Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Colossians 3:23
My wife and I have spent the past few days preparing to move our daughter back to college for her sophomore year. I thought year number two would be easier but I have found that I dislike it as much this year as I did on the first. One of my assigned duties for the move was to pick up a trailer at the rental place for us to move furniture. I woke up on the morning I was scheduled to pick up the trailer feeling sick. I have been blessed with a life that has been relatively free from any type of illness. So, on the rare occasions when I have a fever, it totally throws me off. I walked into the office at the rental place and was greeted by a very nice young lady who was working for the day. We talked for a few minutes while she did the paperwork for my rental. I left the office, backed my truck into a parking lot, and found my assigned trailer. My problems began immediately. The trailer I was to pick up was very large and heavy. I realized quickly there was no way to lift the trailer onto my truck other than by using my “brute” strength. So, there I stood, only person in sight, sweating from a fever and the summer heat, with a heavy trailer to lift. I finally was able to lift the trailer onto my truck only to find the hitch on the trailer was broken and would now have to be removed from my truck. The young employee walked out to the parking lot to check on me and I realized she was several months pregnant. I told her about my problem and she walked behind my truck, stood over the trailer hitch, and began to try to lift the trailer. Of course, I stopped her and said, “You are pregnant. I am not going to let you lift this trailer”. She moved away and said, “But I still have a job to do”.
She quickly reminded me that, just because I did not feel well, I still had a job to do for the day. Not only were my wife and daughter depending on me to get a trailer, they were needing me to load that trailer before the next morning. The following days success was dependant on me getting a trailer and loading that trailer. The rest would not happen without me completing my duty for the day regardless of how I felt at the moment or what was working against me. Now, I am still not sure why a young girl needs so much stuff in a college apartment, but that was not my job for the day!
The young lady at the rental place also reminded me that, as a follower of Christ, I still have a job to do. He does not tell us that, while doing His work, we will always feel well, everything will go our way, or there will not be struggles. In fact, He tells us the exact opposite. He knows there will be days when we do not feel well, the daily struggles of life will get in the way, and all will seem against us. But, we still have a job to do and He expects it to be done. He tells us in Matthew 9:37, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few”. Not only is there a lot of work to do, there are not many workers to do the job. He still needs His work to be done.
Ask Him to give you the strength to continue His work. Regardless of the trials we face, the overwhelming harvest, and the limited amount of workers, there is still plenty of work to be done. I prayed today and asked God to give me the patience, wisdom, and strength to do His work. I also thanked Him for the hundreds of days when I don’t have a fever to deal with and a heavy trailer to lift!
Chad
Monday, August 6, 2018
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
"Reasons Why"
I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3
My wife and I were in a local hardware store a few days ago buying lumber for a house we are renovating. We are trying to figure this out as we go so every step brings on a thousand questions for which we do not know the answer. While shopping, I heard my wife ask another customer a question. He was wearing a shirt with his company name and I quickly realized that I recognized the business name. I asked the young man who was the owner of his company and he said, “It’s my dad”. He also told me his dad’s name and I began making the connection. I asked the young man, “Is Hoyt Hammock your grandfather”? He answered yes and asked me how I knew his grandfather. I was excited to meet the grandson of my high school football coach and a man that I admired greatly. We talked for a few minutes and I told him about my time as a high school football player and the many days I had spent with Coach Hammock. Coach and I always had a special relationship. I had spent many days with him, even after finishing high school, working on his lake house. I told the young man about his grandfather calling me, on several occasions, to say, “Let’s go to the lake. We have a little work to do and then we will do some fishing”. I told him I never fished a single moment at his grandfather’s lake, but I dug every foot of the foundation of his house by hand! Most special of all, was that Coach Hoyt Hammock had also married me and my wife. On our wedding day, our pastor and Coach Hammock both performed parts of our wedding ceremony. That has always been a special moment in my life and I told his grandson that I was the only person to have been coached by and married by the same person. As we were leaving the store and saying our goodbyes, this young man asked me, “What type of coach was my grandfather”? I told him, “Your grandfather was the type of coach that every coach should be. He expected you to be a tough young man and I always wanted him to think I was a tough person”. Although he was tough and expected toughness, He was also a very caring person. Coach Hammock passed away over eight years ago when his grandson was only a teenager. I could tell his grandson was excited to hear someone speak highly of his grandfather. It reminded me of the feeling I would have as a young man when I would meet someone who had known my grandfather. It was always nice to hear someone confirm the good thoughts and memories you had of your grandfather.
