The Paths of Life

   Imagine you are walking down a path toward something you want to get to. You come to a fork in the road where there is a paved path or a dirt path. The dirt path looks well taken care of; and it is the closest way to your goal. So you decide to keep going on the dirt path.

As you continue down the path the plants start to go away; and the trees look like they are dying. You are a little worried about the path, but you keep going. Then the path changes from solid dirt to covered in mud. You are hesitant to continue but you really want to get to your goal. So you keep going but you trip farther down the path. You are covered in mud and trash. You are ticked off but you figure you are already covered in mud so the path cannot get much worse.

   After a while you discover why the path was so muddy. A stream goes across the path. You clean yourself off as best you can and continue on your way. The path begins to even out and become dry. Then all of the sudden the path is paved. You see beautiful flowers everywhere. And, there are trees with fruit on them. You go over and pick an apple off and begin to eat it. You feel like you have accomplished something great because you made it through the muddy part of the path. In fact, you feel so good you want someone to come along so you can tell them how much you have been through; and then they can tell you how great you are.

   Your good mood is interrupted by a fork in the road. One way is paved and has many different plants and flowers. Meanwhile the other path is very tiny. It looks like it is muddy along that path and most of the plants look dead. You know that the narrow path is the right way to go in order to get to your goal; but you are tired of going through mud and thorns.

So, which path will you take?

   If you haven’t figured out by now the path is a metaphor for your life. Sometimes our life is great and we feel good about ourselves; and what we have accomplished. Other times our path gets muddy and we fall down in the problems of life. Finally at times we come to cross roads where we need to make a decision. That decision could involve taking the easy way or the hard way; the right way or the wrong way.

   This path metaphor is life; but it is missing one thing. It is missing someone to walk the path with us. We need friends who can lift us up when we fall in the mud; and encourage us. But, sometimes our friends cannot be there for us because they are walking their own paths. So we have another friend who is always there for us: God. We need to trust in Him and follow Him while we are on our path of life. I’m not going to lie to you, the path will get hard at times and you will feel like you are alone. But, you are never alone so long as you trust in God.

   Also, in my path metaphor, the person kept working toward the goal even though it was difficult at times. But then when they came to the fork in the road, after the muddy problems, they had to decide if they would keep working toward their goal or take the easy way out. This is when life gets hard and when we need to trust in God all the more.

   So my challenge for you this week is to think about your path so far. Have you been walking the path with friends who will encourage you and vice versa? Have you made the right choices in life even when they were not easy? Have you been walking the path with God and trusting in Him?

   Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 7:13-14

Special Edition: What God Taught Me During a Soccer Game

   So my loyal followers know that I typically post blogs on Saturdays. But, something happened yesterday that I just had to do a post about. I had a soccer game. The soccer game was fairly interesting because we went into overtime, but something happened that was even more interesting, to me at least.

   Did you ever have something happen to you that you weren’t expecting to happen? Something that could’ve ended really badly? That’s what happened to me yesterday.

   I was in goal, like I normally am, and I went out to do a standard breakaway save. But, I got more than I bargained for. I made the save and the next thing I know I’m on the ground with my eyes closed because the right size of my face hurt so badly. Then I heard the voices of my teammates over me saying you’ll be okay. I knew that I just needed a minute because the wind got knocked out of me and my face hurt. But then, I heard a new voice. He started asking me questions about me and the team in order to make sure I didn’t have a concussion. I didn’t have a headache, ringing in my ears, or blurriness in my vision. So I got up after more questions and I was asked if I wanted to stay in. My answer was yes. I wasn’t going to let me team down.

   During the game in the huddles with my team everyone kept telling me how bad my eye looked. After the game, when I finally looked at it, I was like “oh yeah that is bad.” I was told over and over again that I’m lucky I didn’t get a concussion; and I’m lucky I didn’t get my eye split open. I don’t call that luck I call that the work of God.

   There have been many times in my life where I have wondered why something happened to me. But, in this instance I can see God at work. I could’ve been knocked out, gotten a concussion, needed stitches, or worse; but God was there for me. Over and over again in my posts I’ve talked about praising God in the good and bad times. Sure I’m upset I need to live with a black eye for a while; but being upset will not change anything. And, I know that this happened for a reason. Who knows? Maybe me getting a black eye pushed my team to keep going. Or, maybe someone seeing how hard I worked in goal after I got hit wondered why I kept playing. That just may lead them to Christ.

   What about you? Has something ever happened to you that you weren’t expecting? Did you pity yourself and get angry at God, or were you thankful that something worse didn’t happen? Did you ever stop to think that maybe whatever occurred happened for reasons you just could not understand?

