My Take on Week 1: How to persevere for a championship season
Have you ever felt other people define you based on a single performance?
Of course, this is the opening weekend for college football ...
And what always amuses me about the opening week is how the sports analysts from major networks absolutely overreact from Week 1.
They make their predictions for who will win the championship and which top tier teams will fall off the radar, just based on one performance.
However ...
Great teams are not defined by a single game.
Rather, great teams show up week after week for the entirety of the season.
Athletes and Coaches
You are not defined by one game:
By one loss
By one dropped pass
By one missed block
By one missed shot
You are also not defined by one win:
By one heroic catch
By one pancake
By one goal before the horn sounds
In Life
The same is true in the Game of Life.
You are not defined by one performance:
By one failed test
By one lost job
By one broken relationship
You are also not defined by one "win" in life:
By one passed test
By one made job
By one new relationship
But if you show up day in and day out for the long term, you will reap great dividends and rewards beyond your imagination.
My Encouragement to You
Show up consistently day in and day out for GOD every day, representing Jesus Christ for the long haul, and you will experience joy, peace, fulfillment, abundance, and opportunities you would have never foreseen.
Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of releasing your identity based on a single performance and showing up consistently over the long haul, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!
Game Changing Habits: Optimize your routines in these 4 areas
It's that time of year when kids are going back to school.
During this time of year, the topic of routines comes to my mind.
People are getting back into their normal routines and rhythms.
However, I don't want you to simply go back to a normal routine.
Instead I want you to develop habits that will enable you to become a better human being.
Today, we are going to talk about:
Four areas to implement habits into your routines to help you become a better human being.
Sleep
When people get back into routines, sleep unfortunately is the first thing they let go.
Sleep is vitally important for all areas of your life:
Your game
Your joy and happiness
Your mind and spiritual faith
Make sure you are placing an emphasis on getting high-quality sleep every night.
Your Mind
For those of you in school, this will be easy because you'll have many opportunities to expand your mind.
But don't just learn the material to do well on a test.
Learn the material to learn more about yourself as a person:
Understand how the Kreb's cycle can help you become a better athlete
Understand how the themes in Lord of the Flies can help you transcend temptation and have compassion
Understand how repping out algebra problems correlates to repping out basic skills so you can improve the fundamentals of your sport efficiently
If you are a coach (and not simultaneously a teacher), find ways you can expand your mind as well:
Learn something new
Dive into problem-solving, strategizing, and planning
Take breaks in your day to relax your mind a free it from daily stressors
Your Game
Once again, if you are in your competitive season, this will be easy.
You'll be working on your game daily with your games, practices, and competitions.
But if you're out of season, see how you can still sharpen your tools.
If you play basketball, work on ball handling drills 5-10 minutes before school.
If you play baseball, invite some friends to have some batting practice and play catch.
If you are a coach and out of season, see how you can work on your game as well:
Do the behind the scenes work that no coach enjoys doing 🤣
Stay in touch with your players and parents to keep them up to date
Have barbeques or cook-outs with your team to keep the camaraderie strong
Your Spirit
See how you can enhance your spirit.
As a side story ...
Monks commit their lives to monasteries so they can grow closer to the LORD.
Many monasteries operate on system of bells.
When a bell rings, the monks stop what they are doing, say their prayers, and go to their next activity.
Isn't that a lot like school???
You can make your school day a mini monastery!
When the bell rings to end class, stop what you're doing, take a quick breather, say a prayer, do a brief reflection, and go to your next class.
You can also adopt a habit of doing a quick 1-2 minute devotional first thing in the morning while eating breakfast.
Recap
Sleep- Make this a priority to enhance all other areas of your life
Your Mind- Understand how what you are learning relates to you as a human being
Your Game- Compete if you are in your competitive season, sharpen your tools if you are out of season
Your Spirit- Find easy ways throughout your day to increase your continuous connection with GOD and fortify your faith
Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of implementing habits that will enable you to become a better human being, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!
Are You Being Overlooked??? How to remain powerful and confident to be an inspiration
Have people ever judged you and not believed you will reach your aspirations?
I can't say I've met Timothy before, but if I had, I think we'd have a lot in common.
Paul's Letters to Timothy
During Paul's two letters to Timothy, he tells Timothy to not let people look down on him because he is young, and to realize he was not given a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and self-control.
