Attitude: Soccer Lessons

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."

   One of the first things my players learn about me is the two things I look for the most in players. The first we've already discussed: effort. The second is attitude. I've always said that I would rather work with a player who knows nothing about soccer and has a good attitude than work with a player who knows a lot about soccer and has a bad attitude. I still work with both kinds of players but one is easier to train than the other.

   When I was in 6th grade I first read the saying "attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." I didn't think much of it at the time but as I grew up I saw what the poster was saying. In life if you come to work and you see a person with a sour attitude; are you going to want to work with them? Or, would you rather work with someone who has a positive attitude? People like working with and helping those who have a good attitude. Attitude is something we can control. We choose every day if we are going to have a good attitude or not. We choose if we are going to work hard no matter what, learn, and grow.

   So, how has your attitude been lately? Do you have a good attitude no matter what happens to you? How can you brighten someone's day today with your good attitude?

   Philippians 2:14-15

   Image from here.

Your Last is Your Best: Soccer Lessons

"Your last one is your best one."

   Soccer is a very grueling sport. Some people who don't know soccer or have never seen it played just assume that soccer is just passing the ball up the field to score. Yes, the goal of the game is to score in the goal but there is so much more strategy to it. What formation are you going to play? Where are you going to play certain players? Should you contain or step hard to the ball? Should you pass or shoot? There's more but I'll stop there.

   One area that I have noticed that is very difficult about the game of soccer is the endurance it takes to stay in the game. I'm not talking just running endurance. I'm talking body endurance too. For those of you who don't know, soccer is a contact sport. Players need to take hits, some harder than others, and still play the game. The only protection players wear are shin guards. Thus, they get the wind knocked out of them a lot.

   All of these things are the reason I began to say: "your last one is your best one." This may seem strange. You may be thinking, "wouldn't you want your first to be your best?" Yes, you still want your first to be good but that's when you aren't so tired. I've coached teams and been on teams that were doing well at the beginning because they were not tired. Then they got tired and lost. If you don't do your best through the whole game it doesn't matter how you do at the beginning of the game. No one remembers about how you did at the beginning. It matters how you do at the end. The result tells a story.

   It's like this: when you first start a job you want to prove yourself so you work really hard. Then as you are there longer you may get tired of the trivial everyday tasks you do. If you start to slack off on your duties what's going to happen? Do you think people are going to remember you for what you did when you first started working there or how you worked when you were there your last days?

   Colossians 3:23 says: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." If we are working for the Lord then we should give our best all the time. Will our best be different on different days? Probably, I mean if you are sick your best may only be working as hard as you can even though your body is yelling at you. Nonetheless, we should still give our best even if we are tired. Like I said before, people probably won't remember how you started something but how you finished it.

   1 Corinthians 9:24 says: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." This verse brings home my message. If you run really hard at the beginning of the race but don't do your best at the end you won't get the prize. That's why your last one has to be your best. Because, when you think to yourself, "oh I've worked so hard. I'll just slack off this one time" that one time could cost you a lot.

   So, do you work hard to do your best every day? Are you running the race to win the prize? What area of your life do you feel you need to work harder for God's glory?

   Image from here.

Joy in Working: Labor Day

   It is Labor Day, a day that we think about not working. But, I'm going to rain on your parade and talk about work. I am a teacher and a coach. Therefore, I hear a lot of complains about work whether that be from co-workers, students, or players. Why do I hear so many complaints? Should I hear so many complaints?
   Way back, at the beginning of time and the creation of the universe, God made everything and it was good (Genesis 1). God is smart and caring. He did not create anything that did not serve a purpose in the universe or on earth. He created Adam to have dominion over all the earth. In Genesis 2:15 we read why Adam was put in the Garden: "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."
   Hold up, Adam had to work before the fall? Yes, and since God created everything and said that "it was good" then that means work is good. We don't read much about Adam working in the Garden before the fall but we do know that he named the animals, which was a job God gave him. Do you think Adam complained about it? No, Adam was happy to be given a purpose/job. He got to be a leader on earth and walk with the ultimate leader/boss.
   What happened? How did we get from being joyful in our work to complaining? The answer is the fall, and sin. Work suddenly got really difficult because Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. Genesis 3:17-19 says: "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
   Thus, we began to have hard work. That is why we complain about work. It is hard and it hurts our bodies. Yet, God created it to be good. When children grow up what do they do? They get a job. Even when children are little they work by doing chores or finding odd jobs to make money. Work is to be a good thing. Should we complain about doing work? No, because God created it to be good. 

