What's in it for Me?

Yes, another post about this.  Just wanted to remind myself that a thousand years for God is like a day, or 3-4 hours according to Psalm 90, take a read.  That means our lives last as long as the snap of the fingers.

If you believe that, then nothing, and I mean nothing, revolves around you.  If you are thinking "what's in it for me?", you need to remember that we all live similar lives and in the end, we all die.  We cannot escape it.

"What's in it for me?"  Nope.  "What is it all for?"  Look inside and consider what your relationship with God is like.  I promise if you can get that straightened out, your life will improve.  It won't be easy, and there will be plenty of down times, but you will find a happiness that you didn't think you could find.

True happiness is understanding that you are not the center of the universe but that there is something that is.

Anyone Else LIke This?

There seems to be a constant...something...inside of me that keeps me from feeling completely fulfilled.  I will say that my relationship with Christ has helped so much.  I used to fill up the hole with alcohol, basketball, or something else, but now I know I have him to walk with.

But many times I feel that even though I have a beautiful/great wife, wonderful/healthy/athletic children, a great job with great students, help with a great coach at a great school coaching the sport I love the most, I still feel I am chasing something some days.  I feel under attack and wonder if it would not be better just escaping from this world.  Whether it be in the mountains of Montana or just dropping out and doing the bare minimum.

What is it?  What am I lacking?  Why can I not be happy and content in all things especially when things in my life are so wonderful?  Again, I have absolutely no idea where I would be without my relationship with Jesus.  Probably like many of my Hunter forefathers...full blown alcoholics.

Then there is the guilt I feel when I feel sorry for myself.  There are so many people, soooooo many who have it worse than I do and would love to have my life.

But I realize that I am this way.  I realize that it is something that I deal with.  I am not hiding it, and I try not to portray anything on this blog other than who I am.  This is me.  I struggle some days....a lot.  Even though I am so blessed by God with so many gifts.

Finishing Up a Book

I have not read a book in awhile, had not found anything that interested me.  Yet, when I recently posted a pic of MLB Josh Hamilton and his bat with scripture, I was pointed in the direction of this book.

The book details Hamilton's early life when he was a baseball phenom, his #1 pick, and then the downfall as he became a drug addict.  I just finished where he is on his way back to Major League Baseball after cleaning up because of a loving Grandmother and his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Looking forward to the end of the book, and praying that Hamilton stays the path as drugs are evil and his fight will continue until the day he dies.

Someday

He wants to play so bad, he cannot stand it.

For Sure

Not Feeling Well

Have you ever felt like day to day that you do not feel well?  That no matter what you do, eat, or exercise that you can not feel "good". 

Then, you get sick, for real.  Then suddenly you would do anything to feel like you do most days.  I have had the 24 hour "bug" recently and did you know that it is not the flu?  It is food poisoning or the ingestion of bacteria, more often than not....feces.

Well, well, well....wish I had not known that, and hope to feel better soon.

Memories Made and a Hunger for More

 

 

2013-2014 Boys' Basketball All Mid-Southern Conference Team

Calvin McEwen       Clarksville
Bronson Kessinger  Corydon Central
Chaz Schneider        Brownstown Central
Andrew Jones          Clarksville
Christian Reed         Silver Creek
Braydon Lander       Corydon Central
Austin Snodgrass     Brownstown Central
Devin Richey           Austin
Gabe Bauer              Silver Creek
Christian Evans        Scottsburg
D.J. Coleman            Clarksville

Honorable Mention:
Tom Wiseman          Corydon Central
Cory Smith               North Harrison
Tim Wiseman           Corydon Central
Caleb Couch             Salem

Coach of the Year:
David Benter of Brownstown Central
Jason Connell of Clarksville
Jamie Kolkmeier of Corydon Central

Conference Champion:
Brownstown Central
Clarksville
Corydon Central

Trying to Find the Balance

As I have grown stronger in my faith, I am noticing changes in myself. The biggest one as of today is the ability to worry less. The ability to not take words, thoughts, or other negative stuff so personally. Except...it seems that some people, usually non believers/angry people, are attacking me more often. I can take it, but still have prideful issues of being considered ignorant, stupid, dumb or being looked down upon intellectually. Or being looked down as not being positive which I believe both are not true.

