Dog Poop

by Tina

Every so often my husband and I get the privilege, yes privilege, to dog sit for some friends of ours.  The dogs, Zanzibar and Nefret, (cool names, huh?) are very easy to take care of.  Sometimes, it even makes us want to have dogs of our own…except for times like today.

Timmy and I just finished a two-day conference called the Global Leadership Summit.  The Summit is through the Willow Creek Church near Chicago, Illinois and focuses on ‘leading where you are’.  The conference targets business leaders, family leaders, church leaders; you name it, and equips them with tools to lead the best way you can.  We watched it via satellite telecast, but with the many all over the world, over 150,000 attend the GLS every year.  Amazing right?

The Summit is packed with awesome influential leaders of our world.  This year Condoleezza Rice, Patrick Lencioni, Jim Collins, Bill Hybels, and many others spoke.  One speaker in particular talked about integrity, and that will be the basis of this blog post.  Mario Vega, a Senior Pastor of many churches in El Salvador said, 

“The morale failure of a leader will challenge the integrity of others as well.”

The little buggers’

 I was on my afternoon walk with the dogs, reflecting on the many things that were said the past two days at GLS.  I prayed and asked God to help me lead where I am and use me to further his Kingdom.  Mid-prayer, Nefret pooped.  Good thing he is a little dog because I can handle picking up little poops.  After I picked up the gross-ness, I continued on.  About five minutes later Zanzibar pooped.  “Great , ” I thought, “This is disgusting.” Luckily…by the grace of God I think, he only had a little poop.  But man was I wrong.  A few steps later, it just all came out…on someone’s front lawn! Oh my goodness gracious, I couldn’t believe this was happening.  Every time I take the dogs on a walk they poop.  It’s like they wait all day to get it out just so they can torture me. lol.

As I’m getting ready to pick it up, grocery sack in hand, I hear a buzzing noise and notice a wasp right by the poop.  “No WAY am I doing this now,” I thought.  I am too scared to get stung.  So, I looked around to see if there was anyone nearby.  I looked at the house whose lawn Zanzibar pooped on, hoping the owners were not peering out the window. Safe.  I threw a few rocks over the dog poop to try and cover it up and peaced out.

As I walked back to the house, I got convicted.  God reminded me of the integrity sermon I heard today.  He reminded me of the verse,

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.  But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” Luke 16:10

I started questioning God asking, “Really?  Does this matter over dog poop lol?”  And I was yet again reminded of integrity.  I thought of it metaphorically.  How many times have I avoided addressing my sin by just covering it up?  Do I act in integrity in the presence of others, as well as when I’m alone?

I decided to turn around and go pick it up.

On my way back to pick up Zanzibar’s poop, Nefret pooped again.  I just laughed and thanked God for his humor.  I can just picture him chuckling in heaven as I gagged picking up my fourth piece of poop that day.

I walked home the rest of the way guilt-free.  If I wouldn’t have picked up the poop, someone could have stepped in it.  The same happens with our sin.  If we don’t confess it to God or others, and just try to cover it up, someone else will step in it and face the consequences.  It can affect your church, your business, or your family.

“The morale failure of a leader will challenge the integrity of others as well.”

This post is funny, I have to admit, but I pray it is also an opportunity for you to reflect on your own integrity.  All of us are leaders in some way, especially as an athlete or a coach, so I want you to ask yourself.  When you are in off-season weight training with your team, do you finish that last set? When the coach says hit the line in your sprints, do you hit the line? As a coach, do you think about the impact you are having on your athletes when you are screaming at a referee? As a Christian, do you live a life that is honoring to God?  On the field and off the field?  

Living in integrity is a constant choice, so pick up the dog poop.

Proverbs 10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out

Too Much Tebowing?

So………………I’m sure all of you know who Tim Tebow is.  Former Florida Gators quarterback, Heisman trophy winner, and Denver Broncos quarterback.  People either love him or hate him.

I’m just going to tell you flat out that I am a Tim Tebow fan, for a number of reasons.

