Have you ever made a promise that was a challenge to keep?
Last week I had a promise to keep that when I intially made it, didn’t seem like a big deal. A friend invited the Newman family to a birthday party last Thursday night almost a month ago. The schedule seemed clear, we wanted to celebrate this little guy’s birthday, so we were happy to go.
What I couldn’t have possibly forecast was that Game 7 of the NBA Finals would fall on the exact same night.
I was shocked.
Most of you know I am a rabid NBA fan. The NBA Finals in June is a big deal in our house. Tiffany’s favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers and they were in the championship series. She can get really crazy during the games.
One Tuesday night during the 1st round, the pizza delivery guy came to the door at the exact same moment Tiffany unleashed a blood curdling shriek. He looked a little unsettled until I said, “NBA Playoffs man, my wife is getting a little wild. But everything is okay here.”
With that backdrop you can see how this conflict could be an issue.
Leading up to Game 7, I did everything I could to resolve this conflict.
I checked the time of the party: 5:30 pm
I checked the time of the game: 6:00 pm
I called the place where the party was being held (Bounce U) and asked them how long the party would last: 2 hours.
I called them back and asked them if they had televisions on site that would show the game: They didn’t.
So I was faced with a decision: Do I keep my promise, or make an excuse?
I opted to keep my promise.
We had a great time with our friends, ate pizza, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves (and no, we didn’t leave early!).
After getting home, we were able to jump in during the 3rd quarter and watch the thrilling finish.
These world-class athletes according to their website “live by a code. A pledge to themselves and everyone else. Protect this House. I will.”
This is an awesome spot. And even if “protecting this house” in this case is simply about winning a game or promoting a brand, it definitely gets the juices flowing.
It makes me want to get in the gym, lift some weights, get out and run.
But it also challenges me.
Because who is “protecting” God’s House?
When indiffference and apathy are the too common response to the things of God, when the lifestyles of followers of Christ mirror the lifestyles of that don’t claim Him, when we would just as often spend a day at the lake rather than in the presence of God, who is protecting God’s House?
The psalmist in the above scripture says “zeal for Your House consumes me.” What this means is that the purposes of God, the ideas of God, the values of God dominated His person. It was like a consuming fire in the writer’s soul.
When is the last time that could be said about us?
When is the last time we said, “I Will”?
Things like:
I Will be broken over a broken generation
I Will pray with passion for those to whom Jesus is a stranger.
I will serve others with loving generosity knowing that my reward is in heaven.
I Will see the world with an eternal perspective.
I Will use every resource I have to pursue the purpose of Jesus for my life.
I Will not be satisfied with mediocrity but will give my best to achieve His best.
I Will love Jesus with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength.
I Will live a pure and holy life before Jesus.
I Will hold nothing back.
I Will live as if Heaven is my Home and that Hell is real.
I Will never quit.
Let’s be a generation that commits to “protect” His house. Let’s be a generation that not only says “I Will”, but “We Will.”
Tiffany and I have been watching the NBA Playoffs this week.
Though my team is not represented (Sacramento Kings were not eligible this year!), I love basketball. Conversely, Tiffany’s team (the Los Angeles Lakers) are playoff eliglible. This year, her team is better than my team (actually has been for almost…well forever).
And she lets me know it.
She is a very loud, sometimes obnoxious, completely biased fan.
Last night she was especially riled up during the Lakers loss to the Oklahoma Thunder.
Complaining about Pau Gasol.
Complaining about Ron Artest.
Complaining about the rebounding.
Complaining about the referees.
But despite all of her shouting, her team still lost (above is a picture of the closing moments).
Sometimes, in spite of all of our planning we still lose.
We can have huge vision, we can pray, we can strategize, etc.
But nobody wins every time, all of the time.
So when we lose, when we encounter a setback, how do we get back in the winning column?
How can we bounce back?
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Learn from the Loss-Take the time to understand why things didn’t turn out according to plan.