I feel that online there many people who read my stuff just to nitpick, go through each line and try to attack anything that they don't like or agree with. For some reason, I can put up with 50 attacks, but then one will upset me. Usually because, like I used to do, it is a cheap shot, or they are trying to frame me into something that they can better...um...dislike or understand. So, when I get upset, I am "losing" for lack of a better word. One thing that I have found is that I can usually get past it quicker than in the past, and I also find that when I confront these people in a private message or face to face, their attitude is much different. It is like they are trying to frame their own identity online into what they want to be, but not actually who they are.

I guess it is easier to write sentences and believe them than to actually believe in something and then write sentences.

 Usually it is done by younger people who are struggling with who they are what they believe in, but it does come from older non believers sometimes.

But it isn't about me. I am learning to let it go. I am learning to understand that they are the one struggling, not me, at least in this situation. And I understand that by doing that, by pushing my buttons, they are actually helping me grow in my faith. I am not rejecting my beliefs because of them, it actually moves me closer to God.

John 15:18

Silver Creek vs. Brownstown Central...Final 4.1 Seconds

Me messing around with technology.  SC tied at the FT for the second of two shots.

Moving forward...

Two years ago, I decided I was finished being in charge of the Henryville basketball program.  For 13 years, I had either been an assistant or the head coach, the final 7 years as head coach.  It was time for a change for both the program and myself.  I felt like I had accomplished all I could at HHS.  The numerous hours of practice, watching junior high games, scouting, dealing with discipline issues, dealing with parents, teachers and administrators had worn me out psychologically.  There were so many positives, mostly getting to be around the Henryville young men, but there are many, many negatives that go into being a head coach in Indiana.

There was nothing more worse than at any other time, but I had reached my limit of wanting to be in charge.  The unnecessary issues had reached their limit with me.  Again, nothing that is not part of any program was going on, I was just finished.  I was not bailing on anyone, quitting, or angry.  I wanted to spend more time with my family and be closer to home. 

I sat out for one season.

I am a basketball coach and after being offered many assistant jobs, I decided that I wanted to get back into helping again.  I chose Silver Creek H.S. for three main reasons.

1. The proximity of the school to where I live.  The school is right next to my home.  Any practices, games, away games, really anything that I might attend, it was not much of a drive home.  Being close to the program that I would help with was important to me. 

2.  My kids go to the SC schools.  It allows me to get to know the staff of the schools better, it allows me to coach my own children or spend time with them even though I may still be coaching, or assisting, a high school team.  Why would I not want to be involved with my own children?

3.  Finally, and most importantly, the coach at Silver Creek, Brandon Hoffman, is a great young coach.  His faith in God, love of family, love of the program, and basketball knowledge were extremely similar to mine in how I did things.  It was not that other programs were not aligned with my feelings, but with the first two reasons in play, it made sense to choose Silver Creek if a job opened.

A job did open and I spoke with Coach Hoffman about helping and the rest is history.  It has allowed me to enjoy coaching young men again, but also has allowed my son to be heavily involved with what we do.  It has allowed me to see my daughter more as she does her activities and even coach her.

Unplanned positives have occurred since I started coaching at SC.  The biggest and best is that the community has been so open and warm to me and my family.  My opinion matters not just to Coach Hoffman, but others in the community.  I am treated as a wanted piece of the community.  I have been received so much more positively than I anticipated and for that my family and I appreciative.

Moving forward, I do not know what the future holds.  I hope to help Coach Hoffman continue to build the successful program he is building, spend more time with my children, and be as happy as I have been in awhile and live my life for Christ.  All the while being loyal to people who have been good to me, love those who do not and keep my tongue in check because it is not about me.

The Director's Promise

My 9 year old daughter has decided that she would like to be in a play at Silver Creek High School.  She "tried out" and will be singing in the children's choir.  We received her info packet yesterday and the following was included.  It is awesome.  I am always looking for stuff like this and the Director's promise was so good, I had to share it here.


My promise to you and your family:

My calling is sure.  My challenge is big.  My vision is clear.  My desire is strong.  My values are solid.  My faith in you is tough.  My mission is urgent.  My purpose is unmistakable.  My direction is forward.  My heart is genuine. 

I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discouraged, or distracted.  Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back or sit back. 

I do not need applause, flattery, adulation, prestige, stature or veneration. 

I have no time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes, or low vision. 

I will not give up, give in, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit or surrender. 

Let's do great things in excellence.