1. His character and love for the Lord.  He’s not ashamed and lives a consistent lifestyle.  In a recent article by The Associated Press says, “his teammates and coaches, who see him when the cameras and recorders aren’t around, say he’s a sincere, aw-shucks, praise-the-Lord-and-pass-the-football kind of guy, with the world at his feet and his head nowhere near the clouds.  ‘He really is genuine and the emotion and the passion that you see him out there playing with, he has the same passion off the field with those type of things, the charity things and the missionary things,’ receiver Eddie Royal said. ‘He’s real,’ coach John Fox agreed.”
2. He’s a great role model.  John Fox later said in the article, “He walks the walk.  A guy like that in today’s society, in my mind, ought to be celebrated, not scrutinized to the level that he is.”  Bronco’s safety Rahim Moore said, “Look at the guy. He’s not a guy who’s out clubbing and doing this and that.”
3. Tebow plays the game like a man.  Not some mamby pamby quarterback who crumbles to his knees if the wind hits him too hard.  Tebow dishes out just as much pain as he takes.  Before the days of throwing a flag for every little thing the NFL was a rough and tough game:  The toughest team won hands down.  Now the team with the fastest guys and the prettiest quarterback wins.  Tebow has taken the NFL back to the good ole days of smash mouth football.  Tebow hears more negative comments from sports writers and fellow football players than any other player in the NFL.  There is absolutley no quit in Tebow.  The fourth quarter is now known as ‘Tebow Time’ across the NFL, because of Tim’s late game heroics.  When you are watching the Denver Broncos you know that they are never out of it.  Tebow plays like a man!
4. He’s been a great leader on every level he has played; pee wee, high school, college, and now the NFL.  He shows up first and leaves last.  He has been known to compete with the linebackers in weight lifting.  And he wins.  You can be a hard working great guy but if you are not winning players won’t follow you.  But he is winning, and his teammates are following.

Leading the team 5-1 since his recent position as starting quarterback, Tim Tebow is making an impact.  One of the most recent fads now a-days isn’t the eye black with scriptures, it’s tebowing.

Tebowing is posing as if you were praying when everyone seems to be doing something else: one knee on the ground, elbow on knee, fist on forehead…and now, take a picture, post.  There has been a hot discussion in the sports arena about whether or not Tebowing is offensive.  Some say that it is opennly mocking Christianity.  Others say these guys are just mocking Tebow himself.  Then, some say that posers are just paying homage to their hero.  Tim Tebow has come out and said that he doesn’t find it offensive.  He has actually said there are many positives about it.

All in all, I am not here to talk about how great he is.  I am not here to talk about to pros and cons of Tebowing.  I want to bring up the idolization of men.  (meaning: we make something a “god” in our life) We celebrate how wonderful and talented athletes and musicians are.  We place them on pedestals that no one can live up too.  We want to be just like someone who has just as many faults as we do.  We find ourselves talking more about ‘the game’ than what Jesus is doing in our lives.  In this age of moral decay, evangelical christians, including myself, have latched onto Tebow as the savior of the sports world.  While I have to admit I root for Tebow more because of his beliefs than anything, I see that many of us are taking it way to far.  Tebow is a great player, person, and Christian, but he is not a savior.  And he is not Jesus.

Now don’t get me wrong, root for your Broncos!  I’m just as big a Tebow fan as the next guy.  We need role models in this day and age of pride and selfishness being the norm in sports.  So I say this; please root for Tebow, root for the Broncos.  If there was a guy to look up to it would be him.  But lets put some perspective on this.  This man is getting more attention than any football player has gotten in as long as I can remember.  He is the face of the Denver Broncos, and Christian athletes.  But Jesus Christ is the face of love.  Jesus Christ is the face of redemption.  And Jesus Christ is the face of salvation.  Tebow cannot offer forgiveness of sin.  And Tim Tebow cannot offer the free gift of eternal life.  As we enjoy football and what Tebow has been doing lets have some perspective.  He is just a man being open about his relationship with God and letting Christ’s light shine through him.  We all can do that in our different arenas.  Tebow may be able to run over linebackers, but he can’t walk on water!

Go Broncos!

Make a play-

Thank you to my wonderful husband, Timmy who helped write this post. 🙂

Time Out

Ready:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

(Matthew 11: 28-31)

Set:

This time of year can be hectic, especially for a college student.  If you’re like me, you fill your plate not just with massive amounts of food over Thanksgiving, but also with too much to do.  For some reason, I sometimes get lost in the plans and things that I need to do this time of year.  Days are crammed and sometimes overwhelming.  Are you in a place like that?

I have been spending some time with other women who are so anxious to get home and have a break.  I can relate.  It’s comforting to go home.   It’s comforting to relax, and just enjoy the moments with other people.  Jesus invites us to go home and rest with him in this verse.  Let’s break this down.  Basically, a yoke is a long wooden beam with that fits over the necks of a pair of draft animals, usually oxen, to harness them together to pull a plow, a cart, or some other load. (1 Samuel 6:7) Yokes for humans were also used. These were simple beams or poles carried across the shoulders with a load attached to each end. With them, laborers were able to carry heavy loads.

When we come to Jesus and trust Him with everything, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  If we are resistant to the Holy Spirit’s leading, sometimes our yoke, and the burdens we bear are heavy and overwhelming.  Living in sin causes us to stumble.  Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..”  When we are choosing to disobey God and just go our own way things are more likely to get out of control.  Living in sin is a weight that we bear, a cord that entangles us and keeps us from going forward: it is a yoke that is too heavy for us.