I was blessed to have known Coach Hoyt Hammock and I am thankful that God placed him in my life as a young person. I was blessed to have a great dad who continues to be a model of a godly man and father for me. Coach Hammock was a living example of the person my dad was training me to become. The thing I remember about Coach Hammock the most was his toughness. He was the most physically tough person I have ever known but he was also the most caring man to so many. I spent the day remembering my days as a young boy playing football for Coach Hammock. Later in the day, I realized that I never thought about any football skills that he taught me or that he was a great offensive or defensive mind. What I remembered was that he expected great things from me and he was proud when I overcame an obstacle or a challenge. Talking with Coach Hammock’s grandson also made me remember why I am a coach. I do not believe God made me a football coach because he simply wanted me to teach young men how to tackle, throw a ball, or score touchdowns. He made me a coach because he knew that hundreds of young men would need someone in their life. Some would need a coach who would be an example of the type of person their father was training them to be. Many others would need a coach who would serve as their father. They would need a coach who would correct them when their life was headed in a bad direction. They would need a coach who would expect great achievements and be proud of them when they had overcome a challenge. They would need a coach who would love them regardless of their playing ability.
Meeting Coach Hammock’s grandson reminded me of the reasons why I became a coach. God did not make me a coach because he knew young men would need someone to teach them how to block and tackle. He knew I would be around hundreds of young men who would need someone to believe in them, have faith in their abilities, and to be proud of them just for being a good person.
Meeting Coach Hammock’s grandson also reminded me of why God puts all of us here on earth. It is not so we can make a lot of money, gain worldwide fame, or to enjoy a comfortable life. He put us here to be used by Him to impact someone’s life. Coach Hammock’s life was well spent in the service to his Lord by the impact he had on my life and the countless others he met. Maybe God used me to have a small impact on his grandsons life by letting me meet him and tell him how much Coach Hammock still means to me.
Chad
My wife and I were in a local hardware store a few days ago buying lumber for a house we are renovating. We are trying to figure this out as we go so every step brings on a thousand questions for which we do not know the answer. While shopping, I heard my wife ask another customer a question. He was wearing a shirt with his company name and I quickly realized that I recognized the business name. I asked the young man who was the owner of his company and he said, “It’s my dad”. He also told me his dad’s name and I began making the connection. I asked the young man, “Is Hoyt Hammock your grandfather”? He answered yes and asked me how I knew his grandfather. I was excited to meet the grandson of my high school football coach and a man that I admired greatly. We talked for a few minutes and I told him about my time as a high school football player and the many days I had spent with Coach Hammock. Coach and I always had a special relationship. I had spent many days with him, even after finishing high school, working on his lake house. I told the young man about his grandfather calling me, on several occasions, to say, “Let’s go to the lake. We have a little work to do and then we will do some fishing”. I told him I never fished a single moment at his grandfather’s lake, but I dug every foot of the foundation of his house by hand! Most special of all, was that Coach Hoyt Hammock had also married me and my wife. On our wedding day, our pastor and Coach Hammock both performed parts of our wedding ceremony. That has always been a special moment in my life and I told his grandson that I was the only person to have been coached by and married by the same person. As we were leaving the store and saying our goodbyes, this young man asked me, “What type of coach was my grandfather”? I told him, “Your grandfather was the type of coach that every coach should be. He expected you to be a tough young man and I always wanted him to think I was a tough person”. Although he was tough and expected toughness, He was also a very caring person. Coach Hammock passed away over eight years ago when his grandson was only a teenager. I could tell his grandson was excited to hear someone speak highly of his grandfather. It reminded me of the feeling I would have as a young man when I would meet someone who had known my grandfather. It was always nice to hear someone confirm the good thoughts and memories you had of your grandfather.
