For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
I have had something on my mind for several weeks and have been talking to my team about this topic throughout the week. A few days ago, I asked the team if they have ever heard someone say, “The teenage years are the best years of your life”. Most of the group raised their hand and I replied by saying, “Well they were lying to you”. I went on to tell them their teenage years should be great years and they should be filled with fun and memorable experiences. They are able to experience making friends, going to high school, and playing sports all while having someone else worry about the details. Someone else paying the bills, cooking the meals, and filling up the gas tank is a pretty nice way to live. My point to them was that these should be great times of their lives but the “Best” years are coming. Later in their life when they have a job they enjoy, meet the young lady they will marry and love forever, have their own children, own their own home, and have their own grandchildren. Those are the events that make life worth living and truly are the best days of your life.
Unfortunately, many of today’s teenagers will never experience the best parts of life because of poor decisions and negative influences that creep into their life now. In Jeremiah 29:11, we are told that He knows the plans for us. These are not plans to harm us or to give us a life of misery and loneliness. These are amazing plans of a future filled with prosperity and hope. I don’t want the young men who make up my football team to miss out on a future planned by Our Heavenly Father because of a bad decision during their youth. I pray the great days of their youth will be filled with exciting moments, laughter, lifelong memories, and even a few trials. I also pray He will protect them from the evil of this world that only hopes to rob them of the best days of their lives.
I woke up early this morning, told my wife, “Happy Game Day” and left my home for a long and exciting day. The upcoming game and the events of the day are exciting enough but, the most exciting part for me is my daughter coming home from college for my game. She will arrive just before kick-off and although I may appear to be working during the time before the game, I will really just be watching for her. I will spend the day trying to make everything look nice for the game, not for the large crowd that will come to watch, but for one young lady who I still try to impress. Also, in the next few days, my daughter will turn 20 years old. I am in the final few days as a parent of a teenager. I have been sad about the approaching day but, as I woke up this morning and remembered my conversations with my team, I thanked God for protecting her through the “Great” days of her youth and preparing her for the “Best” days of her future.
Happy almost 20th Birthday to my Sydney Love. Thanks for letting me be a part of the great days of your teenage life. I can’t wait to see the plans He has for your future.
Chad
Friday, September 21, 2018
Friday, September 14, 2018
Good Days
Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” Luke 5:26
The wife of one of my coaching friends has recently undergone surgery to have a cancerous tumor removed. All has gone as well with her surgery and treatment as can be hoped for but the last few days for this couple has been very stressful. My friend and I were talking about the many people around this earth who spend endless days with the reality of a loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer. My friend talked about, even with the frightening news of her illness, she would not allow herself to have a bad day. She knows that, regardless of her trial, there is someone who is struggling with a much larger issue.
I thought about our conversation throughout the day and later talked to our football team. We talked about how, as football players, we often wake up to a day of workouts, classes, meetings, and practice. These are often long and tiring days but we forget how blessed we are to be able to physically and mentally be a part of something worthwhile and exciting. We talked about the many people on this earth who truly are having bad days. They are waking up to a day of illness, pain, family issues, or personal loss. They would trade their best day for our worst day.
I know I have also at times allowed a single bad event during my day ruin the entire day. I decided a while ago to try to never have a bad day. I have bad parts to my day but I don’t want a single bad moment to ruin my day. It has not worked as well as I had hoped, but I am working on it. I hear people say all the time, “this is a horrible day”. I always think, you are still walking and talking so it must not have been horrible. It may have had a bad moment, but it is not totally bad. I really cannot say that I have ever had a bad day when I think about it. I have had my share of bad moments and some have taken up most of the day, but I was breathing at the end of the day and I still had my family when it was over. We have all had bad parts to many days and I am sure there will be many more bad parts to future days. My prayer today is to not let a day go by that I do not find the good. Sometimes we have to look real hard but it is there if we look close. Have you ever thought about your life like this? If you live to be 80 years old, that is only 29,200 days. I have already used over half of mine! If I allow even two days a month to be bad days that is 1,920 total bad days in my life. That is also a little over 5 years worth of bad days in my life. Search for the good today and rejoice in what you see and hear. Maybe it is the changing of the season coming soon, the stars at night, or a few moments with a friend or loved one, but find something that at the end of the day you can say, this was a good day, overall.
Have a Great Day!
Chad
The wife of one of my coaching friends has recently undergone surgery to have a cancerous tumor removed. All has gone as well with her surgery and treatment as can be hoped for but the last few days for this couple has been very stressful. My friend and I were talking about the many people around this earth who spend endless days with the reality of a loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer. My friend talked about, even with the frightening news of her illness, she would not allow herself to have a bad day. She knows that, regardless of her trial, there is someone who is struggling with a much larger issue.
I thought about our conversation throughout the day and later talked to our football team. We talked about how, as football players, we often wake up to a day of workouts, classes, meetings, and practice. These are often long and tiring days but we forget how blessed we are to be able to physically and mentally be a part of something worthwhile and exciting. We talked about the many people on this earth who truly are having bad days. They are waking up to a day of illness, pain, family issues, or personal loss. They would trade their best day for our worst day.
I know I have also at times allowed a single bad event during my day ruin the entire day. I decided a while ago to try to never have a bad day. I have bad parts to my day but I don’t want a single bad moment to ruin my day. It has not worked as well as I had hoped, but I am working on it. I hear people say all the time, “this is a horrible day”. I always think, you are still walking and talking so it must not have been horrible. It may have had a bad moment, but it is not totally bad. I really cannot say that I have ever had a bad day when I think about it. I have had my share of bad moments and some have taken up most of the day, but I was breathing at the end of the day and I still had my family when it was over. We have all had bad parts to many days and I am sure there will be many more bad parts to future days. My prayer today is to not let a day go by that I do not find the good. Sometimes we have to look real hard but it is there if we look close. Have you ever thought about your life like this? If you live to be 80 years old, that is only 29,200 days. I have already used over half of mine! If I allow even two days a month to be bad days that is 1,920 total bad days in my life. That is also a little over 5 years worth of bad days in my life. Search for the good today and rejoice in what you see and hear. Maybe it is the changing of the season coming soon, the stars at night, or a few moments with a friend or loved one, but find something that at the end of the day you can say, this was a good day, overall.
Have a Great Day!
Chad
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