   So, do you complain too much about work? What can you do to find joy in work?

   Image from here. 

What's Your Motivation?

   In movies sometimes you will see someone who is acting like an actor. That person will sometimes ask the question, "what's my motivation?" In other words, "why is my character doing what he is doing?" The actor is trying to immerse himself into his character so that he can become that character.
   Sometimes I wonder if it would be good to ask other people that question. When people are younger, we enjoy asking them questions about what they plan to do with their lives. Then we ask them why they want to do that. Why do we stop asking people that question?
   I'll tell you who never stops asking questions: children. One day a child in my preschool class said, "Ms. Kat, why did you become a teacher? Is it so you could watch us eat lunch?" After I finished laughing, I had to actually think about that answer. It had been so long since someone had asked me that question. I had to think back and remember why I became a teacher in the first place.
   What about you? Why do you do what you do? Why do you get up in the morning? Why do you go to work? Why do you follow the religion you follow? Please pause a minute to answer these questions because sometimes I think we forget why we do what we do.
   I don't know what you do, and I don't know why you chose to do it. I don't even know why you continue to choose to do it each day. What I do know is that if you claim Jesus as your Lord and Savior then you and I should have some motivation in common. 
   1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Did you catch that? That one verse tells us what our motivation should be. Whatever we do we should do it to reflect God's glory. That means if you are working on a big project at work you are working on that project for God. If you are making breakfast for your family, you are making that breakfast not just for your family but for God.
   WHATEVER you do you are doing it FOR GOD. That should kind of change how we think about our everyday tasks. It should also change our attitude toward tasks we don't enjoy as much. What would happen if we thought about everything we do as if we were doing it for God? What would this world be like? What would your life be like? I encourage you to take a look at your motivation in all you do. Why do you do what you do? Or, the better question may be, who are you doing everything for?

   Image from here.

Doing Your Best in the Little Things: Labor Day

   Many times when Labor Day rolls around we all say: "Yes! A three day weekend. I get to relax an extra day and not think about work." I'm not going to lie, it is nice to have an extra day off. But, I usually end up working in one way or another on Labor Day. I may do some things for school, I may do chores around the house, I may make food for myself or others, etc. That's all work. Even on Labor Day we are working.
   We don't just work when we go to work. We do little things every day that are work. And, even if we are working on the little things, we are to give our best. I was once told a story that embodies this idea.
One time a woman, let's call her Tessa, was a counselor at a camp. One of the jobs she was given was to put the kids bed sheets on the beds before the kids came. Time was short before the kids showed up so she tried to work fast. She had put on at least 70 sheets and was beginning to tire of doing the same task. She put a sheet on and realized the sheet was inside out. She looked at the time and thought, "I need to finish all these other beds. It will not be that bad if the sheet is inside out." She left the sheet as is and kept working on the other beds.
   She got about 10 more beds done then thought back to that 1 bed. She knew she had done a good job on 79 beds out of 80. But she did not do her best on that 1. She felt guilty for not giving her best on that 1. Even though she knew it would take extra time and effort she went back to the room and fixed the bed. Did anyone notice that she fixed the bed? No. Would anyone have noticed that the bed was inside out if she wouldn't have fixed it? Maybe not. But if she would not have gone back to fix the bed she wouldn't have been giving her best for God.
   See, Tessa was following Colossians 3:23-24 which says: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." That 1 bed may not have mattered to the child who slept on it, the parents who let that child come to camp, the counselor who was in that room, or the camp director. But, that 1 bed matters to God. Why does a bed matter to God? It matters because we are to give out best to God in ALL we do.
   That means that when you are at work and getting tired of doing the same tasks you still do your best, even if it's hard. That means that if you are mowing the lawn and you realize you miss a spot you go back to get it. Not because you think you will get in trouble, but because you are mowing the lawn for God. That means that if you are cleaning the bathroom and you miss a huge smudge you go back and clean it. Not because you are worried that someone will notice it, but because you are cleaning that bathroom for God.
   Will your best look the same every day? Probably not, but you can still give your best not for man, not to get glory yourself, but to reflect God's glory.
   So, are you giving your best effort for God? How can you reflect God's glory by giving your best for God today?
 Image from here.

