Back on February 25th I blogged about an idea I had to determine and maximize your roles in life. If you haven't read that post or have forgotten it, go back and check it out. It is called "A Simple Test." Today I am going to encourage you to Do 1 Thing. I want you to have a list of your roles in life readily available (either mentally or physically). I want you to think about the most important parts of your life. The People and Activities you wouldn't give up for $1,000,000. Ok got 'em? Mine are 1.) Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ 2.) My Wife 3.) My Boys 4.) My extended Family 5.) Teaching and Leading Young People as a Full-Time Job 6.) Coaching Basketball and Soccer 7.) My relationships with Friends 8.) Reading 9.) Watching Sports on TV. These are pretty much the activities that I want to be defined by and where I want to spend most of my effort and energy. Yours may be different (I am guessing people are near the top of your list) but we are probably pretty similar. Values and Beliefs at the top, followed by family, followed by career and then some hobbies.
My encouragement today is to Do 1 Thing to benefit each of these roles this week above and beyond what you typically do. When we merely accomplish the basics in each role we pretty much survive from one week to the next. In our career we earn enough to pay the bills and hopefully save a little, our family gets our basic time and the relationships are preserved for another week. Our spouses get just enough attention to keep them minimally satisfied. I am challenging you and me to go 1 step further in each category than just the basics. Spend time in prayer (or however you express your values and beliefs) that is above and beyond. Serve someone, give a little more time at work, enhance your quality time with your family. Whatever it is, find a way to do something extra in each category. Let's say you devote an extra hour this week to each category. 10 hours may sound like a lot, but I bet if we turn off the TV and put down the smart phones we can get it done.
What are the advantages of Doing 1 Thing this week?
1.) We move from merely surviving and advancing to a new week to thriving and seeking a better life. There is great power that comes when we are in control. When we exert the control over our lives that allows us to do extra things we get a great sense of accomplishment. We feel empowered. We feel more like we control our destinies and our situations instead of them controlling us.
2.) There is great momentum that comes by simply Doing 1 Thing. What may start off slow can quickly build steam and become a great force. Even the Mississippi River starts out very small, but as it grows it gains more and more water and thus power and prestige. You can live the same way. Start small and see your small 1 Thing multiply throughout the coming weeks.
3.) The Power of Being Proactive. It may sound like a huge requirement to give up 10 hours over the next week. I believe that the time will pay incredible dividends. When we are proactive now it saves time later. Let me give you an example. Let's say my wife and I spend 2 hours a week in disagreements and miscommunications (Probably low for us since I can be difficult some days). What if we took an hour each week to go on a coffee date. We sat down without phones or boys or anything else to distract us. We are able to talk and have great communication. We plan the week ahead and just get very open with each other. My guess is that those 2 hours spent in misunderstandings the next week will shrink to virtually nothing. I just saved myself an hour. What if I stay at work an extra 30 minutes once a week. I can get organized and ahead of potential problems. Again I am saving myself time. Being proactive allows me to operate in the realm of "What is Important in Life?" instead of in the realm of "I have to rush around to take care of this emergency."
Give it a try this week. Write down 7-10 areas of your life that you consider most important to you. Find an extra 30 -60 minutes this week to do 1 Thing Extra in each area. I am betting the time pays off and you will see significant growth in that area of your life.
Canoeing on Christmas 2015
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Small Things Over a Massive Amount of Time
Man, I wish it was a lot easier than it is. I have goals I would like to accomplish, things I would like to get done and proficiencies I want to obtain. I want to be really good at things, or maybe just something. I want to reach success in some area. But it takes a lot of work. Success is best achieved when reached through many, many, many small steps forward and even a for steps backward.
Whenever I start a new venture I really hope that it is "my prodigy" moment and I can achieve a high level of success almost immediately. I was this way with golf. It looks so easy when you watch it on TV. It looks (and is) really easy on the Nintendo Wii. It is not easy when you try it in real life. To illustrate how bad at golf I am I once shot a 48 on 9 holes and by 48 I mean that is how many balls I lost.