I was blessed to have known Coach Hoyt Hammock and I am thankful that God placed him in my life as a young person. I was blessed to have a great dad who continues to be a model of a godly man and father for me. Coach Hammock was a living example of the person my dad was training me to become. The thing I remember about Coach Hammock the most was his toughness. He was the most physically tough person I have ever known but he was also the most caring man to so many. I spent the day remembering my days as a young boy playing football for Coach Hammock. Later in the day, I realized that I never thought about any football skills that he taught me or that he was a great offensive or defensive mind. What I remembered was that he expected great things from me and he was proud when I overcame an obstacle or a challenge. Talking with Coach Hammock’s grandson also made me remember why I am a coach. I do not believe God made me a football coach because he simply wanted me to teach young men how to tackle, throw a ball, or score touchdowns. He made me a coach because he knew that hundreds of young men would need someone in their life. Some would need a coach who would be an example of the type of person their father was training them to be. Many others would need a coach who would serve as their father. They would need a coach who would correct them when their life was headed in a bad direction. They would need a coach who would expect great achievements and be proud of them when they had overcome a challenge. They would need a coach who would love them regardless of their playing ability.
Meeting Coach Hammock’s grandson reminded me of the reasons why I became a coach. God did not make me a coach because he knew young men would need someone to teach them how to block and tackle. He knew I would be around hundreds of young men who would need someone to believe in them, have faith in their abilities, and to be proud of them just for being a good person.
Meeting Coach Hammock’s grandson also reminded me of why God puts all of us here on earth. It is not so we can make a lot of money, gain worldwide fame, or to enjoy a comfortable life. He put us here to be used by Him to impact someone’s life. Coach Hammock’s life was well spent in the service to his Lord by the impact he had on my life and the countless others he met. Maybe God used me to have a small impact on his grandsons life by letting me meet him and tell him how much Coach Hammock still means to me.
Chad
Saturday, July 14, 2018
"Don't be a but"
They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. 30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” Numbers 13:27-28 & 30
Coaches are all guilty of stealing each others information and using it as their own. It is okay because the guy you are stealing it from, also stole it from someone else. While attending an athletic directors conference a while ago, I had the privilege of hearing a nationally known speaker. I enjoyed hearing this speaker and he used an old coaches story to make a point. A coach will say to his team, “Are you an And or a But”. The point is, can I, as your coach describe you as a young man who is a great player and a great leader? Are you a player I would describe as a hard worker and a great student? Or, would I describe him by saying, “He is a great athlete, but he has a terrible attitude”. Maybe he would be described by saying, “He is a great player, but he does not do his school work”.
In the story from Numbers 13, God speaks to Moses and tells him to, “Send some men to the land of Canaan, which I am giving the Israelites”. Moses chooses the twelve leaders and sends them to investigate the land with specific instructions. As the men explore the land, they find it “flowing with milk and honey” and return some of the fruit of the land to Moses. As they give their report to Moses, they describe the beauty of the land and finish their report with, “But the people who live there are powerful and the cities are strong and fortified”. When the people heard the news of the challenges they forgot all that God had done for them and all He had promised. Caleb silenced the crowd and assured the people they could claim what God had promised to them. But the people doubted and feared all the more and began searching for a leader to return them to Egypt to live again as slaves.
The Israelites had been lead all these years by God and He delivered them to the land He had promised. But, when they faced the last challenge, they doubted and lost the land they had been promised. Only Caleb and Joshua reaped the benefits of God’s reward for their faithfulness. I forget sometimes what He has done for me in the past when I am faced with a challenge in my future. I know He has lead me each day and will never leave me. But, when the fears arise I forget He has proven himself to me over and over. I want to remember that He is a loving and faithful God.
Chad
Coaches are all guilty of stealing each others information and using it as their own. It is okay because the guy you are stealing it from, also stole it from someone else. While attending an athletic directors conference a while ago, I had the privilege of hearing a nationally known speaker. I enjoyed hearing this speaker and he used an old coaches story to make a point. A coach will say to his team, “Are you an And or a But”. The point is, can I, as your coach describe you as a young man who is a great player and a great leader? Are you a player I would describe as a hard worker and a great student? Or, would I describe him by saying, “He is a great athlete, but he has a terrible attitude”. Maybe he would be described by saying, “He is a great player, but he does not do his school work”.