I'm Busy

  Once there was a man who was very successful at his job. He got to come into work when he wanted to, he chose when he left, he was paid a salary many people could only dream about, and he went home to a large mansion where he lived with his family.
   One day this man was walking through the office. He was about to take his phone out to catch up on emails when he looked at one of his employees. She was usually a hard worker but she was at her desk crying. The man went back and forth for 30 seconds. Should he ask her what's going on? No, she would get over it and he had to get home. He had more work to do.
   On the way home he stopped at a red light and saw a man on the side of the road with a sign. It said "Homeless, please help, God bless." The man wondered why the man was homeless and thought about helping. Then he thought, "he will probably just use the money to buy beer."
   The man finally got home. His wife welcomed him at the door and he gave her a kiss. Then his son came bounding up to him. The man hugged his son and he was about to ask his son about his day when his phone rang. The man put his son down and saw that his boss was calling. He said, "I need to take care of this." Then he answered the phone. By the time he got off the phone and had dealt with the problem his son was already in bed and his wife was about to go to bed.
   Why am I telling you this story? What was wrong with this man's life? Some of you may say, "nothing." Others may say this man is too busy. If every day continued in that same pattern for that man then he is too busy. Yes, you can work hard for your family but work can become an idol, or can take you away from what really matters.
   Billy Graham once said: "We hurt people by being too busy. Too busy to notice their needs. Too busy to drop that note of comfort or encouragement or assurance of love. Too busy to listen when someone needs to talk. Too busy to care." This man had the chance to show his employee, the homeless man, and his family that he cares. Instead, if he continues down this path, he could lose everything that really matters. Yes, it is nice to have financial security, a big home, a good car, a cushy job, etc. However, when this man is older who will he have to share his life with? The greatest commandment comes down to loving God and loving others. If we love God then we will love others.
   What could this man do to show he cares? He could take 5 minutes or more out of his day to ask his employees how they are doing. He could give the homeless man some food. He could spend time with his family. It may mean that he takes a pay cut, loses a promotion, or has to say no to big projects but none of those things matter in eternity.
   So, are you too busy to show God's love to others? What can you do to show love to others today?

   Romans 12:9-13, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Matthew 6:25-34

   Image from here.

Never Give Up: Jacob Hall of Faith

   “Never give up on your dream… because you never know what the Lord can bless you with” (Kelly Rowland).

   Jacob was quite an interesting person in the Bible. When he was young all he seemed to care about was power. He was a trickster. He tricked his brother, Esau, into giving up his birthright. Jacob then went to Laban’s home where he wanted to marry Rachel, Laban’s daughter. The irony was that Laban tricked Jacob into working 14 years for him rather than 7. Jacob ended up marrying Leah and Rachel. Even though Jacob sinned against his fellow man and God, God blessed him.

   Jacob went back to his homeland. On the way he was worried about what Esau would do to him. Jacob stayed on one side of the river while his family was on the other side. During the night Jacob wrestled with a man till daybreak. The man even touched Jacob’s hip so it was wrenched while he was wrestling with him (Gen. 32.22-31). The man said “let me go, for it is daybreak.” Jacob refused to let the man go until the man blessed him. The man blessed Jacob.

   Jacob did make many mistakes but he never gave up. That is why God never gave up on him. Jacob had faith in God. It took Jacob a little bit to grow into his faith but that’s the beauty of it. Once we know God, we don’t stay like babies in our faith. Our faith grows. Jacob grew and never gave up. We can learn this lesson from a trickster. Never give up on God because he never gives up on you.

   So, do you need to grow in your faith? How can your faith in God grow today? Will you choose to never give up event though it is hard?

   Genesis 28-32, Galatians 6:9, 1 Peter 2:1-25

   Image from here.