2. Get Back to Basics-Revisit the reason we set out on the journey in the first place.
3. See the Big Picture: Rather than fixate on a temporary defeat, focus on the desired destination.
4. Tweak your Strategy: After Learning, Getting Back to Basics, and seeing the Big Picture, we must develop a revised strategy for the next game.
Setbacks can become set-ups if we respond like winners when we lose.
“Then David danced before the LORD with all his might…”
2 Samuel 6:14
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm,” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
WHAT IF WE WERE THIS PASSIONATE, EXCITED, AND ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT GOD? WHAT IF WE PURSUED HIS PURPOSES WITH ALL OUR MIGHT? HOW WOULD THAT SHAPE US? WHAT COULD WE ACCOMPLISH? HOW WOULD THE WORLD CHANGE? WHAT IF WE DID IT TOGETHER?
“This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”
-Matthew 16:18 (The Message)
Watching Lebron James run roughshod over multiple Laker defenders I was reminded of a similar feeling I had when I watched Shaq/Kobe combo at the beginning of the decade. I remember thinking, “If these guys figure it out and pull it together, no one will be able to stop them.” Then they came back in Game 7 to beat the Portland Trailblazers 89-85 after trailing by 15 points in the 4th Quarter. The comeback was culminated with one of greatest moments in recent NBA history (Kobe with tossing an alley-oop to Shaq to seal the deal).
When that happened I thought, “They did it. It’s over.”
And it was over. They destroyed the league, playing in 4 straight championships, winning 3 of them. They were a Juggernaut.
A couple of evening ago, Lebron looked a little “Juggernautish”. Like the Juggernaut in the comic books, if opposing NBA teams don’t stop his momentum soon, they won’t be able to.
You and I are the same.
We are like Shaq, Kobe, and Lebron.
We are Juggernauts too.
When the people of God gather momentum, there is nothing that can stop us. In Jesus, we become Juggernauts. The Enemy of our Souls realizes this. He will do absolutely anything to distract us. Discouragement. Depression. Fear. Anything to get us off our game.
But if we stay focused on Jesus and dismiss every distraction, we will become the Juggernauts we were created to be.
“…I can tell you that one night in training camp, after a double session, everybody else had left, except there was a light on in the players’ lounge. I walked by to see who was in there, because it was getting late, and Kevin was in there with a plate of food. He was exhausted. I could see how tired he was just from how he was barely able to pick up his fork. I remember thinking to myself, This guy got better today.”
-Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager on forward Kevin Durant
Are you getting better today? Getting sharper, stronger, better? Today?
There are countless examples of athletes giving blood, sweat, and tears to be the very best they be.
But are we getting better? Today?
Everyday?
Giving our best to improve as fathers, mothers, students, leaders, friends, pastors, teachers, employees…as people?
What if we viewed every 24-hour period as a chance to get better?
“Now, when we fought, you had that eye of the tiger, man; the edge! And now you gotta get it back, and the way to get it back is to go back to the beginning. You know what I mean?”
-Apollo Creed
I love the Rocky movies.
Every film has its defining moments, scenes, and dialogue (Except for Rocky V. Absolutely putrid. Unintended comedy!).
Rocky III has the moments, the scenes, and the dialogue that capture you every time.
It begins with Rocky being champion, enjoying the success and fame that comes with the title. He is winning fights, making money, starring in commercials and appearing on TV shows (He even make the Muppets!). Though Rocky doesn’t realize it yet, in all that he has gained, he has lost the one thing that made his new found prominence possible:
His edge.
It isn’t until he faces a crushing defeat at the hands of Clubber Lang (played superbly by Mr. T. And side-note: Don’t you love these names? Clubber Lang? Awesome.) that he starts to question himself. During a late night conversation, old nemesis Apollo Creed gives Rocky a quick diagnosis of his problem: He has lost the ‘Eye of the Tiger’.
The ‘Eye of the Tiger’ is a focus, an edge, a hunger found deep in the soul of a fighter. It gives its carrier the ability to persevere, take a punch, and get up even when knocked down. When possessed by someone, the ‘Eye’ is a 24/365 fire that constantly burns in the belly of its host. It keeps them driven. Sharp. Fast. Quick. Ready. Explosive.
