I know this is post number 437 today... but here's and article from Relevant..
Go here to read about McBlessings. A happy reminder that the grass really isn't all that greener on the other side.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Coach P
I've been coaching the Jr High Boys basketball team for Flint Hills Christian School the last few months. Due to our recently canceled tournament (which is a rotten then to take away from a kid just two weeks away) my season ends Thursday of next week. Supprisingly, I'm pretty bummed about it. I love coaching. Don't get me wrong, I'll love the free time. It'll give me a chance to get this crazy life of mine sorted out a bit and maybe even I'll get to take a nap for the first time in months... but man, I love to coach.
It's amazing what you can learn about yourself from a bunch of 12 year olds. I've learned that deep down, no matter what anybody might tell you - I'm an optimist. These kids have won one game this whole year. I think we're something like 1-11. I like to think it's not due to poor coaching (but I'm sure that has a part) or lack of talent so much as it has to do with us playing a whole bunch of schools that are way out of our league. The few teams that we've played that were close to our level we've played with in 3-5 points. I hate loosing by 3 points. Anyways, back to me not being as much of a pessimist as I thought I was. I really go into every game (almost) expecting those kinds to get a W. It's not really realistic - but I have a lot of faith in those kids. I kinda wonder if that's how God looks at me when I'm getting ready to step on the court? Probably not, but it's kinda a neat picture. So far I'm my record is about 2 and 1million (the two wins being my wife and son) and still God's on my bench giving direction - directing trafic; Helping out. Anticipating me to do great things for His team And sometimes, I lose by 100 points... but Coach just helps me learn from it, fix what I did wrong and try again next week. I think I've learned a little about not just basketball but about who God is by interacting with 12 year olds. I'm probably more like them than I know. Regardless, It's been fun. I'll be sad when it's over.
Also, no matter what anyone tells you - hustle can't always win you a game. I've watched those kids play with more heart and intensity than I've ever seen in Jr High. Sadly, they don't have a lot to show for it. They worked a lot harder and played like a team a lot better than anybody else we've played. But man, we all learned a lot about basketball and being a team.
Eh. Three games left. I think we'll probably go 3-0.
KP
It's amazing what you can learn about yourself from a bunch of 12 year olds. I've learned that deep down, no matter what anybody might tell you - I'm an optimist. These kids have won one game this whole year. I think we're something like 1-11. I like to think it's not due to poor coaching (but I'm sure that has a part) or lack of talent so much as it has to do with us playing a whole bunch of schools that are way out of our league. The few teams that we've played that were close to our level we've played with in 3-5 points. I hate loosing by 3 points. Anyways, back to me not being as much of a pessimist as I thought I was. I really go into every game (almost) expecting those kinds to get a W. It's not really realistic - but I have a lot of faith in those kids. I kinda wonder if that's how God looks at me when I'm getting ready to step on the court? Probably not, but it's kinda a neat picture. So far I'm my record is about 2 and 1million (the two wins being my wife and son) and still God's on my bench giving direction - directing trafic; Helping out. Anticipating me to do great things for His team And sometimes, I lose by 100 points... but Coach just helps me learn from it, fix what I did wrong and try again next week. I think I've learned a little about not just basketball but about who God is by interacting with 12 year olds. I'm probably more like them than I know. Regardless, It's been fun. I'll be sad when it's over.
Also, no matter what anyone tells you - hustle can't always win you a game. I've watched those kids play with more heart and intensity than I've ever seen in Jr High. Sadly, they don't have a lot to show for it. They worked a lot harder and played like a team a lot better than anybody else we've played. But man, we all learned a lot about basketball and being a team.
Eh. Three games left. I think we'll probably go 3-0.
KP
Monday, January 29, 2007
18 Bullet Holes by Don Chaffer
I was playing a little music this afternoon while I cleaned up the house before I leave to go coach basketball and this song came on. I think this is probably one of the most moving songs ever. Anyways, I decided to post the lyrics because in their own way they're really worshipful. Enjoy.
18 Bullet Holes
by Don Chaffer
18 bullet holes in the body of a priest
They say he was eating a hot dog when the ammunition was released.
They say he was always fat and lazy but he was an awfully nice guy.
That’s just one more death to show you you never know when you’re gonna die.
You might be facing the beast
Sometimes, God, I feel like I’m living in a bone grinding mill
And every time I hear the sound I can barely stand still
It’s a thing I can’t quite make out sometimes but it seems to keep getting louder-
One more body from the valley of the dry bones getting ground up into powder
Against Your holy will
Oh, God, it hurts so bad to love anybody down here
Why don’t You come and help me out?
Cause I can’t even see clear
The funny thing about the way a girl gets destroyed
About the way that deal goes down
Is that everybody pretty much sees it coming at the sister
From all the way across town
And she isn’t always blinded, she isn’t always far astray
She just might not be thinking, she might be having a bad day
But when you choose, you choose, and when you drown, you drown
Last night I dreamed that You swallowed me into Yourself
And I was floating on the sea inside
When I landed on the shore, I saw all these people that I thought had died
I hadn’t seen some of them for ages
They had left without a single word
And when I said something to them, not a single one of them had heard
They were all looking right through everything like it wasn’t even there
Some were full of anger, some full of fear
And then I recognized that something very sad
But very beautiful was happening right here
They were all caught outside standing alone in a very heavy rain
And when a raindrop landed on my tongue
I didn’t need You to explain
That these were Your tears
Oh, God, it hurts so bad to love anybody down here
Oh, that’s right, You know so well
One thorny crown, three nails, and a spear
One thorny crown, three nails, and a spear
18 Bullet Holes
by Don Chaffer
18 bullet holes in the body of a priest
They say he was eating a hot dog when the ammunition was released.
They say he was always fat and lazy but he was an awfully nice guy.
That’s just one more death to show you you never know when you’re gonna die.
You might be facing the beast
Sometimes, God, I feel like I’m living in a bone grinding mill
And every time I hear the sound I can barely stand still
It’s a thing I can’t quite make out sometimes but it seems to keep getting louder-
One more body from the valley of the dry bones getting ground up into powder
Against Your holy will
Oh, God, it hurts so bad to love anybody down here
Why don’t You come and help me out?
Cause I can’t even see clear
The funny thing about the way a girl gets destroyed
About the way that deal goes down
Is that everybody pretty much sees it coming at the sister
From all the way across town
And she isn’t always blinded, she isn’t always far astray
She just might not be thinking, she might be having a bad day
But when you choose, you choose, and when you drown, you drown
Last night I dreamed that You swallowed me into Yourself
And I was floating on the sea inside
When I landed on the shore, I saw all these people that I thought had died
I hadn’t seen some of them for ages
They had left without a single word
And when I said something to them, not a single one of them had heard
They were all looking right through everything like it wasn’t even there
Some were full of anger, some full of fear
And then I recognized that something very sad
But very beautiful was happening right here
They were all caught outside standing alone in a very heavy rain
And when a raindrop landed on my tongue
I didn’t need You to explain
That these were Your tears
Oh, God, it hurts so bad to love anybody down here
Oh, that’s right, You know so well
One thorny crown, three nails, and a spear
One thorny crown, three nails, and a spear
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Sad realization...
This week while I was at the Urbana conference spending a lot of time listening to very wise men and women try to bring their brilliance down to my level and squeeze it into my little brain a lot of them were talking about the American perception of Africans. It's pretty sad. I think this BBC Africa article I read this morning, especially the beginning, explain it pretty well. Worth the read.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)