Start Small

     
Today's title for our Flat Tire Ministries Thought is more of a suggestion than it is a title. Whatever you endeavor to accomplish I have found that probably the best policy to follow is just that, "Start Small". This has been a life lesson for me in some instances and in others more of an "Aha" moment. Regardless of the situation or eventual outcome this two word piece of advice is one that can guide you and potentially save you a great deal of hardship (personal point taken) along the way.
     Almost ten years ago I had an opportunity to take that piece of advice from my very own daughter, but unfortunately, being the seasoned businessman that I was, I thought with my experience and success I couldn't possibly take advice from my then 20 year- old sage. Our story is probably one for another day, but it will suffice to say that my idea of opening a full-scale restaurant in a big way didn't work out the way I envisioned it and Rae's stinging advice to start out small resonated well throughout this last decade. I failed to look back at our success in our market/deli and how it all started with a steam hot dog machine, a small pot for chili, and a stalk of bologna with sandwich bread. That simple beginning morphed over time to eventually become a full- scale deli with a flat top grill, hood system, deep fryer, and several cooks and support staff. That all happened over a thirty- year period and the Dill Pickle Deli was created about 20 years into that time frame. We definitely followed the start small principle. With our Dill Pickle Cafe & Coffee Shop, the idea, concept, construction, opening, and eventual closing all took place in less than one year. Let me just say that business plan was one headed for failure before the concept hit the paper on which it was written.
     Fortunately for me and my family, I'm not one to give up nor am I one to quit so that chapter of my life has just served as motivation to keep on keeping on and striving to grow and thrive from that experience. Actually, that period of my life is where the idea of Flat Tire Ministries and my book "How to Fix a Flat Tire" were birthed. Alas, I digress!
     The principle of starting small isn't just a smart move in business, think of all the other areas of your life where starting out with baby steps makes a great deal of sense. Dieting is an area where going cold turkey on eating or crashing on a "lose 20 pounds in 20 days" diet sounds like an awesome offer, but as many of us could testify, most diets that make promises like that are short term in duration and flat lined in success rates. Exercising is another area to consider this advice. Day one run, walk, or crawl 10 miles and see how long you stay at that? Hit the gym and spend about an hour on multiple sets with 8 to 10 reps and in about three days not only will you be unable to move, but your desire to continue at that pace will make a fast exit out the gym door.
    The list goes on and on and the significance of this "start small" principle consistently applies and if followed could have a tremendous impact on your life. Relationships, purchases both small and major like a house, and even your walk of faith need to be seasoned with a certain amount of the start small philosophy. What does it mean to start small in the area of faith? Aren't we required to go all out and give up everything if we turn our lives over to God? Well that one on the surface is an easy one to provide an answer, but I would suggest we follow this rule of thumb in our walk with God as well.
      What does starting out small with God look like? The most critical aspect of our relationship with God is as simple as ABC. You must ACCEPT who God is. Our Creator and our Omnipotent Savior is a good reference point for this. Then we must BELIEVE that God allowed His Son Jesus to die for our sins. Once we have confirmed the first two then it is on us to CONFESS that we are sinners and we want to be forgiven of our sins. That is where it all begins. That is a small start to a big relationship that can only occur over a period of time spent in prayer, study, and an unrelenting pursuit of understanding what God's plan is for your life. Like I said that doesn't happen overnight and it sure doesn't magically appear when we complete the ABC steps listed above.
     I don't want to make simple the ABC's of starting small in our faith. Accepting, Believing, and Confessing are three huge steps that begin the process of living our lives for Christ, but just as with so many of the examples listed above, those that come in on a huge wave many times crash on the beach before they have mastered the art of surfing. I cannot think of any other matter that is more important and relevant to your daily walk of life. Heed the words of Paul in Romans 10:9-13
 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Starting small may seem like a slow process to reach our goals in life, but by heeding that simple piece of advice and then being consistent and diligent in our pursuit of that goal we will not only increase our potential for success, but we will also become deeply and personally connected to the goal we so desire to reach!
Have an amazing week!
Coach Carter 

