Just a Thought.......

College football teams usually have great traditions. One of the greatest is that of the University of Notre Dame. My son Christian is a Notre Dame fan (don't ask me why) and I was telling him about the sign that hangs in their locker room that reads "Play Like a Champion Today". On game day when each of the players go on the field, they touch the sign. It reminds them of the great teams of the past and the tradition they are responsible for upholding. They think of the the hard work that it has taken to get to where they are and all of the people in their life that have helped them to get there. I know Notre Dame has struggled lately, but the players that have played there always talk about the significance of that sign, "Play Like a Champion Today".

It got me thinking about my daily life and what I want to accomplish. How I want to act, how I want to treat people, the difference that I want to make, and what I want people to see when they look at me. What does it mean in my life to be a champion today?

I thought of Philipians 2: 3-5

“Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

So I thought....what if we had a sign hanging in our house and the first thing we did before we played the game of life each day....would be to touch the sign that reads "Live Like Jesus Today".

Just as a reminder of everything he has done for us and for the attitude he wants us to take with us into the world each day...no matter where it is that God has placed us to make a difference for Him!!!!

You Are in Charge of Your Attitude

This is one of my favorite quotes. We can't always control the things that happen in life...but we can always control how we respond. We can choose to honor Christ even in the the face of controversy.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Charles Swindoll

Update

I posted an article a couple of weeks ago about a coach in Texas and his school that did something very special for the opposing team. They played a team that was a correctional facility for youth and they had their fans cheer for the other team because they never have any fans. It is an amazing story. If you haven't read the article you can find it here on my blog. The coach that set the whole thing up has been invited by the commisioner of the NFL to be his personal guest at the Superbowl and speak to a group of coaches on the topic of character. Here is the coach being interviewed on ESPN.

"First Things First"

Everybody knows I am a huge Steeler fan and I am looking forward to the Superbowl. I like when the Steelers play a team that I don't like; it is so easy to cheer against the Ravens or Cowboys. I have tried, but I just can't dislike the Cardinals. In fact, I have alot of respect for what they have been able to accomplish and for many players on their team. I also like coach Whisenhunt and I think he has done a tremendous job. But I have a ton of respect for their QB....Kurt Warner. Here is a guy that was out of football, stocking shelves at a grocery store and ended up playing arena football for three years before he finally got his chance in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams. When their starting QB got hurt, he got his chance and led them to a Superbowl victory and was the League MVP two times. After a couple of stops in other cities, he signed with the Cardinals and has his team in the Superbowl again. He will probably end up in the Hall of Fame. He is the real deal off the field as well...he might be the boldest Christian to ever play in the NFL, where he has professed his faith on the biggest stages possible...and then backed it up by helping less fortunate people through organizations he has personally founded. He has set a great example for all of us and has accomplished alot....I just hope he doesn't have any of that success on Sunday, lol !!!!! This video tells a little about what he is doing through his organization, First Things First.

The Silver Bullet

A couple of summers ago we went on vacation to Oklahoma to visit my wife's sister and her family. On one of the afternoons while we were there we decided to go to a water park. We had fun swimming and going down some small slides for most of the afternoon, until the kids decided they wanted to try the main attraction, "The Silver Bullet". Now...I saw it across the park, but I wasn't saying anything about it. You see...this water slide is 100 feet straight down and I am afraid of heights. My son Christian and his cousin Alley started up the endless flights of steps...I was fine just watching. They went down several times and were having a blast. This whole time, my other son Taylor was wrestling with whether to do it or not. He wanted to but he was afraid. He saw how much fun the others were having and he hated it...but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It got to the point where some tears started showing in his eyes. So I told him that if he wanted to do it...I would do it with him. (I didn't really think he would say yes, lol) After a few minutes he said okay let's do it...so we headed up the steps. He told me on the way up that he was scared, and I told him that I was too but we were going to "face our fears together". We prayed on the way too. When we got to the top I asked him if he wanted me to go first and he said no, he wanted to go. He did it...he went right down. I stood there and I have to admit, I thought about going down the steps, but I kept my word and went down the slide. (I closed my eyes the whole way down) When I got to the bottom it was worth it to see the smile on Taylor's face. Taylor learned alot from that experience about facing his fears and trusting God. He felt so good about his accomplishment, something he never could have felt if he wouldn't have been willing to take the risk.

So often in life we hold back because we are afraid, but how are we ever going to do anything great if we aren't willing to "face our fears"...if we aren't willing to take a risk. Maybe God wants to do something miraculous in your life, but he is waiting for you to trust him. Remember in the bible when Jesus was walking on water and he said to his disciples....

"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Peter replies, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." So Jesus invites Peter to come. Peter gets out of the boat and begins walking on the water toward Jesus. But when Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and sees the wind and waves, he begins to sink. Peter cries out to the Lord and Jesus immediately reaches out his hand and catches Peter. As they climb into the boat together, the storm ceases. Then the disciples worship Jesus, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Sure...Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and fell in the water, but he was willing to take the risk and get out of the boat...and HE WALKED ON WATER! What could God do in your life if you were willing to get out of the boat?

What Will Your Dash Stand For?

This is one of my favorite poems. Read it...think about it...do something about it! "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Here is the video version and the words...ENJOY!




The Dash
1996 Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on his tombstone from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of his birth and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time that he spent alive on earth...and now only those who loved him know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own; the cars....the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard...are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real, and always try to understand the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,and show appreciation more,
and love the people in our lives like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,and more often wear a smile...remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read with your life's actions to rehash...would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?

A Testimony For Tampa

I am so excited that the Steelers are headed to Tampa to play in Superbowl XLIII. There is nothing like your team playing in the big game. I have been a Steeler fan my whole life, but when they won their last Superbowl in the 70's I was 6 years old. I barely remember that game...so I really enjoyed watching them win the Superbowl three years ago. I remember going to training camp when I was 8 years old, and when Mean Joe Greene ran by me I couldn't believe how big he was. And when I was trying to get Mike Webster's autograph with a large group of kids surrounding him, I tripped on the curb and he picked me up and made sure I was okay...then gave me his autograph. (lol) I also remember Lynn Swann sneaking out the back door of the locker room so he did't have to give autographs. (I still haven't forgiven him for that...just kidding) When I was around 12 years old I went to an autograph session in Brookville and got my picture taken with Louie Lipps. That was when the Steelers were bad, but I still watched every game. Watching the Steelers play has always been one of my favorite things to do.

We see these big, strong athletes on TV and we think that they have it all. They are stars and make lots of money, but many of them are unhappy. Many of them have problems just like you and me. Many of them have an emptiness and turn to drugs and alcohol. Just because a player is in the NFL, or just because they are successful, that doesn't mean they have joy in their life. Many of them are searching.

I have read about the Steeler teams from the 70's and many of those players were strong Christians. Guys like Donnie Shell, John Stallworth, John Kolb, and Larry Brown. Many guys on those teams would pray together and read their bibles together. Many of the recent Steelers are also Christians. We see these guys that dish out big hits on Sunday afternoons...and we think we know them. Listen to this testimony by Aaron Smith from the Pittsburgh Steelers....and see if it is much different than someone that you know!