Alonzo Richmond
Silver Creek High School Theater Department, Director

YFCA March 13, 2014

Senior Shelby Basham shared her testimony and it was a moving one.  She spoke of how attending FCA helped her, but then the passing of her grandmother and the pastor speaking of how great a Christian woman she was allowed her to go to heaven.  Also the pastor spoke on how if her grandmother's story would help just one person be saved, her death would be worth it.

Shelby loved her grandmother very much and was bitter with her passing.  However, when those words were spoken, she realized that all things happen for a purpose.  And one of the purposes of her grandmother's death was for Shelby to realize she needed eternal salvation. 

And that led to:

 

 

which has led to her being happier than she has ever been in her life.  The leadership of YFCA thank her for stepping up and showing vulnerability in sharing her story.

 

 



Some things...

need no words.  But I'll try.  I am just the assistant coach at Silver Creek High School and we won our first round tournament, the sectional, Saturday night.  I grabbed my son and he cried in my arms because he was so happy.  "Daddy, this is the greatest night of my life."

He has invested so much of his life into our players and they into him.  He loves those guys and I love him.

Standards

I have noticed the last few years that if you stand for something different, better than what the world accepts, you will be held to a higher standard.  Not just by those who think similarly to you (even though I think they are the hardest on us), but by those who, well, I don't know how to explain the other group.

The other group will often not disagree in principle to what I believe.  If you remove the Bible, God, or Jesus, they are ok with the "ways to live".  Yet, they often don't live up to their own standard.  But because it is okay to fail, according to them, they are not being judgmental.  However, with me, I know better and am being held to a higher standard, so I should try to be better.  Especially because I am a judgmental Christian.  Of course, being called a judgmental Christian is pretty judgmental, but that's another story for another time. 

The hypocrisy of the world and the line of garbage most people buy is why it is so hard to stand for anything especially that you have the answers to happiness in this life...and beyond.  Because most people when attacked will pull back from their beliefs because it is too hard.  It is easier to just go along than to stand up and be attacked. 

I get it, I do, but I also won't back down, no matter how hard it may be.

He Gone...Too Soon

I am not a happy camper that IU senior Will Sheehey is graduating and leaving the IU program soon.  Will is the epitome of competitor and pride when competing at the D1 basketball level.  Has he always acted with class?  Nope.  But that sometimes happens when you are competing.  And competing isn't for wimps.

Will was one of the players along with Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller, Christian Watford, and Jordan Hulls who through their efforts and intensity brought the IU program back to national relevance.  He came to IU at a time when it wasn't cool, and the future was much brighter than the present.

This season hasn't been as "fun" for him as I think he hoped for.  But often when losing so many players from a previous season, there is a struggle that occurs.  That struggle occurs because the teams is different and also, for Will, his role as 6th man changed.  He's struggled with it, but seems to be coming to grips with it just in time for the post season.  My wish is that IU gets to the NCAA tournament, but if not, that they compete and win the NIT.

My hope is that Will has a successful pro career wherever he ends up and that he remembers IU.  If I could get my son to play like Will, or our team, we would at least be competitive in every game.  And if not, well, you'd have to beat us to earn it.

The great thing about 4 year players is that you get to know them and you invest your emotions and time with them as a fan.  I've done that with Sheehey and I will miss him.

Click here...so long Will.

Narcissist: "a person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish."

I know, I know.  I have this blog with my picture all over it and explaining my life and what I like to do, but you really don't have to come here do you?  Yes, I link articles to twitter, and I often think I am a bigger deal than I am (I am a nobody, trying to tell somebody, about Him). 

Anyway, I have a psychology minor, so I think about these types of things often.  I fight the pride issue, a lot.  I think leaders tend to fight these issues because they are complimented so often.  However, some elite leaders want the criticism  so that it can keep them balanced.  Even asking these questions and calling myself a leader makes me uncomfortable.  Maybe that makes me not narcissistic?

The one saving grace, I think is that in no way am I absorbed with my looks.  I mean, I want to look clean and look presentable, but I don't believe that women, or men, are lining up overwhelmed with how attractive I am.  Maybe that's the low self-esteem from my youth.  I guess you can see that when I think about, really think about it, I just might have other issues, but we all do.

I don't know.  Am I a narcissist?  Even asking the question tends to make me think that maybe I am.  So...I will continue to fight that battle also.  But do they go hand in hand with pride? 

I think so.

(Check out the video below, funny)