I am constantly looking for the get- rich- quick investment where I can turn $1,000 into $250,000 in a matter of months. I want to be able to have a great marriage quickly. I want success in my professions of teaching, leading and coaching. I want it now. I want to be a great public speaker and I want to have hundreds of followers on Twitter. I look at people who have made it and want what they have. Oh yeah, and repeat after me, I Want it Now!
It is hard for me to comprehend how hard guys I admire have had to work. How many times they were up at 2am for a flight or up past 2am to keep writing to make a deadline. It is easy for me to say I want the success of a Coach K, Dave Ramsey or John Maxwell. But am I willing to work as hard as they have worked? Am I willing to undergo the amount of stress and trauma that they have? Am I willing to work as hard as they have? While no one will deny that Michael Jordan was an incredibly gifted athlete he was also one of the hardest workers ever. Kobe Bryant was known for beginning his daily workouts before 5am. They were naturally gifted for sure but they also paid the price and struggled to reach the top. All we see is these phenomenal men at the pinnacle, we rarely see the struggle to get there.
Be encouraged. While it can be frustrating and long journey to reach the heights in your career and dream that you want to reach, know that it can be done. Almost none of the men and women that we admire reached it to their dreams because of natural talent alone. The overwhelming majority of our heroes had to struggle and work to reach the top. Even those who invented something (see Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison) there are countless hours and failures spent before the breakthrough.
Bottom Line is that it takes untold hours (more likely years) of behind the scenes work and sweat and tears to reach your dreams. They can be accomplished if you are willing to take one step in the right direction each day. Success is found in taking small steps towards your dreams over a massive amount of time.
Whenever I start a new venture I really hope that it is "my prodigy" moment and I can achieve a high level of success almost immediately. I was this way with golf. It looks so easy when you watch it on TV. It looks (and is) really easy on the Nintendo Wii. It is not easy when you try it in real life. To illustrate how bad at golf I am I once shot a 48 on 9 holes and by 48 I mean that is how many balls I lost.
I am constantly looking for the get- rich- quick investment where I can turn $1,000 into $250,000 in a matter of months. I want to be able to have a great marriage quickly. I want success in my professions of teaching, leading and coaching. I want it now. I want to be a great public speaker and I want to have hundreds of followers on Twitter. I look at people who have made it and want what they have. Oh yeah, and repeat after me, I Want it Now!
It is hard for me to comprehend how hard guys I admire have had to work. How many times they were up at 2am for a flight or up past 2am to keep writing to make a deadline. It is easy for me to say I want the success of a Coach K, Dave Ramsey or John Maxwell. But am I willing to work as hard as they have worked? Am I willing to undergo the amount of stress and trauma that they have? Am I willing to work as hard as they have? While no one will deny that Michael Jordan was an incredibly gifted athlete he was also one of the hardest workers ever. Kobe Bryant was known for beginning his daily workouts before 5am. They were naturally gifted for sure but they also paid the price and struggled to reach the top. All we see is these phenomenal men at the pinnacle, we rarely see the struggle to get there.
Be encouraged. While it can be frustrating and long journey to reach the heights in your career and dream that you want to reach, know that it can be done. Almost none of the men and women that we admire reached it to their dreams because of natural talent alone. The overwhelming majority of our heroes had to struggle and work to reach the top. Even those who invented something (see Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison) there are countless hours and failures spent before the breakthrough.
Bottom Line is that it takes untold hours (more likely years) of behind the scenes work and sweat and tears to reach your dreams. They can be accomplished if you are willing to take one step in the right direction each day. Success is found in taking small steps towards your dreams over a massive amount of time.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
I Want to Be the Best
Tina Turner sang her song "Simply the Best" and it became a famous commercial advertisements for a truck company. Her song stated "Your simply the best, better than all the rest, better than anyone." I assume this was a love song written to express her feelings for a husband or boyfriend. That is not what this post will be about. Recently, it has hit me that in many instances I am no longer striving to the best at whatever I am doing. I am simply trying to get through the days and get the vital tasks completed before moving on and doing other vital tasks. My guess is that I am not alone.
