Do you need a Timeout?

This is usually a busy time of year with graduations, visiting family, weddings and making sure we have paid our taxes or better yet get a tax refund check. It's the time where hustle and bustle become a big part of our lives and often we forget to eat or forget what we have done for that week.

Just as in a basketball game, sometimes in life we need to call a timeout. In a game situation you need to call a timeout to rest your team or most of the time to regroup and get your team back on the task at hand. This to me is one of the best analogies between a game that I love and life. In life, frequently we need to call a timeout. We need to get away, refocus and reflect on the blessings in our lives. This is a part of life I feel like many people fail to fulfill. They get to the end of their lives and say "Where did my life go?" I don't want that to be me. We get so consumed with our jobs and being successful and making lots of money that we neglect the simple things in life that are free. Our families, our friends, our faith and most importantly...time. Unfortunately, these simple things are usually the ones that we put last on our priority list. We are so worried about getting that next recruit, getting that big bonus check or trying to impress some big shot that we neglect what really matters in the end.

So call a timeout if you feel yourself becoming exhausted through the rat race of life. Take time to escape to a quiet place to ponder your life and prioritize where you are. Are you making the  right decisions? Are you surrounding yourself with people that encourage and support you? Are you making time for your family? I feel this is so important to call these timeouts frequently. It's important to change up your game plan to make life more enjoyable and meaningful. I know I've had to call a few timeouts the past few years. I felt myself going the wrong way and becoming and surrounding myself with people that were not a positive influence in my life. It's important to refocus and regroup. I've been so blessed this year to develop friendships that will last a lifetime, work for a great university that contains wonderful people and have been able to spend quality time with my family.

The #1 reason for my timeouts are to look at my life and see if I'm "Who" I want to be. Am I living a life that is pleasing to God? For He is the reason all of us are here in the first place. So this Memorial Day weekend, take time to thank the good Lord for all of your blessings, for the trials that have helped you become who you are and for your family and friends that love you unconditionally. But most of all say a little prayer for all the men and women who have taken a "timeout" to protect us and give us the freedoms that we enjoy daily. I'm thankful for Granddaddy Jim (I miss him so much every day) that served in the Merchant Marines and for Granddaddy Vic that served in the United States Air Force. Hug a soldier and thank them for what they do.

I encourage you this week to take a timeout if you feel the need to refocus and recharge your life!!!
We aren't on this Earth very long and the older I get the more I realize how short life is. We aren't given an unlimited number of timeouts so use them wisely to create your game plan that will enhance your life situations.

Winning the "Right Way"

This past weekend I spent a few days in St. Louis at a coaching clinic. The people that attended this clinic have what I call the "Get It" factor (Which will be my next blog post). I had great discussions, learned lots of new ideas for the upcoming season and a "meaningful conversation" with a friend that understands the "why" we do what we do. I'm thankful for that late night conversation that helped me write this week's blog post. Thank you RP. 

I just finished reading the book "Lead...For God's Sake." Coach Davis bought us a copy and gave it to all of us to read. I finished it in 2 days. It's that good. I highly recommend it to everyone. Go get it!! 

I won't spoil the book for you, but one of the main points asks the question "WHY" we do what we do? It all starts with your definition of success and winning. What do these words mean to you? So many of us go through life with the idea that winning is how many games we win, making lots of money, living in a huge house, driving a fancy car, winning lots of awards and making a name for ourselves. Is this really what makes you happy? Or in the long run is this what ends up breaking you? We get so caught up in the "status" that we forget about what really matters in life. We forget that the kids we coach go to class every day, go through divorces, go through break ups and have situations in their lives that we can't imagine. They need our guidance and our influence. 

No matter what our profession, all of us are in a position of leadership. We have people that are under our influence. Influence is one of the key ingredients that make this world turn. Are you being a positive influence for those people in your life? Are you leading from the heart? One of my favorite quotes is God is 1st, my friends and family are 2nd and I am 3rd. Thinking about this, I realized that God wants to be first, but he also wants to be at the center of everything we do. He is too big to be put in a priority box. He wants to be at the center of all aspects of our lives. 

So I encourage all of you to examine your life and begin to embrace your position. Have meaningful conversations with your co-workers. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. This can help create a winning culture and make your team or business be a place of success. Maybe God wants to see what you can do where you are before He trusts to let you go where you want to be. Remember that you are where you are for a reason so learn to embrace that. Relationships are one of the most important parts of our lives. They are one of the keys to our purpose here on Earth. Are you making a difference? Are you leading with your heart? Do people see something different in you? You may be winning on the outside, but on the inside are you winning? Leading with your heart is much better and rewarding, but not always easier. It takes work and a willingness to commit to living out your purpose. God has a purpose for all of us. He wants to be a part of that so don't forget to listen to Him and follow your heart. 

