I want to start by apologizing to the all the faithful followers. I am a little behind on the blog. I have been in camp for 3 weeks and it is very time consuming. Camp has ended for the summer so I will get back on the blog.
Coach Hawley told me that camp blogs never get old, so once again I am going to write about camp. We just finished our three weeks of summer basketball camp, and I believe every summer camp gets better. Camp is a lot of work and very tiring but it is great experience. I woke this morning to my normal summer routine; up by 4:45am, at the school running by 5:45am, and in my office reading by 6:30am. After I finish my reading I change clothes to get ready for the day, and for the last three weeks that has been rolling out the balls, rolling down the baskets, and getting my daily plan ready for camp, but today was different there was a void from 7:30-8:30am. There was no need to roll down the baskets or get the balls out for because camp was over. I was in the gym this morning at 8:15am expecting David, Kenneth, and Julia to be the first three to arrive; then soon after two of my all time favorites Piper and Hayden. It took me a minute to realize they wouldn’t be here today because camp had ended, and I was a little sad. I know they have a lot of fun at camp, but you can’t believe the joy they bring me in the morning. They all came in with a smile and with a lot of energy. We have started several mornings with a Taylor Swift song and a lot of team chanting. No one can shout has loud as Piper. Today was different and quiet. No matter how tired and sore I am in the morning, once I see those kids all the fatigue is gone.
In the morning camp we teach as much basketball as those little guys can handle and they do a great job of trying to learn, but I realize they are there for the experience. They get to be on teams, so they learn the value of teamwork. They get to choose a team name and we award wow points for the week to the team with the most spirit. I think they enjoy the team wow points more than camp. They cheer for their team and try to out cheer the other teams. My favorite part is when I award wow points and they begin to cheer “We love Coach Carr.” I am very partial to this cheer for obvious reasons. When they do that I feel unbelievable good about myself. I have done so little to get so much. I think that is the lesson learned.
Sometimes we try so hard to gain acceptance that we forget that the little things might be what makes the difference. We will even try harder because we block out the sounds of “I love you”, or we are trying to seek it from the wrong people. God is constantly chanting about how much he loves us, especially when we do the little kind acts that he approves of so much; yet we don’t hear it because we want to do the bigger things that gets the worlds approval. We all want to be accepted but we have to be careful where we seek it and what we do to get approval. God’s approval is the most important and the little things are the best way to start.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Concrete Man
Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch some slow but amazing work. The gas station across the street from the school is under going some repairs. Yesterday morning they began breaking up the concrete in the front part of the parking lot. It is a lot of concrete. I got there about 8:00 am and they had only done a few feet. I watched the guy with the jackhammer stay in one place for about 10 minutes. It looked as if nothing was happening. I laughed and thought there is no way he will finish this job. It was amazing because he continued to jackhammer and it appeared nothing was happening. Seemed to be very frustrating work. As I left to start camp, I was anxious to see what was accomplished by the time I left to go home; approximately 9 hours later.
As I left the parking lot of school later that evening, I turned to see the work at the gas station and I was shocked. He had almost finished the job! I was completely amazed. I do not know he if changed tools or what, but he had almost finished what appeared to be an unreachable goal. It reminded of tenacity, perseverance, and commitment. He started that morning with a goal, and worked foot by foot to complete the task. I was inspired by the concrete man.
I do not know what he thought when he saw the job, but I know what I thought. I thought this is an impossible task, and not one I would do for any amount of money. After seeing what was accomplished, my thoughts changed a little. I am going to take a page out of his book. Instead of looking at the task as impossible, I am going to look at the task as achievable. It might take a foot by foot approach, or even and inch by inch approach, but it can be done. It takes a little hard work, and tenacity.
Sometimes we get focused on how far away the goal is, instead of focusing on each step to get to our goal. I gave the analogy in camp of my drive to school. If I get in my car with only the end in mind, then I will probably never get there. Instead I must focus on the backing out of the driveway first. I have to take it step by step, achieving little goals before I can achieve the big ones.