Rocky had lost it. And to once again become champion, he had to get the ‘Eye’ back.
So he:
1. Went back to the basics.
2. Removed the distractions.
3. Faced his fears.
4. Rediscovered the love.
After doing these things, the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ returned. And He was champion again.
Like Rocky, we too can lose the ‘Eye of the Tiger’. Lose our desire, passion, and focus. What once seemed natural and smooth, becomes difficult and confusing. When that happens, we need to get the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ back. To escape our slump, and retrieve the ‘Tiger’, we must:
1. Go back to the basics.
2. Remove the distractions.
3. Face our fears.
4. Rediscover our love.
Then the ‘Eye’ will return, and the ‘Tiger’ will too.
A little over 2 weeks ago, the worst team in professional football in the modern era (so would say the worst!) broke a 19 game losing streak that spanned 21 months. Yes, the Detroit Lions finally won a game.
They celebrated with the home fans by going back out on the field after celebrating in the locker room. It was a big moment, and in the words of owner William Clay Ford, “We not only got a monkey off our back, we got King Kong off our back.”
It was their Super Bowl.
They broke The Streak.
Now it is time to break ours.
Though we don’t wear silver helmets with lions on the side, we all know what a losing streak feels like. Life is a mess. Everything seems wrong. You can’t get on track. The losing streak feels insurmountable and winning a distant memory.
So how do you break The Streak?
Six Simple Steps:
1. Get STRONG-To win, you must use God’s playbook. Doing it our way is what began the losing streak in the first place.
2. Get HEALTHY:Begin to make life-giving choices that strengthen, rather than weaken. Positive investments will bring positive returns. (Examples: Start writing your book, begin exercising again, drink water instead of soda, eat fruit instead of fast food, register for school, turn the tv off and read, etc.)
3. Get MOVING:Don’t procrastinate. Do something. Much time is wasted by thinking about the things we should do instead of doing them.
4. Get ALONE: Make space to think, pray, strategize, and prepare. Lack of preparation leads to certain failure.
5. Get AWAY:‘Unfriend’ people that do not support God’s plan for your life. Bad company corrupts good character.
6. Get a TEAM: After removing relationships that bring us down, we must align ourselves with people that lift us up. Good friends help us win.
No matter how long The Streak, there is hope. If the Detroit Lions can do it, you can too.
“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.”
-Song of Solomon 2:15
Most of us have goals, dreams, and visions for our lives. But having a dream is not nearly enough. Living the dream that we have in our possession is the ultimate goal. To do that, we must make choices and take steps that are in alignment with our dream.
It doesn’t happen by accident or by chance. We must train ourselves to do it.
One of our BIGGEST challenges and HARDEST opponent to train for isn’t really that BIG at all.
But if THIS challenge is not overcome, we can never truly realize our dream.
This challenge comes in multiples and almost always travels in groups.
It is small. It is persistent. It is nagging. It is annoying.
It is Distraction.
Little distractions that steal our time.
Little distractions that drain our energy.
Little distractions that hijack our hope.
Little distractions that break our focus.
An important key to stepping into our dream is keeping our eyes locked on the prize. The prize is the place of our vision and our breakthrough. The prize is the destination that God is leading us to.
But we must keep our eyes on the prize despite the many distractions.
The picture above illustrates this principle perfectly.
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant elevates for a jump shot while Houston Rockets forward Shane Battier plays dogged defense. He attempts to defend by distraction, placing his left hand directly in Bryant’s field of vision.
But look at Bryant’s eyes.
It is as if Battier’s hand doesn’t exist.
His eyes are locked on where the ball is destined to go.
As leaders, creators, and world changers, we must train ourselves to do the same.
Naysayers? Messengers of fear and doubt?
Can’t hear ‘em.
Obstacles? Past history? Giants of failure and defeat?
Can’t see ‘em.
