Your Choice Poison or Pie?

 

Our granddaughter Ivy loves cherries. Over the summer, we have been fortunate to have her down from Virginia almost a full month this year. It just so happens that this time of year must be the primal season for cherry harvesting, because the shelves have been jam packed with overflowing containers of these deep, crimson red poppers. I'll have to admit I enjoy sitting down and having a bowl myself. If you've ever eaten a cherry, then you probably can relate to the one issue I have, the pit. Biting into a cherry is not recommended, the cherry pit is as hard as a rock and the meat of the cherry is tightly wrapped around the pit, so there is definitely a skill to eating this particular fruit. 

Here's an interesting fact about that rock hard cherry pit, a hand full of seeds dried out and crushed into a powder will create the lethal poison, cyanide. I'm no scientist and have no desire to create poison, but I find it intriguing that the same pit or seed that can be planted in the ground to produce yet another cherry tree and thus more fruit, can also be gathered, processed, and create a substance that can be detrimental and deadly. Same pit, two choices, create poison or create produce, and you alone make the choice about which you will produce. Throughout your life, you will make similar choices with the "cherries" you are given. Will you create poison or will you plant a garden?

There exist two sayings centered around cherries, the first comments that "life is just a bowlful of cherries". The other laments that "life isn't just a bowl of cherries". I don't think I have to go into which of these statements would be crossing the lips of the pessimist and the optimist, yet the fact of the matter is regardless of what life hands you, the choice of what you are going to do with that handful of cherries is completely up to one person, YOU. 

Life happens, circumstances, conditions, situations, and just downright nature all play pivotal roles in our state of being. I believe that we are not a product of our environment, but instead we are more of a product of the choices that we make in that environment. Life gives us cherries and then we have to decide whether we make a pie or we make poison. One can be shared with others and provides a wonderful end to a meal, the other can create destruction and ripples of negative impacts for generations. Why would anyone choose to make poison over a sweet cherry pie? I don't have that answer, but look around it happens on so many different levels each and every day!

Everything that happens in your life happens for a purpose. I just don't believe in coincidence. But, what happens when life happens is a choice, the choice, that each one of us has to make. We were created to do good in the image of God that has been shared with us through the life of His Son. Ephesians 2:10 tells us "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." NLT. A key word in that scripture is "can", the scripture doesn't read that we “will” do the things we were created to do, it plainly says so we can which conveys the idea of a choice that is going to have to be made. I researched several English translations of this particular verse and pretty much any way you translate the message it transfers the idea of making a choice about whether you choose to follow God's desired purpose or not. That's just the human nature of it all. Cherry pits can make poison, or that same pit can be the catalyst for creating an orchard over decades of nurturing and cultivating. Your choice poison or pie? I have made the choice to plant orchards, nurture their growth, and ultimately produce more cherries, to create the potential for perpetual cherry pies to be shared. “… the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38.

Plant a seed, plan on growing an orchard. 

Coach Carter

 

Taking that First Step

Most likely, you have heard someone say something like, "I'm taking a step of faith..." or "She was stepping out in faith", or maybe that is a concept you have used in your own walk of life. Whatever the case may be the meaning behind this idea is today's topic in our Flat Tire Ministries Thought. There is an ancient Chinese proverb that goes like this, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step". How true that statement is, until we put that first foot forward progress is at a standstill. All the planning in the world won't move you an inch if you don't take that first step. Easy enough, right? Right foot out and step. No problem, but if it is that easy why then do we not move forward on all our plans and actions that we know are the right thing to do? A little story about one of my granddaughters might shed a little light on this question, let's get moving. 

Ella's second year of life was lived a great deal in a COVID confine. Pretty much her exposure to the world outside of home was limited at best. Dining out, shopping, going to public events were all placed on the "not to do" list in March of 2020 as they were for most of the world. As adults, the experiences we missed during the past year were not necessarily new experiences, but most definitely familiar and frequent fits the description. Well, I didn't give this too much thought until this past week when we took Ella, now a new experience three-year-old connoisseur, to the Opryland Hotel for a conference I was attending. A plethora of experiences that she previously had not encountered or if she had she probably didn't really retain in her memory bank between that first year or two of her life. Crowds of people, people that you could actually see their smiles, eating in restaurants, and interacting with children and adults alike all made this trip like an adventure for Ella. The encounter that really speaks to our FTM today didn't really involve people, but instead it was her first real engagement with the escalator on the hotel property.