He told Timothy to look beyond others' judgments and to persevere in using his gifts, which would help him not only be inspired himself, but would also inspire others.
My Story
Growing up, I was very often looked down on because I was small and looked young.
People didn't believe I would reach my athletic aspirations.
Sometimes I took their words to heart and doubted myself.
When I did this, I neglected to use my gifts.
But other times I realized I wasn't given a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and self-control, and I persevered in using my gifts, which helped me to be inspired myself and inspired others.
My Advice to You
Do others judge you?
Do they say that you are:
Too small
Too weak
Too slow
Or not good enough?
Look beyond their judgments.
Realize you were not given a spirit of fear ...
But one of power, love, and self-control.
Persevere in using your gifts.
And not only be inspired yourself, but also inspire those around you.
Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of realizing you have a Spirit of power, love, and self-control, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!
Get Out of the Trenches: How to experience a spiritual awakening
What are some of your favorite memories about this time of the year?
Eating ice cream
Seating on a deck by a pool
Having one last summer vacation before school
Surprisingly, one of my fondest memories of this time of the year is ...
Two-A-Day Football Practices
Yes, those first two weeks of the football season in the brutal, sweltering heat.
And for most of my life, I never knew why I enjoyed them ...
Until I read a blog post when I was in college that described the feeling beautifully.
Kokoro Camp
The author of this particular blog post decided to go on a retreat.
Not to some remote, serene place in nature ...
But to Kokoro Camp
Which is a simulation of the Navy Seal boot camp.
When he described his experience of Kokoro Camp, it articulated why I loved two-a-days.
He mentioned how this camp was harder than normal.
He was in brutal conditions, with long, grueling, and exhausting days.
Drill sergeants were yelling insults, profanities, and obscenities in his face.
Not everyone was able to make it through the camp ...
But those who did had an amazing experience.
The individual participants realized they couldn't make it through on their own.
But they realized there were others in the trenches with them ...
And if everyone gave their all for each other ...
They would make it through the camp.
And when they did ...
Each participant experienced a personal transformation ...
And the group as a whole experienced a collective transformation.
The author described this as a spiritual awakening!
Two-A-Day Football Practices
A similar scenario is played out during two-a-days.
These first two weeks are harder than normal.
You practice in brutal conditions, with long, grueling, and exhausting days.
Coaches are yelling orders at you.
Not all players make it through those first two weeks ...
But those who do have an amazing experience.
The individual players realize they can't make it through on their own.
But they realized there are others in the trenches with them ...
And if everyone gives their all for each other ...
They will make it through.
And when they do ...
Each player experiences a personal transformation ...
And the team as a whole experiences a collective transformation.
It might be a stretch to call it a spiritual awakening, but we can go along with it!
Life as a Spiritual Journey
A similar scenario is played out during our walk of faith.
Sometimes life seems harder than normal.
It seems to place you in brutal conditions, with long, grueling, and exhausting days.
Internal and external voices are yelling insults at you, telling you that you are not enough.
Not everyone makes it through those challenging times ...
But those who do have an amazing experience.
During these times, individuals realize they can't make it through on their own.
But they realize there are others in the trenches with them, brothers and sisters in Christ and an Eternal Savior ...
And if everyone gives their all for each other ...
They will make it through.
And when they do ...
Each person experiences a personal transformation ...
And the Body of Christ as a whole experiences a collective transformation.
Which is a real spiritual awakening!
Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of persevering in the trenches with the Body of Christ and experiencing your spiritual awakening, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!
The Easiest Play in Life: How to run the pick and roll with GOD
Do you feel like you and GOD are playing on the same page?
Or do you feel like you are sometimes out of sync?
A few weeks ago when I was at the FCA summer camp in Spring Arbor, the chaplain said something that really struck me:
"Don't build something unless GOD provides the blueprint.
And if He hasn't provided the blueprint, He is building you for it."
As soon as he said that, a shiver went through me and I knew I'd need to reflect on it later, and when I did, I realized:
Life is a Pick and Roll with GOD
As you know, in the game of basketball, during a pick and roll, the point guard will set up and wait for the big man to come set him a screen.
When the screen is set, the point guard will come off it and read the defense to make a play. He will decide to:
Shoot
Drive
Snake
Throw the lob
Kick to the corner
And so on
The first part of the screen may be the most important ...
Which is ...
TO WAIT!!!