My spiritual life is much the same way. I can only be the man God wants me to be by first taking it step by step or inch by inch. For example, if my goal was to read the entire Bible and I said today I am going to read the entire Bible then probably after a few minutes I would be tired and lose focus. Instead I will read a passage a day until I finish the whole book. I would be more focused and would gain more from it. I think God would be much happier with the later.
I am a fan of the concrete guy. It is amazing how much you can learn from watching others work.
As I left the parking lot of school later that evening, I turned to see the work at the gas station and I was shocked. He had almost finished the job! I was completely amazed. I do not know he if changed tools or what, but he had almost finished what appeared to be an unreachable goal. It reminded of tenacity, perseverance, and commitment. He started that morning with a goal, and worked foot by foot to complete the task. I was inspired by the concrete man.
I do not know what he thought when he saw the job, but I know what I thought. I thought this is an impossible task, and not one I would do for any amount of money. After seeing what was accomplished, my thoughts changed a little. I am going to take a page out of his book. Instead of looking at the task as impossible, I am going to look at the task as achievable. It might take a foot by foot approach, or even and inch by inch approach, but it can be done. It takes a little hard work, and tenacity.
Sometimes we get focused on how far away the goal is, instead of focusing on each step to get to our goal. I gave the analogy in camp of my drive to school. If I get in my car with only the end in mind, then I will probably never get there. Instead I must focus on the backing out of the driveway first. I have to take it step by step, achieving little goals before I can achieve the big ones.
My spiritual life is much the same way. I can only be the man God wants me to be by first taking it step by step or inch by inch. For example, if my goal was to read the entire Bible and I said today I am going to read the entire Bible then probably after a few minutes I would be tired and lose focus. Instead I will read a passage a day until I finish the whole book. I would be more focused and would gain more from it. I think God would be much happier with the later.
I am a fan of the concrete guy. It is amazing how much you can learn from watching others work.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Roles
Ok, I know it gets old, but I am going to write about camp again today. I want to share some observations I have made over the last few days. I have always been a team player; I like being on a team and being a part of a team. I like all the things about team, but I am human and every team I was ever on I wanted to be the star. Today as I watched camp and watched the campers work, I saw a lot of different levels of talent. I thought some were good and some were bad, but I could not discount the fact that all were trying their best. Some of the campers will get a chance to be stars, some will only get to be a part of their team, and some might not even make their teams. It seems tragic in a way, but I thought to myself the great thing about any team is everyone gets to play a role, and everyone has a unique talent. There is no doubt that everyone in camp is talented at something. The hard part is discerning my talent, and then accepting my role based on that talent. Some can score, some can rebound, some can defend, some bring energy, and some can simple bring a joke and a smile. There is a role for everyone on some team.
God gives all a measure of talent. What we do with the talent is the important thing. God made sure all of us were needed for something. What a great blessing! We all get to be a part of God’s team, and we all are assigned a role to play. We have to learn and embrace our role. God gave us a full measure of talent; we are responsible for giving the full measure of that talent to His team. Sometimes the role can seem small but to God it is important. Others might even discount our role on the team, but to God we are the most important player. God is the greatest coach. He makes us all feel important and let’s us know through His love that we make a difference in the success of the team.
I love the idea of team. I love being on God’s team. My role on His team is important because he tells me so through the Bible. He has given me an assignment. I want to accept the assignment and work so hard to make the team the greatest team on earth. Sometimes I am going to fail Him and the team, but God keeps putting me back in the game. He never loses faith in me, and He never gives up for me. Like I said, I always wanted to be the star, and God always makes me feel like the star. He loves me unconditionally. By making me feel so important, I continue to work hard for His team, and the best part is He becomes the star and His glory will shine.
God gives all a measure of talent. What we do with the talent is the important thing. God made sure all of us were needed for something. What a great blessing! We all get to be a part of God’s team, and we all are assigned a role to play. We have to learn and embrace our role. God gave us a full measure of talent; we are responsible for giving the full measure of that talent to His team. Sometimes the role can seem small but to God it is important. Others might even discount our role on the team, but to God we are the most important player. God is the greatest coach. He makes us all feel important and let’s us know through His love that we make a difference in the success of the team.