A whirlwind of plants, trees, and water crashing down from waterfalls welcome guests as you walk into the first section of the hotel property. There are elevators available, but for the most part people were taking the escalators up and up for a grand view of this portion of the resort. As we made our way up to the escalator, I noticed Ella was very reluctant to take that first step to engage this new mode of transport. I stood there holding Ella's hand encouraging her to take that first step, but at the same time I watched as she attempted to step forward numerous times before finally taking that first step. It seemed that each time we made our way to the escalators her fear lessened, or better yet, her courage strengthened and by the end of our three-night stay, Ella had become an agile escalator navigator. 

We started our conversation today with the proverb that encourages us to take that first step, conversely, just as Ella struggled with taking that first step onto the escalator, many of us struggle with taking that first step in our own life's journey. Applying for that new job that's your dream job, but would require a career change requires a big step of faith. Being open and transparent with a friend or family member about a developing addiction that you see coming takes a step of faith to start many times. Moving to a different city or state, mending a broken relationship, standing up for what is right all require us to take a step of faith at some point. In all of the aforementioned instances that first step is always going to be the hardest one, but if our faith is founded in God then we can be confident that He is with us for that first step and for each and every step thereafter. In II Corinthians 5:7 Paul encourages us with this confirmation, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." When Ella looked at the escalator she looked at it through her human eyes, she saw something unfamiliar to her and it invoked a certain degree of fear. She didn't really know what to expect or how to trust that if she took that first step she would be safe. After she took that first step the rest of her ride on the escalator put a smile on her face and she wanted to ride it over and over again! Regardless of what "first step" you are facing, you too can have that same comfort by trusting in God to hold your hand and guide you along that journey. The only thing you have to do that nobody else can do for you is take that first step! You are not alone, that is the promise of our faith and we walk in faith because we believe. 

Coach Carter

Brake Lights Ahead

 

One of the worst things to see when you are traveling on the interstate is a series of cars ahead of you suddenly pumping the brakes and the accompanying red lights that signal traffic is stopped ahead. Well that happened to me yesterday as I was headed up towards Lynchburg, Virginia to deliver our granddaughter, Ivy, to her mother and siblings. Ivy was asleep in the back seat, snuggled up in a blanket, counting sheep as best as she could be considering the comfort level of sleeping in the back seat of a Honda Accord at 8:00 in the morning, when just as mentioned above, the brake lights ahead of me shone bright red. My immediate reaction was "Oh no, we are going to be stuck in traffic for the next hour or two just sitting here creeping along at the speed of a snail!" Much to my chagrin, the delay was only a slight pause in the flow of traffic as a tractor trailer tire had gone flat and shredded across the interstate, creating the need to slow to a crawl, move into one open lane, and navigate the large rubber obstacles scattered across I-81 north. In my mind, I had already convinced myself that the brake lights ahead were a signal of a long, dreary stretch of bumper to bumper traffic, moving inches at a time, and extending the trip by hours at best. That was not to be the case on this particular Saturday morning! Thank God!

Often times figurative warning lights of various kinds go off letting us know that danger is just ahead. Our immediate reaction, similar to my brake lights experience, is to go directly into worry and despair mode. Injuries, strained relationships, unexpected bills, and unanticipated situations cause us to stress and worry even before the actual experience takes place. Sometimes the event does occur and at other times the wave of despair that we created in our minds turns out to be a ripple in a baby pool. 

Our reactions and responses are products of something much deeper than my worry that our trip might be extended courtesy of a traffic jam. When our faith is strong, we confidently drive forward encouraged with the understanding that all things happen for a reason, and it is our responsibility to seek out what God wants us to gain through whatever is happening in our life at that particular moment. When we do not rely on our faith in life's situations then the experience itself dominates our thoughts and it is impossible to see God's will and purpose due to our self-created despair and worry. 

For example, when the brake lights beamed danger ahead, it didn't have to be signaling a bad thing for our trip, in actuality the delay and stoppage of traffic would have provided Ivy and I some time to play a road game, or just have a more one to one time to talk and share some good news about God and our relationships with Him in life's trials and tribulations. Wouldn't that be a much better use of my time and the time that had been created through whatever stopped the traffic ahead? Praying for potential traffic accident victims ahead, using the time to map out a new ministry that you have been wanting to start, or taking some time to make a list of friends and family to pray for and then pray for them are also much better things to do rather than worry and stress. 