The End of the Beginning

       Happy Easter! Today, we are celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For those that participated in his persecution, conviction, and ultimately had a hand in His death, the crucifixion signaled the end to what they considered to be a brief chapter in history. Of course, as we know that isn't the full story and his death on the cross definitely wasn't the end of the story. I actually read a quote once that summed up nicely the experience of what actually occurred on Calvary's Cross the day Jesus was crucified. In Stuart Briscoe's Daily Study Bible, Briscoe makes a profound commentary that resonates well with the play on words that he engages. His proclamation reads, "It was not the end, nor it wasn't even the beginning of the end. The death of Jesus on the cross was the end of the beginning and set the stage for all that has happened since that day and what you and I are or should be doing today to advance His kingdom." To the Romans, Pharisees, and other non-believers of the day when Jesus breathed his last words, "It is finished" that is exactly what He was proclaiming the end of the beginning had begun!
      To some death signals an end to life, to those that believe the death of Jesus does not signal an end, but actually a beginning for a chance to receive life eternal. Death on the cross was the starting pistol for your life's journey to have meaning and purpose. What happened over 2,000 years ago outside of the city of Jerusalem is comparable to what could be called "the shot that was heard around the world". Because God allowed His son to die for our sins, mankind can now make the personal choice to live eternally! No other gift exists that could be more precious and priceless.
     As you go about your day today, hiding eggs, sitting down to an Easter meal, or maybe when the chocolate bunnies and peanut butter eggs are being gobbled up, stop for just a moment and think about the actual gift that the Easter holiday signifies. To sacrifice His life so that we might receive forgiveness and salvation from our sins, and then for us to ultimately receive life eternal in Heaven if only we will believe and follow God is a gift I am thankful for and will never forget. For those that participated in the death of Jesus, they thought His death would end what Jesus had started. The death of Christ on the cross should have put an end to the message that He was the messiah, that He had been sent by God to teach mankind how to live in accordance with His father's commands. What man intended to end, God had planned since the beginning of time for a beginning. God's plan is fulfilled in this short scene from the Book of Life.
      Did Jesus die on the cross? Yes. Was that the end that was being sought through his death? No. The cross is a symbol of life. We see the cross and are reminded that Jesus rose from the grave, that He ascended to heaven where He sits at His father's right hand, and if we receive His offer of life eternal we too are promised a life eternal. Does that sound like an end to a story? I don't think so. To me it sounds like the event that signaled the end to the beginning of the story and that story lives on today in the hearts and minds of those that believe and live their lives with a commitment to fulfill God's plan for the life He has given us to live. You are tasked with writing the next chapter in this ongoing saga that Jesus has produced and published. The question is what will your chapter say? What will you do to add to the story of life? I choose to continue God's story and serve Him wholeheartedly! Just give me Jesus!
He Lives!!
Coach Carter

