North Houston FCA
week of 5/19/08
" 'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed Him." Matthew 4:19-20
Oh man can babies scream!
Being a new parent, each day brings with it a new discovery. I had heard the "FEED ME!" cry, the "I'M TIRED!" cry, and even the "I AM BORED!" cry. In my naiveté, I thought I had heard it all. Then my wife and I tried to introduce little Jake to swimming. And let me tell you, there is something about lots of cold, cold water that babies just don't like. Once his feet made contact with the water, it was already over. Sure we got him in the water, held him, told him everything was going to be ok, but Jake just wasn't having any of this new experience.
Jake, once again, was forced to leave his comfort zone. It sure is funny how no matter how old we get, whenever we are forced to get uncomfortable, we exhibit the exact same reaction... well, hopefully without the tantrum. And this was just the baby pool up the street. But it sure did get me thinking...
I happened upon a similar situation in Matthew 4. No, not about babies and pools, but about Christ calling His first Disciples. As he saw them going about their business, he simply called to them to "follow me." And what was Peter and Andrew's reaction? "At once, they left their nets and followed Him." That short sentence demonstrates the enormity of the faith, courage, and willingness to leave their comfort zone of those two brothers. Not only did they leave immediately, but by leaving their nets, effectively they left all they knew. They left their jobs, their families, and their communities to go and follow the Christ. In so doing, they became monumental figures in the history of our Church. By simply leaving their comfort zone, they impacted millions upon millions of lives for God and His Kingdom.
What about us? How often do we leave our own comfort zones? How do we react when God tries to place us in a new situation or brings events and experiences our way that make us uncomfortable? Do we embrace these challenges and meet them head-on or do we shy away from that which we do not know? What a powerful thought that God could use us to impact the world if we would just have a little bit of Faith in Him. With these last few weeks of school, may we continue to live out our Faith, may we "run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1) as we seek to serve our Lord and strive to leave our comfort zones for Him and His Glory.
And may Jake at the very least learn to tolerate cold water...
In Christ,
Joe
North Houston FCA
week of 5/12/08
"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified,; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:8-9
Yesterday was our very first, official Mother's Day, meaning that it was my first official shot at not screwing it up! What a day, an entire 24 hours meant to celebrate Moms and all that they do. How in the world do you celebrate that? How do you celebrate the success of that Mom who does what she does without recognition the other 364 days of the year? This got me thinking... not just about how to celebrate Moms, but what does success look like for a Mother? How do we look at someone and say, with confidence "that is one great Mom!" This led me to thinking even further, how do we judge the success of anyone who has a hand in bringing up our youth? Finally, how in the world do we judge if someone like a coach is successful?
Think about it. We live in a world that values wins in sports as the ultimate measuring stick. Coaches are hired and fired on what? Wins and losses. Not many people think about results in terms of impact, but in terms of victories. Yet coaches ideally are there to impact our youth, to teach them values, character, sacrifice, and discipline through the medium of sport. So there exists a double standard. We desire coaches to impact positively our students but we hire and fire them based upon wins and losses. What motivation do I have, as a coach, to do things the Right Way if that way results in losses, which results in lost paychecks, expensive moves, new jobs, and non-quantifiable negative impacts on families? If I win, I get paid, I get raises, I get stability... the list goes on.
But here is the real question. As a coach (or in any job), do I desire to please my Lord or the World around me? It is not so easy a question to answer. We all know the "Church Answer," but what if that answer leads to uncertainty? How do I seek to serve my Lord continually, while leaving all the other things up to Him? (Matt 6:33)
As I thought about this, I stumbled upon Joshua 1. What a great Book to read. In chapter 1, the author lays out how we can be successful in the Eyes of the Lord. Not only that, but the one time Joshua did not follow His Lord's commands (Joshua 7) to the uttermost detail, he failed, miserably. Learning from his mistake, and keeping the commands found in Joshua 1, Joshua went on to win every single place he tread. He went 31-1. How's that for a record? Yet he achieved this record not by focusing on the earthly results (victories) but on serving His Lord. That was the secret to Joshua's success. He lived for Christ and from Him alone did he seek accolades and recognition.