We should all desire to be the best in every area of our lives. We all have different roles and areas of responsibility. I have found that most people have between 6-10 roles in life that they must perform. Are you striving to be the best in each of those areas? For me, my roles include Husband, Father, Teacher, Coach (2 Teams), Youth Leader, Blogger and several others. What would it look like if I truly devoted time and effort into being the best in each role instead of just trying to accomplish the basic, vital tasks required of me in each one?
First, decide on what roles you have to fill on a weekly basis. That should tell you what areas you should be trying to be the best in. If you need help determining the roles you play or what roles are most important to you check out my blog post titled "A Simple Test." That should help you narrow down the areas of your life where you can consciously decide to be the best. To me I want to be the best Coach, Father, Husband, Youth Leader and Teacher that I can be. My desire is to be the best in the world at each of these roles. Remember the saying "If you aim for nothing you are likely to hit it." I would rather set a big, ostentatious goal and fall a little short, than to set a small or no goal and hit it. Simply put, I want to be the best.
Next, decide what it will take to get you to your goal. Map out a vision for what it would look like to be the best in each area of your life. Once you decide what it would look like to be the best decide what it will take to get there. For me, several things have to go, or be significantly decreased, from my life. I need to spend much less time on social media. I need to spend much less time reading news stories on the internet. I need to put down my IPOD and Phone and focus on reading articles and books that will help me reach my goal of being the best. I also need to get in much better shape physically so I have the energy to pursue greatness in my life. I need to eat better. Hopefully you are getting an idea of what it will take for you to reach the top. I need to make small changes in my life that will allow me to reach my potential. What are some small changes that you can make today to step closer to being the best? I like the saying "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Similarly, "You can eat an elephant by taking one bite at a time." I can't become the best today, but I can take steps in that direction this morning.
Good Luck. Get energized or maybe reenergized and start reaching for the best, not just satisfactory or good enough.
We should all desire to be the best in every area of our lives. We all have different roles and areas of responsibility. I have found that most people have between 6-10 roles in life that they must perform. Are you striving to be the best in each of those areas? For me, my roles include Husband, Father, Teacher, Coach (2 Teams), Youth Leader, Blogger and several others. What would it look like if I truly devoted time and effort into being the best in each role instead of just trying to accomplish the basic, vital tasks required of me in each one?
First, decide on what roles you have to fill on a weekly basis. That should tell you what areas you should be trying to be the best in. If you need help determining the roles you play or what roles are most important to you check out my blog post titled "A Simple Test." That should help you narrow down the areas of your life where you can consciously decide to be the best. To me I want to be the best Coach, Father, Husband, Youth Leader and Teacher that I can be. My desire is to be the best in the world at each of these roles. Remember the saying "If you aim for nothing you are likely to hit it." I would rather set a big, ostentatious goal and fall a little short, than to set a small or no goal and hit it. Simply put, I want to be the best.
Next, decide what it will take to get you to your goal. Map out a vision for what it would look like to be the best in each area of your life. Once you decide what it would look like to be the best decide what it will take to get there. For me, several things have to go, or be significantly decreased, from my life. I need to spend much less time on social media. I need to spend much less time reading news stories on the internet. I need to put down my IPOD and Phone and focus on reading articles and books that will help me reach my goal of being the best. I also need to get in much better shape physically so I have the energy to pursue greatness in my life. I need to eat better. Hopefully you are getting an idea of what it will take for you to reach the top. I need to make small changes in my life that will allow me to reach my potential. What are some small changes that you can make today to step closer to being the best? I like the saying "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Similarly, "You can eat an elephant by taking one bite at a time." I can't become the best today, but I can take steps in that direction this morning.
Good Luck. Get energized or maybe reenergized and start reaching for the best, not just satisfactory or good enough.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Why Travel League Sports Make me Uncomfortable
I have been uncomfortable around "Travel League" sports for many years. It is a topic that gets me frustrated almost like no other. For many years this feeling of "uncomfortability" has been vague and abstract. However, last week with time to think (I was at the beach) I was able to distill my thoughts and came up with some very concrete reasons that "Travel League" sports make me uncomfortable.
For the sake of ease of communication I will define any sports that take place outside of the oversight of a school district as "Travel League" sports. That is a broad definition and I know it will suck some very worthy sports and events into its scope that may not deserve to be there.