Faith During Criticism: Noah Hall of Faith

   "To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings." George Mueller
   Noah was on the earth during a time of great wickedness. God looked throughout the earth and found only one righteous man, Noah. Could you imagine that? If you were Noah how would you feel? It would be neat for God to say you are righteous. But, then you would be alone in your faith. I don't know bout you but if I did not have godly friends I am not sure I could face some of the trials I go through. 
   Then, after God finds Noah faithful, God tells Noah to build an ark. Mind you, there may not have been rain before this time and God told Noah to build an ark on land. If you were a bystander what would you be thinking? You would probably think Noah was crazy, especially because he is building a large ark on land. More than likely Noah received criticism for what he was doing. 
   This is a time when no one believes in God, Noah is building a boat on land that is huge, and it probably took years to build this ark. Just picture what physical, mental, emotional, and even spuritual pain Noah and his family must have gone through. But, if Noah had not followed God in faith what would have happened? We would not be here today. Without Noah being willing to follow God we would not exist. 
In life, we may be asked to do crazy things. But, we must remember to be like Noah and follow God's plan no matter what criticisms we get.
   So, would you have been willing to do as Noah did even through the criticisms he probably received? Will you be willing to do what God calls you to do no matter what trials you face?
   Genesis 6-8, Psalm 119:133, James 1:12
   Image from here.

You Gotta Slow Down: Labor Day

   Have you ever said to yourself: "I wish I had more time to relax," "I'm too busy to relax," or "I have too much work and I'm exhausted." If you are like me, you have probably said something along those lines before. I have found that as we get older we just become more and more busy. That's probably why there's so much anxiety, stress, and crankiness nowadays.
   I think that we are forgetting something that is very important, not just to our physical health, but our mental health as well. We need rest. This is not a want it is a need. In Genesis 2:2 God does something we may not expect "On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work." Did you catch that? God rested after his work was complete. Does God need to rest? No, he doesn't. Why did he rest? Because, he is the ultimate example for us. He rested because we are to rest. God wants us to work and do our best. But, if we don't rest, or we don't spend time with God, we will get burned out.
   This idea reminds me of something my Aunt used to have. She had this plastic turtle with rubber legs that moved. I thought is was so cool because I didn't have a real pet at the time (bare in mind I was like 5 when I first saw it). The turtle also sang a song that went like this: "You gotta slow down, you're moving too fast. You gotta slow down, let go of the past. You're working too hard, you know it's true. You gotta slow down, and take some time for you."
   Yes, work is important. God calls us to work hard to reflect his glory. But, he also knows we need rest. If we overwork ourselves it will harm our mental and physical health. As well as, we will not do as well at our work and probably hurt others emotionally. That's why we need to listen to the turtle. We need to slow down. We need to relax. We need to spend time with God. It's a hard balance, but an important one nonetheless.
   So, are you overworking yourself? Do you spend time with God each day? What can you do to make sure you rest when you need it?

   2 Timothy 3:16 and Exodus 34:21

   Image from here.

Look At Me

   I enjoy reading signs of churches because many of them can be funny or profound. One night I was driving home and I saw this quote on a sign: "Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention they just shine." I began thinking about that quote, at first because my mom loves lighthouses. Lighthouses are not in your face aggressively saying "look at me." They just have a light that works like it is supposed to.
   Lighthouses don't have a problem with pride. My dog and some of the students I teach have a problem with pride. When my dog wants attention he will lay on what I'm working on, lay on my lap, or (If I'm really not paying attention) he will bite me. My students will call my name over and over and over. If they don't get attention then they will disobey a rule or hurt another student to get my attention. Do you see a common thread? Both my dog and the students use aggression eventually to get attention. Why? Because they are of the mind that their needs are more important.

