Fundamentals

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Galatians 3:1-3

One of the most difficult jobs of an offensive line coach is to train your guys to finish.  Being able to finish a workout, a drill, a play, or a game requires being physically conditioned, understanding your job, and having a nasty attitude sometimes.  With most guys, I have to constantly do drills and point out when they did not finish a play.  Many times, as we are watching film, I will see an offensive lineman start a play perfectly.  He will have great steps, really good pad level, and a good punch.  He starts exactly the way I want him to, but something happens during the 3-4 seconds of the play.  He loses the technique that made him successful at the start of the play and worst of all he loses the intensity that gave him a good start.  The defensive player will get away from his block and make the tackle.  If the offensive lineman had only finished the play our team would have been successful.  Instead of celebrating a great block and a touchdown, we are listening to the defense celebrate.  All he had to do was finish in the same strong way he had started.

In the verses above Paul is writing to the Galatians.  They had started out strong in their faith and believed in the saving power of Jesus because of what they had witnessed and heard about.  They were spreading God’s word and living lives that were pleasing to Him.  As time had passed, and they probably faced many difficulties, they began to become more concerned with following the Jewish laws.  They were losing focus on what had saved them and had begun to think they could do it their own way.  They had been saved by the power of Jesus and not because they were following the laws.  As Paul says to the Galatians, “After beginning by means of the spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh”? 

As Christians we sometimes have the same attitude.  We were saved and we started out strong.  We did all the fundamentals correctly.  We read our bible, we prayed, and we were excited about what God was doing in our lives.  But as time passed and the excitement wore off, we began to forget the fundamentals.  As we were faced with difficulties we tried to handle them on our own instead of trusting in the God who had protected us and provided for us for so long.

We have all been given many blessings and I pray that you (me) would all refocus on the fundamentals.  Lord, please help us to regain our intensity toward Christ; that we will allow Him to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of the people we meet.  

Coach Eads

Life in the "Gaps"

And I sought for a man among them, that should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30

For an offensive line coach many hours of energy are spent working on controlling the A and B gaps. The A and B gaps are how football coaches define the areas between the center and the two guards and the guards and the two tackles. We worry about protecting the gap, strengthening the gap, moving a defender from the gap, and filling the gaps. After all, in the game of football, the difference in winning and losing happens in the A and B gaps. If the offensive line fails to move the defenders from the gaps or if defenders are allowed to freely run through the gaps, the running backs, quarterbacks, and receivers will never have a chance to be successful. That is what I love about coaching the offensive line. No other position in sports has as much influence over the success and failure of their team as the offensive line. Life as an offensive lineman in the A and B gaps is smelly, grimy, and dirty. The work is difficult, it takes tough guys to do it, and that is what makes it special. If the quarterback drops back to pass, is protected from the defenders, and completes a touchdown pass to a wide receiver no one notices the large young men that made it possible by securing the gaps. If a running back breaks through the line and scores a touchdown, the sports reporters will write about his amazing accomplishment but none will notice the young men who opened the gap. I often jokingly remind my offensive linemen to not tell their mothers about what happens in the A and B gaps because they might not let them play anymore! I am thankful for the young men I am blessed to coach who are willing to do the tough work in the gaps to help their teammates succeed.

In the game of football, the defense attacks the A and B gaps because these are the most vulnerable and weakest areas of the offense. The offensive linemen are strong and the defensive players know they will not defeat them by running directly into the larger players. The defensive players use all their best tricks to create a weakness in one of the gaps, and when they find it they attack with full force. Satan attacks us in much the same way. He already knows our weaknesses and attacks those “gaps” in our character. He will use the temptations that cause us to struggle, the pride that prevents us from searching our hearts for a weakness, or a recent setback to pull us away from a daily relationship with our Heavenly Father. We have to search His word each day and speak to Him to ask for wisdom to recognize our “gaps” and the strength to protect those “gaps”. We need fellow believers to stand beside us, close the gaps, and pray for our strength. We are also called to protect the gaps in our friends' lives. We should pray for their strength to withstand the attacks and be willing to fight the evil one in the gap. Pray and ask God to show you the gaps in your life that are vulnerable to Satan’s attacks.

In Ezekiel 22:30, God is asking for one person to stand in the gap of the wall to protect the city from His wrath, but found none. I believe He is still looking today for the young man, young woman, mom, dad, student, or coach who is willing to guard the gap, drive Satan from the gap, and make it possible for others to know of His love.

This is why my blog is titled "Life in the Gaps". ( I felt it required some explanation for the non-football reader.) I hope you will enter your email address on the main page and follow me - this will allow you to receive new blog posts in your inbox. Thanks and please pray that all of us together can be the one to stand in the gap and encourage those around us in the name of Jesus and for His glory alone.

Chad

Entitled or Entrusted?