My qualifications to write this article include: Officiating at Travel League Soccer Matches, AAU Basketball Tournaments, attendance at many AAU Basketball tournaments for recruiting (which for at least the time being I have sworn off), and many conversations with teenagers, coaches and officials over the course of my 11 year teaching career.
In no particular order here are the reasons that travel league sports make me uncomfortable:
-Families are spending thousands of dollars in order for their kids to participate. I would guess on an average travel league season a family can spend close to $5,000. That includes team fees (some places charge upwards of $5,000 per participant just to play), travel (parents and families in hotels, eating out, tournament entrance fees, etc. These kids are run all over the state or in many cases the country to play a sport. The costs add up extremely quickly and go extremely high. I know a dad who estimates he spent close to $30,000 over his sons 8 year soccer career on travel, participant fees, etc. That is a ton of money. I heard of a family whose son played AAU Basketball skipping mortgage payments so he could play for his team. The magazine article celebrated this "investment" in his future. DUMB, missing mortgage payments so your son can play basketball is DUMB.
-I hate the travel that kids are putting in along with families. I know of kids from Harrisburg who travel to Pittsburgh (approximately 200 miles each way) on a school night to play for a particular travel league team. 400 mile round trip on school nights is not wise under any circumstances. I know other families who routinely (several nights a week) who travel over 200 miles on a school night for practice. Then on weekends these kids regularly put in another 500-700 miles on the road for tournaments. Week after week, month after month this time on the road adds up to hundreds of hours. I don't think that is wise.
-I am uncomfortable with the fact that families are missing out on family and church time. I know many families who send one kid one direction (hundreds of miles) with one parent for a volleyball tournament and another chunk of the family heads another direction for soccer or softball. Families are meant to be together, especially, on the weekend. Instead of waking up late on a Saturday and enjoying the benefits of rest and relaxation these kids are headed for a hotel breakfast and then the gym. Typically, these kids only play close to 3 hours max of their sport but it takes a whole weekend to accomplish this minimal playing time. These families are separated from early Friday morning (work and school) through late Sunday night. These families are also missing church (if that is a priority for them).
-I am uncomfortable with the specialization and overuse injuries that occur because of travel league sports. It is conventional wisdom in the Physical Education, Physical Therapy and Wellness communities that athletes cannot and should not play their sports year-round. Muscles and bones become overused and more likely to be injured. The fatigue brought on by the travel and many extra games and practices (I know of a coach who bragged that his team played an astonishing 127 games in one calendar year) cause injuries. Over-use injuries are much more likely in athletes who play year round. I am all for the 2 and 3 sport athletes. Quit thinking that specialization is the path to greater skill and glory. Let's celebrate the athletes who can play multiple sports.
-I am uncomfortable with the creepy adults who populate the travel league circuits and get rich preying on the hopes and dreams of young athletes and their naive families. Put simply, many travel leagues exploit the athletes for sake of financial gain. They make massive sums of money on entrance fees, spectator admission fees, concessions etc. There are also many creepy adults who look to latch onto a promising prospect in the hopes that they will one day earn some money playing professionally. Both of these behaviors are exploitative and the number of adults preying on kids is absurdly high in travel league sports, in my opinion. There are also hoards of parents and coaches who are looking to live out some kind of fantasy life by coaching teams. There are many parents who try to relive their past through their kids. The percentage of creepy adults is significantly higher in travel league sports than it is in school based athletics.
-I hate the fact that many kids quit playing the sport they used to love around 10th grade because of burnout. You simply cannot play soccer year round from 2nd grade - High School without getting tired of the game. Parents push players relentlessly (to fulfill their own ambitions and feed their own sick egos) to the point the kids simply quit playing. I see it every year with approximately High School Sophomores. They either quit or start to resent the sport they once loved.
