Turnabout is Fair Play??

     Over the weekend, I was given the privilege of providing the devotion to the athletes at a local Upward youth basketball league. The verse and topic for the league this week was centered on a well-known Bible verse found in Luke 6:31 “Do unto others as you would have them do to you”, a pretty fitting verse for athletes to champion as in victory or defeat the concept of good sportsmanship should be one of the main subjects “coached” and expected. As I was studying the scripture and preparing my thoughts I began to realize that not only would this be a sound devotion for the young boys and girls participating in a Saturday youth basketball game, but the whole concept of “doing unto others” would make for a fitting topic in this week’s Flat Tire Ministries Thought for the Week.
For the most part we as adults are familiar with this admonition of Jesus as he spoke to and taught His disciples. What many of us may not be as familiar with is that the lesson Jesus was teaching about was to love your enemies. In the same context, you can find the concept of “turning the other cheek”, and “if someone asks for your cloak give him your coat as well”. You see it’s easy for us to teach our children that they should treat others the way that they would want to be treated, but it gets a little more complicated when the “others” we are treating in the way we would want to be treated are not treating us so good in the first place. This is where it takes more than just a good-natured gesture on our part to carry out the true meaning of the lesson our Shepard was teaching to the gathered group. Too often we teach our children, students, and athletes to do unto others as you would want them to do to you with a little additional snippet, “as long as they are treating you the right way first!” Well that makes it easy to do! It’s pretty easy to treat those that are “playing nice” the way we would want to be treated, but what about when you can definitely say the other person isn’t playing “fair”?
     How do you react and respond at work when someone is hateful and negative about everything you say or any project you complete? What about that person driving down the road that cuts you off when it was obvious you were in the “next” position of traffic? How about at school when someone smarts off and makes fun of you or your clothes? What about when someone shows their prejudice or racist attitudes in your face? The list goes on and on, you name it and that is where the concept of “do unto others” applies. You see it’s easy to do good to those that do good to us first as Jesus pointed out in the verses that follow the directive to treat others the way we would want to be treated.
³² “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. Luke 6:32-34
     The true lesson is how do we act and respond when we are in those not so friendly situations? Let’s stay with the group I was speaking to over the weekend. What do we as parents or coaches tell our children when someone obviously gets too rough and they throw an elbow in our player’s ribcage? Well as most of you know I’ve coached for around thirty years and whether you want to admit it or not, I have more frequently heard parents and many times coachess instructing their child that “if he/she does that again, you do it back to them!” During my 25 years of teaching and administrating so many times I have heard students and parents say that the reason they shoved, pulled, pushed, or hit the other student is because that other student did it to them first.
The whole concept of “turnabout is fair play” is exactly what we are talking about here. The notion that if someone does something to you then it is acceptable to do something just as bad to them in return. If we believe the Bible is true then based on the scriptures and the words of the Great Teacher, “turnabout” is NOT fair play! When someone hurts us, when someone uses us, or cheats to gain an advantage, we have not gained a license to retaliate.
     Today’s message is simple, yet complex to accept and live out. As the verses above remind us it’s easy to be good to those that are good to us, the lesson Jesus taught was to be good to our enemies and those that have hurt us in the past. For us to break a trust is to break that bond that can never be mended. How fortunate we are that God doesn’t carry out that same form of “turnabout” when it is our forgiveness that we desire. We go about our lives without giving credit where credit is due, we take credit where credit is not ours to take, we turn our backs on our faith and attempt to live our lives the way we want to live them, and in some cases, we even deny that there is a God that is there for us in good times and the not so good times of life. What if our Redeemer treated us in a “you get what you deserve” fashion? What if we could not receive forgiveness for our past failures and our hurtful actions in life?
     Fortunately, we have a Father that forgives us even though we probably don’t deserve forgiveness. The comfort of knowing that regardless of how bad we turn our backs or how out of line we live our lives, there is a God who is faithful to forgive us our sins and loves us beyond anything we deserve. In return for the love God shows us and the forgiveness He gives us all we are asked to do in return is to “do unto others as we would want them to do to us”. Verse 36 of chapter 6 in Luke explains it best, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful”. He showed us first how to treat others so that we would never have to wonder how we are to react and respond in life’s situations. Then He forgave us even when we didn’t deserve it. Teach it to your children, coach it on your teams, and most importantly live it in your own life!
Coach Carter

Tribute to a Strong Foundation

 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”  

Matthew 7:24-27

     My Uncle Charlie, Reverend Charles William Whetsel, passed away on February 11, 2018. When I sat back and thought about his life, one personal quality kept surfacing again and again. The God given strength of this gentle man caused me to realize that Uncle Charlie may be one of the strongest men I have ever met or had the fortune of being influenced by in my own life. 