I love the idea of team. I love being on God’s team. My role on His team is important because he tells me so through the Bible. He has given me an assignment. I want to accept the assignment and work so hard to make the team the greatest team on earth. Sometimes I am going to fail Him and the team, but God keeps putting me back in the game. He never loses faith in me, and He never gives up for me. Like I said, I always wanted to be the star, and God always makes me feel like the star. He loves me unconditionally. By making me feel so important, I continue to work hard for His team, and the best part is He becomes the star and His glory will shine.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Camp Rules
Camp is off to a great start! We have finished our first week and we are beginning our second. Please excuse the time lapse between blogs as I am short on time to write. I have a lot to share and will have a lot more in the future.
When camp begins on Monday we have to cover some very important ground rules, so the day goes by a little slow. The ground rules for camp are very simple: 1. listen-be a sponge, not a drain; 2. Be courteous- Say “Please and Thank You.”; 3. Pick up trash-leave it better than you found it; 4. Be the Example. They are 4 very simple and easy rules and review them on a daily basis. The best part comes at the end of the week when we talk about how the rules apply outside of camp. Last week I talked about the rules on Monday and briefly reminded the campers as the week went on, and to my surprise on Friday when I asked about the camp rules they all knew them by heart. I went on to ask the questions of “do they apply away from camp?” and everyone agreed they did. That was exciting.
The camp rules are very simple. The best lesson learned was that these rules not only apply in camp but outside of camp as well. I hope they get some basketball from the week, but if they don’t and they only get the camp rules then I think camp is a success. The cool thing about the rules as they not only apply to the campers but they apply to the coaches as well and I think the coaches will practice these rules away from camp. If we were to have only a few rules for our lives, wouldn’t these be good rules to follow?
I think camp makes an impact. I will never be certain how may basketball players we will make out of camp, but I think we will definitely make better people. That is why I love camp. Let me give you an example- I saw a young man come into the gym who was not a part of camp, he grabbed a cup of water and instead of throwing his cup away he just dropped the cup. A camper who was one his way out for the day saw this as well, and we looked at each other and the camper said to me, “Coach, he is not a camper.” The camper then proceeds to race me to the cup to pick it up. That was exciting. Once again, I love camp.
By the way- one camper reminded me about rule #5-Have Fun! When we doing things right we will have a lot of fun.
When camp begins on Monday we have to cover some very important ground rules, so the day goes by a little slow. The ground rules for camp are very simple: 1. listen-be a sponge, not a drain; 2. Be courteous- Say “Please and Thank You.”; 3. Pick up trash-leave it better than you found it; 4. Be the Example. They are 4 very simple and easy rules and review them on a daily basis. The best part comes at the end of the week when we talk about how the rules apply outside of camp. Last week I talked about the rules on Monday and briefly reminded the campers as the week went on, and to my surprise on Friday when I asked about the camp rules they all knew them by heart. I went on to ask the questions of “do they apply away from camp?” and everyone agreed they did. That was exciting.
The camp rules are very simple. The best lesson learned was that these rules not only apply in camp but outside of camp as well. I hope they get some basketball from the week, but if they don’t and they only get the camp rules then I think camp is a success. The cool thing about the rules as they not only apply to the campers but they apply to the coaches as well and I think the coaches will practice these rules away from camp. If we were to have only a few rules for our lives, wouldn’t these be good rules to follow?
I think camp makes an impact. I will never be certain how may basketball players we will make out of camp, but I think we will definitely make better people. That is why I love camp. Let me give you an example- I saw a young man come into the gym who was not a part of camp, he grabbed a cup of water and instead of throwing his cup away he just dropped the cup. A camper who was one his way out for the day saw this as well, and we looked at each other and the camper said to me, “Coach, he is not a camper.” The camper then proceeds to race me to the cup to pick it up. That was exciting. Once again, I love camp.