-I am uncomfortable with the parents who think that travel league sports are a path to a college scholarship. Many kids are awarded scholarships based upon their play in travel league events and tournaments. However, many more kids are simply not going to earn a scholarship no matter how many tournaments they attend. Families spend themselves broke (see the first point above) to earn a "mythical" scholarship for their average or below average athlete. If only the money spent on sports had been invested wisely the kids would have been able to easily afford college. Now broke parents (who are financially broke and heart broken because their kid didn't come close to a scholarship) are forced to realize that the Thousands of Dollars spent are gone and they have nothing saved for college. The truth of travel league sports is that many, many families are funding the opportunity for a very select few to earn scholarships to college.
****I know many families and individuals (who are good, strong families and people) who participate or allow their kids to participate. These are my opinions (most backed up by facts and studies, but nonetheless my opinions). This is my blog so I feel that I can share my thoughts. If you disagree with me, that is fine, but take a minute to consider the points I have made above.
For the sake of ease of communication I will define any sports that take place outside of the oversight of a school district as "Travel League" sports. That is a broad definition and I know it will suck some very worthy sports and events into its scope that may not deserve to be there.
My qualifications to write this article include: Officiating at Travel League Soccer Matches, AAU Basketball Tournaments, attendance at many AAU Basketball tournaments for recruiting (which for at least the time being I have sworn off), and many conversations with teenagers, coaches and officials over the course of my 11 year teaching career.
In no particular order here are the reasons that travel league sports make me uncomfortable:
-Families are spending thousands of dollars in order for their kids to participate. I would guess on an average travel league season a family can spend close to $5,000. That includes team fees (some places charge upwards of $5,000 per participant just to play), travel (parents and families in hotels, eating out, tournament entrance fees, etc. These kids are run all over the state or in many cases the country to play a sport. The costs add up extremely quickly and go extremely high. I know a dad who estimates he spent close to $30,000 over his sons 8 year soccer career on travel, participant fees, etc. That is a ton of money. I heard of a family whose son played AAU Basketball skipping mortgage payments so he could play for his team. The magazine article celebrated this "investment" in his future. DUMB, missing mortgage payments so your son can play basketball is DUMB.
-I hate the travel that kids are putting in along with families. I know of kids from Harrisburg who travel to Pittsburgh (approximately 200 miles each way) on a school night to play for a particular travel league team. 400 mile round trip on school nights is not wise under any circumstances. I know other families who routinely (several nights a week) who travel over 200 miles on a school night for practice. Then on weekends these kids regularly put in another 500-700 miles on the road for tournaments. Week after week, month after month this time on the road adds up to hundreds of hours. I don't think that is wise.
-I am uncomfortable with the fact that families are missing out on family and church time. I know many families who send one kid one direction (hundreds of miles) with one parent for a volleyball tournament and another chunk of the family heads another direction for soccer or softball. Families are meant to be together, especially, on the weekend. Instead of waking up late on a Saturday and enjoying the benefits of rest and relaxation these kids are headed for a hotel breakfast and then the gym. Typically, these kids only play close to 3 hours max of their sport but it takes a whole weekend to accomplish this minimal playing time. These families are separated from early Friday morning (work and school) through late Sunday night. These families are also missing church (if that is a priority for them).
-I am uncomfortable with the specialization and overuse injuries that occur because of travel league sports. It is conventional wisdom in the Physical Education, Physical Therapy and Wellness communities that athletes cannot and should not play their sports year-round. Muscles and bones become overused and more likely to be injured. The fatigue brought on by the travel and many extra games and practices (I know of a coach who bragged that his team played an astonishing 127 games in one calendar year) cause injuries. Over-use injuries are much more likely in athletes who play year round. I am all for the 2 and 3 sport athletes. Quit thinking that specialization is the path to greater skill and glory. Let's celebrate the athletes who can play multiple sports.
-I am uncomfortable with the creepy adults who populate the travel league circuits and get rich preying on the hopes and dreams of young athletes and their naive families. Put simply, many travel leagues exploit the athletes for sake of financial gain. They make massive sums of money on entrance fees, spectator admission fees, concessions etc. There are also many creepy adults who look to latch onto a promising prospect in the hopes that they will one day earn some money playing professionally. Both of these behaviors are exploitative and the number of adults preying on kids is absurdly high in travel league sports, in my opinion. There are also hoards of parents and coaches who are looking to live out some kind of fantasy life by coaching teams. There are many parents who try to relive their past through their kids. The percentage of creepy adults is significantly higher in travel league sports than it is in school based athletics.