Plant a Seed, Nuture a Tree

     
I recently ran into one of my former students from my days as an elementary school principal, and that encounter has provided the subject for our FTM Thought for this week. I spent nine years at Union Heights, some of the most rewarding years in my educational career, and during those years I saw the incredible significance of and critical roles our elementary school teachers play in the development of our children. It is safe to say that from the time a child enters elementary Pre-K or Kindergarten and then leaves as a rising middle schooler the change is unbelievable. Just the physical changes alone are mind blowing, but add to that the knowledge gained and breadth of experiences encountered through those formative years and you have the makings of a future leader in our community!
     Well such is the case with my former student Nicholas. Nick is currently a 7th grader at one of our local middle schools where I recently found myself assisting with lunch duty. When I happened upon Nick, now almost standing eye to eye with me, I was reminded of a story that involved Nick and a little seed from a slice of an orange. Nick is a born and raised farm boy. From the moment I met Nick at five years of age, he could already do more on his family farm than a considerable portion of the adult population could navigate. On their family farm animals and produce were raised so it was just natural that Nick would look at a seed and see the potential where others would might just see a nuisance while snacking on their orange.
    Around the time that Nick was in second grade, he came to school one day with a small 18-24" tree for a class demonstration. I was intrigued and wanted to find out the back story on little Nick's demonstration. It turned out that the tree Nick was displaying in his classroom was the product of a seed found in a slice of orange Nick had during lunch one day when he was in Kindergarten. Wow! For over two years Nick had nurtured and pampered a small, insignificant orange seed to its current stance as a seedling tree. I was so impressed and actually a better verb to describe my reaction would be inspired. Here was this young boy not far removed from being a toddler that saw enough purpose in that one little orange seed to purposefully take it home, plant it in nourishing soil, and then to care for it from the first stage of breaking through the ground as a tiny vein up to the point of becoming a full- fledged tree. How many of us eat an orange, apple, or even a watermelon and as we are spitting out the seeds, stop to give even a passing thought to the potential of that insignificant, bothersome seed? I would be willing to gander a guess that the thought doesn't cross many of our minds.
      Fast forward to this past week of school 2019. When I saw Nick, the fond memory of that orange seed and the sapling it became overtook my train of thought. Surely the sapling hadn't survived the severe winters of East Tennessee? More than likely Nick had gotten tired of fooling with the little twig of a tree and discarded it by now I thought. So I asked Nick about the orange tree from second grade. Nick revealed to me that he certainly did still have the tree and not only was it doing exceptionally well, but it now stands about four feet tall and bushes out each summer. It doesn't have fruit yet, but Nick is patiently awaiting the day that he harvests his first orange from his Kindergarten adopt a seed move. If I was impressed back when Nick was in second grade, I'm not really sure what word could describe the warmth inside my heart at hearing about Nick's orange tree.
      Nick's story should serve as a motivator and an inspiration to each of us as we go about our journey through this life we have been given to live. Whether it is a small child we have the opportunity to work with in a school, on a team, at a church or club, or maybe just the little kid that lives in your neighborhood, we each have the opportunity to value that child just as the seed that Nick looked at and saw a potential tree not a brief barrier in our way. Nick could have spit the seed out onto his lunch tray, dumped it in the trash receptacle, and nothing or nobody would have ever been the worse for it. But because he stopped and looked at that seed and thought about the potential of that little insignificant seed, it now is a full-fledged tree with unlimited potential and purpose in its life. That is what we must do in the lives of those we have the opportunity, no responsibility to invest in each day.
     When you see a child, see that child as a future surgeon, the next mayor of your home town, or maybe as the future teacher of your own child or grandchild. The potential of that child is locked up ready to flourish, it just needs to be nurtured and cultivated. Cared for and encouraged. Provided with the nourishment and "SON" light that you can provide!