Winning isn't about your wins and loss record. It's not about how many awards and honors you have. It's not about how much money you make or the size of the house you have. It's about your quality of life. It's about the values and morals you possess. Does your team feel like they are part of a winning culture? You have much more influence than you will ever know. Be willing to smile to help people and be the best that you can be in your situation. We all fall short, but we must be willing to change our hearts to make a difference in this world. 

God has put some awesome people in my life this past year. I have learned to understand what winning really means. For so long I had the wrong idea that winning was only about success and how many games you won. If you didn't "WIN"....you were a failure.  It took me a long time to come to grips with who I want to be and what my idea of winning is. I was wrong for so long but thankful for faith and help from above I was able to move on from my clouded view of winning. It's the impact you have on people in this life. It's how you treat people and encourage one another. So I encourage you to look at your life....Are you really winning? Learn to lead and win the right way! 

Have a blessed day! 

Are you Spreading your Leaven?

Sunday as I was home for Mother's Day, I attended the First United Methodist Church of Winchester. Reverend Randy Brown gave the most wonderful sermon in which I would like to share a few thoughts:
The sermon was titled "Spread Your Leaven." I'm sure many of you are thinking spread your leaven? Leaven is not a word you hear very often unless you cook a lot, which I do not. Webster's dictionary defines leaven as a substance, typically yeast, that is added to dough to make it ferment and rise.

We live in a society where we want everything to happen right away. Most of us are impatient and when we want something we don't want to wait. It's usually a click away or an app away. Instead of being grateful for each day and being thankful for our daily blessings, most of the time we find things to complain about or get discouraged about the things we don't have. As the saying goes, "good things come to those who wait."

Just as leaven takes time to make bread rise, God usually takes time to mold us into who He wants us to be. We go through struggles, heart breaks, divorces and losses that generate a faith in us that helps develop each of us into who we are. We often want a quick fix, quick answer or quick result. We must have faith that God's timing is perfect and in that we must strive to let our light shine not only in good times, but in bad times as well. A kind word, believing in someone, listening or a quick smile can change the  mindset and the way we live our lives.

So don't get discouraged when things don't go as you had planned. Just as leaven takes time to rise, our lives take time to transform into who and what God has planned. Do the little things for people that honor God in your daily lives. Leaven is one of the most important ingredients in making a tasty loaf of bread. Kindness and Generosity are 2 of the main ingredients that Honor God and it's the little things that help transpire into the big things that help bring about a positive change in this world.

So Spread Your Leaven to those in need.....Be persistent for sometimes it takes more time for wonderful situations to fall in place. Have faith that with God's love we will all eventually "Rise to the Top."

God Itineraries

If you think about it, most of our lives consist of an itinerary. Webster's dictionary defines an itinerary as a travel diary or guidebook. Almost everything we do involves an itinerary. When we are in school, we have certain class changes, lunch and then we go home. When we get to college, it is usually a good idea to be organized and keep up with due dates for assignments and other meetings, etc. When we get a job, it often requires a plan for each day that we must get accomplished. As a college athlete and now a coach, we have someone who is in charge of planning road trips: when we eat, when we go to practice and even times for wake up calls. When you really dig deep down into our fast pace lives, most of our waking moments are planned and we know exactly what we will be doing each day. As I was driving home today, I thought to myself, we all get so caught up making plans that we forget to live and enjoy the moment. 

This world is not about "I" or "Me." It's about "Us." We are all God's children. So many times we forget to make what is our most important itinerary...our God itineraries. What is on your God itinerary? What is you plan daily to spend time with God? There is 1 simple thing that I believe we can do daily that would be written on  our daily God itinerary:

 Please be kind and rewind

For those of you that remember renting VHS tapes, this was the phrase that was frequently found on those tapes. If you think about it, it can relate to our every day lives. So many times we get impatient waiting in a line at the grocery store, we get angry because we don't get a front row parking space or we don't leave our waitress a tip because it took too long to get our food. Sometimes we need to think and rewind in our minds. We all strive to do our best. Some people are better at things than others. Some are faster than others, but it's human nature that regardless of our situations, we all want to be the best we can be. So the next time you are quick to get angry or be rude, remember to be kind. You never know another's story or what their life situation may be. Be thankful that you can walk and that you can afford groceries. Some people don't have that privilege. 

So I challenge you to make a God itinerary. Have a plan each morning to spend time with Him. Have an afternoon time that you pray, read a verse or listen to a song. At night write down how God appeared in your life that day. I started doing this about a year ago. It helps you to appreciate those little, simple things in life we take for granted. So many times we get caught up planning our lives, we forget why we are here in the first place. Give thanks to Your CREATOR. He deserves so much more of our time than we give Him. Make sure you have a God itinerary each day. It makes your day more complete! 

Verse of the week: Proverbs 16:9 

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. 

Everyone have a great week!

Are you sailing your vessel?

