“You become imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:6 Over the past week I have been reminded while Christmas is a time of great happiness and anticipation, it can also be a time of sadness and dread. Everywhere around us are the sights and sounds of Christmas. Homes are decorated inside and out and songs of the season serenade us in the stores and in our cars.
“I delight in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.” – Isaiah 61:10a I have experienced many joys during my years of coaching. Being part of a state championship football team, winning region titles and celebrating victories over major rivals are but a few of my joyful memories. Seeing great effort and hard work bear fruit has been a joy.
“Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice , holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is good, pleasing, and the perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:1-2 One of the joys of coaching is watching young players grow and mature. A skinny and awkward 15-year old can come back from a summer vacation loo…
“Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
“When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.” – Matthew 6:7 As a junior varsity football coach, I quickly learned the importance of keeping things simple. One of my goals each season was to get the offense to execute five running plays and three passing plays with confidence and precision. However, the temptation to expand the play book was always in the back of my mind.