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:2-6

Enjoy the week!
Coach Carter

Balanced Diet

Diets are an American obsession. Approximately 50% of the U.S. population reported that they had worked on maintaining a healthier diet in 2018. It's pretty safe to say that what we put in our bodies definitely has an impact on what our bodies look like on the outside, but not as many people place a great deal of thought on what our caloric intake does to the inside of our bodies. Without the assistance of medical professionals, the damage we cause with unhealthy eating habits for the most part goes unnoticed, some times until the damage is done and we face the consequences of our choices and decisions over a lifetime of improper diet decisions. The Bible makes metaphoric references to what we put into our body in multiple chapters, but two of those in particular are of special interest for our Flat Tire Ministry Thought this week.
     In Isaiah 30:20 the writer informs us that "Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes, you will see them." So according to the Bible adversity and affliction are necessary components in our daily diet because they are given to us by God. On the flip side of that the Bible also describes the diet of "those that choose the bread of wickedness and the wine of violence" in Psalm 4:17. Two distinct diets of which neither sound too enjoyable, yet if we look at how these diet choices played out in the life of the apostle Paul it is clear which choice tops the "most healthy diet choices" list. 
      Paul's early life was one where he most certainly was taking in the bread of wickedness and the wine of violence. Before his conversion, Paul was a brutal persecutor of those that followed Christ. Imprisoning Christians was a pleasure to Paul and many a Christian died as a result of Paul's early work. Living a life of greed, hatred, and immorality it would be safe to say Paul was partaking of the bread of wickedness and washing it down with the wine of violence. Paul the hater of Christians could have continued his life doing just as he was, but through God's intervention Paul's diet changed dramatically. 
   When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus it wasn't like he had all of a sudden found Nirvana. No, Paul was blinded by Jesus. One serving of adversity topped with a heaping scoop of affliction. Constant pain in his side, lost at sea, shipwrecked, tortured, persecuted, imprisoned, and eventually sentenced to death it is safe to say Paul's life became a menu from the Isaiah 30:20 buffet of adversity and affliction! But something funny and inexplicable in today's societal standards happened to Paul, the more Paul was persecuted, the more the pain in his side mounted, the closer Paul got to His Creator and Savior. How is it possible that a man like Paul could change his diet and his perspective so dramatically? II Corinthians 9:10-12 spells it out for us. "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." That is today's message. We may experience hardship in life, our bodies may suffer from afflictions, diseases, and other maladies, but we are not in this life alone. If we partake of the wickedness and violence of this world you are on your own. Your diet will control your choices and your choices will not be productive, healthy, or beneficial I can almost guarantee it. Yet on the other hand, if you choose to take advantage of the diet of adversity and affliction your life will begin to have meaning and your purpose will be revealed to you. Look at the people that have overcome their afflictions and adversities to become inspirations to people all around the world, their adversity actually became their platform for helping and serving others. 
     You are not alone. Your afflictions and the adversities you are facing are not going to be "fun" or even enjoyable for that matter, but just as Paul realized it is in our weakness that God is made stronger in us! Embrace the life you have been given, look for what God wants you to do from where you are, and then go out and make a difference in the lives of those you come in contact with each and every day! Remember, your life isn't about you! May this week be filled with opportunities for you to serve others and may you do so with the love of Christ as your guiding force!
Coach Carter

Making Excuses or Making it Happen?

     

Joe E. Carter. My dad. Forgive me, but I'd like to take a minute to brag on my dad and some of the accomplishments he made during his life. First, dad raised three healthy, intelligent (well two out of three ain't bad, self-identified), hard-working, and caring children. Joe E. Carter was a well-known and respected builder and contractor in Hamblen County. During the time period from the mid-1960's thru the early 1980's, Joe E. Carter was chosen as builder of the year, elected president of the Home Builders Association, built an expansive number of homes in several subdivisions across Hamblen County and then moved into the commercial building arena constructing a shopping center, apartments, and a number of restaurants namely Western Sizzling Steakhouses in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio. Not only did he build these businesses, he was partners in several of these establishments which enabled him to retire from building in his early 50's. From there Joe E. Carter fulfilled his passion with farming and either owned or leased farms in multiple counties around East Tennessee. He became a supplier for Swaggerty Sausage with his swine farm operation and had over 100 head of cattle on the Carter-Whetsel family farm. We were heartbroken to lose our dad to a brain tumor way too early in life at the age of 63. During his life he became a voice for the common man and was highly respected for his honesty, loyalty, and compassionate heart. What a legacy for his children and grandchildren to follow. 

     Like I said at the beginning of today's message, I wanted to brag about our dad, but not really just to be bragging, more to set up the context of what today's message is all about. You see what I didn't share with you was Joe E. Carter's front end story. I didn't mention that he was only able to attend school through the seventh grade because he went to work to help support his mother and four siblings. I didn't mention that when he was a young man he worked multiple jobs at a time, including one in a local furniture factory where he almost lost his life in an accident that resulted in the loss of some of the digits on his dominant right hand. (Remember he was a carpenter, think hammer, screwdriver, saw, etc...) Oh yeah, I failed to mention that Joe E. Carter and our mother Martha Whetsel Carter were divorced before I was even born, but remarried and raised Bob, Chuck, and Donna making sure that we all three received degrees and advanced degrees from the University of Tennessee, East Tennessee State University, and Lincoln Memorial University. (Remember this was a man with a seventh-grade education) My point is by all standards Joe E. Carter had every reason in the world to not be successful. Nobody would have given it much thought if Joe E. Carter had at any of the aforementioned "milestones" in his life given up and just decided that life had handed him a stacked deck and he might as well get used to being at the bottom of the ladder in life. 