   Now, lest you think I'm excluding adults from this pride and attention problem, I'm not. Some adults boast about all their things and accomplishments which is outright pride. Other adults may not look for attention with outright aggression like children and dogs, but we do it more subtly. I'm guilty of wanting people to acknowledge my accomplishments without me hinting at it. I try to be humble and not want people to do that; but each time I receive a compliment it makes me feel good. Who doesn't like compliments? In order to get compliments I will work hard. I will go above and beyond. Unfortunately that means sometimes I don't work for the right reasons.
   Colossians 3:23 says: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." That's one of the reasons why I work hard. I know I'm working for God. But, after a long period of hard work I get tired. I don't work as hard. That's when I could use a pick me up. I try to hint at some things I've done. Guess what? That's pride. We all have pride. We just show it in different ways. Some show it outright, others put themselves down looking for someone to pull them back up. Both of those are pride.
   To get out of that we need to be like a lighthouse. We need to forget about ourselves (yet not become a starving baker, there is a line there). We need to follow Philippians 2:3: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." The Greatest Commandments tell us to love God and love others. When we follow that and Philippians 2:3 we will be like the lighthouse. We will be reflecting God's glory and shining our lights for him, not for us. Because, in the end when we die it doesn't matter what we had compliment wise here. It doesn't matter that we had a lot of stuff. What matters is what we did for God's kingdom. That means what we did for God and for others.
   So, is your lighthouse firing cannons or shining? Do you have too much pride? What can you do to reflect God's glory today?

   Image from here.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

   I promised a while ago that you would more than likely hear lessons from my new dog Jak Jak. Well, here is your first one.

   One day my sister was playing with Jak Jak. She had his squeaker toy and he was trying to get it from her. She held it high in the air. She was trying to get him to jump. He started barking and growling at the toy and at her. Now, you need to know that Jak Jak doesn't really bark much. He may bark at  a certain type of dog but other than that he's fairly docile.

As he was barking my sister said, "you have to try." See, Jak Jak hadn't even tried to jump to get the toy. He just barked because he wanted my sister to put the toy lower. Finally, Jak Jak jumped. He missed. Then he backed up, ran, and jumped. He got the toy. My sister said, "see, you just had to try."

   There are multiple lessons in this little episode. One is never give up. Another is try. But I want to focus on something you may not have thought of. At first, Jak Jak used his words. I don't speak dog so I don't know what he was saying but I can imagine he may have been yelling at my sister, making excuses, or he could have been saying "I am going to get it give it to me." His words didn't do him any good. We can rant and rave about something that upsets us or something we want but does that do us any good?

   It wasn't until Jan Jak tried to get the toy that he succeeded. Jak Jak stopped just using words. He stopped yelling. He stopped making excuses and let his actions speak. That little idea that actions speak louder than words is proven here. Many times we walk through life making excuses or yelling about things we don't like. But, that doesn't do us any good. We need to try. We need to work. We need to act.

   If there's something you don't like that's going on, what can yo do about it? If there's something that seems impossible do you just give up or do you keep trying? Do you ask God for guidance and help when you have problems and you are not sure what to do?

   James 1:22 and James 2:18

   Image from here. 

The Spotlight of Recognition

   Have you ever done something really well? We are talking you poured your heart and soul into this thing. You spent time, sweat, tears, and money on this thing. You would think that you would get some recognition for all that you did, right? No, instead the person who is in charge of whatever you were doing gets the recognition. Or, people don't know you were involved. Or, worse yet, people knew you were involved but you never get thanked!
   What are we to do when we don't get thanked for what we do? Some people may say we should throw a fit, not help again, or leave whatever we were helping with.
   Let me tell you a story that may help you decide what we should do. Once there was a beautiful lighthouse. It was strong, served its purpose, and people said it was the most beautiful lighthouse they had ever seen. One day the light at the top of the lighthouse looked out at all it could see and said, "This is an amazing view." The brick at the bottom of the lighthouse said, "may I take a look?" The light said, "no you must stay in your place otherwise how will others be able to see my light shining in the darkness."
   Later on, in the night, the light shone brightly. The light said, "it is a good thing I am so bright otherwise the ships would crash on the rocks." The brick at the bottom replied, "may I see the ships?" The light laughed, “no you must stay in your place otherwise how will others be able to see my light shining in the darkness."
   The brick on the bottom sighed angrily, "I am tired of staying in my place while you get all of the glory." With those words the brick pulled himself from the lighthouse and went away. The light glanced down and thought, "only one brick is gone I shall still be the most beautiful lighthouse." Then the light felt shaking beneath her. She looked down and saw other bricks had begun to leave. Suddenly, the lighthouse tower began to crack and the light fell to the ground.
   When the dust settled the light realized that she was broken too. No longer was she beautiful and revered but instead she was a pile of rubble. Suddenly, the light heard a noise of a ship's horn. She realized that she could no longer guide those ships away from the sharp rocks that would destroy them. What would happen now that the lighthouse was destroyed?
   So, what is the meaning behind this story? Will you realize that it is vital to appreciate those under your charge? How can you lift up your boss? Will you choose to do your job in order to help others, no matter the personal cost to you?