Barriers? Thorns of resistance? Tacklers of depression and circumstance grabbing at me, trying to wrestle me to the ground?
Can’t feel ‘em.
I won’t be distracted.
I am determined to win.
My eyes are locked on the prize that God has for me.
“Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they’re going to be gray and old.”
-Rick Pitino, March 1st 2000
The above sentence comes from one of the funniest sports quotes of all time. It is taken from a press conference where a frustrated and exasperated Rick Pitino (then coach of the Boston Celtics), explains that the heroes of yester-year weren’t going to save the day. A new culture of winning needed to be established in the present, and past victories weren’t nearly enough.
I think maybe Rick Pitino needs to speak to us. Because when we look at the obstacles and challenges in the world around us, too often we find ourselves looking at ‘that door’. We hope that someone will see the problem and take care of it for us. That someone else will take action and responsibility. Someone else will stand in the gap. Someone else will make a difference.
But Moses isn’t walking through that door, people. Elijah is not walking through that door. The Apostle Paul is not walking through that door. Mother Teresa is not walking through that door. Martin Luther King is not walking through that door.
“..who keeps his oath even when it hurts.”
-Psalms 15:4
Have you ever made a promise that was a challenge to keep?
Last week I had a promise to keep that when I intially made it, didn’t seem like a big deal. A friend invited the Newman family to a birthday party last Thursday night almost a month ago. The schedule seemed clear, we wanted to celebrate this little guy’s birthday, so we were happy to go.
What I couldn’t have possibly forecast was that Game 7 of the NBA Finals would fall on the exact same night.
I was shocked.
Most of you know I am a rabid NBA fan. The NBA Finals in June is a big deal in our house. Tiffany’s favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers and they were in the championship series. She can get really crazy during the games.
One Tuesday night during the 1st round, the pizza delivery guy came to the door at the exact same moment Tiffany unleashed a blood curdling shriek. He looked a little unsettled until I said, “NBA Playoffs man, my wife is getting a little wild. But everything is okay here.”
With that backdrop you can see how this conflict could be an issue.
Leading up to Game 7, I did everything I could to resolve this conflict.
I checked the time of the party: 5:30 pm
I checked the time of the game: 6:00 pm
I called the place where the party was being held (Bounce U) and asked them how long the party would last: 2 hours.
I called them back and asked them if they had televisions on site that would show the game: They didn’t.
So I was faced with a decision: Do I keep my promise, or make an excuse?
I opted to keep my promise.
We had a great time with our friends, ate pizza, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves (and no, we didn’t leave early!).
After getting home, we were able to jump in during the 3rd quarter and watch the thrilling finish.
Yes, we missed some of the game.
But we kept a promise.
Posted in Relationships, Sports, Discipleship | No Comments »
“…zeal for your house consumes me…”
-Ps. 69:9
Under Armor Athletic Apparel has a commercial that has been airing throughout the NBA Playoffs. It is called, “I Will”. The theme to this piece to communicate a sense of ownership, passion, and hunger to win.
These world-class athletes according to their website “live by a code. A pledge to themselves and everyone else. Protect this House. I will.”
This is an awesome spot. And even if “protecting this house” in this case is simply about winning a game or promoting a brand, it definitely gets the juices flowing.
It makes me want to get in the gym, lift some weights, get out and run.
But it also challenges me.
Because who is “protecting” God’s House?
When indiffference and apathy are the too common response to the things of God, when the lifestyles of followers of Christ mirror the lifestyles of that don’t claim Him, when we would just as often spend a day at the lake rather than in the presence of God, who is protecting God’s House?
The psalmist in the above scripture says “zeal for Your House consumes me.” What this means is that the purposes of God, the ideas of God, the values of God dominated His person. It was like a consuming fire in the writer’s soul.
When is the last time that could be said about us?
When is the last time we said, “I Will”?
Things like:
I Will be broken over a broken generation
I Will pray with passion for those to whom Jesus is a stranger.
I will serve others with loving generosity knowing that my reward is in heaven.