      Those who knew Uncle Charlie would most certainly have talked about his calm demeanor and his quiet presence. What I now realize is that calm, quiet presence was a strength that surpasses all of the noise and clamor of this world's image of strength. In today's world strength and might are many times characterized by displaying how big you are, how much you have, or how tough you can prove yourself to be. The strength that my Uncle Charlie displayed was founded in his faith. With over 40 years of faithful service to our Lord and Savior, Charles Whetsel built his life's foundation on the model that Jesus provided us. For me the image is clear. Strength is not found in the loud, boasting image of what we see on the outside, but instead true strength is found on the inside, in the core, the foundation of our body and soul. 

     Much like the parable that Jesus shared with His disciples from Matthew 7:24-27, many people work hard at building their persona, yet their foundation is weak because they choose sand over rock. Regardless of how strong your house may look on the surface where others see it on a daily basis, if the foundation of your home is not sturdily founded on rock it will surely fall when the storms of life come. Think about many of today's boisterous performers, stars, politicians, and star athletes. Their success is built on telling us how big they are, how much they are worth, and how important they are to the world. They may appear to have it all, you may actually look at them and think "Wow, I wish I had it made like they they do", but in reality if at the base of their life their foundation is dependent on the things that the eye can visibly see, then they have more than likely built their whole life on sand.

     The problem with building on sand is that in life there will be storms and storms bring destructive winds, torrential rains, hurricanes, monsoons, and tornadoes literal and figurative storms of life. That poses a devastating problem for homes that have their foundation on sand. Our scripture today describes it best, when the storms come "it will collapse with a mighty crash". On the other hand, the house that is constructed on the rock will withstand the storms of life because it is built on the Rock. That Rock is where my Uncle Charlie built his life. 

     I never saw Uncle Charlie get upset, show anger, fear, or even frustration. His patient, kind, servant spirit served as a model to the congregations where he ministered. Charles Whetsel modeled the attributes that Paul shared in I Corinthians 13. Love is kind, love is patient, love doesn't proudly boast. Love is not self-seeking and it is not easily angered. Love places it's trust in hope. That is where Uncle Charlie's foundation was built. In the hope that is founded in faith. That foundation provided a model for his children and to all of us that were blessed to have him in our lives. 

      Strength is not based on a visual representation of what you are or what you have. It is not represented by how loud you can be or how flamboyant you can display yourself. Strength is not evidenced by "winning" at all costs. True strength is found in your core, the foundation that allows you to withstand the storms of life. Where is your foundation built? Will your life be able to endure the adversities and afflictions of life? Will those you love be able to stand strong even after you are gone because you built a foundation for them to build their own life upon that Rock? If not you are fortunate because you have the opportunity to reinforce your life's foundation. We have a contractor that is readily available and eager to pour concrete into your life's foundation. Seek Him and seek to build a foundation that will withstand the storms of life.

     I along with my entire family were blessed to have the Reverend Charles William Whetsel during some part of his 84 year life. His life has laid a foundation for each of us to live our own lives and share with the lives of our children. Thank you Uncle Charlie for living out the life you did and for giving us the example of faithful, quiet strength you demonstrated. Your life made a difference and will continue to make a difference in the lives of us all! 

Love, 

Chuck  

Love Your Life, Live Your Life, Now!