Before the point guard can use the screen, the screen must be set.
If the point guard leaves too early, he will likely create a moving screen and a turnover the other way.
If the big man is not setting the screen, it may be for various reasons:
The point guard is not in a good position to come off the screen
There is not the right amount of time on the clock yet
There is other stuff in the background the big man is dealing with
The Same Is True in the Game of Life
In life, you are running a pick and roll with GOD.
You must wait for GOD to set the screen:
Your opportunity
Your moment
Your time to shine
If GOD hasn't set you the screen yet ...
WAIT!!!
There is a reason He has not set it for you yet:
He may be waiting for you to get in a better position to use the screen
There may not be the right amount of time on the clock yet
He may be dealing with other factors in the background
But rest assured, your opportunity is coming ...
And when GOD does set your screen ...
USE IT!!!
Brush shoulder to hip with GOD, come off the screen, read the defense, and make a play!
Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of running the pick and roll with GOD, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!
Growing up, one of my favorite movies was Miracle, which was about the 1980 US Men's Olympic Ice Hockey team.
Back then, the Olympic team was made of college players from various schools rather than professional players like today.
In the beginning of the season, the team wasn't gelling well:
They couldn't mesh
They had poor chemistry
They weren't winning hockey games
During practice, the coach would pull the players aside individually and ask them who they played for.
They would say which schools they came from:
University of Denver
University of Boston
University of Wisconsin
After one game which they got beat, the coach had the team do sprints on the ice before going to the locker room.
They'd do one sprint ... the coach would blow the whistle and say, "Again!"
Then another ... Then another ... Then another ...
Until finally, one of the players broke down ...
And said ...
"I play for the United States of America!"
And at that moment, a switch was flipped.
They were no longer operating as separate, individual universities.
They were competing as a unified nation for the United States of America.
The rest is history.
They started to gel:
They meshed well
They had great chemistry
They won hockey games and pulled off one of the greatest upsets of all-time against the Soviet Union and eventually brought home the gold medal
We Are Seeing the Same Thing in the Church Today
Often, the current Church is operating as separate, individual denominations.
Last I heard, we have well over 1,000 denominations operating independently.
If we continue to do this, we can't serve the Body of Christ to our highest potential.
But when we put aside our differences ...
And come together under the unified Body of Christ:
Truth
Love
Life
We, too can serve at our Body of Christ ...
And the rest will be history!
A Reflection For You
Are you ready to put aside your differences?
Are you ready to come together as a unified Body of Christ?
Are you ready to serve at our highest potential together?
Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of putting aside your differences and operating as a unified Body of Christ, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!
Are Hard Work and Passion Pushing You BACKWARDS? How to surrender and let Christ reroute your passion for impact
Have you ever been so passionate about something ...
And worked so hard to pursue it ...
But realized it was actually pushing you backwards???
I know I sure have.
And it turns out the apostle Paul had the same thing happen in the Bible.
Paul's Testimony
I was recently reading 1 Timothy where Paul shares his testimony with Timothy.
Paul was so passionate about the Jewish law and worked so hard to follow the Jewish law that he would persecute anyone who would not uphold the law ...
Which included killing Christians!
However, Jesus eventually made himself known to Paul.
He looked past Paul's shortcomings and saw Paul's passion and hard work, and used them to reroute Paul so he could become one of the most influential missionaries of all time.
My Story
When I read this passage, I couldn't help but relate with Paul's story, because mine was strikingly similar.
I was so passionate about basketball and worked so hard to one day be able to reach my dreams of playing pro.
As a result of my hard work, I severely overtrained myself, so severely that ...
I ended up in the hospital 3 times from exhaustion and on the brink of death.
And the third time this happened, it ended my competitive athletic career.
However, Jesus looked past my shortcomings. He saw my passion and hard work, and has enabled me to use my story to inspire and impact many athletes around the area.
Reflections For You
Today, I encourage you to reflect on those times in your life ...
Where your passion and hard work have actually seemingly pushed you backwards ...
But Christ has looked through your shortcomings and used your passion and hard work to make an impact on the Body of Christ.
And ...
What areas, perhaps, in your life today are you so passionate about and working so hard for, but may actually be pushing yourself backwards ...
And how can you surrender to allow Jesus to reroute you so you can more powerfully impact the Body of Christ.
Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of combining your passion and hard work with surrender to impact the Body of Christ, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!