Whatever you are going through, it isn’t too much for Jesus. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

When we trust in Him, the one who holds everything together, we are free from the entanglements that we can become wrapped up in.  When we give Him full control on our life, trusting in Him for the outcome and giving Him the glory, we come to a place of rest and contentment.  “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”   “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Let God be the author of your life.  Take a time-out and let The Coach determine your game plan.  You’re in great hands. 🙂

Go:

1. Are you putting too much on your plate?

2. Can you let something go so you are able to see God at work in your life?

3. What is preventing you from going to Jesus?

Workout:

Hebrews 12:1-5

1 Chronicles 16:11

Isaiah 40:28-31

1 Corinthians 10:13

Make a play-

Ready:

For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ. –Galatians 1:10

Set:

Lately, it seems like there has been a proliferation of sports scandals at the amateur and professional levels. In most, if not all of the situations, there was a key moment of decision when the allegations surfaced. The choice was between character and reputation.

Ideally, each of would like to have both – strong character and a good reputation. However, circumstances often force us to choose one or the other. If I choose character, then my integrity will lead me to do the right thing, perhaps even at the expense of the reputation of my organization, family or myself. If I allow the most important issue to be how something will look to others, then I will immediately go into damage control and take actions to limit any news getting out. This can easily lead to a delay or absence of proper accountability.

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” –Coach John Wooden

The apostle Paul states clearly in Galatians that he is not striving to please people, but God. He played for an Audience of One. Shortly after I accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, my FCA Huddle Coach, Coach Myers, took me to my first Christian concert. Petra sang “Godpleaser” which includes these lyrics:

I just want my life to glorify His Son,
To Make my Father proud that I’m His child before I’m done.
No need to pat me on the back or stop to shake my hand,
I just want to hear my Father say, “Well done, well done.
Don’t wanna be a manpleaser, I wanna be a Godpleaser. (Written by Bob Hartman)

You will have opportunities throughout your life to uphold both your reputation and your character. Sometimes you might have to choose one. May you always desire to please God and make the choice that honors Him.

Go:

1. What matters more to you: the opinion of others or the opinion of God?
2. When you do wrong, are you more focused on the wrongdoing or on getting caught?
3. Could you be satisfied if God were pleased with you but everyone in the world was displeased?
4. What if everyone in the world was pleased with you, but God was displeased?

Workout:

1 Timothy 2:4
Colossians 3:23
1 Samuel 16:7
Hebrews 4:12-13

Overtime:

Lord, I am tempted to point the finger and judge others. Help me to look into my own heart. I want to play and live for you and seek to please you. Give me the strength to right the wrongs in my life, even when it may make me look bad in the eyes of others.

fca.org

Reputation vs. Character

A Recipe For Relationships-

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

This blog is from proverbs31.org–A great ministry!

Micca Monda Campbell

“… he loved him as he loved himself.”
1 Samuel 20:17b (NIV)

My mother use to tell me to count myself lucky if I had just one “close friend.”  That’s because close life-long relationships are hard to come by.

So many people today are looking for meaningful relationships, yet so few actually find them. We are becoming an increasingly private society, and it seems fewer people than ever have life-long intimate friendships. Still, the desire for this kind of relationship is not only sought after, but necessary.

Women are naturally drawn to other women. In fact, a girl’s first experience with heartache may have been over a lost “best friend” rather than a “boy friend.” Women value friendships. When they are lost, we grieve; not just over the friendship itself, but also for the secrets shared, the trust given and the acceptance enjoyed. If betrayed, the pain runs deep causing us to wonder if intimate friendships are really possible.

When I think of a biblical example of real friendship, the story of David and Jonathan, found in 1 Samuel 19, always comes to mind.

Jonathan, son of King Saul, was David’s closest friend. But his father, the king, despised David because he was growing in popularity and because God had anointed David to be king. These facts enraged King Saul, so much that he commanded his aids and Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan loved David, therefore betrayal was impossible.

Love isn’t the only fruit of true friendship. A real relationship consists of sacrifice too.

Jonathan stripped himself of the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his armor, his sword, his bow, and his belt. Jonathan was the potential heir to his father’s throne, but we see him sacrificing his future for his best friend as he literally gave David his place as king.

You and I can learn from this action that true friendship means a willingness to sacrifice for each other in love. It’s the ability to put another’s needs, desires, and wishes above our own.

Loyalty is also a mark of true friendship. We’re told that Jonathan went to his father and spoke well of David. Jonathan also stood up to his dad and essentially said, “Dad, you’re wrong about David. He hasn’t done any wrong to you; in fact, everything he’s done has helped you.” A true friend is a loyal defense before others, one who won’t talk about you when you’re not around. True friends stick up for each other.