     I was born May 29, 1963. From that day forward my biological clock has been ticking towards the day that it is set to stop ticking. Fact of the matter there is not one of us "gaining" time, or extending the ticks on our clock. Somber thought? Yes, but if we know this, and we should, then why aren't more of us living the life that we have to live right now! I mean really living it. Taking each moment as a gift instead of a drudgery that we "have" to get up, go to work, go to school, do this, or do that! You have a life to live so you better be living it before it slips away and all you can do is say "I wish I would've, should've, or maybe I could've.
     You were born with a purpose mapped out for your life, your experiences, good or bad, prepare you for for that purpose. Your purpose will impact someone, or a multitude of someones, but yet you have to make it happen, you have to live your life to the fullest to experience that purpose. Too many  people are not "living" there life, they're just living. Think "rock". A rock's purpose is to hold something down, to suppress something, to stay in one place. On the other hand, we as humans, were given arms, legs, brains, hearts, and lungs so that we would not be rocks. Don't live your life like a rock!
    There is another group of people who aren't just sitting around, no this group of individuals has given up on life and the life they were originally created to live and the purpose they were destined to fulfill. In Viktor Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning", Frankl who was a Holocaust survivor turned author, psychiatrist, and neurologist speaks about that chapter of his life and how he came to a place of understanding about our "purpose" in this life we have to live. In one particular section of memoir,  Frankl shares that you could tell when a prisoner had given up on life. It was like they would go into a catatonic state of being, lifeless, hopeless, with the only real evidence of life being the inhaling and exhaling their bodies forced them to enact.  At that point what had been a dire situation at best, became a situation with no hope and they could no longer see that their life had meaning, or purpose. Yet for Frankl, a survivor, that strand of hope, the belief that if he gave up and died his purpose in life, the very purpose that he was created to achieve, a purpose that would impact the lives of so many others would never be accomplished. Because of Viktor Frankl's resiliency and will to live his book "Man's Search for Meaning" has been read by millions including myself and it has made a difference in the world.
     How about you? Are you living life like it has meaning? Extreme situations find some people giving up and they are just taking in oxygen and exhaling carbon monoxide literally and figuratively. Some may be like the rock, they haven't given up, but they are stuck sitting in one place. Think of a rut in the road, the wheels are moving going somewhere, yet stuck in a routine pattern of just living life, doing what has to be done to make it to Friday, the end of the school year, until vacation, or retirement. Sad. Living only to see the ticks on the clock pass.
     Not me, Nope, No sir, No ma'am, Nada, No way, Not gonna live my life like that! You have been given your life just the way it is because there is a reason, a purpose behind every little thing that happens in your life. Your destiny in life is not determined by those events, but instead by what you do with those experiences. Both good ones and the not so good ones, even the terrible ones have life changing lessons attached to them if we can only see them through the eyes of a little different perspective.
     I choose to live my life with the understanding that my life is not about me. My life is about how many lives I can impact in a positive manner before my "ticks" and "tocks" stop! I've decided to live the dash between May 29, 1963 - ?? with the idea that I've been given one more day, what can I do today to make an impact on one more person's life. Proverbs 16:3 encourages and strengthens me with this directive, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." As long as I seek His will for this life He has given me I can't go wrong. Choose to make the minutes, hours, days, months, and years of your biological clock count. Touch lives, enjoy your life, and make someone's life better each day because you were in it! If life were a cup for coffee, I'd fill it to the brim and drink it up!
Coach Carter