-I hate the fact that many kids quit playing the sport they used to love around 10th grade because of burnout. You simply cannot play soccer year round from 2nd grade - High School without getting tired of the game. Parents push players relentlessly (to fulfill their own ambitions and feed their own sick egos) to the point the kids simply quit playing. I see it every year with approximately High School Sophomores. They either quit or start to resent the sport they once loved.
-I am uncomfortable with the parents who think that travel league sports are a path to a college scholarship. Many kids are awarded scholarships based upon their play in travel league events and tournaments. However, many more kids are simply not going to earn a scholarship no matter how many tournaments they attend. Families spend themselves broke (see the first point above) to earn a "mythical" scholarship for their average or below average athlete. If only the money spent on sports had been invested wisely the kids would have been able to easily afford college. Now broke parents (who are financially broke and heart broken because their kid didn't come close to a scholarship) are forced to realize that the Thousands of Dollars spent are gone and they have nothing saved for college. The truth of travel league sports is that many, many families are funding the opportunity for a very select few to earn scholarships to college.
****I know many families and individuals (who are good, strong families and people) who participate or allow their kids to participate. These are my opinions (most backed up by facts and studies, but nonetheless my opinions). This is my blog so I feel that I can share my thoughts. If you disagree with me, that is fine, but take a minute to consider the points I have made above.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
When to Evaluate
Judging the value and quality of people, merchandise, experiences and many other things is a constant activity in our lives. We continually make judgments. "Our server was great, let's leave him a great tip." "This NBA game is boring, let's switch to Netflix." "Our neighbors new dog is loud and obnoxious." Sound familiar (okay, maybe not the exact terminology or situations)? Whether or not you realize it your life is a result of the choices you made based upon evaluations you made. Who you work for, who you married (a big evaluation and guys I think most of us are lucky are wives weren't a bit more discerning and judgmental), where you live, how you spend your money, etc.
As a leader we are constantly forced to make evaluations. We evaluate our followers, our group's experiences, our prospects for the future, our current goals and our progress. Leading is all about evaluating. We evaluate things on a life changing level. As coaches we evaluate who to recruit (My assistant coach this year told me she went to see a recruit and after the game told her straight up that we didn't want her as part of our program because of attitude and work ethic). That can change someones life. Leaders have to decide who to hire, promote/demote, who to fire, who to retain. All these things are life changing.
Unfortunately, many times as leaders we react and make snap judgments that are costly. I have a coach friend who has literally thrown at least 50% of his players off the team following a tough game or contentious exchange in the locker room. Later he has to come back and spend valuable time undoing the damage he inflicted with that snap evaluation and reaction. How can we make better evaluations as leaders? Let me suggest 3 ways.
Be Restored - In all facets of life be restored before making a major evaluation. Become whole again. That means eat and get your body back in balance. Get your blood sugar under control and your energy levels restored. Go home and get back in your comfort zone before making decisions. Very few problems need an immediate solution. Before evaluating situations or people restore the balance in your life. Hug your spouse, play with your kids or dog and spend some time in your favorite chair watching some TV or reading a book.
Be Rested - Similar to the item above but get some rest before evaluating people, ideas and opportunities. Very few problems require an immediate solution and our initial reaction following an evaluation made in exhaustion will likely damage someone or some relationship. Step back from the situation and get some sleep. Even a few days or up to a week of rest can be very beneficial when making an important evaluation. You can still address the situation when tired, but evaluate it fully when rested. For example, if one of your followers is openly insubordinate and disrespectful don't ignore it and address it in a week. But, you can say "Tom, that behavior isn't going to fly. We will need to talk tomorrow. See me in my office." In that case you have addressed the situation initially and also bought yourself time to really see what is going on. You may make a better decision based on the rest or the same decision that you would have made immediately. At least, by getting rested you have given yourself the confidence that it was the right decision and will save yourself much time in second guessing.