But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48

After workouts this morning I had a few minutes to talk with my offensive lineman. I have had something on my mind for a few weeks and this time alone with my guys gave me an opportunity to share it with them. Hopefully it will help them as they continue preparing for the season and also help you today. Hoover High School has been very successful in many areas with the most well known being the football field. It is human nature sometimes to be a part of a successful organization and just wait for it to take care of you. People begin to think about the benefits they will receive or the recognition and fame they will get if they just quietly blend in with all the others. They get the idea that all is perfect and they simply need to stay out of the way and let all the benefits fall into place. I worry about my football players getting this attitude about Hoover Football. I believe some of them think too much about what football can do for them instead of what they can do for their team and school. They have grown up in the town, waited to be a Buc, become a senior, and they can sit back and enjoy. They can easily feel entitled to the rewards of other’s hard work. They begin to think that our school and football team are a benefit entitled to them and not a blessing that has been entrusted to them. This morning I warned them about developing an attitude of entitlement. I encouraged them to see the younger players, not as little boys to pick on, but as young men entrusted to them to model the behavior we expect. I encouraged them to not sit back and complain about an area of our program they may not like, but to find a way to change it for the better. I mainly wanted to remind them they have been entrusted with a tradition and the responsibility of carrying on that tradition sits squarely on their shoulders. They have been entrusted with much so much more will be asked of them.

Maybe we get this same attitude sometimes as Christians too. We have lived most of our lives as a Christian, have received the blessings of His goodness, but begin to believe these are owed to us. I forget that He did not just bless me with amazing parents but has entrusted their care to me. He has blessed me with a wonderful wife and children and has entrusted their care and spiritual leadership to me. He has blessed me with a job doing what I love and has entrusted me with many young boys who need direction in their lives. I have been entrusted with all these blessings in my life and not simply entitled to them. When I view each blessing as something I have been entrusted with, and not something I am entitled to, I see them all very differently. He has given much to us and much will be demanded. He has also entrusted us with many blessings and much more will be asked of us. I prayed today that we would see the people in our lives as blessings entrusted to us and not just a blessing that we deserve.

Chad

Church Attendance

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:5-6

I was watching the news a couple of days ago and they said that church attendance across the country has experienced a steady decline over the past few years. They said that churches are looking for ways to increase attendance and begin new programs that will hopefully attract younger people. Churches should always search for ways to bring more people into the church. There are many saved people today who came to church for an event and stayed because they learned of the saving grace of our Lord and Savior. However, I do not believe we should lure people into the church under the pretense that it will require little commitment, they will only hear “feel good” lessons from the pastor, and they will be entertained. 

The news reporter made the statement that millennials are the people who have had the largest decline in attendance. She said this drop could be blamed on the idea that attending church was old fashioned and many did not see the need to gather with other Christians. They believed the church was filled with hypocrisy and if they needed to worship, they could do it alone wherever they were. I believe the millennials are correct, somewhat. We are told to worship God in all areas of our lives, in all places, and at all times but we are also told of the importance of gathering with other believers. We need this interaction with other Christians so we can share in each other’s joys and sorrows. They are also correct when they say the church is filled with hypocrisy but they do not understand that we go to church to worship a perfect God. And, even if we worship Him alone, there is still at least one hypocrite in attendance. He knows we are imperfect but He still allows us to come to His house and worship Him. Maybe we have done a poor job as Christians of teaching young people that church is not a place to be entertained or to be served. Maybe if we had done a better job of teaching young people the eternal value of worshiping a Risen Savior they would be filling the churches each Sunday. Easter is traditionally the most crowded Sunday of the year but according to the news even that day will see smaller crowds. I hope the news report will be wrong but I am afraid our churches will continue to see the size of the crowds shrink slowly.

Just prior to Easter Sunday, I was reading in Matthew about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. As the women searched the tomb for Jesus an angel appeared to them. He says to the women, “I know you are looking for Jesus, but He has risen, just as He said."  I thought about how throughout Jesus’ life on earth, in His death, and even today Jesus has always done just as He said. He taught us by the way He lived His life as a servant to all, by freely giving His life for us, and by providing the blessings we experience each day. If we know this why would we not want to worship Him daily, gather with other believers to share our joy, and share our love for Him with others. I prayed today that we would all continue to gather with other believers each Sunday and worship our Savior who was crucified for us but rose again on the third day.

Happy belated Easter to you guys. He has Risen!

Chad

Reconditioned or Renewed?

2nd Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 

The most exciting part of my year happened today.  That is high-level Eads sarcasm because it was actually the day the reconditioned helmets were shipped back to us. Each year I ship about 250 football helmets to Pennsylvania to be cleaned, inspected, and to have broken parts replaced.  A huge truck pulled up to the equipment room around noon and I was able to find about 15 freshman boys who thought it was cool to climb into the back of a tractor trailer and unload boxes.  When the company reconditions the helmets they take all of the parts off the helmet, inspect each individual part, replace any that are worn, and put it all back together.  If anything is wrong or if the helmet is too old it is rejected.  The helmets that make the cut are shipped back to us for me to issue to the players.  The reconditioned helmets are always clean but, when I look closely, I can tell that the face mask has cuts from many hits and the shell has several imperfections. Thankfully the smell is gone but it will not take long for it to return!  The helmets look much better than they did the day after our season but they are far from perfect on the inside or the outside.  We will issue the helmets for spring training in a few days and everyone will begin with a clean helmet.  But, after a couple of days the smell will return, there will be several more cuts and dents, and they will look far from reconditioned.