They Can Hear Your Smile Through the Phone

     In my former life as a business owner, I used to share with our employees that when you answer the phone the person on the other end should be able to hear your smile. That first impression sets the stage for the whole conversation. I wanted the person on the other end of the line to understand that first, our business was thankful that a customer was contacting us, and second that we were glad to have the opportunity to help them in whatever their need was. That first impression whether it was over the phone or when customers entered our store had a great deal to do with over thirty years of success for our family business.
     I carried that same philosophy with me into education as I shared it with our "first impression" team in our office. At times, not often, we would receive calls from parents that were upset or disgruntled about something that had happened at school involving their child. Inevitably, as they should, the parent would call to "discuss" the matter. I explained to both Sandy and Paula that they were the ones that would set the stage for the outcome of the ensuing discussion. It is so much easier to delve into a conversation after a welcoming, positive first touch has been made, versus the person on the other end putting them off or cutting them short with a negative, curt comment. That smile on the other end really does matter.
      In my current position I am welcomed each day by Ms. Debbie Parker. I'm certain that she was hired due to a plethora of positive attributes, yet I would fathom that one that ranked high on the charts was her ability to make you feel welcome and important in receiving incoming calls or even more so with her greetings as people enter our office building each day. That first impression is so critical to success and in setting the stage for a positive experience. I mean take a minute to think about a recent encounter at your favorite restaurant or shop. Whether you consciously realize it or not a big factor in your experience and likelihood of returning to that business was probably impacted by that first thirty second encounter. My thought for you to ponder on this week is this. We have first encounters in our life each and every day. Whether it is in a business, work, or personal relationship, you encounter people, many times the same people, for a big part of your week. What is the first impression you are making? Can they hear your smile through the phone and in your greeting?
     If a simple effort to let our voices send out a welcoming, positive message through a 10 second phone interaction can have a huge impact on the next 2-5 minute conversation, how much more so do we convey with our own body language, words and actions each day? Are you the person that everyone dreads seeing coming down the hallway? Is it possible that you are the one that can turn a half full glass into a desert of despair? Even more important what is your perspective during adversity or conflict? Are you the voice of perseverance in your home and at work, or are you the Eeyore of hopelessness for your family, co-workers, and those you interact on a daily basis?
      Encouraging the church of Corinth, Paul wrote to them in II Corinthians 3:3 "You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." Paul wanted the Christians in Corinth to understand that they were the "first line" of representation for Christ. Their life would be the testament to why others should choose to follow Christ. In Psalm 40:3 the psalmist goes even further with this proclamation, "He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." If we are going to make a difference in this world, if we are going to offer hope to the hopeless it will start each day with our first impression, that first 10 seconds of hope that you have an opportunity to share.
    You may or you may not have realized what a tremendous impact you have on those you come in contact with each day. Your voice, your demeanor, and your outlook on life are contagious to those you encounter. It is almost like a chain reaction, you smile and make a positive comment to one person and without even realizing it you have set off endorphins in their brain that create a positive experience. That positive experience results in that person unwittingly passing it along to the next person they come in contact with and so on and so on! Call it a domino effect, the Butterfly effect, whatever you like, but at the end of the day it makes a difference. The next time you answer your phone be sure to let your voice sing out your good news, and along the pathways of life as you journey let your first encounter with those you meet be one that leaves a positive impression, a caring tone, and a message of sincere hope! You may be the only hope that person receives that day. Spread it and smile!
Coach Carter 

 