In the story from Numbers 13, God speaks to Moses and tells him to, “Send some men to the land of Canaan, which I am giving the Israelites”. Moses chooses the twelve leaders and sends them to investigate the land with specific instructions. As the men explore the land, they find it “flowing with milk and honey” and return some of the fruit of the land to Moses. As they give their report to Moses, they describe the beauty of the land and finish their report with, “But the people who live there are powerful and the cities are strong and fortified”. When the people heard the news of the challenges they forgot all that God had done for them and all He had promised. Caleb silenced the crowd and assured the people they could claim what God had promised to them. But the people doubted and feared all the more and began searching for a leader to return them to Egypt to live again as slaves.
The Israelites had been lead all these years by God and He delivered them to the land He had promised. But, when they faced the last challenge, they doubted and lost the land they had been promised. Only Caleb and Joshua reaped the benefits of God’s reward for their faithfulness. I forget sometimes what He has done for me in the past when I am faced with a challenge in my future. I know He has lead me each day and will never leave me. But, when the fears arise I forget He has proven himself to me over and over. I want to remember that He is a loving and faithful God.
Chad
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Happy Father's Day
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
Psalm 103:13Father’s Day will be celebrated tomorrow and I have been reading a few verses about the role of a Father. Being a father is the most awesome job a man can have and also the most mentally tiring. God put a lot of responsibility on fathers to be the example of His Son Jesus on the earth, but sadly many of us are failing miserably at our jobs. We hear of dads who abandon their wives and children or who are verbally and physically abusive. God expects dads to be the spiritual leader of the home and to also be the protector of his wife and children. That is only two jobs but there is a lot of responsibility. One of my favorite dads, Phil Dunphy (Modern Family) said “A dad should be like a rock on a stormy ocean for his children. Well a floaty rock”. A dad should be the stable foundation that his wife and children can hold onto during the storms of life. He should be the man that teaches his son how to be respectful of women and he should be the daily voice that reminds his daughter that she is beautiful and special in his eyes. And her dad’s eyes are all that should matter. She should also learn how a husband should treat her by the way he treats her mother.
Psalm 103 says, a father should have compassion on his children. I think this means that a dad should care about every part of his children’s life. He should feel a deep desire to protect his children physically, but even more importantly, he should work every day to protect them mentally and spiritually. I think a dad’s children should be constantly on his mind. Every decision a dad makes should be based on does it please God, and does it protect his children mentally and spiritually. The words he uses and the actions he takes should be based on pleasing God and protecting the one’s God has given to him.
It is estimated that there are currently 70 million children under the age of 17 in the United States representing 24 million fathers. These fathers, ranging in ages from early adulthood to senior citizen, include men who are working for minimum wage to billionaires, are high school dropouts to doctorates, and come from many nationalities and skin color. What we all have in common is the ability to change the world through our children. We have the power, regardless of community status or wealth, to create a world that is free of many of the problems we continue to pass along to our children. As fathers we have the power to rid the world of racist views because by building our child’s self esteem they will see the contents of a person’s heart and not the color of their skin. As fathers we have the power to rid the world of the vicious crimes we see in our communities because our children will value the lives of others as much as they value their own. Most important, we should ask God each day to use us to lead our children toward a relationship with Him. If we do this, our job on earth will be complete!
As we celebrate Father's Day, I am thankful for my father who taught me through his example, and for William and Sydney Love who allow me to be their father.
