the face of tragedy and the immense grief that certainly accompanies traumatic events, it is hard not to ask "why" or "How is it possible?", and to ask someone to be positive in the face of any tragic loss is challenging. Ecclesiastes 3:4 assures us that there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance", certainly when tragedy hits crying and mourning will happen as they should. Yet this is also the place where our faith and our hope must be solid, this is where our hope is found in trusting that if we believe that God's word is true, then somehow, some way, God's plan will be fulfilled. Hard to do? Absolutely. Virtually impossible to do without faith which produces hope? Once again, absolutely. 

 

I can't explain why bad things happen to good people. I can't point out how "all things work together for good" when I see the tragedies that devastate lives. We will not be happy, content, or satisfied when we face devastating loss, but one thing I do know. I will hold firm to the faith I have in God, which tells me that all things will ultimately work together for good according to His plans. Not a promise that things will work out for "my" good necessarily, but for good for the plans that God has in store for those who hold firm to their faith and hope in Him. With faith and hope it can still be a challenge but God's love will prevail. If that is toxic positivity then label me guilty. Without faith and hope moving forward may seem impossible. Currently there's a song out by the band Casting Crowns, Desert Road that says something to the effect of "I don't know where this is going, but I do know who holds my hand, this isn't the path I would have chosen, but I'll follow it to the end". For me, being positive isn't a choice. I have faced myriad valleys and dark tunnels in my life and they were hard, devastating at times. As I trudged forward, often feeling like I was walking in quicksand, I learned that I am not able to face adversity and affliction on my own. What a comfort it is to know I do not face life’s ups and downs on my own. Once again, I will reference the overcomer Paul who proclaimed in the face of dire uncertainty, "For when I am weak, then I am made strong" II Corinthians 12:10. I choose faith which gives me hope even in the face of adversity or affliction. Of this I am positive, "toxically" positive. 

 

“For greater is He who is in me, then he who is in the world!” I John 4:4

Coach Carter