The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not worry. Learn to pray about everything. Give thanks to God as you ask Him for what you need^. The peace of God is much greater than the human mind can understand. This peace will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (NLV) What a far greater response to adversity in praying rather than worrying. The next time you feel like you are getting ready to run into a traffic jam on life's interstate, stop, pray, and reflect. You may just find that what you are driving into is not near as bad as you want to think, and that God's purpose and plan for your life is so much bigger than anything we can imagine on our own. 

Coach Carter

Freedom Isn't Free

Let the fireworks begin! July 4th is here and our nation will be in full barbeque mode this weekend, with cookouts, corn hole games, baseball, hotdogs, and apple pies everywhere you look. At the core of this weekend's celebration is our country's independence from Great Britain some 245 years ago. Our nation was much like an indentured servant to the King of England, bound by government more than any other familial circumstances. Gaining our “freedom" allowed the United States of America to be born signaling that the chains of taxation without representation were broke and that the bells of freedom will ring forever more! Our country has certainly been blessed over the last two centuries, I believe that we need to be reminded often that the cost of that freedom is not free. Actually, I would like to suggest that freedom isn't a personal thing to be enjoyed, but instead it is more of a gift we have been given and the responsibility that freedom carries is to give our freedom away for the benefit of others that need freedom more than we do ourselves.

So, am I suggesting that I am free, but that freedom requires me to be indentured? Exactly. Think about it for a minute, the men and women that fought and gained our independence from King George gave up their personal freedom as a sacrifice for the bigger picture of freedom for a nation to be born so that in turn their children's children would be free to serve others in the same exact way their forefathers sacrificed for them. It's perpetual, we covet freedom, but to be free is to be completely bound to assuring that same freedom is available to ALL people, everywhere. 

If you stop and really think about it isn't that what God did for us? Didn't Jesus leave Heaven to break the chains of sin that enslaved men and women, old and young, Jew or Gentile? God gave His son as a sacrifice to assure that we could be free. When we accept God through Christ's sacrifice we accept that our freedom wasn't free and we have a commitment to assure others come first and we commit to securing that same opportunity to be free for our friends, family, and those we haven't ever even met! 

The apostle Paul exhorts us to place the needs of others first in the book of Philippians, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” When we gain salvation from the chains of our sins through Christ, then it becomes our duty and responsibility to be that same type of servant to the mission of Christ. We fight for those that are helpless, we care for those that are sick or in need, and we give of ourselves and our means to those that need us physically, emotionally, or in whatever figurative context we can imagine. Freedom isn't free, whether it is freedom from the physical chains of slavery, or if it is the freedom from pain, addiction, or suffering, we who have been given the gift of freedom are indentured to the plight of those that are in need. 

As we set up the picnic tables and the corn hole bags are getting ready to be tossed today, keep in mind we have this freedom because a price was paid by somebody else. We owe the next generation that same commitment to "pay it forward" to them. Jesus paid that same price with His death on the cross so that we could be free. We owe Him that same exact commitment to pay that forward as well. 

Happy Fourth of July!

Coach Carter

 

 

Son-In-Law Day

 

Earlier this spring, I had decided to invest in a playset for when our granddaughters visit or are here during the school year. I did my due diligence on researching safety, value, and durability, and when I finally settled on one it was on back order due to conditions in the world that we are all too familiar with at this point. Nevertheless, I marked the box on the website to alert me when the set would be available, and a couple of weeks ago the message appeared in my inbox. I made my way to Academy Sports in Knoxville, made the purchase, and loaded the set in my son-in-law JD Newsom's truck, and made my way home with the wooden gold mine in tow. That was the easy part of this venture. Yes, the box was heavy and it took JD and I a little struggle to unload, load, and unload again, but the real task was yet to come. Those that know me, will likely attest to the fact that I am not the most mechanically inclined individual, so procuring the aid of my ever so capable son-in-law, was a no brainer for sure. Without his assistance, actually him doing it and me being a good go-pher, the swing set would probably still be in the box.