     It would have been easy for Joe E. Carter to have made a list of excuses about why he didn't do this or he didn't follow through on that. He could have made a living out of excusing himself from hard work due to his impairment and he could have convinced himself and others that the reason he wasn't able to provide for his family was due to his lack of "education". All of these were real circumstances for Joe E. Carter, but just the other day I was thinking about my dad and it came to me that I cannot recall one instance where he ever made a mention of his missing digits nor of his lack of formal education. I can't recall one time that he said "Hey can you do this for me it's hard for me to grip this screwdriver?" He must have taught himself how to read beyond what his seventh-grade education had taught him because he went on to read blueprints, contracts, and lease agreements, but I never once heard him say "I can't read this" or "Can you read this for me?" I honestly can't remember one time when Joe E. Carter muttered the words "I can't do that." That is why I shared the background history on my dad. Joe E. Carter's legacy to his family is that inner drive to never give up and to never quit. "You don't make excuses you make it happen!" would probably have been his mantra if he had one. 

      So, what is the thought to go with today's message? What do I hope and pray that you take away from our Flat Tire time together today? Well just like the mission behind Flat Tire Ministries is when you get a flat tire you can stay on the side of the road and wait for someone to come along and fix your flat for you, or you can get out the spare tire, jack up the car, and change the tire allowing you to get back on life's highway! that's today's message. In life you have a choice in everything you do or don't do. You can make excuses or you can make it happen. It is all up to you. Sure you have challenges, certainly there are and will be obstacles, insurmountable walls, in front of you, but you get to choose do I let those walls stop me or do I use the wall to build a ladder, grab a shovel to go under, or figure out a way to use that wall to build a house! Your life and the story that it eventually will tell is a myriad collection of choices and decisions that nobody else gets to make. Those are yours and you have to take responsibility for each and every one. I can't even imagine what my life would have been like if Joe E. Carter hadn't made the choice to not make an excuse but to instead find a way to make life happen! 

      As we conclude our time together today, I'd like to share one thought with you about your life's obstacles and the choices you make to overcome them or use them to your benefit. It may seem that your life's "problems" are too big to handle on your own, and of that I would say you are correct. The apostle Paul gave us a message from our chief cheerleader in life that should serve as an encouragement in all of your life's struggles and the decisions you make on how to handle those situations. In Philippians 4:13 Paul wrote. "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me". Not just some things mind you, but "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST". That is pretty encompassing wouldn't you say? But what about if I try and I don't succeed you ask? What is the true measure of success I would ask you in turn? To fail is to not try or to stop trying, but to succeed is to give it all you got and see where it takes you from there. If I may leave you with one challenge today it would be this. Don't make excuses about why you can't do something, instead make a plan on how you will do something and then do it!

Thanks Dad!

Coach Carter

    

"None so Blind..."

     I read a quote the other day which led me to a prayer that I am sharing today for our Flat Tire Ministries Thought for the Week. The quote attributed to John Heywood, 16th century English writer, reads, "There are none so blind as those who will not see". May we ask God to open the eyes of our heart and to move us towards love, empathy, and compassion for our fellow man. 

