Don't Give Up

Luke 4:21-30

Jesus speaking

²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

²² All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
²³ Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”
²⁴ “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵ I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ²⁶ Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ²⁷ And there were many in Israel with leprosy^[a] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
²⁸ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ²⁹ They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. ³⁰ But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

We have talked about this is Sunday school, that often the people closest to you are those that are hardest to reach with your faith or even in your job.  I know that I feel often that administrators and coaches from other schools ask for my opinion or follow my advice more than those closest to me.  I know that I feel that many people where I am from do likewise.  I know that I feel my own family does it, too sometimes.  I feel that when I leave here and venture out, the appreciation is much higher for what I have been through and what I have to say. 

I think there are two main reasons for this. 

One, the people closest to you know you.  That can have negative consequences because of their memories.  No matter what you say or do today, they remember what you have done and said in the past, and let's be honest, none of us are perfect.  That means that many of our mistakes from the past are not forgotten, and depending on the person, are never far from their own thoughts. Maybe I can fool some of the people some of the time away from here, but home, well, they know me.

Second, people that are closer to you are used to what you have to say and do.  They may have seen your "advice" in action and don't need to ask for it.  They often don't listen because they don't want to seem like they are not in control, that you may know something that could help, or that would be helpful.  To them, it shows weakness and may be their lack of ability to follow even when leading.

I, by no means, have all the answers, in fact, some days I feel I have none.  

I guess I am writing this to show you that your frustration in your given situation, where you are located, is not a new predicament.  People feel helpless where they are closest in many situations, including Jesus of Nazareth.  But don't quit the good fight, keep plugging away.  Help those you can closest to you and continue reaching out where you go.  Stay the course and do work that is presented to you and help when possible. 

Do not become frustrated and negative, because you are still doing everything for the glory of God. 

The Places We Go

My kids have no idea where they have been able to go as a young children. They have been to so many places that I wasn't able to go until I was older, simply because I like basketball and traveling so much.  When I was a kid, my parents didn't take me to any of these places not because they were mean, but because they weren't too interested in it themselves.  Me, it's a different story.  I love history, I love basketball, I love Indiana basketball, and I love the history of Indiana basketball and basketball itself.

When my daughter was almost two, we traveled to the northeast.  We visted Penn State, Yale, Syracuse, Harvard, UCONN, and Penn's athletic facilities.  Yes, we have been to Philly's Palestra.  Oh yea, we also visted the states in the area and stayed in Boston for a few days.  She got to shoot baskets after we visted the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.  She got to play on the University of Tennessee's court, and then traveled with me when she was 3 to Tobacco Road where we walked around North Carolina, Cameron Indoor at Duke, and got a tour of Wake Forest University with friend WF Asst, and former IUS head coach, Walt Corbean.  We went to WF first, and when we arrived at UNC, she asked who was going to show us around there, she had no idea that it didn't happen everywhere to everyone.

When Brandon was just two years old, he had already been to Indiana University's practice facility where he showed his two basketball dribbling skills to men's coach Tom Crean.  The girls went to Chicago, so he and I went to Hoosier's gym in Knightstown, spent the night in the Steve Alford All American Inn and then spent a few hours at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame where we were given a "behind the scenes" tour with friend Executive Director Chris May.

He's been to Loogootee (Jack Butcher), he's been to Springs Valley (Larry Bird), he's been to Cloverdale and met Coach Pat Rady (winningest current head coach) as well as meeting all the other high school coaches in the area.  He and his sister have been to IU's practice facility, to IU basketball and football games, and they both got to play on the football field when I addressed the football team at their weekly chapel.  Finally, I know I am missing something, he got to play at Milan High School.  If you don't know what the big deal is about Milan, you probably shouldn't be reading the sports section.  It is the high school that the 1954 Indiana boys' state champs inspired the movie "Hoosiers" which ESPN voted as the greatest sports movie ever.

My kids have been to the athletic facilities at Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State, Florida, Vanderbilt, and many other universities. They have been to the Atlantic Ocean, Lake Michigan and taken a cruise on the Ohio River. They have been to so many places that I would have killed for when younger. Instead, my memories of my youth is my dad coming home tired from work and shooting basketball or throwing baseball, and of my mom supporting me through the ups and downs of athletics from little league to high school and then to coaching.  None I would trade for any other memories, they gave me so much and loved me even more.

To be fair, we have probably spoiled the kids when it comes to these things, but it really isn't about them.  It has been about what we have wanted to do, it has been about where we have wanted to go, but more importantly it has been about the idea that we want to have them with us when we travel and to give them great memories.  It's a statistical fact that everyone will die, and Lord willing, I will die before them.  I want them to have these memories, maybe not always something they want to do, but something they will be able to remember what they've done, who they did it with, and smile and pass on their own experiences and loves to their children.

FCA for February 5, 2013

Today, we had a teacher testimony.  Mrs. Carter spoke about growing up in a family that was involved in the church.  The one constant that she has felt from the time she can remember through today is love.  God is love.


1 Corinthians 13
 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

WinterJam 2013

Check out the WinterJam website and if there is a concert in your area, attend.  My wife and I went to Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky Saturday to watch the bands and there may have been 30,000 people there watching the show.

(Matthew West: Strong Enough)

Good stuff, great music, great fellowship.

(TobyMac: Me Without You)

MercyMe...The Hurt and the Healer

My favorite song out right now. Love the lyrics.

Switzerland County's "Mike Night"

If you have never driven along the Ohio River to Vevay, IN, it is a fun drive.  After going through Old downtown Madison, you drive for over 20 miles along the banks of the Ohio River.

Brandon and I arrived and were treated to great hospitality by Coach B.J. McAlister and everyone at Switzerland County, HS.  Mike McClure, a long time teacher, coach and FCA coach from Switz Co, passed away this past year.  The boys/girls varsity night was dedicated to Coaches vs. Cancer and raising money for an FCA scholarship in the name of Mike McClure.

Mike's family was there including his 93 year old father, a WWII vet, who had great stories of Mike and his time in the war.  Mike's brother Steve McClure coached at Northfield and I enjoyed listening to his stories about that time as well as Indiana basketball in general.

Steve and I both addressed the crowd (I humbly represented Southern Indiana FCA) and gold t shirts were sold with "Mike's Night" on them.  Switz Co's colors are orange and blue, but Mike was a Purdue fan, so the gold shirts were a hit.  Teaching at HHS, I felt comfortable with all of that gold in the building.

Overall, it was a wonderful night that I got to spend with my son, money was raised and a tribute was given for a great man in Mike McClure, it was a great game to watch and for the Switzerland County people, their team defeated a good Shawe Memorial team to end the night.