“One moment creates another moment”

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.  Matthew 9:22

We can probably all remember a key moment in our life when we made the correct decision and it lead to another good moment. We can also all remember a moment when a poor decision was made and it unfortunately lead to another negative moment. In my life as a father, a moment of time spent talking openly with my children always leads to another moment of trust. A moment of caring for my wife during a difficult time creates another moment of trust between the two of us. As an offensive line coach I often point out to my guys how one moment of a game created another moment. Maybe it is a first down that our team only makes by inches that allows us to continue on to the moment we score several plays later. One moment would not have happened without the other. I especially like the moments when their attitude as a group could have changed to very negative but they pushed themselves through the difficult moment. Their attitude in one moment created another more positive moment. Again, one would not have happened without the other. I have also been a part of games where a moment, early in the game that was not handled correctly or with a good attitude, created the moment that caused our team to lose. In football, and in our lives, we never know which moment will lead to the key moment that decides victory or defeat.

Our lives are also full of moments that create other moments. It could be the moment a friend asks about our relationship with our Heavenly Father. If we are prepared at that moment to give an answer for our joy it will create the moment when our friend accepts Jesus as their Savior. However, a moment when our words or actions do not represent our Savior creates a moment that causes our friend to see our faith as phony. Each moment counts! In the verse from Matthew 9, a woman who had suffered with an illness for twelve years approaches Jesus in a crowd and touches his robe. She knows if she can just touch his robe she will be healed. Jesus, although in a crowd with many people touching him, feels the sick woman touch His robe. He turns to her and says, “Your faith has healed you” and the woman was healed at that very moment. What if she had doubted at the most critical moment of her life? That one moment in time, when she believed even touching the robe of Jesus would heal her, created the very next moment when she was healed. A moment of faith created a moment of healing.

I prayed today to value each moment whether exciting or routine. I also prayed to allow God to control each and every moment and for the moments of need to also be moments of faith.

Chad

Your Name

In his name the nations will put their hope.” Matthew 12:21

Have you ever given much thought to the importance of your name? When my wife was pregnant with William and Sydney, we gave their names a lot of thought. It took us longer to decide on our son's name but eventually decided to name him after our fathers, William Hixson Lamb and Rubie O’Neil Eads. We decided on the name William O’Neil Eads. It was a special name to both of us because it includes the names of the two most important men in our lives. We kept his name a secret from our families until after he was born. I will never forget walking into the waiting room after his birth to tell our dads that my son would be William O’Neil. Our daughter's name came much easier because we knew for a long time that she would be named after our grandfathers, James Sidney Kendrick and Henry Egar Love. We were proud to give our new baby girl the name, Sydney Love Eads and it fits her perfect to this day. Our names are important because it was well thought out by our parents and it belongs to us. People know us by our name and there are thoughts they have when they say or hear our name. Our character is closely tied to our names and we should always work to honor the people who gave us our names and the people we are named after.

During Jesus’ time on the earth He was called by many names. All of His names refer to His power, His character, or His relation to His Father. People all across the world know Jesus by the many names in which Christians refer to Him. He is called the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is called the Cornerstone because He is our foundation. He is called Counselor because we can go to Him with any problem or worry and He will honor our concerns. He is called Shepherd because He guards His flock and counts us each as most important to Him. He is called the Lamb of God because He freely gave His life as a sacrifice for us. He is called King of Kings because He is mightier than all the earthly kings. He is called the Light of the World because He is the shining light that guides us through a wicked world. He is called the Prince of Peace because He lived a sinless life and gave away His life freely. He is called Rock because we can build our lives upon Him and the foundation will never grow weak. He is called Healer because He can heal our minds and bodies. He is called Emmanuel which means “God with us”. Maybe the best name of all is Savior because He saves us from our sins and promises us eternal life. 

We also have many names that we each are called and we should always be proud of these names. I am called Coach by many people each day. To many others I am Teacher. To others I am Neil and Linda’s son. I am also called Jamie’s husband or William and Sydney’s dad. All of these names mean as much to me as the name given to me by my parents. Honor the name that you have been given by your parents and also the names that many others call you. Maybe it is friend, teammate, mentor, brother or sister, or classmate. Most of all, honor the many names of Jesus. Allow Him to be your shepherd through the trials of life. Ask Him to be your Counselor when you are facing worries. Rely on Him to be your Light in a dark world. Most of all ask Him to be your Savior.


Chad

"Studies have shown"

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

Today is Father’s Day and I woke up thinking about my own father and what he means to me and my brothers. I was watching one of the Sunday morning news shows and they were doing a special on the new generation of dads who are trying to spend more time with their children. They said fathers, more so than ever were taking on many of the household duties and much more of the childcare responsibilities. They went on to say, “recent studies have shown” that young children who spend more time with their fathers will grow into more confident young people. They showed videos of fathers and small children taking classes together to learn activities that will enhance their time together. As I watched the television I became even more thankful for my father. None of the information from the show was wrong but, my father never needed a study to teach him how to spend time with me and my brothers. As far as I know, my father never even participated in a study and I know he never attended a class to learn how to spend time with me. I am being a little sarcastic but the Sunday morning news program did make me appreciate my father even more. My father raised three boys to be confident young men who are capable of raising our own children. My father worked long hours at a physically demanding job but always had time to throw a ball, teach us to fish, or help with homework. More important, he taught us by example how to work hard at whatever the job may be. We learned that not all work is fun but we were expected to do the work correctly regardless. We learned that honesty is a trait we must have and dishonesty would never be accepted. We learned that we were important to our father by the way he treated our mother with love and respect and we slept safely every night because our dad viewed our lives as more important than his own.