What kind of coach would we be if we coached like this? If we continually placed Christ at the center of our lives, profession, and families? Joshua proved what could happen if we lived such a life as this. May Christ in His Power grant us strength and perseverance as we seek to serve Him on our campuses and in our families.
And, thankfully, I did not screw up our first Mother's Day!!! I hope yours went well as well!
In Christ,
Joe
North Houston FCA
week of 5/5/08
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2 Timothy 4:7
"Well done, good and faithful servant!" - Matthew 25:21
There are coaches and then there are Coaches. Without even listing them, we all know the differences between the two. There are coaches who merely showed up at practice, did the least of what was required of them, and then went about their day. And then there are the Coaches who make a lasting impact in eternity on our lives. The ones who sacrificed their all to ensure that we became the person that they knew we had the potential to be. The Coaches who would not rest until we bettered ourselves, the Coaches who lived to see our lives changed for the better, who knew that we would forget the wins and losses but that we would always remember the impact that they had in our lives.
Without question Coach Konicki exemplified what it meant to be a true Coach. After only knowing him for a year, the impact he had on his players, assistants, and community was evident for all to see. He kept Christ firmly planted at the center of his life, and as such, his life reflected His perfect Glory in all that he endeavored. Every day I saw the man, a smile dominated his face, his eyes danced with joy at what he got to do each day, and he had an enthusiasm both uncontainable and contagious.
To this day, I still remember the first time I walked into his office as a new FCA staffer. While coach was both welcoming and positive, I left that initial meeting knowing without doubt that there was a man for whom I would play and work without hesitation. Not only did he demonstrate a love for His Savior, but he showed a love for his players that is increasingly uncommon in a profession judged solely upon wins and losses. He treated each player equally, and truly loved each one with a passion he learned from His Father in Heaven. Truly Coach Konicki ran in such a way as to get the prize. (1 Cor 9:24)
If ever a coach lived out his faith for all to see, Coach Konicki was that coach. May we all strive to become the person in Christ that he exemplified.
In Christ,
Joe
North Houston FCA
week of 4/28/08
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of Power, of Love, and of Self-Discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:7
I love Blue Bell ice cream. Everything about it. The flavors, the fact that it's made in Texas, and the ease with which I can get a pint knowing that HEB is mere minutes from my driveway. Even as I write this, I have just finished a bowl of Milk Chocolate ice cream. One could say it is not "if" but "when" I delight in its cool, refreshing, and oh so fattening goodness. I look forward to ending my day with a cold bowl of Brenham's finest in my hand.
And Blue Bell is nothing more than ice cream, yet it has become a discipline, a certain part of my day.
As a collegiate athlete, I trained day in and day out, running sprints, executing routes, or hitting the weights. Expecting my body to be tested to the extreme, each day athletic training was not an "if" but a "when." All I knew is that I had to find the time during the day to refine myself or come football season I would find myself lacking in strength, speed, and stamina. Discipline in my training was priority number one.
Coaches spend countless hours poring over film, play diagrams, and stat sheets in an effort to outwit, outcall, and outprepare their opponent. These things are not optional in the day of a coach. Again, the only question is not "if" but "when" they will occur during the day.
It's funny how disciplined we can be when we know that we will be competing, testing ourselves week in and week out, sacrificing more than we care to remember in an effort to gain "a crown that will not last" (1Cor 9:25).
What would our lives look like if we possessed the same mentality when it comes to our Faith in Christ? What if we lived each day knowing that it is not "if" but "when" we will pray for our athletes, families, and friends. What if getting in God's Word daily was not optional for us? What kind of men and women would we be if we took delight in the Law of the Lord? (Psalms 1)
Even as I sit with my bowl of Blue Bell, I realize how I do not think a day went by all week where I did not have a bowl, yet my prayers were spotty at best. Why am I always so eager to be disciplined when doing so achieves my desires and goals, yet consistently I push my spiritual disciplines to the background? Why must I continue to put myself first and Christ last??
Imagine for a second what our lives would be like if we diminished ourselves and allowed God's Spirit, alive and at work within us, to become all the more greater. What if that Spirit of Power, Love, and Self-Discipline was allowed to blossom and bear fruit? What would our lives, families, teams, and schools look like if we simply allowed His Spirit to work through us?
May we all seek to be as disciplined with God as I am in eating my Blue Bell...