The site for the jungle gym was prepped by our neighbor/friend, the purchase had been made, and all that was left was the ensuing assembly of what lie inside this hulking box sitting outside our home. The manufacturer's instruction booklet, all fifty-six pages, assured us that this was a two man, four hour, job, and by assuring we had the correct tools and following the instructions step-by-step, we would soon have our playset ready for swinging, climbing, and sliding! That was at 9:30AM. At 5:00PM, some seven and a half hours later, JD tightened up the last bolt and the set sat pristine and proud, ready for the girls to play away on the bright blue and green accessories of the cedar red playset. To say I was proud would be an understatement. 

What was I proud of? Proud that we now have an area available for our girls to play and have friends over to play with them on an outdoor play set that encourages and provides a healthy outside activity with good shade and plenty of areas to climb and conquer. But, I think what I was most proud of was my son-in-law JD. Always willing to lend a hand when needed, a never say never mentality, and a heart that is surely made of pure 110% gold. Not to mention, he is just about as handy and crafty with a hammer, saw, and drill as anybody I know. What was supposed to be a four-hour project, turned into a full day odyssey for sure, but JD never faltered or wavered, with a yeoman's approach he, along with some pretty good "I'll hold that in place while you attach it" support from his father-in-law battled the "instruction" manual until the project was complete. 

Later that evening after two of the three granddaughters had a chance to swing and slide, I asked the elder three-year-old, Ella, if she liked the playset to which she replied, "I could stand and look at it all day!" That touched my heart like nothing else could have at that moment. I'm a realist and I am pretty certain if JD had not been involved in this project, number one it would probably still be in the box, and number two it most certainly would not have been safe enough to put our prized possessions on it if I had tried to do the project by myself. That led me to a thought about how much I appreciate JD and how he loves our daughter Rae & granddaughter Charley-Kate. So much appreciation that I started thinking there needs to be a "Son-in-Law Day" and guess what? There is, April 10th has been designated as national son-in-Law Day by congress. I didn't delve deeper, but I'm guessing there is pretty much a national day of recognition for most everybody in some form or fashion. Boss's Day, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Best Friend Day, the list goes on and on. I guess my question and the point to make today is do we need a national day to show our appreciation for those that we appreciate? Shouldn't we be showing our appreciation all along the way each and every day? Maybe we do in our minds, but I think from a standpoint of placing others before self, we should ever be eager to say "Thank You" to those that selflessly do what they do each day to make the lives of others a little easier and a whole bunch better along the way. 

The apostle Paul, was the resolute man of gratitude, which is on full display in the books of the Bible attributed to God's humble servant. In Romans 1:8 he thanks God for the church in Rome and their faith and the impact it was making. He thanked God for the gift of grace given to the church in Corinth in I Corinthians 1:4, and to the church in Ephesus, Paul stated that he never stops giving thanks for them in his daily prayers, (Ephesians 1:16). Paul's thankfulness is limitless as he shares his gratefulness with the Philippians (1:3), the Colossians’ faith (1:3), the Thessalonians (I Thess. 1:2) always letting them know that he is praying for them and that he is grateful for all they have done for him and for God. Above and beyond all of the recognition of what others had done to support Paul, Paul always placed what Jesus did for all of us in the highest level of significance and praise. II Corinthians 9:15 sums it up nicely where Paul proclaims, "Now thanks be to God for His indescribable gift". That is the heart I desire to have, I want to always be cognate of the gift God gave me and offers to us all. I want to see others with a more grateful heart and then tell them how much I appreciate them. I don't want to wait until Sunday each week to tell God how much I appreciate Him, that recognition needs to happen every day!

National days of recognition are great, they give us a reminder that we do need to be thankful and that we need to express that appreciation. Whether we buy a card and a gift or if we just share a word of kind appreciation, share your heart and share a kind word of appreciation today! We all have so much to be thankful for, and for me I am thankful for JD!

Coach Carter

Looking Straight Ahead

 

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

Often times we allow our past to hang around our necks like an anchor that keeps a ship stuck in one spot. We look at the things we have done and the associated shame or guilt constricts our minds, which in turn torments our thoughts of being worthy of being used for good. It is way too easy to allow our thoughts to be the water that douses our opportunities to serve if we allow our minds to weigh down our potential. When the negativity of this world wants to drag you down, look straight ahead to what is possible with God on your side. 