   I know that there are people out there who could never understand why I did what I did yesterday. But those people are the ones we need to witness to, whether that is with our words or our actions. Are you witnessing to them?

I Want to Heap Burning Coals on Their Heads!

   Have you ever had that person who just always got on your nerves? That person who hurt you in some way? That person who doesn’t seem to have a kind bone in their body? Did you ever want to get back at that person, but you didn’t because you knew that was wrong? Instead you turned the other cheek and continued to love that person because that is what God calls you to do.

   Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’ve all that that person. Because I grew up in the church my whole life, I had heard so many different Bible verses and stories where people forgave the person who wronged them. I never quite understood that when I was younger. Anyhow, one day I heard this verse from Romans 12:20 “On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’"

   Now, most of you are probably thinking the way I did back then. “If I am nice to this person then it will make them feel so guilty that they will respect me; and leave me alone. God will also get revenge on them and heap burning coals on their head.” Yeah, that’s what I used to think. I know right, Kaitlyn Scheuing used to wish that people would get hurt who hurt her?! Well, I’m trying to be honest; and prove a point. I had that whole verse out of context.

   Looking back at the historical context of this passage one would realize that when the verse says “heap burning coals on their head” it is actually a blessing. See, back then, people needed coals to keep them warm. So heaping burning coals on your enemies head is a good thing.

   You may be thinking “what!? Why would I want to be nice to this person who hurt me if it is only going to give them blessings?” Well, think about it this way. You do not know what that person is going through or has gone through in their life. Aren’t there times that you have been grumpy and have done some things you regret to others? How would you feel if that person was mean to you then and wanted to heap burning coals on your head (for real, not like in the good way I just described)? You probably wouldn’t feel too good.

   Now, what if that person you hurt was actually nice to you? Would you want to get to know them? Would you want to ask them why they are so nice to you when you were mean to them? This is how we can spread the gospel: by being different from the world. People are going to want to know what you have in you that is so different. They are going to want to know Christ.

   Challenge for this week: be kind to others, even if they hurt you. When reading the Bible make sure that you do not take the verse out of context.

   Romans 12:20, John 13:34, 1 John 4:19-21

The Issue with Tolerance

    I’m going to say a word that tends to get Christians in an uproar: tolerance. Did I make any of you jump? The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes tolerance as a “willingness to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own.” I personally do not like this word. Don’t get me wrong it can be a great word, if people use it properly. However, people in our culture are starting to not use it properly. Basically, the way I see it, people are using it as a cop out. As soon as someone says something against what someone else believes what’s the normal response? “You are not being tolerant. You are a bully.” Then people go crying to a person in authority.

    I believe that people sometimes go about discussing their different beliefs the wrong way. Christians need to respond to disagreements with love. We can disagree with what people believe and what they do, but we need to do it with courtesy. We cannot respond violently. 1 John 3:15-16 says: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” Christians cannot respond to disagreements with violence because this ruins our testimony.

     Another issue we may face is we feel like if we say anything we would offend these people. If we stand by and let these people go on with their sin then we are going against what the Bible tells us to do. Galatians 6:1-2 says: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Christians need to let people know that we may not agree with what they are doing, but we still love them.

      There is a link at the bottom of this post. This video shows how some people dealt with a conflict. A white woman went into a Harlem barber shop and was harassed by a black barber. It is neat to see how some people react. How would God want us to react?

http://pulptastic.com/black-man-white-girlfriend-harlem-barbershop/

Lessons from an Ogre

   For those of you who don’t know, I like to find quotes with good meanings in movies. One movie quote that I really relate to, and I’m sure you can as well, is from Shrek. Shrek and Donkey are sitting under the stars and Shrek says: “I’m not the one with the problem, okay? It’s the world that seems to have a problem with me. People take one look at me and go, ‘Aah! Help! Run! A big, stupid, ugly ogre.’ They judge me before they even know me. That’s why I’m better off alone.”

   It sounds bad but I used to feel like Shrek a lot, and I still do at times. People look at me and think that they know me right away. Well, they do not. I have asked people what their first impression of me was and then I asked them what they think of me now. Usually their answers are different. It’s like if people would just stop to get to know other people, rather than just judging them, the world would be better off. It was like the other day someone told me a joke and I didn’t laugh. The person then said that I never laugh. Uh hello, I do laugh. Everyone laughs at one point or another in their life. I just don’t have the same sense of humor she does. It’s situations like these that I need to get away from people because I get really down.