I am glad God never just reconditions us.  Instead he takes us and makes us completely new and removes the scratches, cuts, dents, and imperfections.  He does not just clean us up a little and send us back into the battle.  In the verse from 2nd Corinthians we are reminded that our bodies are wasting away, but inwardly He will renew us each day.  As we wake up, we can ask Him to cleanse away the dirt and grime from the day before and He will make us new.  He will even remove the smell!  Each day will bring it’s own problems, dents, and scratches but He will return our hearts and minds to brand new. I prayed today for Him to make us new and to prepare us for the challenges of the day to come.  I also asked Him to continue to renew you all each day and to use you to change someone’s life forever.

Chad

Why I decided to start writing...

Like most American families, the Eads’ schedule was, and is, full.  We had sent our son away to college and our daughter was beginning her freshman year at Hoover High School.  Our son was dealing with the normal emotions of being a young college student and football player.  He had battled through the usual homesickness and was working daily, through prayer, to determine the path God would have for his life.  There would be several unexpected challenges that would test our relationship and certainly put our faith to a test.  Many of these daily writings come from the emotions and thoughts I was dealing with on a regular basis inside my head.  I will always feel that the daily writings to my family allowed my son and me to open up emotionally with each other.  We have discussed many topics that I could never find the words to discuss before. 

Our youngest, my beautiful daughter Sydney Love, began her first year of high school.  She would begin the year as a ninth grade cheerleader but otherwise normal teenage girl, with one exception.  I would begin my eighth year as a varsity football coach at HER school in the football crazed south.  I was excited about having my daughter in the same building with me and being able to watch her grow through her high school years. She has learned to avoid the daily drama of teenage life and, although I have not figured out a teenage girl’s emotions, I have been amazed at her level of inner strength.  She is becoming as equally beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

Like most men, I have a hard exterior, and struggle to say the words that are so often in my heart and mind.  As football season, the busiest time of the year, grew closer I began to struggle with the amount of time away from my children that my job demands.  My wife has always done a wonderful job of supporting our family in my absence, but I had begun to worry about my jobs' impact on my family.  My children had always been happy and enjoyed my profession, but I had begun to doubt its importance.  I also found myself missing the young man that had been a constant companion and buddy for so many years.  My son had been the ball boy for my football teams and we had spent the last three years coaching and playing on the same team.  We had coached and played in three consecutive state championship games but now I was coaching the game I love, alone.

My wife, Jamie, and I have been together almost every day since the spring of 1989.  We met in college, graduated, married and started our careers and family.  Jamie has been my faithful wife and best friend since 1992 and a devoted mother.  As we entered this new stage of life, we found ourselves on opposite sides of minor issues concerning our children.  Throughout this year I had to move out of my shell and open up to the beautiful lady who I had hidden my heart from for many years.

For many years as a football coach I had left my home early in the morning before my family was awake.  I would spend my day teaching classes, practicing with my team, and meeting with coaches until late into the evening.  Many nights I would arrive back home after a long day to find our home completely dark with everyone asleep.  Most of those nights consisted of waking them for a moment to tell them that I was home and that I loved them.  Many nights were spent lying in my children’s beds as they slept.  I would hold them close and pray for them.  I truly believed that if my children were asked the question “Was your dad present in your life?” they would answer with a definite yes.  They have always loved that their dad was a coach.  They loved my teams and my wife has always found special moments for us to spend together as a family even during the craziness of a football season.  However, with one child no longer living in my home and the other “too grown up” to want dad to sleep with her, I found myself missing those quiet moments of prayer for the children I would gladly give my life to protect. 

As we moved into this stage of our lives I began to think more and more about how to keep my family connected to each other and to the Heavenly Father that had saved us all and blessed us with a wonderful life together.  As the busy football season began I decided that I would write a letter to my wife and children each day.  The plan was to write a quick note and tell them what was on my mind and what I had prayed about for each of them.  I had two concerns as I started my new writings.  First, I worried that my wife and children would substitute my writings for the writings of Our Heavenly Father.  I wanted my writings to be an encouragement for each of them to explore God’s Word more thoroughly and meditate on His words and not my own.  Second, I did not want my writings to be proof to them that I was praying.  I reminded them in many letters that I also struggled with making or finding the time to spend alone, quietly talking with God.  Through the first weeks of writing I found myself listening closely to comments made on the news, in the hallways of my school and from the coaches I worked alongside each day.  I was amazed at the words I heard on a daily basis that made me think of something to write.  I was also surprised at the stories I remembered from my childhood that I could share with my children that possibly helped them know more about their father.  However, on quite a few occasions, the writings were about an area of my life that I need to work to improve.  Throughout the entire process I found myself praying, like never before, for words to say to my wife and children.  I cannot be certain that each of the words contained in the letters are directly from my Heavenly Father, but I did seek Him on a regular basis and ask for my words to be His words. 

I hope to post my writings regularly and that some of the words of a simple man, husband, father and coach will encourage you in your walk with the Lord!

In His Holy and Precious Name,

Chad

P.S. This site is a work in progress.