One of my all-time favorite songs is Garth Brook's "The River." The lyrics say this:
You know a dream is like a river, ever changing as it flows. And the dreamer's just a vessel that must follow where it goes. Trying to learn from what's behind you and never knowing what's in store. Makes each day a constant battle, just to stay between the shores. And I will sail my vessel, till the river runs dry. Like a bird upon the wind, these waters are my sky. I'll never reach my destination if I never try, so I will sail my vessel till the river runs dry.

The good Lord gives us each a unique vessel that He calls us to use for our own purpose in this life. He sometimes has to send that vessel more than once for us to realize what He is calling us to do.
I truly believe that there are times in life when God sends signs for us to pull on our heart strings of what He wants us to do.

Last night I went to hear Dr. Donna Lopiano speak to all the female student athletes here at Tech. She spoke about 5 points that dealt with leadership. There were 2 points that really stood out to me:

1. Follow your moral compass.

In life we all lose direction at some period in our life. We feel that we are lost and that things just don't work out the way we envision them. God is there providing us with that compass. The compass may be a job, a friend, a stranger, a note or even a phone call. He knows what we need and He knows what direction He wants us to follow. Sometimes we forget to just be still and listen.
"When you feel down to nothing; God is up to something."

2. Believing that you have an obligation to Pay it Forward.

This might be my favorite view on life. So many times we strive to get ahead, we are selfish and we forget to give back of our time. When we fill ourselves with God's word and His direction, we become vessels to be set out for His use. So do some thing nice for someone each day. Be in a good mood. Life is too short to be angry and mean to people. Practice patience. Practice humility. Practice paying it forward. Give and you shall receive!

So I challenge you to let God use you as a "vessel." Be a vessel of good news, of cheerful spirit and spread His word through your actions. He is our compass and will lead us in the direction we want to go. Remember we are on His time....not our!

"There's bound to be rough waters
And I know I'll take some falls
With the good Lord as my captain
I can make it through them all"

Don't sit upon the shore line. Choose to chance the rapids and dare to dance the tides!

Sail Away My Friends......Who is your Captain?

Verse: 2 Timothy 2:21
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXTwImfEYLY

Are you having F.U.N. in life?

"Finding Ur Niche"

What is a niche? A niche is a key position especially designed to display an object of value. Your niche is that special place that you and you alone were made to fill. It is the place where your passion flows and you are positioned to display your God given talents and gifts. 

In life, we all strive to find that consistency in our job, relationships and extra curricular activities. It is human nature that we all want to be appreciated and praised. So why is it so difficult for us to find what we are truly meant to do? Some of us recognize our niche right away. Some of us wait years and years until we find out exactly what our niche may be. 

Your gifts and talents may be photography, cooking, sports, crafts or even starting a Bible Study. Let these special gifts be a positive light for those around you. Sometimes we get nudges to do something and ignore those nudges, but we know it is what we are called to do. As long as we listen and pay attention to what God wants from us then we know in our hearts we are doing the right things. Follow your heart and pay attention to God's details for you. When you find "your niche" you will be amazed at how your life will change and the happiness that will fill your heart. So go try something new and make sure to "Have F.U.N." in everything you do. Life is too short not to enjoy what you are doing. It's never too late to HAVE F.U.N.!!!

Verse: 2 Timothy 1:6-7
Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgement.

Have you had your Vitamin "N"?

On the plane ride home from the Deep South Classic in Raleigh, NC I pulled out my Women's Health magazine to read. After 2 days of watching the game I love, I came to an article in the magazine that caught my attention. It was titled "Are you getting enough Vitamin N"? The "N" stands for Nature. The past couple of years, a couple of my friends and I have started hiking trails in the great state of Tennessee. Today, we hiked one of the most challenging hikes in this state, the Honey Creek Loop. Today was Sunday, so we decided to attend church exploring God's beautiful creation. Through rugged terrain, caves, wading through rapid waters (which we had a near tragic accident when one of my friends fell in the waterfall), climbing down ropes and scaling up ladders the scenery today was captivating.
I'm a beach girl, but hiking has become one of my favorite things to do. The sights, smells and sounds are intriguing to me. I feel it's so important sometimes to just step outside and take a breath of fresh air.
At every turn today there was a waterfall or a beautiful landmark of God's amazing creation. Being outside on a beautiful Spring day just makes you feel better doesn't it? The best part of being outdoors to me is that His fellowship is free out there. So find a few friends, google a good hike and start getting your Vitamin "N". Turn off the tv, put the cell phone down for a couple of hours and load up for a refreshing journey. Studies show it's good for the brain, good for your heart and quite frankly, like the beach, I believe it's good for the soul.
We have been blessed to live in this wonderful state of Tennessee where there are so many fascinating sights to see. I'm thankful for a good friend that talked me into going one day a couple of years ago. It's just nice to get away sometimes from the hustle and bustle of every day life. We all need to recharge the batteries and breathe a breath of fresh air. Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but pictures. Kill nothing but time. Nature is a good name for an effect whose cause is God.
If you can't find anyone to go with you, give me a call and I'll go....

“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.” 
― Susan Polis Schutz