The Power of Possibility

      Looking back to when our children were much younger, I can recall a particular instance when our nephews who were probably around 10 and 5 at the time were up for a visit from Knoxville. Jordan the five year old was sitting on my lap and out of the blue, shared with me that their dad told them that they were going to Disney Land that summer. Bo, the elder brother, said "Jordan, Lawrence didn't say anything like that" to which Jordan replied, "Well, we might!" I chuckled at that moment and I still get a grin on my face twenty years later when I think about Jordan's reply. You know, that anything is possible type mindset sets people apart from the naysayers and "Negative Nancies" in the world.  When it looks impossible some people just believe it might just be possible. Today's Flat Tire Ministries Thought looks at the Power of Possibility!
     As a coach I would not accept one of my athletes saying "I can't". To me if you say you can't you've already convinced yourself that you can't, and guess what you are more than likely correct. You will have a hard enough time beating yourself out of believing it's impossible, let alone actually overcoming the obstacle that is set in front of you. Several athletes that wrestled or played volleyball for me (wrestlers don't play they WRESTLE!!) will remember having to write the words "I can't" on a piece of paper and then they were instructed to wad it up, tear it up, whatever they wanted to do, and then as we entered the practice area they would throw that word in the trash can and from that point forward they were not allowed to use it in their practice or match vocabulary. Did that mean that all of a sudden they would never lose a match or even more that they would overcome every obstacle that was placed in front of them? Probably not, but I'm not willing to concede the possibility that it might be possible. What that wadded up paper meant to me was that anything in life is possible as long as you believe, you work towards surmounting that mountain in your life, and that anything at anytime is possible! You just have to believe. Was there times when an athlete or team I coached went out to compete believing they would win only to end up losing the match or game? Absolutely, the difference in the kids with the possibility mindset though was when they walked off the mat or court they didn't say "see I told you I was going to get beat" no, when they came off the field disappointed and disheartened they would say, "You know if I had done this or  that" or "I believe I would have got him if I had worked a little harder, I 'll be ready next time", or "We almost had them will we get to play them again?". That is the power of possibility.
     Isn't that building false hope? Isn't that not dealing with reality? I mean is it okay to teach kids that they are going to succeed in everything they do? My dear friends, HOPE is one of the best traits we can embed in our children, and also one that we need a healthy dose of in our lives each and every day. In Ecclesiastes 9:11-12,  Solomon sums it up best, "Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.  For man does not know his time." I believe what Solomon is promoting here is that nobody knows who is going to win the race, but one thing is for sure, if you aren't in the race then you for sure aren't going to have a chance to win the race! Get in the race!!
     One more thing before we close today's thought. Think about David, a little shepherd boy armed only with a slingshot and a hand full of stones going up against the giant Goliath, armed with the best weapons the Philistines had and dressed in full armor. Who's your money on? What would you have done in David's sandals? Think about this for a minute it really has real life implications for you and where you are on the "possibility" spectrum. Well David was the sure bet, regardless of what Las Vegas would have said on that day. David went out with faith which is grounded in hope and he placed that stone right in the center of Goliath's forehead and BOOM! Goliath hit the ground "deader than a doornail" as the old saying goes! 
     I'm convinced that David would have been squashed if he had any other type of mindset going on in his head. If David would have walked out onto the battlefield and in his mind he had been thinking, "well I think I can do this" or "Gosh I hope this works out the way I want it to" I don't think he would have had the same kind of snap in his wrist when he loosed the stone from it's leather pouch. There is so much energy and power that comes with the thought that it might just be possible. If you have the "all things are possible" mentality going on then great, you are working your hardest and more than likely good things are happening. But if that isn't you then I want to challenge you today. The "all things are possible" concept is birthed in Matthew 19:26 which says "With man this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible". I mentioned faith and hope earlier, you have to get up each morning and have a heaping bowl of hope for breakfast, and you've got to drench that hope with an overflowing cup of faith till the bowl is filled to the tip of the rim. It isn't easy and no I don't know your circumstances, but when you think you've got it bad think about it this way. More than likely out of the 7 billion people inhabiting this earth, there are probably at least ten million people that have life conditions or situations that are worse than your own. Stop. Think about that number as a group of people that have worse circumstances than you do. 10,000,000 people. Out of that number a large percentage are kicking it to the curb and believing in the possibility of ALL things are possible. Be one of those people. It is your choice. The last time that I used the word "can't" in my practices each year was when I would remind my athletes that "can't never could and won't never will" then I would throw those defeated words out of my vocabulary and we would march forward to face the giants that stood in front of us individually and collectively as a team. You are not in this alone. You are not facing your giants by yourself. When you feel like you are on the battlefield and all you have is a stone and a slingshot, think how lucky you are to have that slingshot and that one stone. One is all it took for David to slay Goliath and one possibility is all it takes for you to overcome that giant that is staring you in the face! "Never quit, Never give up, and always do your best!"
Go get'em this week! You are the possibility in someone's life! 
Coach Carter

Want More? Do More!