   Colossians 3:23, Acts 20:35, Matthew 25:21

   Image from here. 

Day of Rest: Labor Day

   Labor day: a day we take a break from work. For some people, they welcome the break. For others, they think the day is just a waste of time.

   In America, especially, I think we have a problem. Children do not get to spend time with their parents because parents work too much. College students need to work and go to school at the same time because they cannot afford their tuition. Friends cannot get together with friends because they are too busy with their jobs. Is work a bad thing? No, but I think we have become too busy.
   God created everything in 6 days. On the 7th day he rested. Did he rest because he needed it? No, he rested because he wanted to be an example for us. God knew that we would need rest.
   But, in America, we work all the time. Sometimes, when people work too much, it becomes unhealthy. People may work a lot for different reasons. They may work too much because they need money for bills. They may work too much because it brings them joy and they are good at their job. They may work too much because it keeps them from focusing on their problems. Or, they may work too much because work/money has become their idol. Any of these answers can be detrimental to people's health, family, friends, and relationship with God.
   If God rested to be an example for us, why can't we rest? We could use all the excuses in the world. But at the end of your life do you want to be alone with all your money, or do you want to have those you love around you and know that you have a good relationship with God? It is vital that Christians have a relationship with God because all of this is temporary. The only thing that truly matters at the end of our lives is that we have accepted Christ. Christians are called to follow Jesus' example. Even Jesus rested, why can't we?
   So, do you work too much? What can you do to be sure you are resting and following God?

   Genesis 2:2-3, Mark 2:27, Psalm 127:2

   Image from here. 

Kids These Days

   "Kids these days are so lazy." "Kids don't know how to do anything they will need for life." "Back in my day we went outside at sunrise and were not back till sunset. We fell down and were fine." "Millennials need to have their phones. It's like their phone is another appendage." These are just a few quotes I have heard people say about kids and Millennials today.

   I have heard it all I tell you. I've heard that Millennials are lazy, don't care about issues, don't know how to have human interactions, are addicted to tech, and the list goes on and on. You know why I have heard this? First off I am a teacher... it's kind of my job to listen and talk about kids. Second I am a Millennial. I get lumped into this group of "lazy, uncaring, tech teens." And, believe it or not, I do see some of what people are saying about Millennials. But, what bugs me is when people think this is true of all Millennials, or they don't look at the good Millennials do.
   Millennials have the power to be amazing. We can impact the world more than any generation before us (that's not a knock on past generations; we will get to why we have that impact).
   Here is a list of good I have found in Millennials:

   1. We work behind the scenes. Believe it or not, some Millennials have character. Some of us don't like to be in the spotlight. We know how to work hard for something we believe in. You just don't see it... or maybe you were not looking...
   2. We use tech to better the world. What are you reading right now? A blog. This blog is probably on a computer, tablet, or phone. This blog has been alive for 3 years now. This blog has had over 7,000 views. This blog has reached people in Russia, Africa, England, the Caribbean, India, and so many more places! If just this one blog can do that imagine all the other blogs, websites, Facebook pages, Instagrams, twitters, etc. That have the power to reach the lost! It's true that this can be used for bad reasons but good can be done by using technology!
   3. We stand up for what we believe in. This can seem bad if you know we are talking about things that are against God. But, there are Christian Millennials out there. We stand up in an oppressed world and use our voice for God. Meanwhile we have older generations saying we are lazy and don't do anything for others? How do you think this makes us feel? Please stop lumping all Millennials together!
   So what's the point of all this? First off it is to make you realize you cannot lump one generation into a little box. Not everyone is like the kids you think about when you heard about Millennials. Second it is to make you see the good that Millennials can do. Finally it is to make you realize that you can have an impact on this generation.