By the way- one camper reminded me about rule #5-Have Fun! When we doing things right we will have a lot of fun.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Names and Accomplishments Part II
Yesterday, I talked about the holographic toy and the message revealed under our name. In part II I wanted to talk about accomplishments and how they relate to our names and who we are. Here is the premise I spent time discussing in my head as I jogged; We do not let accomplishments dictate who we are, rather we let who we are define our accomplishments. As I was thinking of this, I came up with a few examples to better explain the premise.
Let’s take Charlie Ward. Coach Ward is a former Heisman trophy winner. He also won a national championship at Florida State as a quarterback. Coach Ward is a godly man, and a winner. Coach Ward was all of these things before the Heisman trophy and before the national championship. He did not become a winner or a leader after he won those awards; he was that person before the awards. I don’ think he said, “Because I am a an award winner, I will now be a good person.” The award did not define who he was. I do believe he changed the definition of the award because of who he was before he was awarded the Heisman. The Heisman at that time did not only mean the best college football player, but good character became a criteria. I would think that those behind the decision might say it was always part of the selection process, but I think whoever the winner is each year helps change the selection process. Some might even argue that it has no bearing on the award at all. I find that hard to believe. Coach Ward helped define the award because of who he was before the award.
We even see the negative effect of the same thing. We have also seen awards lose value because of the character of the previous winner. A good example could be the defensive award that was won by the Texan football player this past year. After he won the award he was caught using performance enhancing supplement banned by the NFL. I do not know what the substances were or whether he used them or not. I do not know his character at all. I am only speaking about what I read and hear in the news. I do believe that because he was allowed to keep the award that it lessen the value of the award for the next winner. I also believe value can be regained. Whoever the next winner is, who he was before the award, can help recapture the value or hurt it further.
I was listening to talk radio and they were talking about the best homerun hitters in baseball. You know they never mentioned Barry Bonds. Barry Bonds hold several homerun records including the most homeruns in a career. How can he not be mentioned? He is not mentioned because of the accusations of cheating to get results. He has tarnished the accomplishment and most want to forget about it because they want the accomplishment to mean something. I do not believe you can do that. What he allegedly chose to do to get results change what the accomplishment meant. That can only be erased when someone else reaches the same milestones.
In conclusion of parts I and part II, the message revealed by your name can help define the accomplishments you receive. We cannot allow accomplishments to rewrite the meaning encoded in our names, we rewrite the accomplishment because the encoded message was there first.
Let’s take Charlie Ward. Coach Ward is a former Heisman trophy winner. He also won a national championship at Florida State as a quarterback. Coach Ward is a godly man, and a winner. Coach Ward was all of these things before the Heisman trophy and before the national championship. He did not become a winner or a leader after he won those awards; he was that person before the awards. I don’ think he said, “Because I am a an award winner, I will now be a good person.” The award did not define who he was. I do believe he changed the definition of the award because of who he was before he was awarded the Heisman. The Heisman at that time did not only mean the best college football player, but good character became a criteria. I would think that those behind the decision might say it was always part of the selection process, but I think whoever the winner is each year helps change the selection process. Some might even argue that it has no bearing on the award at all. I find that hard to believe. Coach Ward helped define the award because of who he was before the award.
We even see the negative effect of the same thing. We have also seen awards lose value because of the character of the previous winner. A good example could be the defensive award that was won by the Texan football player this past year. After he won the award he was caught using performance enhancing supplement banned by the NFL. I do not know what the substances were or whether he used them or not. I do not know his character at all. I am only speaking about what I read and hear in the news. I do believe that because he was allowed to keep the award that it lessen the value of the award for the next winner. I also believe value can be regained. Whoever the next winner is, who he was before the award, can help recapture the value or hurt it further.
I was listening to talk radio and they were talking about the best homerun hitters in baseball. You know they never mentioned Barry Bonds. Barry Bonds hold several homerun records including the most homeruns in a career. How can he not be mentioned? He is not mentioned because of the accusations of cheating to get results. He has tarnished the accomplishment and most want to forget about it because they want the accomplishment to mean something. I do not believe you can do that. What he allegedly chose to do to get results change what the accomplishment meant. That can only be erased when someone else reaches the same milestones.