Finally, intimate friends give each other complete freedom to be themselves. In an intimate friendship, you don’t have to explain why you do what you do. You’re just free to do it.

When Jonathan gave David the news that things were troubled in the palace and that his dad was going to kill him, the two were forced to say goodbye. The text tells us that they wept together.

When your heart is broken, you can bleed all over a friend like this and she’ll understand. She won’t try to dismiss your misery or tell you to straighten up. Intimate friends let each other hurt and they weep together. If your friend needs to talk it through, you will listen. Intimate friends don’t bale; they stay. They allow you to be yourself no matter what “self” looks like in that moment.

If you’re looking for a godly recipe for relationships, look no further. Mix together love, sacrifice, loyalty, and freedom and you can create an intimate friendship that lasts a lifetime.

Dear Lord, help me to be a friend like Jonathan. Then, bless me with the same. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
An Untroubled Heart: Finding Faith that is Stronger than My Fears by Micca Campbell

Visit Micca’s blog

Cultivating a Heart of Contentment (CD) by Micca Campbell

The Friends We Keep: A Woman’s Quest for the Soul of Friendship by Sarah Zacharias Davis

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because your purchase supports the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide
at no cost. We wish we could, but we simply can’t compete with prices offered by
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Application Steps:
Ask God to help you develop the kind of character that attracts others. While David had enemies, he also had a growing number of people who loved him. People are naturally attracted to someone who shines with God-like attributes. One the other hand, most are turned off by mean, selfish people. Whatever is on the inside will show on the outside – so develop the kind of traits that draw people of good characteristics.

Reflections:
What kind of friend am I?

Do I exhibit loyalty, love, freedom, and sacrifice in my relationships? Why or why not?

Power Verses:
John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (NIV)

© 2011 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.

 

Make a play-

A Strong Woman vs. A Woman of Strength

A little over a month ago, two men came onto the Colorado Mesa University Campus proclaiming a gospel of hate to the students.  This stirred up quite a ruckus, but since then God has been using this situation for an opportunity for Christians to show the true Gospel: the love of Christ.

I remember distinctly what one of the men said to a woman who tried to approach them about what they were preaching.  Immediately, he shunned her away telling her that she is not allowed to speak because she is a woman and has to be submissive.  That’s a blow right to the heart of a woman..

The Google definition of submissive is Meekly obedient or passive.  When I read my instincts tell me that means you are weak.  In a society that says one of the most important things is being a “independent woman”, hearing Biblical teaching about a woman’s role almost turns women away immediately.

Here is a verse that sometimes is exercised beyond it’s meaning.  “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:21-25

Often times the only verse women AND men take out of that verse is, wives submit yourselves to your own husbands…for he is the head of the wife.  

Well I’d like to go into this a little bit and talk about what it means to be a woman of strength.

First of all, it is incorrect Biblical Theology to just take a scripture face value.  If you have questions about this please refer to Michael Lawrence’s Biblical Theology book.  It has transformed the way I read the Bible.  When we take this scripture out of context we are missing the point and the authors original intent.  Paul is not just commanding women to submit or telling the men to make sure their wives submit, he is giving a structure to which God calls us to live by out of love for Him.  So many people miss the first part.  “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  Synonyms of submit include, humble, obedient, and volunteer.  It does not say slave.  Submission is to volunteer to serve, and out of reverence (respect because of love, and relationship), we should feel compelled to do (action) things for Christ, and thus others.  (Husbands, Wives, Children, etc.)  In a selfish world, this is hard to do. We want someone to do it for us, then we’ll do it for them.  There are stipulations that come with love a lot of the time now.  I’ll admit , I’m not the best at it but when I constantly try to be the stronger vessel in my relationship with my husband, we constantly but heads. We always have to remember the Gospel we live by because it was modeled for us: love.   God created man to lead.  (leading is a whole other topic 🙂  I think it is so beautiful that God made man and women different.  My husband Timmy is a wonderful complement to me.  My weaknesses are his strengths, and some of my strengths help his weaknesses.

Ok if I keep going on husbands, I’m going to start ranting about mine 🙂  lets get to the point…

I am italian.  I am strong willed, determined, and don’t you dare push my buttons or else 😉  Just kidding… but not really.  It is hard for me sometimes to control my tongue and what I say.  I get so selfish at times and I turn into a person that I wouldn’t want to be around.  Being involved in ministry with the one you love is one of the best things I have ever done, but it is also stretches you.  There are so many times that I just take over.  Not always gently either…  I can get impatient, because like I said, I am determined.  I like to get things done right away.  I like to have a game plan.  Being involved in FCA is stretching me because I am forced to wait on God and to trust Him more than ever.