   This generation is so used to being ragged on. That is why we get so defensive to attacks. Well, what if instead of attacking us you came alongside us? What if you chose to listen to us? I will tell you that Millennials can be some of the smartest people you may ever talk to. We have ideas and we are willing to share our ideas as long as we don't feel attacked. If we feel attacked you will still hear our ideas but in a probably not nice way.
   Also, we are looking for something to stand up for. We look for causes and are very loyal to the causes we choose. But, when we don't have people to guide us and help us with those causes we turn to bad causes. Millennials need guides. We don't need drill Sergeants  who demand that we do things, there is a difference. Guides give suggestions and then help us in the path we choose. Sergeants tell us to do things... which, to Millennials, sounds a lot like an attack.
   Bottom line: you help us and we will help you. If you are loyal to us we will be loyal to you. Rather than attacking us why don't we band together and make a real impact on the world for Jesus like we are called to do?
   So, do you lump all Millennials together? How can you help Millennials now that you know how to? Will you choose to change how you deal with the younger generation? If you are a Millennial, will you choose a cause that will make a difference? Will you be the change you want to see in the world?

   Philippians 2:4, 1 John 3:17, John 16:33

   Image found here.

Time to Slow Down

   Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock. What was your first thought when you read that sentence? It was probably either clock or time. Time: it is a precious thing. Every day we have 24 hours to get things done. Every hour we have 60 minutes to fill with our busy lives. And, every minute we have 60 seconds to do something. But, have you ever stopped to think about how busy your life actually is?

   In America it seems like people are always on the go. We don’t have time to sit and talk. We don’t have time to wait in line. We don’t have patience. I admit that I too struggle with patience. I actually like to be busy and I know other people who like to as well. Why is that? Maybe it is because I want to make every moment count. Maybe it is because I know how little time I will actually spend on earth. Maybe it is because I know I need to provide for myself. Or, maybe it is because I am actually afraid of slowing down.

   I know that there have been times where I have just been sitting around doing nothing. Then I think to myself I could be doing so much right now. That’s when I remember an experiment one of my professors did. He walked in the room and said nothing. We all looked at the time finally and realized that class started five minutes ago. Everyone in the class got quiet. But, the professor still didn’t say anything; he just stood there and smiled. Some people started giggling, others asked what was going on, but I was silent. After ten minutes the professor said that he was quiet for ten minutes and everyone found that silence awkward. He asked us why is it that we found silence awkward? Then he said that it is probably because everything in our lives is so noisy and busy.

   The professor challenged us to go somewhere and just be silent. And, he wanted us to continue to find places where we could be silent and have solitude. It is a little strange at first; but it is in those times, when I slow down and just listen, that I find peace in the chaos. Yeah, my life is still busy but I am not as stressed as I used to be because I spend that extra time with God. It is important to work hard when we do work; but we shouldn’t spend all of our time working and no time with God. After all he is the one who gave everything we have, including our jobs, in the first place.

   So, this Labor Day I challenge you to slow down and spend some silent time with God; and, to think about how you can continue to slow down throughout the year. You just may be less stressed, be happier, and grow more in God.

   Matthew 6:6, Luke 6:12, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To the New LBC WSO Goalie; and All Other Soccer Players

   Soccer players have a hard life. Whether they are in middle school, high school, college, or even pro they have challenges. Those challenges may be family, friends, life, school, certain aspects of soccer, or something else. However, soccer players need to push past all of those problems and just play the game to the best of their ability. I do not know what is going on in your life right now; therefore, I cannot give you advice about that (unless I already wrote a blog about it). But, I can give you some advice about soccer.

   The first piece of advice is: never assume. Don’t assume you will be starting, don’t assume you know what to do and when to do it, and don’t assume you can’t do it. The biggest part of soccer that many players do not think about is the mental aspect. We come to soccer with all of these problems; and if you do not push past them you will not play your best. You are your own worst enemy. Most players cannot find the happy medium where they know they are good but they do not brag about it. You can NEVER assume you are that good or you are not that good, because as soon as you do another player will come along and beat you.

   The second piece of advice goes along with the first: you need to know that effort always beats skill. There are players out there who have natural abilities for soccer. It is great if you have those abilities. The problem is a lot of players who have those abilities just rely on them. If you are just sitting on the couch thinking that your natural ability will get you that starting position, you are in for a rude awakening. There are players out there, who do not have the natural ability, who are working their butts off in order to be better and to even beat you out for your position. If you want to keep your position you need to work hard too. You need to lead by example. You need to push yourself to be your best.