In conclusion of parts I and part II, the message revealed by your name can help define the accomplishments you receive. We cannot allow accomplishments to rewrite the meaning encoded in our names, we rewrite the accomplishment because the encoded message was there first.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Names and Accomplishments Part I
What’s in a name? This morning I thought I would write a two part blog. As I was jogging I debated as to which part should come first. (Much like the argument “Which came first the chicken of the egg?”) I was having a silly argument with myself but it did make the jog go by faster, which was good. I decided I would talk about the name before I talked about the accomplishments.
I was thinking about names as if they were written on one of those holographic toys you find in the bottom of a cereal box or a Cracker Jack box. You know one were when you read it, it says one thing but as you turn and twist it, it reveals something else. I was thinking what if we all had one of those with our names on it and as it was turned it revealed a message about who we were. The message could simply be a word or phrase.
I thought about two people in particular-Charlie Ward and Coach John Wooden. (I will talk more about Charlie Ward in part II). I have never met Coach Wooden. I do feel however that I know him. I have read several books and articles about him over the last few years. Coach Wooden passed away this weekend. His body has left but his teachings and legacy will forever be a part of this world. If Coach Wooden’s name was on a holographic toy, I think when it was turned and twisted it would reveal things like-father, teacher, mentor, humble, champion, leader, and so on. I do know Coach Ward. He is our football coach at Westbury Christian. Coach Ward is my friend. If Coach Ward’s name was on a holographic toy it would reveal words like-father, leader, Godly, servant, humble, righteous, and so on. I think in both cases they would be great ways to describe each individual.
What if my name was on a holographic toy? I am not sure what it would say, but I do know what I would want it to say. Step 1 would be deciding what I want the words to say and I feel like I have achieved this step. I have to now go to step 2, writing the words. My actions and example will help me with the coded message behind my name. In my mind I have to keep a check list of the words in the message, and then I have to look for opportunities to write the message. This part is both tough and easy. It is easy because there will no shortage of opportunity, tough because I have to have the awareness to see them and then act on them.
Put your name on the holographic toy, what secret message would be revealed? It is never too late to change the message. Be aware and take advantage of the opportunities. I pray that I will.
I was thinking about names as if they were written on one of those holographic toys you find in the bottom of a cereal box or a Cracker Jack box. You know one were when you read it, it says one thing but as you turn and twist it, it reveals something else. I was thinking what if we all had one of those with our names on it and as it was turned it revealed a message about who we were. The message could simply be a word or phrase.
I thought about two people in particular-Charlie Ward and Coach John Wooden. (I will talk more about Charlie Ward in part II). I have never met Coach Wooden. I do feel however that I know him. I have read several books and articles about him over the last few years. Coach Wooden passed away this weekend. His body has left but his teachings and legacy will forever be a part of this world. If Coach Wooden’s name was on a holographic toy, I think when it was turned and twisted it would reveal things like-father, teacher, mentor, humble, champion, leader, and so on. I do know Coach Ward. He is our football coach at Westbury Christian. Coach Ward is my friend. If Coach Ward’s name was on a holographic toy it would reveal words like-father, leader, Godly, servant, humble, righteous, and so on. I think in both cases they would be great ways to describe each individual.
What if my name was on a holographic toy? I am not sure what it would say, but I do know what I would want it to say. Step 1 would be deciding what I want the words to say and I feel like I have achieved this step. I have to now go to step 2, writing the words. My actions and example will help me with the coded message behind my name. In my mind I have to keep a check list of the words in the message, and then I have to look for opportunities to write the message. This part is both tough and easy. It is easy because there will no shortage of opportunity, tough because I have to have the awareness to see them and then act on them.