I Will see the world with an eternal perspective.
I Will use every resource I have to pursue the purpose of Jesus for my life.
I Will not be satisfied with mediocrity but will give my best to achieve His best.
I Will love Jesus with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength.
I Will live a pure and holy life before Jesus.
I Will hold nothing back.
I Will live as if Heaven is my Home and that Hell is real.
I Will never quit.
Let’s be a generation that commits to “protect” His house. Let’s be a generation that not only says “I Will”, but “We Will.”
We Will Protect His House.
Amen.
Posted in The Church, The Future, Leadership, Sports | No Comments »
Tiffany and I have been watching the NBA Playoffs this week.
Though my team is not represented (Sacramento Kings were not eligible this year!), I love basketball. Conversely, Tiffany’s team (the Los Angeles Lakers) are playoff eliglible. This year, her team is better than my team (actually has been for almost…well forever).
And she lets me know it.
She is a very loud, sometimes obnoxious, completely biased fan.
Last night she was especially riled up during the Lakers loss to the Oklahoma Thunder.
Complaining about Pau Gasol.
Complaining about Ron Artest.
Complaining about the rebounding.
Complaining about the referees.
But despite all of her shouting, her team still lost (above is a picture of the closing moments).
Sometimes, in spite of all of our planning we still lose.
We can have huge vision, we can pray, we can strategize, etc.
But nobody wins every time, all of the time.
So when we lose, when we encounter a setback, how do we get back in the winning column?
How can we bounce back?
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Learn from the Loss-Take the time to understand why things didn’t turn out according to plan.
2. Get Back to Basics-Revisit the reason we set out on the journey in the first place.
3. See the Big Picture: Rather than fixate on a temporary defeat, focus on the desired destination.
4. Tweak your Strategy: After Learning, Getting Back to Basics, and seeing the Big Picture, we must develop a revised strategy for the next game.
Setbacks can become set-ups if we respond like winners when we lose.
Posted in Leadership, Sports | No Comments »
“Then David danced before the LORD with all his might…”
2 Samuel 6:14
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm,” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
WHAT IF WE WERE THIS PASSIONATE, EXCITED, AND ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT GOD? WHAT IF WE PURSUED HIS PURPOSES WITH ALL OUR MIGHT? HOW WOULD THAT SHAPE US? WHAT COULD WE ACCOMPLISH? HOW WOULD THE WORLD CHANGE? WHAT IF WE DID IT TOGETHER?
Let’s make 2010 the year that we find out.
Posted in The Church, Transformation, Sports, Discipleship | 1 Comment »
“This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”
-Matthew 16:18 (The Message)
Two nights ago I watched the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 93-87. It was an impressive performance for the home team (Cavaliers). If I was a Laker fan I would be afraid. Very afraid.
Watching Lebron James run roughshod over multiple Laker defenders I was reminded of a similar feeling I had when I watched Shaq/Kobe combo at the beginning of the decade. I remember thinking, “If these guys figure it out and pull it together, no one will be able to stop them.” Then they came back in Game 7 to beat the Portland Trailblazers 89-85 after trailing by 15 points in the 4th Quarter. The comeback was culminated with one of greatest moments in recent NBA history (Kobe with tossing an alley-oop to Shaq to seal the deal).
When that happened I thought, “They did it. It’s over.”
And it was over. They destroyed the league, playing in 4 straight championships, winning 3 of them. They were a Juggernaut.
A couple of evening ago, Lebron looked a little “Juggernautish”. Like the Juggernaut in the comic books, if opposing NBA teams don’t stop his momentum soon, they won’t be able to.
You and I are the same.
We are like Shaq, Kobe, and Lebron.
We are Juggernauts too.
When the people of God gather momentum, there is nothing that can stop us. In Jesus, we become Juggernauts. The Enemy of our Souls realizes this. He will do absolutely anything to distract us. Discouragement. Depression. Fear. Anything to get us off our game.
But if we stay focused on Jesus and dismiss every distraction, we will become the Juggernauts we were created to be.