      Wow, a simple encounter with a former student this week offered up our Flat Tire Ministry topic for this week. Junior Stubblefield, who now serves our state as a Tennessee State Highway Patrol Officer, stopped by my office to drop off some fundraising items I had ordered from one of his children, also a former student of mine during my time as principal at Union Heights Elementary School. During our short time together our conversation turned to work ethic. Junior recanted a line that his father often shared with him that has become a very common challenge to his own children. Junior told me that his dad always said "Son if you want more in life than you have, then you have to do more than you are doing". Sounds like simple advice, yet how many of us are wanting more of something in life and actually doing something about it? So thank you Junior Stubblefield, or maybe more so Junior's father for sharing this sound advice with his son so that he could share it with his children and also with me so that I can share it with you.
     Let me first say, when I asked the question about how many people want more of something in life I wasn't just referring to money. Wanting more out of life is more than just financial status. When I apply Mr. Stubblefield's reminder to life I think more in terms of a better quality of life. I would almost paraphrase his quote by saying if you want to see positive change in your world then you have to be prepared to go out and do something positive to kick start that positive change. And that can be applied to any area of your life that you want to see improvement. In your family, around your community, in your workplace, in our schools, or in your own personal life. It all comes down to this "If you want more in life then you have, then you have to do more in your life than you're doing". I love it.
     Too many people say they want a better life, a better job, a better marriage, or better conditions to live in, but what are you willing to do to reach that better quality of life. First, let me say if the only reason you want something better is to "keep up with the Joneses" then you'll never be satisfied so you can put that one on the shelf. But, if you want a better quality of life because you aren't happy with where you are right now and you want to do better for yourself, then you my friend have got to be willing to do more than you are right now. It may require you to go back to night school to advance your education. It possibly might mean that you will have to take a part time job after your full time job is done for the day to accomplish what you want to accomplish. In regards to your health or well being you will probably have to get up earlier, sacrifice a little more, and commit a great deal more. And most importantly if you desire to have a deeper understanding of your purpose in life and you want to fulfill that purpose in life, you are destined to develop a deeper relationship with your Maker. You will have to read more, study more, spend more time in devotion, worship, and prayer. You will have to listen more, talk less, get up earlier, and focus your attention on things that matter over things that have no relevance to your life improving, i.e. television, social media, or sitting on the couch. God wants more for your life, the question is do you? And if the answer to that one is yes then what are you willing to do to fulfill your purpose in life?
      Like Junior's dad told him, and like Junior is telling his kids, "If you want more in life than you have, then you have to do more than you are doing". If doing that were easy then everyone would be right where they want to be. The truth of the matter is too many people want more out of life, but they are unwilling to go out and do what it takes to have more or do more. Get up, get a plan, and go out and execute your plan. It may take only a few minutes to improve your life, or it may take years, but the sooner you get started the sooner you will see results. If you get knocked down, get back up, that's part of the equation. Nobody said it would be easy and nobody said you would automatically succeed. It is certain that if you give up when it gets a little uncomfortable or you fail on the first attempt or the 100th attempt for that matter you will never receive more out of your life. Life is a journey and you have to be willing and ready to face the ups and the downs along the way until you reach your destination. I want more out of life. I want to give more, share more, work more, and live more so I do what it takes, whatever it takes, to make that happen! If you want more then you will have to do more! Sound wisdom, take it and use it!
"Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper" Proverbs 13:4 NLT Have a great week and DO MORE!
Coach Carter

      