Put your name on the holographic toy, what secret message would be revealed? It is never too late to change the message. Be aware and take advantage of the opportunities. I pray that I will.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Camp Day 1
Well Day 1 is in the books. What a day. We started our camps this week. We had morning camp for little kids starting at 8:30am, and then continued with the older kids at 12:45pm. The day finished with Habits from 4 to 6pm. It was a full day. I am tired, but it is a good tired. I love camp; it might be the highlight of my year. I love the feeling after the day is over; I really feel like I have poured myself out. I would think that all the coaches that worked would feel the same way.
The first day of camp to most might be the hardest day, because there is a lot of foundation work that takes place. It is my favorite day, I get to see smiling faces some new and some old. Several of the campers are return campers and that really makes me feel good. It is like catching up to old friends that you haven’t seen in awhile. You get updates on the past school year and witness all the changes that have taken place. I love the first day.
The excitement of the first day is great, most work camp as running a marathon; I want to work camp as running a sprint. I want to give my whole self every step of the way. I do not want to pace. Three weeks of camp sounds like a lot, but to me it is too short. I want camp to last all year. We really get to teach at camp and watch kids grow. I hate when the teaching stops and the kids go in separate directions.
Real joy for me comes when I watch my players teach younger kids. They teach with passion and commitment to improving other players. That is awesome. Wouldn’t it be great if we all had the same commitment to helping others as those kids have to the younger campers? We can’t let the teaching stop; we have to find ways to improve those around us. What a great world we would live in if we were more committed to seeing others succeed than trying to step over others for our own success? We have to be teachers and everyday has to be camp. Camp can’t end after three weeks.
The first day of camp to most might be the hardest day, because there is a lot of foundation work that takes place. It is my favorite day, I get to see smiling faces some new and some old. Several of the campers are return campers and that really makes me feel good. It is like catching up to old friends that you haven’t seen in awhile. You get updates on the past school year and witness all the changes that have taken place. I love the first day.
The excitement of the first day is great, most work camp as running a marathon; I want to work camp as running a sprint. I want to give my whole self every step of the way. I do not want to pace. Three weeks of camp sounds like a lot, but to me it is too short. I want camp to last all year. We really get to teach at camp and watch kids grow. I hate when the teaching stops and the kids go in separate directions.
Real joy for me comes when I watch my players teach younger kids. They teach with passion and commitment to improving other players. That is awesome. Wouldn’t it be great if we all had the same commitment to helping others as those kids have to the younger campers? We can’t let the teaching stop; we have to find ways to improve those around us. What a great world we would live in if we were more committed to seeing others succeed than trying to step over others for our own success? We have to be teachers and everyday has to be camp. Camp can’t end after three weeks.
Friday, June 4, 2010
I Love This Game
Last night I watched the NBA finals with much excitement and anticipation. I am a basketball coach, so just having basketball on in June is exciting. Last night the Celtics met the Lakers in game one of the 2010 NBA finals. As the pre-game show started I had flashbacks to my childhood. I really began taking an interest to the game in the middle 80’s; about the time I was in middle school. I started thinking back to players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Kevin McHale, and Dominique Wilkins. Those were great times and great players to watch. I have always loved the Celtics, I was a Knicks fan for awhile, and even pulled for the Bad Boys-Detroit Pistons. I would never miss games on TBS and TNT every Tuesday and Thursday. I would not miss the Saturday and Sunday games on NBC. I would go out and play, then break to watch the 1st and 2nd quarters, go out and play at halftime, then catch the 3rd and 4th quarters, then play after the game was over. I have been on several different teams and played with and against several great players in my driveway. I was always a Celtic or a Knick and I always beat the Bulls or the Lakers; usually in seven games with me hitting the winning shot.
The last few years I have found myself not watching as much basketball because of two things time and cynicism. I would say things like, “It is not the same game anymore.” I had become an old timer. I had become the guy I use to get annoyed at; who was always critiquing the game and how it has changed. Well the game had changed for the good and the worse, but it is still basketball. I still love the game and the lessons taught by the game. Through the game I have learned to be a team player, to be on time, to be loyal, to be a worker, to handle defeat, and to handle success. Just because the game has changed doesn’t mean the lessons are different.