"Father God to have ears and not hear the cries of those that are hurting. To have eyes and not be able to see the violence and hatred that plagues our nation. To have the means to help and save, but not move to do anything that isn't centered on self. And most importantly, to have the answer to life's adversity, afflictions, trials, and tribulations, but to never share that message of hope is unforgivable. Father God as I read your warning to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:16-27) that if he did not warn the people about God's commands Ezekiel would be held responsible for their sin death, and all I could think is God we are Ezekiel today. Father I may have eyes that function properly, but if I can walk by a homeless man or woman on the streets of our cities and not be moved to action then I truly am blind. If I hear the ugliness of prejudice and racism and am not moved to stand up for what is taught in your word about loving thy neighbor as thyself then I am surely deaf, and if I do not become an advocate for those that need help I am illiterate as a man. Father may I not be a  disabled Christian. A paralytic may not be able to move their arms or legs, but they can still be the hands and feet of God. May I not be overthrown by apathy and a self-centered mindset. Father open my eyes, illuminate my path, and move me to action in service to You. Lord I do not want to be a paperweight rock holding down your truth. May I be wings to lift up those that are in need and a strong back to bear my fellow man's burden. Amen"

Have you chosen to be blind? Have your ears grown deaf? Will you not be God's hands and feet? There is a Great Physician that can give you 20/20 vision, that can open your ears to hear, and He can give you the ability to be His hands and feet on a daily basis. Be moved and then move!
 Coach Carter

What Motivates You?

     
Today's title begs the question "What Motivates You?" What makes you get up in the morning to do the things you do? What drives you to be the best you that you can be? What is that thing that causes you to make sacrifices, decisions, and choices each day? We make a plethora of decisions each day and you need to understand why you tend to lean one way or the other on the spectrum of what is the motivating force in your life.
      Are your decisions based on personal gain? Do you think about the impact on others in your world and how your decisions will impact them? What about your decisions to support a cause or to get involved in a program or group, what is that guiding force that moves you from sitting there thinking about it to the point that you actually get up and move towards action? Do you make your decisions based on a sense of responsibility? I'd say that's a move in the right direction, but is doing something only out of a sense of duty really enough?
      How about if your actions, choices, and decisions are driven by guilt, anger, or resentment? I guess my question for you if you just answered yes to that one would be, "How's that working for you?" If your life's motivation is founded on anything based in or associated with anger then my guess is you are living a pretty miserable life. You probably want to blame someone else for everything that is "wrong" in your life, and you more than likely can't see whether the glass is half full or half empty because you are too upset because the glass isn't as big as you wanted it to be in the first place. Sheez, get a grip! The life you are living isn't about you!
      The true litmus test for every choice, every decision, and every thought or deed that we think or do should center on whether the action is done out of love. I believe if we could create a Geiger counter that could measure all of our decisions on whether they were based on love for our fellow man, then we could solve a great deal of the problems in our own life and possibly see a drastic change in the way our world revolves around itself. It may sound simplistic, but I would counter and say to the cynic, what other deciding factor is more relevant and what other course of action in making decisions has a better potential to have a positive impact on your life, the lives of those around you, and even on society in general?
     Many of you may be familiar with I Corinthians 13 which is commonly called the "love" chapter in the new testament of the Holy Bible. The author, the Apostle Paul, makes the point that regardless of how much we donate to worthy causes, whether our decisions appear to be a sacrifice on our part, or even if our actions are worthy of being recognized, if the litmus test doesn't ultimately show our decision was founded in love then we are definitely off track. Paul goes on to describe what love is and how love acts providing an excellent guidebook for us all. Verses 4-7 paint a clear picture of what love looks like in our decision-making process. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." I firmly believe that if ALL people could measure their life's decisions against the standards listed above, then we would see a different mechanism driving the direction our lives, our country, and this world.
      This week, find a time each day to stop and reflect on your life. Look at the decisions you have made and point your love Geiger counter at them. What has driven your decisions? What has motivated you to get you to the place you are right now? Can you relate your life to a life of love for others? Do the choices you are living measure up to a life of love for others instead of love for yourself? Are the sacrifices you are making done out of love or done out of responsibility? My prayer is that each of us, self included, will take a deep look into who we are, what makes us who we are, and what drives the decisions and choices that we make each day. At the end of the love chapter in the Bible, the Apostle Paul states that "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." If love is the greatest quality of all then shouldn't it have the most prominent place in our hearts, minds, and souls?
May love be your driving force in life!
Coach Carter