Be Removed - Get away from the person or situation. I have seen way too many coaches leave games and yell at an opposing coach, player, AD or ref. Too many leaders want to fix things in the moment. Get yourself removed from the location of the situation or away from the person to be evaluated and then make some decisions.
These suggestions are all pretty similar. They share the key component of allowing time to help us make wise decisions. As leaders we will literally change someone's life on a regular basis. We owe our followers the opportunity to have their leader make tough decisions after being restored, rested and removed.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
How to Deal with Evil in the World
This is a dark and dying world. Evil abounds, unchecked (it feels) at times. Locally we had 3 young adults commit an armed robbery/murder to rob a man of $24. We had the horrible mass shooting in Orlando over the weekend.
J.R.R. Tolkien says: "The world is indeed full of peril, and in it are many dark places; but there is still much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater." Another Tolkien quote is "Some believe it is only great power that con hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."
We are losing. Christians lament the many cultural changes that have swept over our nation. We are losing ground daily in our battle for the culture. To paraphrase Russell Moore in his book Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel "So What?" We were never called to win a culture war. We were called to win souls.
What can we do to "Let our Light Shine" in this present age of darkness? (General warning: This post will contain many Bible Truths and references. If that is a concern, please discontinue reading).
1.) Overcome Evil with Good. Check out this story coming out of the horrible murder rampage in Orlando. Chik-Fil-a story They got it right. We need to overcome the darkness in the world with love. Romans 12:21 says "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Next time you are tempted to moan and groan about the state of the world, do something to make a difference.
2.) Understand our Enemy. We are not at war with Radical Islam, Homosexuals, Liberals or anyone else. Ephesians 6:12 says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
3.) Protect and Prepare Yourself. En empowering moment in anyone's life comes when we embrace the fact that we cannot change others, only ourselves. In fighting against injustice, wickedness and evil in the world protect and prepare yourself. One verse up (Ephesians 6:11) we read " Put on the whole armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." Take care of your house, your life and your walk with Christ. Getting yourself right is a big key to helping get the world right.
4.) Stand Firm and Hold On. Again quoting from Ephesians "Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist In the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." I Thessalonians 5:21-22 tells us to "hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil."
5.) Fear Not. Hebrews 13:6 encourages us that "The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?" We (through Christ) win. Don't be discouraged or fearful.
Embrace your call to be Salt and Light to a dying world. We were never called to be Salt and Light to a living and thriving world. Go out and make a difference today.
J.R.R. Tolkien says: "The world is indeed full of peril, and in it are many dark places; but there is still much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater." Another Tolkien quote is "Some believe it is only great power that con hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."
We are losing. Christians lament the many cultural changes that have swept over our nation. We are losing ground daily in our battle for the culture. To paraphrase Russell Moore in his book Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel "So What?" We were never called to win a culture war. We were called to win souls.
What can we do to "Let our Light Shine" in this present age of darkness? (General warning: This post will contain many Bible Truths and references. If that is a concern, please discontinue reading).
1.) Overcome Evil with Good. Check out this story coming out of the horrible murder rampage in Orlando. Chik-Fil-a story They got it right. We need to overcome the darkness in the world with love. Romans 12:21 says "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Next time you are tempted to moan and groan about the state of the world, do something to make a difference.
2.) Understand our Enemy. We are not at war with Radical Islam, Homosexuals, Liberals or anyone else. Ephesians 6:12 says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
3.) Protect and Prepare Yourself. En empowering moment in anyone's life comes when we embrace the fact that we cannot change others, only ourselves. In fighting against injustice, wickedness and evil in the world protect and prepare yourself. One verse up (Ephesians 6:11) we read " Put on the whole armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." Take care of your house, your life and your walk with Christ. Getting yourself right is a big key to helping get the world right.
4.) Stand Firm and Hold On. Again quoting from Ephesians "Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist In the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." I Thessalonians 5:21-22 tells us to "hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil."
5.) Fear Not. Hebrews 13:6 encourages us that "The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?" We (through Christ) win. Don't be discouraged or fearful.
Embrace your call to be Salt and Light to a dying world. We were never called to be Salt and Light to a living and thriving world. Go out and make a difference today.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Why?