I decided to watch the game last night and to not be a critic. I wanted to enjoy the game as I did as a child. I think sometimes we forget to be child like. We get so wrapped up in being an adult we forget about the daydreaming and joy we got from childhood. Being a kid was fun. We have to find moments and times to stop being an adult and to become a kid again. I think it is good for our souls and our minds. Last night I did a little daydreaming, not from the driveway but this time from the couch. I daydreamed about playing for the Celtics again; I daydreamed about coaching the Celtics. I remembered the joy I got from the game. I am going to take more opportunities to not be critical, but see things as I did when I was a kid. I have to be an adult most of the hours of the day, but sometimes remembering what is was like to be a kid and being one again can only bring more joy to my life. So find time to do something that was good in your life as a kid growing up, watch cartoons for no reason, go swing at the park, jump on the trampoline, and play a game in the driveway. Remember however, you mind can be a kid again, but your body is still an adult. Be safe! It will take longer to recover, but what is a little soreness? Go for it!
The last few years I have found myself not watching as much basketball because of two things time and cynicism. I would say things like, “It is not the same game anymore.” I had become an old timer. I had become the guy I use to get annoyed at; who was always critiquing the game and how it has changed. Well the game had changed for the good and the worse, but it is still basketball. I still love the game and the lessons taught by the game. Through the game I have learned to be a team player, to be on time, to be loyal, to be a worker, to handle defeat, and to handle success. Just because the game has changed doesn’t mean the lessons are different.
I decided to watch the game last night and to not be a critic. I wanted to enjoy the game as I did as a child. I think sometimes we forget to be child like. We get so wrapped up in being an adult we forget about the daydreaming and joy we got from childhood. Being a kid was fun. We have to find moments and times to stop being an adult and to become a kid again. I think it is good for our souls and our minds. Last night I did a little daydreaming, not from the driveway but this time from the couch. I daydreamed about playing for the Celtics again; I daydreamed about coaching the Celtics. I remembered the joy I got from the game. I am going to take more opportunities to not be critical, but see things as I did when I was a kid. I have to be an adult most of the hours of the day, but sometimes remembering what is was like to be a kid and being one again can only bring more joy to my life. So find time to do something that was good in your life as a kid growing up, watch cartoons for no reason, go swing at the park, jump on the trampoline, and play a game in the driveway. Remember however, you mind can be a kid again, but your body is still an adult. Be safe! It will take longer to recover, but what is a little soreness? Go for it!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Motherhood
As I exercised this morning I thought about what it takes to be a mother and a wife. I wondered is it a learned behavior or are women born with it? I came to the conclusion after the two examples I witnessed that it is a learned behavior. Moms and wives are good because they had good moms. They are caring and compassionate because they were taught by example.
This weekend I watched my mom do something extraordinary. My dad and mom live separately. They both have their own houses, their own bills, and their own lives. My dad is diabetic and has a problem with his feet. Which I found out was very common with diabetics. His feet have to be cleaned and cared for each day, and each day he would come to my mom’s house to get his feet dressed and washed. It happens everyday, and I later found out it had happened everyday for the past year, sometimes twice a day. She would remove the bandages from the previous day, redress them, and then rub both feet with cream. She has no obligation to do what she did, but she would not consider not doing it. It was amazing. I wondered why. I then thought about her mother, my grandmother. My grandmother would take care of anything. She was a great lady, who served as nurse to everyone who was ailing. She was not a nurse by occupation, but a nurse by nature. My mom learned this from her, and she is now doing the same thing.
Last night about 1:00am, it began to rain, thunder and lightning. It was so bad that it woke me and my wife up. We both got up but we went in separate directions. I went to the bed as I had to get up early; she went to my daughter’s room. I looked in on them this morning, my daughter in her bed, my wife on the floor beside her bed holding her hand. Both were asleep. Once again, I was amazed. I am willing to bet at some point in my wife’s life her mother had done the same for her. It was great to watch. Because of what my wife did, she created an example for my daughter. My daughter will be a wife and mother some day, and because of the example being set for her, she will be a great mother and wife.