Happy Father's Day
Chad
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
"Eyes that see"
Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? Mark 8:18
My wife and I traveled to the beach this past weekend to attend the wedding of a young lady we have known since she was a small girl. It was great to see her family and catch up from too many years apart. While driving through some small towns on our trip, we stopped for a break and to get gas. After pumping gas into our car, we began to pull away and continue the last hour of our trip. As I began moving the car, a man approached our car and asked me to stop. I rolled the window down expecting him to ask for directions. Instead, he began telling me quite a sad story of his misfortune for the day. I immediately began thinking he was working toward asking for money and I was getting my excuse ready. I half heartedly listened as he went on to tell me the story about his day and the sequence of sad events that had lead him to our meeting. He told me he was at home recovering from his recent chemotherapy treatment when he received a call that his wife, while out with friends, had been rushed to the hospital. He left his house in a rush only to find a flat tire on his truck. He ran back into the house, grabbed the keys to his wife’s car, and sped away to the hospital. After driving to about the midpoint of his trip he realized his wife’s car was running out of gas. He pulled into the gas station where he and I would meet to fill the tank, only to realize he had left his wallet at home. Now he was too far from home to return for the wallet but had an empty tank of gas that would not reach the hospital. While he was talking, I did not have a very positive attitude. In my mind I was saying to myself, “Why are you using all your stories on me at once?” I looked over to my wife after hearing the sad facts of what I was certain was a “made up” story, and she said, “Sir, let us put some gas in your car”. I walked with him to his car but still without a good attitude. I reluctantly pulled my debit card from my wallet just as he opened his car door and said, “Wait, don’t do anything else.” I stopped and looked at him just as he said, “There’s my wallet, I have been sitting on it.” Suddenly, I saw what he really was. A man that was actually recovering from chemotherapy while getting the frightening news of his wife suddenly being ill. I found out his name was Gary and I told him I knew he was in a hurry but I would say a prayer for him as I continued on my trip. As I reached to shake his hand, he said, “I better not touch your hand. I am getting over a stomach virus”.
As I walked away, I wished I had seen him with the same eyes I saw him with after he found his wallet. He was not a scam artist looking to trick me out of a few dollars but was a nice man who was in a desperate moment of life. I wish I had not been so worried about letting another man beat me out of a few dollars and had truly seen him as God was seeing him at the same moment. As I drove, I did say a prayer and ask God to take care of all of Gary’s many problems. I also asked God to help me see people the way He sees them. I asked Him to show me how to treat people in those situations the way He would and to not worry about if their story is true. I also thanked Him for giving me a wife that sees people in a more positive way than her husband!
Chad
My wife and I traveled to the beach this past weekend to attend the wedding of a young lady we have known since she was a small girl. It was great to see her family and catch up from too many years apart. While driving through some small towns on our trip, we stopped for a break and to get gas. After pumping gas into our car, we began to pull away and continue the last hour of our trip. As I began moving the car, a man approached our car and asked me to stop. I rolled the window down expecting him to ask for directions. Instead, he began telling me quite a sad story of his misfortune for the day. I immediately began thinking he was working toward asking for money and I was getting my excuse ready. I half heartedly listened as he went on to tell me the story about his day and the sequence of sad events that had lead him to our meeting. He told me he was at home recovering from his recent chemotherapy treatment when he received a call that his wife, while out with friends, had been rushed to the hospital. He left his house in a rush only to find a flat tire on his truck. He ran back into the house, grabbed the keys to his wife’s car, and sped away to the hospital. After driving to about the midpoint of his trip he realized his wife’s car was running out of gas. He pulled into the gas station where he and I would meet to fill the tank, only to realize he had left his wallet at home. Now he was too far from home to return for the wallet but had an empty tank of gas that would not reach the hospital. While he was talking, I did not have a very positive attitude. In my mind I was saying to myself, “Why are you using all your stories on me at once?” I looked over to my wife after hearing the sad facts of what I was certain was a “made up” story, and she said, “Sir, let us put some gas in your car”. I walked with him to his car but still without a good attitude. I reluctantly pulled my debit card from my wallet just as he opened his car door and said, “Wait, don’t do anything else.” I stopped and looked at him just as he said, “There’s my wallet, I have been sitting on it.” Suddenly, I saw what he really was. A man that was actually recovering from chemotherapy while getting the frightening news of his wife suddenly being ill. I found out his name was Gary and I told him I knew he was in a hurry but I would say a prayer for him as I continued on my trip. As I reached to shake his hand, he said, “I better not touch your hand. I am getting over a stomach virus”.
As I walked away, I wished I had seen him with the same eyes I saw him with after he found his wallet. He was not a scam artist looking to trick me out of a few dollars but was a nice man who was in a desperate moment of life. I wish I had not been so worried about letting another man beat me out of a few dollars and had truly seen him as God was seeing him at the same moment. As I drove, I did say a prayer and ask God to take care of all of Gary’s many problems. I also asked God to help me see people the way He sees them. I asked Him to show me how to treat people in those situations the way He would and to not worry about if their story is true. I also thanked Him for giving me a wife that sees people in a more positive way than her husband!
Chad
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