In Christ,
Joe
North Houston FCA
week of 4/7/08
“Be still, and know that I am God" - Psalm 46:10
When did I get so busy?
How did this happen?
I distinctly remember hearing someone share at an FCA huddle in college to enjoy the free time I had, for as I grew older and took on more responsibilities in life, I would only get busier. My initial reaction was incredulous, thinking that this guy obviously did not understand the time demands on today's student athlete, from studies, to practice, to getting enough sleep... this guy had it all backwards. I was busy NOW!
Man was I wrong.
I now know exactly about what he was talking. I am now a husband and father with a job that rarely stays in the confines of 8am - 5pm. And I hear it only gets busier...
In the flurry of my day, more often than not, I forget just exactly why God has placed me here. I rush to get things done all the while doing so under my own strength. As my days get busier or more stressful, I tend to cut things out to "make time" for all the things I have to do. And what do I cut out first? You guessed it: time with my Father in Heaven, my Source, the One who can give me all I need for this very day. Why is it that when things get stressful and busy I eliminate the one most simple thing that will strengthen and help me the most?
To show, yet again, the influence of a Coach, I still remember my strength coach in college remark that "Every day you either get better or worse, you never stay the same!" How quick I was to apply that thought to my sport and how slow I was and have been to apply it to my Faith. If I skip even one day of spending time with my Lord and Savior, how do I expect to even have a chance at improving my Walk with Him?
Be encouraged, all of us, to remember that one simple phrase and to strive to get better, every day, in our Walk with Him, with our Savior, with the Christ who took our sin upon Himself, and in doing so gave us eternal life if we would but receive it. May we all "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever!" (2Peter 3:18)
In Christ,
Joe
North Houston FCA
week of 3/24/08
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" - 1 John 3:1
Easter. It is a wonderful and blessed time of year. A time when we look back upon the sacrifice of Jesus with thanksgiving and gratitude, knowing that He gave His all to bring us to Him and His Father. Yet it humbles us, those who call on Christ as Lord and Savior, for we know that even in our best, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6b) Praise be to God in the highest that He saw fit to send His one and only Son to die for us, "the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." (1Peter 3:18) And in so doing He will remember our sins and lawless acts no more. (Hebrews 10:17)
When I think about just one day of my life, and begin to dwell upon the little sins I have committed, the Laws of God that I have broken, I realize that no matter what others may say, surely I am a man in need of a Savior. That by my actions and thoughts alone, I deserve worse than the death on the Cross that Christ endured for me. Yet He took my sin upon Himself, that all who believe in Him "shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Why then do I find myself shying away from sharing that wonderful Gift of Salvation? Why do I not live it and speak it out in every aspect of my life? For truly this is all that matters!
In a world of increasing "tolerance" and of relative truth, may we all pray for the courage it takes to share God's gracious Gift to those with whom we come in contact. May each of you continue to be a light on your campus, in your classroom, and on the field or court for Christ and His Kingdom. Know that as you continue to share God through your profession that there are those of us praying that you may be strengthened in your Faith as you walk the Walk for Jesus.
In Christ,
Joe
North Houston FCA
week of 3/17/08
1Timothy 3:1-2 "If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach..."
In Paul's letter to Timothy, he sets forth some guidelines specifically for Overseers, for Deacons, for the Leaders of the church to which Timothy is ministering. The first, all-encompassing charge to those Leaders is that they be "above reproach." While much can be discussed and learned about just this simple one verse, as I read it, I remembered what one veteran coach remarked to me in passing: "Players reflect coaches." That was it. Just that one simple, three word sentence. What would our students look like if they precisely reflected our virtues and our failings? Do we view ourselves as being continually set before students and co-workers as an example of Christ?
What would your team or classroom look like if those students mirrored yourself, your attitude, and your Faith?
What would our family look like?
As you start this week, whether you are on Break on still working away on campus or on the field, may you be encouraged that God has you where you are for a reason, for His specific Divine Purpose, to impact your students, co-workers, families and all whom they influence for Christ. May God who is "able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior" encourage you and strengthen you as you serve Him first throughout the week.
May God bless and keep you all and thank you for continually putting yourself in the Gap for God and His Kingdom on your campus.
In Christ,
Joe
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