Once again, my conclusion is motherhood is a learned behavior. I don’t think you are born with it; it takes a great mother to teach a great mother. I have been blessed with a great mother, my daughter is blessed with a great mother.
This weekend I watched my mom do something extraordinary. My dad and mom live separately. They both have their own houses, their own bills, and their own lives. My dad is diabetic and has a problem with his feet. Which I found out was very common with diabetics. His feet have to be cleaned and cared for each day, and each day he would come to my mom’s house to get his feet dressed and washed. It happens everyday, and I later found out it had happened everyday for the past year, sometimes twice a day. She would remove the bandages from the previous day, redress them, and then rub both feet with cream. She has no obligation to do what she did, but she would not consider not doing it. It was amazing. I wondered why. I then thought about her mother, my grandmother. My grandmother would take care of anything. She was a great lady, who served as nurse to everyone who was ailing. She was not a nurse by occupation, but a nurse by nature. My mom learned this from her, and she is now doing the same thing.
Last night about 1:00am, it began to rain, thunder and lightning. It was so bad that it woke me and my wife up. We both got up but we went in separate directions. I went to the bed as I had to get up early; she went to my daughter’s room. I looked in on them this morning, my daughter in her bed, my wife on the floor beside her bed holding her hand. Both were asleep. Once again, I was amazed. I am willing to bet at some point in my wife’s life her mother had done the same for her. It was great to watch. Because of what my wife did, she created an example for my daughter. My daughter will be a wife and mother some day, and because of the example being set for her, she will be a great mother and wife.
Once again, my conclusion is motherhood is a learned behavior. I don’t think you are born with it; it takes a great mother to teach a great mother. I have been blessed with a great mother, my daughter is blessed with a great mother.
Life Caddy
During our trip to Alabama I had the opportunity to drive my mom’s new car. It is a Honda mini-van. It is fully loaded, like a space ship. It has a DVD players, navigation, and XM radio. I was very impressed with the car, but the XM radio set it apart. You could listen to specific stations with specific programming. My favorite stations were the comedy stations. While listening, I heard a comic talk about golf and specifically the caddies. He made jokes about us having a life caddy, which is much like the cartoons of the two angels sitting on our shoulders. I had a different thought about the life caddy. I even said to my self, I have a life caddy of my own.
Caddies serve a specific role to a golfer. They advise the golfer of all kinds of things like course lay-out, weather conditions, hole placement, distance and the proper club to hit at certain times. They caddy has to know the course and the golfer. It is even fun to watch the interaction between the caddies and the golfers. Sometimes you watch and see the golfer heed the words of the caddy and then other times shake off the caddy for their own decision making.
I have life caddy-his name is Jesus. He knows me better than anyone and he knows my course better than anyone. He helps me with direction. He advises me what to do next. He advises me of the hazards that lay ahead. Sometimes like golfers I fail to listen and use my own decision making. I have never seen a caddy quit in the middle of a round, and Jesus never quits on me. He allows me to play my own shot and remains beside me when I am ready to listen.
I am making a promise to myself to listen to my caddy more often. He is always right. Why would I choose to do it differently? Pride and selfishness get in my way, but thank God, He will walk the whole course with me.
Caddies serve a specific role to a golfer. They advise the golfer of all kinds of things like course lay-out, weather conditions, hole placement, distance and the proper club to hit at certain times. They caddy has to know the course and the golfer. It is even fun to watch the interaction between the caddies and the golfers. Sometimes you watch and see the golfer heed the words of the caddy and then other times shake off the caddy for their own decision making.
I have life caddy-his name is Jesus. He knows me better than anyone and he knows my course better than anyone. He helps me with direction. He advises me what to do next. He advises me of the hazards that lay ahead. Sometimes like golfers I fail to listen and use my own decision making. I have never seen a caddy quit in the middle of a round, and Jesus never quits on me. He allows me to play my own shot and remains beside me when I am ready to listen.
I am making a promise to myself to listen to my caddy more often. He is always right. Why would I choose to do it differently? Pride and selfishness get in my way, but thank God, He will walk the whole course with me.
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