Nothing will stop us.
Posted in The Church, The Future, Transformation, Sports | 2 Comments »
A couple of nights ago, the Sacramento Kings won a basketball game in which they were down 35 points in the second half.
Every day, God gives us the opportunity to bounce back and come back because of His great love and mercy.
It doesn’t matter how far back we have allowed ourselves to get.
Everyday His goodness is brand new.
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
-Lamentations 3:22-23
Posted in Transformation, Sports, Faith | 1 Comment »
“…I can tell you that one night in training camp, after a double session, everybody else had left, except there was a light on in the players’ lounge. I walked by to see who was in there, because it was getting late, and Kevin was in there with a plate of food. He was exhausted. I could see how tired he was just from how he was barely able to pick up his fork. I remember thinking to myself, This guy got better today.”
-Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager on forward Kevin Durant
Are you getting better today? Getting sharper, stronger, better? Today?
There are countless examples of athletes giving blood, sweat, and tears to be the very best they be.
But are we getting better? Today?
Everyday?
Giving our best to improve as fathers, mothers, students, leaders, friends, pastors, teachers, employees…as people?
What if we viewed every 24-hour period as a chance to get better?
How much better could our very best get?
Did you get better?
Today?
Posted in Leadership, Family, Sports | No Comments »
“Now, when we fought, you had that eye of the tiger, man; the edge! And now you gotta get it back, and the way to get it back is to go back to the beginning. You know what I mean?”
-Apollo Creed
I love the Rocky movies.
Every film has its defining moments, scenes, and dialogue (Except for Rocky V. Absolutely putrid. Unintended comedy!).
Rocky III has the moments, the scenes, and the dialogue that capture you every time.
It begins with Rocky being champion, enjoying the success and fame that comes with the title. He is winning fights, making money, starring in commercials and appearing on TV shows (He even make the Muppets!). Though Rocky doesn’t realize it yet, in all that he has gained, he has lost the one thing that made his new found prominence possible:
His edge.
It isn’t until he faces a crushing defeat at the hands of Clubber Lang (played superbly by Mr. T. And side-note: Don’t you love these names? Clubber Lang? Awesome.) that he starts to question himself. During a late night conversation, old nemesis Apollo Creed gives Rocky a quick diagnosis of his problem: He has lost the ‘Eye of the Tiger’.
The ‘Eye of the Tiger’ is a focus, an edge, a hunger found deep in the soul of a fighter. It gives its carrier the ability to persevere, take a punch, and get up even when knocked down. When possessed by someone, the ‘Eye’ is a 24/365 fire that constantly burns in the belly of its host. It keeps them driven. Sharp. Fast. Quick. Ready. Explosive.
Rocky had lost it. And to once again become champion, he had to get the ‘Eye’ back.
So he:
1. Went back to the basics.
2. Removed the distractions.
3. Faced his fears.
4. Rediscovered the love.
After doing these things, the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ returned. And He was champion again.
Like Rocky, we too can lose the ‘Eye of the Tiger’. Lose our desire, passion, and focus. What once seemed natural and smooth, becomes difficult and confusing. When that happens, we need to get the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ back. To escape our slump, and retrieve the ‘Tiger’, we must:
1. Go back to the basics.
2. Remove the distractions.
3. Face our fears.
4. Rediscover our love.
Then the ‘Eye’ will return, and the ‘Tiger’ will too.
Posted in Media/Culture, Transformation, Sports | No Comments »
A little over 2 weeks ago, the worst team in professional football in the modern era (so would say the worst!) broke a 19 game losing streak that spanned 21 months. Yes, the Detroit Lions finally won a game.
They celebrated with the home fans by going back out on the field after celebrating in the locker room. It was a big moment, and in the words of owner William Clay Ford, “We not only got a monkey off our back, we got King Kong off our back.”
It was their Super Bowl.
They broke The Streak.
Now it is time to break ours.
Though we don’t wear silver helmets with lions on the side, we all know what a losing streak feels like. Life is a mess. Everything seems wrong. You can’t get on track. The losing streak feels insurmountable and winning a distant memory.