   The third piece of advice is: learn from your mistakes. I know this better than anyone because I am a goalie. Goalies make the most obvious mistakes on the field because, if they make a mistake, it gets noticed by everyone. I tell my players and keepers that I coach to have a goalie mind. They need to think about their mistakes for 10 seconds during games and practices then let it go. After the game or practice they can go back and think about what they did wrong. However, you cannot just think about what you did wrong. You also need to think about how you can fix it. If you do not reflect on how you can change you will not grow. This is what separates the good players from the great players. Great players don’t dwell on their mistakes. They think about them, figure out what they did wrong, think about how to fix them, and they fix it.

   The final piece of advice is probably the one that hits closest to home for me: never take it for granted. For so many years I have played soccer. I had natural ability but I worked hard to get better. However, I had other circumstances that almost made me decide not to play soccer during college. I can say that I am so thankful that I decided to play. If I did not I would not have met so many amazing people, impacted others whom I did not even know, and I would not have grown as much as I did. However, during my soccer years I think I took that time for granted. Don’t get me wrong playing soccer and having 19 credits was hard, and sometimes I wished my load was a little lighter. But, it was so worth it just to get to have those 4 years on LBC Women’s Soccer Team. Please, if you are playing soccer at this point, remember that it is a gift. Sure, you will have times where you wonder if it is worth it. But, when you look back I know there will be times where you had a great time and you realized you were growing.

   So, will you choose to have a proper mental outlook on soccer? Will you work hard to be better and grow? Will you learn from your mistakes and not dwell on them? Will you enjoy your time you have to play soccer?

   Ecclesiastes 7:1-14, Colossians 3:23-24, Proverbs 24:16

Getting What You Don't Deserve: Lessons From 9 Square

   There is a game that is for all ages. If you can stand you can play. If you are not that athletic you can play. If you want to play a game where there are not really any winners or losers this is a game for you. It’s a game that was first introduced to me at Camp YoliJwa. It is the game of 9 Square.

   You may be wondering why I am telling you about a game right now, but stay with me on this. The game is set up with a group of pipes that make 9 squares. There is one person in each square. The person in the middle of the square is the king; and he gets to serve the ball. Once the ball is served if the ball comes into your square you have one hit to get it out and into another square. The game continues with each player getting one hit until a player hits a pipe, hits the ball two times, or the ball enters the players square and the player does not hit it out of the square (Find out more about 9 Square here).

   It is a great game because literally anyone can play it. I come from a very athletic and competitive family. But, I would have to say my mom is the least athletic and competitive (love you mommy ;). Anyhow, it turns out that sometimes the least athletic people reach the 9th square and become king. Now, being competitive I think that isn’t really fair. I mean, I work really hard to stay in the game but I get out. Then the least athletic people barely touch the ball and become king. But, that’s how the game works.

   One other reason I like this game is because it relates to life. The least athletic people who make it to the center, without touching the ball much, get what they do not deserve in my opinion. They get to be king even though they barely did anything. Has that ever happened to you in other situations in life? Where you work your butt off and do your best, but someone else gets what you wanted or thought you deserved. Yeah, I’ve been there and it’s not easy.

   However, there is someone else I know fairly well who did a lot of work in order to make sure I get what I don’t deserve. His name is Jesus Christ. He paid the price. In keeping with my blog, he got out in 9 Square so that I could survive. But, literally, he died on the cross to take away my sins. And, he did that for you too.

   Sometimes I think we forget the fire we used to have for Christ when we first accepted him. It continually amazes me that someone would be willing to die for me when I wasn’t even born yet. In a way he knew me. But I didn’t even exist when he did know me, if that makes sense. I think we need to look back and remember what Christ did for all of us. Then look at us now and let that knowledge impact how we treat others. And, finally, look forward to the future that we have with Christ.

   So, did you ever have a time where someone got something you thought you deserved? Have you ever thought about how you got something you did not deserve? Have you lost that fire you first had for God?

   Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:3, Psalm 73:25-26