Have you ever stopped to wonder "Why am I doing what I am doing?" Take for example reading this post. Why are you spending your time reading this post and not doing something else? Why are you not reading another persons blog? Likely the answer is you were scrolling through Facebook and saw the link and clicked on it. Kinda random. That's like driving down the street and turning randomly whenever something caught your attention. We never would get anywhere in life if that is how we drove everywhere. When we get in our car and start driving we are intentionally trying to get somewhere, to accomplish something.
Let's broaden out the idea of asking "Why am I doing what I am doing?" Why do you work where you work? Go to Church where you worship? Why do you read what you read or watch what you watch? Why do you volunteer certain places? Why do you spend so much time with certain people and not as much with others?
If you are like me and honestly answering those questions you may be feeling like much of your life is happening due to coincidence, convenience or the result of just going with the flow. Can we be more intentional in how we live our lives?
The "Why am I doing this thing?" question should flow from our priorities. If we are living intentionally and making things happen instead of allowing things to happen to us we should be able to answer the "why" question.
I will go through a few examples from areas of my life. Try the same exercise with your weekly schedule and ask "why am I doing this?" for each activity.
Why do I work where I work (The ministries of The Open Door Church): I work/minister here because I overwhelmingly feel a sense of calling to be here. I believe that the Lord has placed me here for this season to minister kids and teens. I feel I am gifted in this area and I am honored to have the privilege of spending my life pouring into others. More practically I work here to provide income and resources for my family.
Why do I Coach Basketball at PSU Mont Alto?: I coach basketball because I love the game and enjoy being around the wonderful people I get to interact with daily. I love the players I coach, the coaches I work alongside and coach against and the administrators at Mont Alto and opposing schools I can work with. I love the opportunity to travel and see new campuses and go to new places.
Why do I spend time with my Family?: I believe that God has given me my two boys to raise as a trust. I have been entrusted with precious commodities and it is my job to raise them up to serve the Lord and His purposes on earth. I spend time with my wife and family because they are my favorite people in the universe and there is no one I would rather be with. Being a DAD is the most important job I will ever have and no earthly job will ever come before this job.
Hopefully as you read my explanations you were able to think through some of the roles and activities in your life. Try to think and analyze why you do certain things and whether or not that the "Why" is aligned with your values and beliefs.
Let's broaden out the idea of asking "Why am I doing what I am doing?" Why do you work where you work? Go to Church where you worship? Why do you read what you read or watch what you watch? Why do you volunteer certain places? Why do you spend so much time with certain people and not as much with others?
If you are like me and honestly answering those questions you may be feeling like much of your life is happening due to coincidence, convenience or the result of just going with the flow. Can we be more intentional in how we live our lives?
The "Why am I doing this thing?" question should flow from our priorities. If we are living intentionally and making things happen instead of allowing things to happen to us we should be able to answer the "why" question.
I will go through a few examples from areas of my life. Try the same exercise with your weekly schedule and ask "why am I doing this?" for each activity.
Why do I work where I work (The ministries of The Open Door Church): I work/minister here because I overwhelmingly feel a sense of calling to be here. I believe that the Lord has placed me here for this season to minister kids and teens. I feel I am gifted in this area and I am honored to have the privilege of spending my life pouring into others. More practically I work here to provide income and resources for my family.
Why do I Coach Basketball at PSU Mont Alto?: I coach basketball because I love the game and enjoy being around the wonderful people I get to interact with daily. I love the players I coach, the coaches I work alongside and coach against and the administrators at Mont Alto and opposing schools I can work with. I love the opportunity to travel and see new campuses and go to new places.
Why do I spend time with my Family?: I believe that God has given me my two boys to raise as a trust. I have been entrusted with precious commodities and it is my job to raise them up to serve the Lord and His purposes on earth. I spend time with my wife and family because they are my favorite people in the universe and there is no one I would rather be with. Being a DAD is the most important job I will ever have and no earthly job will ever come before this job.
Hopefully as you read my explanations you were able to think through some of the roles and activities in your life. Try to think and analyze why you do certain things and whether or not that the "Why" is aligned with your values and beliefs.
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