Finishing Strong

     
      Another running epiphany! As usual most of my posts are connected to some type of lesson I have learned recently and today's Flat Tire Ministries Thought is no different in its creation. I firmly believe God speaks to us frequently, we just have to be listening instead of letting all of the noise of the day disrupt our ability to receive the message. I guess that's why running provides such a good opportunity to hear the message He is wanting me to hear. I run early in the morning before the sun comes up and the day's schedule starts to take top priority. I encourage you to find an activity that allows you to have quiet time where you can meditate, reflect, and receive your "message". Hiking, running, walking, paddling, exercising, and just plain old sitting down and listening are all activities that I have found that allow me to "listen" more purposefully. If you don't have one I would surely encourage you to get one! Okay enough for the finding time to listen pitch, on with our thought for the week.
      As already mentioned, today's FTM is connected to my running routine. In running it's all about the finish. The start is ultimately critical because without it the finish would never occur, yet what I have noticed in my own personal style of running is that I tend to get stronger as the run progresses. Kind of like a "catching my second wind" type thing where as my run takes me past my first mile or so I start feeling a new source of energy and strength. I know back several years ago, I mean several, when I wrestled in high school, the third period or even overtime was when I normally hit a new gear and won the majority of my matches. What I found is that although getting started is critical in any endeavor, the strength, energy, and endurance needed to finish the competition is ultimately what we all should strive for and desire to improve.
     The question then is what is it that allows us to increase our endurance and to firm up the momentum necessary to finish stronger than we started? What keeps us from quitting when the "going gets tough" or the odds seem to be stacked up against us? In running the starter's gun tells us to start running in a race, but along the way there isn't normally anything that tells us to keep running and to not quit. More than that, when I'm up early in the morning running by myself there isn't even one person out there that would even see me if I did stop running, and there isn't really any incentive to keep me running when I start feeling the twinges of exhaustion. So why do we keep going? If there isn't someone shouting at us to keep going and to finish strong why do we keep going and actually dig in harder and finish stronger than we started?
     For me it's all about making a commitment to do something and then taking that commitment and turning it into energy and endurance to see it through to the end goal. The more you commit to anything the more likely the chances for success are increased. What defines commitment you may ask? For me it is dedicating oneself to practice and time. That's why I run early in the morning. As the day progresses it ain't going to happen! I want to commit my day to my job 100%, and after work I want to commit my time to family, friends, or other activities that I am involved in so for me a commitment to working out or practicing has to happen early in the morning, 4:30 Carter style! Would it be easy to stay in bed after a busy evening or a hard week? Absolutely! Would it be easy to say "Well I'll just do it tomorrow" when I don't exactly feel like running or doing any of my other exercise routines? Most certainly. Do any of those excuses equal the definition of commitment? In no way form or fashion. To commit is to have that postal carrier attitude of, "Rain, snow sleet, or hail, nothing will keep me from my appointed rounds!" In today's world, just being someone that will commit gives you a huge head start to being successful in life over most of our population. By committing to see things through to the end you are definitely going to be in the minority instead of the majority, but that isn't such a bad place for you to be, it's just a bad place for our society to be.
      After you have committed then the hard work begins, practice and building endurance are the two tools that runners and athletes in general use to increase their ability to go further, go harder, and to ultimately finish stronger. Those same principles transfer to your life and whatever it is that you want to be better at than others in the same situation as you. In our marriages, it takes practice and building endurance to overcome conflict, adversity, and challenges. We all made a commitment when we got married and said our vows, but there isn't anyone standing there cheering you on and telling you not to quit. That comes from taking that commitment and working on it constantly, "practicing" each day and building stamina along the way by problem solving and persevering through life's challenges. For the person facing challenges in their job, sometimes it may seem easier to just say I quit, but in reality, that only reinforces a quitter's mentality and "practices" making quitting easier in life. If you don't like your job or you don't feel fulfilled in your current position, by all means find something more rewarding, but if the reason you are wanting to quit is because it is tough, or you think it is too hard and you can't do it, then that is when it is time to keep pushing and fight through with continuous practice and commitment to persevere! Whatever it is that you want to be better at in life, whether it is your health, a financial situation, relationships, work, or family it has to be a priority to you and when it becomes a priority it has to become a commitment and that is when you must be willing to see it through and overcome the appeal of quitting.
      Remember, quitting is easy, if finishing was easy then everyone would be doing it more often and more successfully. Finishing is tough because it requires you to "have some skin in the game" as my dear friend and colleague KC Alvarado often says. The more you commit to something through hard work, dedication, and sweat the harder it is to give up and quit.
      This same kind of commitment is critical in my walk of faith. To believe is one thing, to be committed to believing and serving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength takes the type of commitment I am talking about in today's message. Paul, one of the major triathletes of the Bible puts it this way in Philippians 3:14-16 "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Paul is saying that although he hasn't made it to where his ultimate goal is, he is going to keep on practicing, building his endurance, and persevering through until he ultimately does receive his reward. Are you committing to the things in your life that are worthy of your commitment? Are you willing to endure the urge to quit when it hurts a little or hurts a great deal for that matter, and see it through to the end? My faith and the commitment I have made to trust, believe, and serve are my driving force in life. Those are my "practice" tools and they have not failed me yet. If you have a faith then great, you realize the difference that makes in your life when you are faced with the challenge to stick it out when things get tough. If you don't have a personal faith then I will be praying for you. The single decision to trust and believe that I have made has contributed more than anything else in my life to building my endurance and allowing me to never quit and never give up! Finish STRONG! Someone is counting on you! 
Coach Carter