I am n

I just bought and started "I am n" today, already moved by some of the content.

What does our faith cost us? Here in the United States?

Here is a quote from Kevin who serves missions in restricted and least-reached nations:

"The further we are removed from the suffering of others, the easier it is to do nothing. We must not allow that option."

Not Bad

Done by Hayley Craig, SCHS senior.

It Won't Happen to Me

I live in a nice little world where, if I choose, I do not have to actually see many problems.

If I watch the news, I see it.

I teach high school, so occasionally, I am forced to actually see some problems, but we can usually think how terrible, smile and move on.

But drugs have become a scourge on American society.

I know they were a problem in the 1980's when I was a kid, but hard drugs have become more widespread due to their cheap cost.

How is this happening?

When the person who is addicted decided to medicate for whatever reason (fun, hate their life), they began on a spiral that led to their lowest points.

And I bet I am close when almost 100% of the addicts started out thinking and believing, "it won't happen to me".

Yet, here they are.

And younger generations seeing what has happened have still not learned that it can happen to you and maybe will.

I have been involved with education for 25 years and I have seen numerous stories of former students and players who have been addicted to drugs, are addicted to drugs and have spent time in prison due to their addiction and habits.

What can I do to help?

The more we say "drugs are bad, ok?", the more kids laugh at us because, you know, it will never happen to them.

Yet, their worlds are surrounded by people who once believed that and have found out the harsh truth.

Say "No!" to drugs...and alcohol until you are mature enough to make more informed, less emotional decisions.

Please.

PLEASE!

She's the Best (Kristi)

My wife is the absolute best wife I could have. I'd argue she's right up there at the top of best coaches wives too.

She is patient with me in my typical male issues that I have and she is supportive. Maybe, especially in others' eyes, too supportive.

How many of your wives would say "yes" if you asked if you could go to Europe to work a basketball camp? Twice?

How many of your wives would say "yes" to going to Asia for two weeks to help coach a basketball team?

How many of them would allow you to go on trips with your friends or on a school field trip to Washington D.C. at the last second even though we have two children who are heavily involved in multiple activities?

Maybe all of your wives/spouses would be as supportive as mine, but I doubt it.

Here are five criteria to having a supportive spouse.

1. If you like to do many things that requires her patience, do not get aggravated or say "no" if she has the opportunity to do the same thing.

2. Know when and what could be the tipping point. If you ask too much even the best will get frustrated with you.

3. She should know that you love her and she can trust you. If you haven't done that, forget asking.

4. Having your families close to support her when you are gone is a huge, huge plus.

5. Show her thanks by being a good father and husband and a few back rubs wouldn't hurt.

Every single situation is different, and you have to figure out what is best for your relationship, but these 5 things have worked for us.

I'd like to say that I looked for these things when I married her, but I can't. They are her personality and she would be loving and supportive no matter who was lucky enough to end up with her.

Thankfully for me, I was that guy.

Every Days isn't the Greatest Day of Your Life (But it Could Be)

1 Kings 19:4 “but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said “I have had enough Lord, take my life…”

I am not sure that everyone has ever prayed that they wanted to die, but I am sure that most of us, if not all, have been at the end of our ropes. Even Elijah the Prophet had his moments where he was done with it. We may not have wanted to die (we may have), but we have wanted to quit moving forward or even questioned God’s plan for us.

Who of us has never been so down it could be called depression? We deal with anxiety or panic attacks and often feel that as a believer in Christ, it shouldn’t happen, but it still does. I think it is important to remember Elijah and Job who in Job 7:6-7 says “My days pass, they come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is but a breath, my eye will never again see anything good” when we come to these own moments in our lives.

Elijah and Job’s scriptures do not sound like people who are just “down” or in a bad spot right now. It reads as if they have entered real, legitimate depression.

Maybe you have been victimized by the church or by yourself that you should be a better believer, you should pray harder, etc, but it important to know that you may be doing exactly what you should be doing. Often, especially here in this country, we are so individualistic that we won’t allow others in, we think we can do it on our own and when it doesn’t work the way we think it should, we begin to doubt ourselves and our faith.

Remember.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust the Lord with all your heart and DO NOT RELY ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING…”

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts….so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Because of our selfish ways in this fallen world, we often pray to God and if our desires are not immediately met, we think there must be a disconnect with God. We believe that he must not be hearing us. There is a disconnect, all right, but it isn’t God not hearing us, it may be us not paying attention to his answer which we may not like.

But in Proverbs and Isaiah, I think we need to pray either differently, or understand that what we think we want or need may not be God’s plan. And that plan will have a purpose for us, it will then be our job to find that purpose. Maybe God’s plan isn’t to remove anxiety or depression, maybe it is for you to turn more fully to him, grow in your faith and share your experience with others so that they may see they are not alone.

Ahhhh....the Ball Park

In the United States we've not only become really good at looking the other way at things we do not like, we've also learned to justify the horrific conditions in situations to justify that looking away.

Sometimes a day at the ballpark helps my mind do the above and sometimes I just need to not think about the depravity of man...or myself.