My father’s love for me and my brothers was a tiny glimpse into the depth of love my Heavenly Father has for me. As fathers we have an awesome responsibility to be the spiritual leaders of our homes. Sure, we have to teach them how to fish and how to throw a ball but our most important mission is to teach our children about our Heavenly Father. I am very thankful for a father who did all of those things, and never needed a study to show him how.


Chad

Take Refuge

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Psalm 5:11

Do you remember a place or maybe a stuffed animal that made you feel protected? I was reading Psalm 5 and it reminded me of how my daughter would come to our bed at night if she woke up and was afraid. It was almost every night for about six years. There were also stuffed animals and blankets that my children liked because they felt safe. For a small child, the presence of mom and dad make them feel safe and protected. When I read verse 11 it reminds me of a place that I knew very well when I was a young child. My Granny and Granddaddy’s back yard seemed huge when I was young. They actually owned two lots so it was bigger than most yards in their neighborhood. Granddaddy would mow the grass but everything else was left to grow, so it was a great place for a little boy to explore. The yard was surrounded by large bushes that closed the yard in like a wall. In the middle of the yard stood an enormous magnolia tree with limbs that reached out from the trunk and bent toward the ground. My Granny and Granddaddy’s back yard was also directly under the path of the planes that flew into the airport. They looked like they were going to hit the top of the large tree and to a small boy the noise was a bit scary. Each time I was in the yard alone, and a plane would fly over, I would run to the trunk of the tree and wait until it had passed. Nothing could harm me under that huge tree. In my mind, I was totally safe under the strong branches of the massive tree. I must have been right about the tree however. About twice a year, when I get a little free time, I will drive over to my Grandparents old neighborhood. Everything is gone from the old neighborhood. My old house and my grandparent’s old house have been torn down, the roads are gone, and all the trees are gone. The only thing still standing on the street that was once filled with houses and trees is the huge magnolia tree that kept me safe from the scary planes flying over. It makes me feel good to see it and it reminds me of a great childhood with the best grandparents ever.

Verse 11 tells us where our true protection comes from. Not protection from the sound of a jet engine, but the protection from the evil in the world. God will spread His protection over us so we can rejoice in Him. I pray each morning for God to spread Himself over my family and protect them. I not only pray for their physical protection, but I also ask Him to protect them emotionally and spiritually. Let's do the same for all the people in our lives.

Chad

Can you do it when you’re tired?

Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. John 4:6

Yesterday during workouts I was walking around the weight room and watching the boys lift weights. Toward the end of the workout, we had the boys do a drill that requires them to squat and jump for a thirty second period. We want them to perform the drill with the correct technique for the entire thirty seconds, regardless of how they feel. As each group rotated around to this particular station and performed the jumps, I noticed a common trend among many of the players. At the beginning of the drill each of the boys performed jumps with a high level of energy and required very few technique corrections. However, as the repetitions added up, many of the boys completely gave up on the proper technique and just survived until the whistle blew. I thought about a few things while I watched and tried to use the time to teach them each a small but valuable lesson. I told a group of them that what separates the average teams from the great teams and what separates a great player from a bench warmer is not always natural talent.

Many of the activities the players do during workouts or at practice can be enjoyable if they are feeling good at the time and only do a few repetitions. The tough part comes when they are tired, sore, and hot. The player I am always looking for is the young man who can continue to do a skill properly when his body is telling him to stop. They must develop the mental toughness to keep doing everything properly even when they are tired. In the fourth quarter of a game, when everyone is tired and beat up, they will continue to execute the techniques of their position at a high level. The game would not be won by the player who has the most stars beside his name or who can bench press the largest amount of weight. The game would be won by the team of players who continue to perform the skills necessary to win, although they are equally as tired as their opponent.

The older I get the more I notice how many people cannot continue to perform when they are tired. They may be tired physically, mentally, or emotionally but they give up on the proper techniques of life at the first sign of difficulty. They also give up on becoming what God has planned for their life, now and in the future. During Jesus’ life on the earth he experienced many of the same daily difficulties as we do today. I am sure there were days when his body was tired, maybe his feet hurt from walking all day, he was emotionally exhausted from being around so many people, and he just felt like going to sleep. However, as we look at John 4:6 we notice that Jesus was tired from his journey and sat down beside a well. He was probably glad to have a few minutes to rest his legs and refresh his body with the water from the well. But, after resting for only a few minutes, a Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. I would have probably spoken to her and greeted her with my normal, “How are you doing,” but would have been too tired to change her life. Jesus, tired as he was, did much more than speak to her, but he changed her life for eternity.

Today I wanted to remind each of you that God has given you the strength to keep going and that you can do it when you are tired. He places you in those situations where you are tired but have to keep going for a few reasons. I think he wants you to prove to yourself that you can and he wants you to trust in him for the strength. 

Chad