I have always prided myself on being a strong woman. Why?  Well that’s what we see.  Being a strong woman is a great thing, but I want to compare it instead, as a woman of strength.

This comparison is influenced by the Proverbs 31 Woman.  Which are you?

I know after I read this, I felt a strong sense of conviction.  But what exactly do we mean by the term conviction? Conviction means “the act or process of convincing,” “the state of being convinced,” or “a fixed or strong belief.” Thus, by biblical conviction we mean convictions or beliefs derived from and based on a commitment to Scripture, the Bible. As God’s Holy Word, it is the absolute index for the whole of our lives—faith and practice.

Going into the leadership role is another topic.  I’ve realized I’d much rather be a woman of strength than a strong woman.  Don’t you think it’d be different in our society if this were the example?

Which woman do you want to be?

Make a play –

Character Series: Endurance

“Blessed is the man who endures {perseveres} under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

Are you at a place right now where you have contemplated quitting?  I was at that place about two months ago with one of my jobs.  Do you ever feel like there is too much on your plate?  I don’t have all the answers you may need for where you are at in life right now, but I’d like to share some insight into what I read this past week and how enduring through trials is a powerful way to shape your character.

For the past 4 weeks, we’ve discussed courage, discipline, and vision.  Endurance is also known as patience, or perseverance.  Lets look at a few definitions. “The American Heritage dictionary defines perseverance as “steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness.” It defines endurance as “the act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship or stress,” but in the second definition it defines endurance as “the state or act of persevering.” While they are synonyms and each word carries in it the idea of “continuance,” perseverance lays stress on a given course of action in the face of difficulty or opposition. Endurance perhaps more strongly adds the idea of continuing under resistance or the adversities of life, to carry on in spite of hardships.”

Endurance–continuing under resistance or the adversities of life.  Let’s think about that for a minute.  Continuing when things get hard, and I’m sure we’ve all realized that life can be hard.

From where we have come from in our series, in this I hope you can see that endurance sustains courage, endurance gives staying power to discipline, and endurance turns your vision into reality. Sometimes we want to quit being courageous–maybe standing up for what is right all of the time.  Sometimes we want to quit practicing the delayed gratification it takes to be discipline–we don’t want to go to the gym today, or stick it out in our friendships.  Sometimes we want to stop thinking of new ideas and visions because they never work out anyways.  They sound great, but they are never executed.  Occasionally though, it pays to consider the high cost of quitting. Many people live with scars or lingering wounds from having quit on something or someone and later on they ask themselves why they chose to give up.  “But the answer is obvious:  It is infinitely easier to quit than to endure.”

In a society that glamorizes quitting because it is full of instant gratification, its hard to practice enduring.  Nowadays we demand overnight solutions, success, growth, strong relationships, and even spiritual maturity.  When you watch TV, you see this giving up mentality all too much.  Here’s a scenario–“things are tense at work.  The employee is disagreeing with the boss.  Nerves are snapping as the background music builds.  The camera comes in tight on the employee and shows the veins popping out on his forehead.  A moment of silence, and then his voice proclaims, “I quit!”  The music crescendoes wildly as he storms out, slamming the door behind him.  Here’s another one–a husband and wife are disagreeing.  The tension builds.  At the peak of anger, the wife suddenly slaps her husband across the face, just as the cymbals crash.  She slams the door and leaves.”

We don’t stop to think that the person is now out of job, or that the husband and wive’s son has to grow up in a divorced family.  People quit too much now a days, but the only way to build endurance and grow your character is to push through quitting points.  If you play football, you know what a quitting point is.  It happens on the 50th up-down when your legs are burning, arms are in pain and your mind is screaming give up.  If you run, you know what that quitting point is.  It’s the last 100 meters of a 400 meter race where you feel like you are going to fall over because you are in so much pain.  It happens at work when the pressure is mounting and it seems unbearable and you just can’t stand it. It happens in an argument with your spouse, or friend when you strongly disagree about something and your emotions are going through the roof and all you want to do is give up, walk away, and ignore that person.  Pressing past quitting points happens in learning to building good character, and even in our walk with God.

We must remember our key verse…Blessed is the man who endures.  The lights and stardom in society shouldn’t be focused on the people that give up on marriage after two months,(many examples of those) but on those who grit their teeth and say, “With God’s help, and all that’s inside of me, I’m going to press on.”

The rewards and joys that come from pressing on are very rewarding.  The second part of the scripture says, “because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him”.  Sometimes though, I think letting something go is necessary to grow.  I believe that if God releases you from something you will have a peace about it.  I don’t believe peace means a calm river with birds chirping.  I believe peace is given in the midst of the storm.  It’s when you’re on the ocean, waves tossing you back and forth, thunder and lighting all around you, but still inside you are OK and you know you are suppose to be there.