So how do you break The Streak?
Six Simple Steps:
1. Get STRONG-To win, you must use God’s playbook. Doing it our way is what began the losing streak in the first place.
2. Get HEALTHY:Begin to make life-giving choices that strengthen, rather than weaken. Positive investments will bring positive returns. (Examples: Start writing your book, begin exercising again, drink water instead of soda, eat fruit instead of fast food, register for school, turn the tv off and read, etc.)
3. Get MOVING:Don’t procrastinate. Do something. Much time is wasted by thinking about the things we should do instead of doing them.
4. Get ALONE: Make space to think, pray, strategize, and prepare. Lack of preparation leads to certain failure.
5. Get AWAY: ‘Unfriend’ people that do not support God’s plan for your life. Bad company corrupts good character.
6. Get a TEAM: After removing relationships that bring us down, we must align ourselves with people that lift us up. Good friends help us win.
No matter how long The Streak, there is hope. If the Detroit Lions can do it, you can too.
Posted in Leadership, Sports, Discipleship | No Comments »
“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.”
-Song of Solomon 2:15
Most of us have goals, dreams, and visions for our lives. But having a dream is not nearly enough. Living the dream that we have in our possession is the ultimate goal. To do that, we must make choices and take steps that are in alignment with our dream.
It doesn’t happen by accident or by chance. We must train ourselves to do it.
One of our BIGGEST challenges and HARDEST opponent to train for isn’t really that BIG at all.
But if THIS challenge is not overcome, we can never truly realize our dream.
This challenge comes in multiples and almost always travels in groups.
It is small. It is persistent. It is nagging. It is annoying.
It is Distraction.
Little distractions that steal our time.
Little distractions that drain our energy.
Little distractions that hijack our hope.
Little distractions that break our focus.
An important key to stepping into our dream is keeping our eyes locked on the prize. The prize is the place of our vision and our breakthrough. The prize is the destination that God is leading us to.
But we must keep our eyes on the prize despite the many distractions.
The picture above illustrates this principle perfectly.
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant elevates for a jump shot while Houston Rockets forward Shane Battier plays dogged defense. He attempts to defend by distraction, placing his left hand directly in Bryant’s field of vision.
But look at Bryant’s eyes.
It is as if Battier’s hand doesn’t exist.
His eyes are locked on where the ball is destined to go.
As leaders, creators, and world changers, we must train ourselves to do the same.
Naysayers? Messengers of fear and doubt?
Can’t hear ‘em.
Obstacles? Past history? Giants of failure and defeat?
Can’t see ‘em.
Barriers? Thorns of resistance? Tacklers of depression and circumstance grabbing at me, trying to wrestle me to the ground?
Can’t feel ‘em.
I won’t be distracted.
I am determined to win.
My eyes are locked on the prize that God has for me.
Posted in Leadership, Creativity/Innovation, Sports, World Change | 2 Comments »
“Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they’re going to be gray and old.”
-Rick Pitino, March 1st 2000
The above sentence comes from one of the funniest sports quotes of all time. It is taken from a press conference where a frustrated and exasperated Rick Pitino (then coach of the Boston Celtics), explains that the heroes of yester-year weren’t going to save the day. A new culture of winning needed to be established in the present, and past victories weren’t nearly enough.
I think maybe Rick Pitino needs to speak to us. Because when we look at the obstacles and challenges in the world around us, too often we find ourselves looking at ‘that door’. We hope that someone will see the problem and take care of it for us. That someone else will take action and responsibility. Someone else will stand in the gap. Someone else will make a difference.
But Moses isn’t walking through that door, people. Elijah is not walking through that door. The Apostle Paul is not walking through that door. Mother Teresa is not walking through that door. Martin Luther King is not walking through that door.
They’re not coming.
It is only us.
We are the only ones here.
It is up to us to do something.
It is up to us to change the world.
What will we do?
Posted in The Future, Leadership, Sports, World Change | 2 Comments »