   Though I get away from people, mostly to think and also because I’m an introvert, I realize that I need to go back to them. God made us to be in community. If He didn’t, why wouldn’t we all have our own planets? Anyhow while people may annoy us, judge us, and make us angry; it is important to remember that people also love us, want to help us, and can be kind to us. It may seem easier to run from our problems, but then we would end up like Shrek. If Shrek didn’t have a loyal friend like Donkey he would never have gone to stop the wedding between Fiona and Lord Farquaad. It’s like I always say everything happens for a reason. God brings people and situations in our lives so we learn things.

   So, back to the judgment thing. Don’t you think it’s time we start getting to know people before we make generalizations about them? If we did then our walk as well as our light would be a whole lot better off. So the next time you look at a person don’t go off your first impression. You may just find a good friend that you wouldn’t have normally found. And the next time you feel like Shrek remember that people out there do care about you. Also remember that the only opinion you should care about is God's. True, words do hurt. But, God loves you and thinks you are special no matter what other people think about you.

   Romans 2:1-3, Psalms 62:8

The 5 C's

   Being a goalie in soccer is not easy. Honestly, I feel like goalie is one of the most difficult positions on the field. I’m not saying the other positons are not important; but goalies need to have something more than just skill in the net. Goalkeepers are a part of the soccer team but they are an entirely different breed. Sometimes I feel like I am not actually a part of the team because we get our own training. But, while goalies are with the team in practice they are not the ones who are being cheered on. The offenders are the ones who are cheered on. Goalies also need to have a specific mindset. It is true that you can be a goalie without the mindset but you will not get that far, in my opinion.

I have played goalie for the past 5 years, as the official goalkeeper. In my first two years my goalie coach introduced this idea called the 5 C’s. I have used this idea in goal ever since they were introduced to me. But, this idea doesn’t just work in goal. It works in life as well.

   The first C is Courage. As a goalie I need to have the courage to go out and get the ball, no matter who is in the way. A goalie needs to be willing to sacrifice herself in order to get the ball, or make the save. In life we need to be willing to have the courage to do things that may be outside our comfort zone. God sometimes calls us to do things that are not easy or that are scary. But, if God calls us to it he will bring us through it. We just need to have the courage to follow him.

   The second C is Confidence. Goalkeepers need to do everything with confidence. If a goalie is going out to make a save and they do not believe that they are going to save it, then they will not save it. I’m not saying they won’t make the save some of the time; but most of the time if a person believes that there is no way they can make the save, then they probably will not. Also if a goalie does not come out in confidence they run the risk of getting hurt. In life we need to have confidence in all we do. We cannot be timid. We need to have confidence in all we say and do, especially when we are talking about our faith. That is why we need to be prepared to tell others what we believe and why we believe it.

   The third C is Composure. Goalies cannot freak out when they are in the net. If a goalkeeper is not mentally prepared then they will have problems during the game. Soccer is more than a physical sport. If a person is not mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared for a game they will not play well. Goalies need to know exactly what they need to do and when they need to do it. They cannot be freaking out on the inside or the outside. In life we need to have faith in God when difficult, or stressful, times come along. We need to remember that God is on our side no matter what. We need to stay composed in all we do and trust in Him.

   Next is Communication. A goalie is essentially playing every position on the field. They need to know exactly what is going on everywhere on the field. Keepers need to communicate with their teammates so the team knows what they need to do next. If there is any miscommunication from the goalie or any teammate in general, it could result in someone getting hurt or a goal being scored. In life if people do not have communication then mistakes happen. And, depending on the person’s job, they could hurt many people. That is why communication is vital in today’s society. If we do not communicate properly people get hurt.

   The final C is Concentration. A goalkeeper needs to be focused on the game at all times. If the goalie takes their eyes off the field even for one second it could cost them the game. Along with concentration comes attitude. Goalies may mess up, lose focus, or get stressed; but through it all goalies need to keep a positive attitude. I have found that my attitude affects my teammates’ attitude. If I focus on that goal that I let in then my team will focus on it too. However if I let that mistake go and try to encourage my team, then they keep playing to the best of their ability. In life we need to focus on the task at hand. If we lose focus on what we are doing then we may let other people down. We also need to have a good attitude no matter what happens. Life will get difficult but with God on our side we know that everything will be alright.

   I have played every position in soccer, coached teams, and I was a referee. I can honestly say that goalkeeping is the most physically, emotionally, and mentally draining position I’ve ever been in. But, this position has taught me so much about myself and life. I am thankful for the time that I have played this position, even if I did get abused a lot. In life we may feel like we are getting abused at times. But, that’s when we need to remember that everything happens for a reason.

   So, how can you incorporate the 5 C’s into your life? Are you trusting God through all times of trials?

   Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:6-7, Proverbs 15:2, Hebrews 12:1-2