I’d like to share with you something I faced a few years ago when it came to quitting/giving up.

Three years ago I had the opportunity to go to Disney World to participate in the Disney College Program.  I was assigned to a fast food position…not a princess :), but i decided to go anyways.  The college program would have lasted nine months.  It was so exciting going to my favorite place in the world to work, but to be honest with you I never had a peace about it.  I got there, went through training, met some great friends, and got to go to the parks for free!  Everything seemed great, but something just wasn’t right.  In the first month I was there, I had gotten bit by a spider, and was sick for about two weeks. After that, I came down with another cold and there were bed bugs in my bed! I was seriously contemplating leaving.  If any of you know me, you know that Disney is one of my favorite things out there.  This was my dream job.  Not working in a fast food restaurant in tomorrow land, but working for Disney had been something I always wanted to do.  Why would I want to leave?  While I was there, someone from home asked me if I would regret the decision to leave.  I thought and prayed about it and realized I wouldn’t.  A month after I arrived, I decided to go back home.  There were some other reasons I had left, but the main reason was I knew I wasn’t supposed to be there.  Someone once told me that if we push God enough, he will give us what we want.  When that happens, we aren’t always inside is perfect will for us, and things are more likely to go all over the place.  But when we “trust in the Lord, with all of our heart, and lean not on our understanding, He will make our paths straight.”  Sometimes we are put somewhere we don’t want to be, or somewhere we never thought we would be, but we have to trust God in it because He is going to make everything work out.  You see, I was making my own plans for my life, I wanted to work for Disney, I wanted to get away and do more with my life, but I knew that isn’t what God wanted for me.  It took me falling down a few times to realize it.

If you are at a quitting point right now, count the cost before throwing in the towel.  In Proverbs, it says to seek wise counsel.  Talk to someone who may have been in your place when they were younger.  Know that God will also honor what we are going through when we endure.  He will give you peace about it if you are supposed to leave your job, school, a church.  If you don’t have that peace, wait.  Sometimes hasty decisions put us back, rather than helping us go forward.  Enduring trials and hardships builds character.  Remember though that ultimately, the decision has to be made between you and God.

Make a play-

Time Out:

1.  If you are contemplating quitting, do you have a peace about it?

2.  Have you sought wise counsel from someone?

3.  Would you regret your decision if you quit?

Thanks Coach

What’s your typical view of a president or CEO of a company?  I could be wrong, but I haven’t heard much about the CEO or President meeting with employees under them.  I will admit, I’ve had a judgmental opinion about  CEO’s.  The way the media puts it, the news, and in movies , a lot of those men and women up there are invisible.  You don’t get to meet them or talk to them.  You go through someone else to do it.  I’m not saying that any of this is a bad thing, but wouldn’t it be great if you knew the character of one of the main people you were working for?  Wouldn’t it be great if he called you on your birthday, or anniversary?  How about texting you to meet for coffee?  Ya.  Right.  Well that’s exactly what I thought before this past weekend.

Coach Steckel (left), and Sports Ministry Institute Students at an FCA Colorado Event.

My husband and I had the privilege of attending a dinner with the president of FCA, Mr. Les Steckel.  There were other FCA Colorado staff members there, but he took time to speak with us and many others.  I’m going to tell you a little bit about Mr. Steckel.

Les Steckel was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1984.  He also worked as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  He also enlisted in the Marines and served in Vietnam as infantry. He recently retired from USMC Reserves after thirty years of service with the rank of Colonel.  Wow.  Talk about an honorable guy. Can you imagine being married, having a family, in the Marine Corps, and coaching?  I can’t.  I’ve heard that coaching is one of the biggest time commitments as it is. Les shares that most men get their identities from their jobs.   “Les faced hardship when he was fired on eight different occasions.   Les says that every time he got fired it was painful, and it didn’t get easier, but he persevered.  He learned to get his identity from Christ and knowing that God has the future in store. He says football doesn’t build character, it reveals it. On March 1, 2005, Les became the seventh president/CEO of the FCA.  His extensive involvement with FCA dates back to 1972 when, as a college football coach, he attended his first FCA conference.   In the 30-plus years since, Steckel has served as a huddle leader, platform speaker, camp dean and football clinician at various FCA camps across the nation.  He led Bible studies throughout his NFL career and served regularly as a guest speaker for FCA events.  Les feels he’s on a tremendous team with FCA.” (http://www.cbn.com/700club/guests/bios/Les_Steckel113006.aspx)