Setting goals in life is critically important to making progress. A runner looks toward the next mile marker, but ultimately has her sights set on the finish line. When a batter swings at a pitch, the goal is to make contact with the ball in such a way as to get a base hit, but when he swings, he is setting his sight on the centerfield fence that signifies a homerun. If we are to follow the advice of the Apostle Paul then we can't allow the strikeouts of life to keep us from getting back up to bat again and again. Legendary home run king Hank Aaron hit a record setting 755 home runs during his career. That record stood as a milestone for aspiring major leaguers for decades. But, do you ever hear mention of the fact that Hammering Hank had a whooping 1,383 strikeouts during that same career? What if old number 44 had spent his time worrying about those strikeouts? The sum total of all of his strikeouts almost doubles his homerun total. What would that ratio do to us if we experienced two failures for every one potential success in our daily lives? You can't look sideways, you can't back up, you can't look down, and you most definitely can't turn around and walk back to where you were yesterday. The goals we set are to move us forward and to reach new heights, distances, or markers in life. 

Have you ever heard someone say, I have set a goal for next year to make the same mistakes I made this year and if possible I'm gonna try to make a few more than I did this year? Sounds ludicrous, but if we are guilty of sitting around concentrating on the mistakes we made in the past, then doesn't it sound reasonable to believe we are putting our focus on what is behind us instead of what is lying in wait on us in our future? Press on is the directive that Paul conveys to each of us. Forget what is behind you that was yesterday, we are living today and setting our sights on how we can improve today to make tomorrow a better place to live for our family, friends, and posterity. Looking ahead not behind, I set my sights on what is my pathway as I move forward.

We started today's FTM with a statement that everyone needs to be setting goals. Goals are for our good and for the good of others. There is a goal that is worth setting and worth striving towards that is greater than any other goal we could ever set. Turn your attention to what lies in front of you and leave what is behind you right there, behind you! May you spend your time focusing on how you are going to hit the next ball over the fence, and relegating to allow the past be exactly that past tense. 

Coach Carter

 

 

Taste and See

 

I fondly remember "plugging" a watermelon as a child. That terminology may warrant a little background information before we go any further, as I'm not 100% sure it is even performed in today's world. Plugging a melon is the practice of allowing the merchant to cut a small triangular shape into the heart of the melon and then pulling it out so the potential purchaser can get a taste of the melon before purchasing. Just looking at the melon alone gives you some insight to whether it is ripe or not, but nothing about the quality of the delicious fruit inside can be ascertained through that visual inspection alone. When it comes to a fruit like strawberries or bananas it is pretty easy to look at the fruit and know if it is ripe or even overripe, but with a watermelon you can look at it all day long, and still not be able to determine the quality of the fruit inside. By allowing the watermelon to be plugged, the buyer can taste the fruit and make sure it is what he or she wants to take home to share with family or friends. 

Our walk of faith begins with a taste much like the sweet sample of fruit that is obtained when the melon is plugged. We hear about having faith, we talk with people who say that they "walk" by faith, and we may even know someone that shares that their faith is what allows them to make it through each day. For those that do not know God or those that have not developed their faith in God, faith in God can be a real challenge. Faith increases as we trust more in God's plan for our lives and place less emphasis on what we believe is our course in life. Trusting that God is in control and that His ways and His plans are so much more important than anything we could ever imagine is critical to fortifying our faith walk with our Lord and Savior.  

 In Genesis 34:8 we are encouraged to "Taste and see that the Lord is good, ...". Just as we take a bite of melon from the heart of the fruit, God wants us to take a bite of the love that He has for us, and see how good it really is. Once we take that bite, we are transformed, we grow through the trust we build and as that trust grows so does our faith in God and His plan for our lives. Most definitely this is a process that happens over time as does any relationship, but it starts with a taste. 

When I eat at a buffet, I sample some of the items that look interesting, to make sure I like it before I waste food on my plate. Once I've taken a sample I determine whether I want more or not and then I go back and fill my plate with the items that will eventually fill my stomach and provide me with nutrients to keep me healthy. If you have a relationship with God already, then I encourage to fill your plate with trust and faith and place yourself closer to God who will walk with you through any and all challenges this life may throw your way. If you haven't started your walk of faith with God then I encourage you to "taste and see" and give God the opportunity to guide you through the choices and complexities of this life we have been given to live! 

Coach Carter