Coach Steckel didn’t get up in front of all of us and boast about all he’s done.  He talked about the privilege it has been for him to be involved in FCA.  A humble man, yet strong.  He shared some stories during his coaching years, and even talked about his time being President for FCA. He reminded all of us who we were working for.  He reminded us who our real CEO/President was.  He reminded all of us to work for the Lord, not for man.  “Whatever you do work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23

In any sport we are involved in we measure it by wins or losses.  Coach Steckel reminded us “we are in the game of life and death”.  There are students who are dying inside every day.  We who are ambassadors for Christ have a call to reach out to them and show them the the eternal life they can have with Jesus Christ.  We don’t do this by yelling in their face, or beating the Bible over their head, we do this through,with, and in love.  Coach Steckel reminded all of us “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35.  A good President will remind you who you are working for, and demonstrate it through his character and actions.  Thanks for the reminder Coach.

Whether you’re the CEO, captain, secretary, administrator, rookie, quarterback, 2nd string, or underdog you can make a difference…all you have to do is step out and make a play.

~Sharing the Victory is FCA’s magazine that is published monthly.  They also have podcasts.  Here is this past weeks podcast with Coach Steckel, Tim Tebow, and Coach Bowden. 

Sharing the Victory Podcast featuring Tim Tebow, Bobby Bowden, and Les Steckel

Character Series: Vision–Escaping the Ordinary

What’s your day look like?  Many of you may have an every day routine, or an every other day routine.

Is it comfortable?

I know mine is.  Bear with me while I rant about my routine for a minute.

1.  I get up around 7:30 am…OK, lets be honest.  It varies 🙂

My husband, (bless his sweet heart) makes coffee every morning.  I grab a cup of coffee with vanilla chai creamer, YUM,  then plop myself on the couch with my Bible and journal.

2.  After my time with God, I have breakfast, get ready, and after that do one of these things…

• go to school
• work on a video for one of my jobs
• some sort of marketing thing

The days vary with which thing comes after getting ready, but I can count on one of them.  It’s become a routine, and it can become too comfortable.

How do you handle being under pressure?  If something comes outside of your typical routine, is it hard for you to handle?  Or (here’s the cliche question)  Do you see the glass half empty or half full?

Here’s an interesting story.  Two men were in prison for a very long time.  They had one small window that only let a little bit of light shine through.  One guy say the window as bars…metallic, ugly reminders of reality.  The other guy looked through the window and saw the stars beyond.  He had hope.  The prisoners were looking at the same window, but one saw bars while the other saw stars.  And the difference in their vision  made a huge difference in their lives.

Vision is one of those character qualities that go along with courage and discipline.  “The reason is simple:  it takes too much work to be a visionary.  It’s much easier to go with the flow and do what’s expected.  It takes courage to break out of conventional thought patterns.  It takes confidence and daring to risk failure with a new idea or new approach.  ” (Bill Hybels)

So I get stuck in my routine.  I do things just to finish them.  I try and rush through them so I can squeeze something else into my day.  Pretty much I’ve gotten into pattern of going through the motions.  I’ve lost my vision.

Vision can be defined in many ways;  vision is the God-given ability to see possible solutions to the everyday problems of life.  “Visionary people are solution oriented, not problem oriented.”   I’ve had Colossians 3:23-24 on my heart lately.  It says, “Whatever you do work at it with all your Heart, as working for the Lord, not for man, since you know that you will receive an inheritance rom the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

I have been praying for God to refocus my vision, and how I look at things for a while now.  I shouldn’t be comfortable in a rapidly growing ministry.  There is so much out there.   My husband and I are going through a trial and error stage…but through this, we are learning what ‘solution’ to take.  Instead of looking at our setbacks with a pessimistic attitude, we have to consciously choose to be visionaries and set our gaze upward.

Being a visionary doesn’t just apply to to ministry or a job…It’s an important character for every day life.  There are things all of us face; challenges, trials, disappointments, hurts…If we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by difficulties, our future is clouded by darkness.

This may be common sense to a lot of us.  But sometimes, I’ll admit, I’ve been so overwhelmed and crippled by fear that its hard to be a visionary.  In those times, it’s important to find a solution.  Bill Hybels suggests four steps:

1.  Repeat Matthew 19:26 ” With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  God is Way  bigger than anythin we face.

2.  Go to a place where you can be alone and seek God.

3.  Meet with brothers and sisters in Christ you are solution-oriented people:  not people who will fuel the problem.

4.  In a spirit of humility, prayer and openness to the Holy Spirit, list four or five best possible solutions to my problem..Then by faith, start down the path of one of those solutions.

VISION IS NOT ONLY FOR PROBLEM SOLVING.  Vision is the ability to see beneath the surface of people’s lives.  Most of us have generalized, stereotyped, or judged another person.  But instead of looking at the things we think are wrong with someone else, or whatever it is, visionaries see beyond it and look beneath the surface.  They look at the heart, the character, and even the hopes and fears that motivate the person’s behavior.  “Visionaries have an important mission to accomplish in the lives of others–looking past the obvious into the shadows, trying to draw out the greatness that God himself put there.”

We need visionary business leaders, parents, spouses, coaches, teachers, disciples…we need visionaries in all aspects of life.  It takes vision to go beyond the ordinary–  I heard a great quote one time, and it has stuck with since. ” People are born individuals, but most people die a second-rate version of someone else.” Sometimes we can get so caught up in trying to live someone else’s life that we forget..

“Vision is the God-given ability to catch a glimpse of what God wants to do through your life if you dedicate yourself to him.”  We are unique.  We all are different.  We all have a call on our lives placed by God.  In Acts 17:24-34, Paul is speaking to philosphers in Athens and at one point he says, ” From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he

marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”  And he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.   If you look at different translations, you find that God has placed every one of us where we are for a reason.  Whether you are a Christian or not,  you were placed where you are for a reason..the people around you, in your job, at school.  Whatever you are doing, God had appointed the time for you to be there.  God is a visionary for all of our lives…and we are all made in his image and likeness.

So, I’d encourage you, step our of your routine. Step out of your comfort zone. If something has been on your heart, do it.  Have a new idea?  TRY IT?  Facing a problem?  Look for a solution.  Sometimes we read Hebrews 11, the great Hall of Faith chapter, and are in awe of Moses, and Abraham, David, Ruth, Mary…  Remember they had faith in God, trusted in His vision, and went for it.  We all can do it.

Don’t stay on the bench because your content with being on the team.  Get in the game and make a play.

Character Series: Discipline: No Pain, No Gain

This past weekend, the Colorado Mesa FCA huddle had the privilege to go on their first retreat.  We journeyed up to Rifle, Colorado, just an hour away from Grand Junction.  It was the perfect time to go to go with the fall colors in bloom and the crisp air.  Suffice it to say…it was gorgeous!

Some students of CMU FCA went on a hike around the camp

The theme of the retreat was “Make Him Known.”  We learned how to make Him known in your own life, and make Him known in your world.

Typical retreats tend to wear you out.  You stay up late, get up early, and stretch your brain.  But even in the exhaustion I was amazed at the discipline the athletes had to do their work-outs even being away from practice.

A few cross country runners attended retreat and both days one girl woke up at 6:30 and went on a 10 mile run.

Some people might say that discipline is one of the most important character qualities a person can possess.  Pastor and well-known author Bill Hybels says “{discipline} plays a key role in developing every area of life.”  Hybels also defines it simply. “Delayed Gratification.”

According to Scott Peck in his book, The Road Less Traveled, “Delayed gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with.”

Let’s break this down.  “…process of scheduling the pain and pleasure.”

– I would suggest, and might be assuming, that people who are retired understand this more so than my generation. (20 somethings)  In a world where it clamors for instant gratification and easy solutions, it’s hard to choose the way of discipline.  For example:  Out of adolescence and into adulthood brings more responsibility.  You put in longer hours, take short vacations, and have minimal pay…but behind all of that they known that the pay-off will eventually come in the form of more flexible hours, higher pay, longer vacations, etc.  They practice delayed gratification.  I just got married in May, (it’s such a blessing), but the financial strains at times can be challenging since we are both in college.  There are so many things that I want to do right now, but I know that if we wait to go on big vacations, and buy new furniture, it will pay off in the long run.  We are practicing delayed gratification.  “…in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with.”

Biblically, to practice discipline means to persevere.  Perseverance is defined: Steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.  Delayed gratification is important to spiritual life.  Getting up and making time to pray, read the Bible, or living out your faith…It takes time and discipline to learn about these things.  It takes perseverance to keep it going when you are in a lull period.

Working out and seeing results is impossible without discipline and delayed gratification.  Bill Hybels suggests that the key to practicing discipline can be described in three words–advance decision making. “You must make advance decisions as to how you are going to practice discipline in the various dimensions of your life.”  The cross country runner made a decision in advance and followed through with it because she wanted to enjoy the pleasure, the rewards, and the payoff later by the pain and sacrifice of practicing to get in more shape.  Families who are on a tight budget make an advanced decision to follow their budget regardless, and in the end it pays off during the holidays.  Marriages who make an advanced decision to stick it out through the good and bad and take care of the bumps in the road see the pay off later.

Discipline builds character.

Time-out:

In what area of your life could you be more disciplined in?

Who comes to mind when you think of being disciplined?

Make a play –>