Thanksgiving Forgotten?

It seems like anymore these days there's a big buildup for Halloween and then when Halloween is over the Christmas decorations go up. I love Christmas, don't get me wrong, but what the heck happened to Thanksgiving? And why the big deal and increased emphasis over Halloween? Nice day to let the kids have some fun dressed in a costume and go out and get some treats. But anymore it gets treated like a national holiday when it's not. I even had a woman at work tell me it was her favorite "holiday". I just smiled and nodded. OK, I got that off my chest.

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. I love the family time it always brings, the warmth of being with my family, the feast before me and yeah, a little football. It just seems to be a great atmosphere and such an appropriate time to give thanks to the Lord who supplies our every need. The crops have finally been harvested and here in America it's always bountiful.

To be truly thankful requires a humble heart. We have to put away our self sufficient pride and humble ourselves before God. Sometimes in my pride I think I am the one who needs to figure things out, I am the one who needs to provide all for my family. If that's the case, I really don't need to be thankful to anyone or anything other than myself. And believe me, if I or anyone else is counting on me for anything, they're in trouble.

So, I am taking time this week and on Thanksgiving Day to be truly thankful to the Lord for my family, my house, the bounty at my dinner table, the freedom to worship as I choose, my country, and most of all to Jesus Christ who had the courage and love in his heart to make a path for me to be with Him and the Father.

Happy Thanksgiving and good luck to all those high school football coaches around the country playing for state championships this weekend.  Chiefpigskin.com

Oxford Professor Defends Resurrection

As husbands and fathers we are called to teach our families in all matters and to teach the truth. I ran across a little article that I thought was worth passing along. It seemed appropriate at this Easter season. It may help some of you to teach and defend the main truth of the New Testament. That is, Christ’s resurrection.

In April 2002, the well respected Oxford University philosopher professor Richard Swineburne used a broadly accepted probability theory to defend the truth of Christ’s resurrection. He did this at a high profile gathering of philosophy professors at Yale University.

In a New York Times interview, Swineburne said, “For someone dead to come to life again is, according to the laws of nature, extremely improbable. But if there is a God of the traditional kind, natural laws only operate because He makes them operate.” Swineburne used Bayes Theorum to assign values to things like the probability that God is real, Jesus behavior during his lifetime, and the quality of witness testimony after his death. Then he plugged the numbers into a probability formula and added everything up. The result: a 97% probability that the resurrection really happened. (Preachingtoday.com, Group Magazine, July 2002)

Interesting, isn’t it?

Chiefpigskin

Simple Joys

The high school playoffs are over and the state champions have been crowned. Congratulations to all of you who won a state championship but also congratulations to all of you who guided and mentored young men this past season. High school coaches are taking a little time off (maybe) and the college bowl season is getting under way which makes this Bowl Season, right? Well, yeah, I guess it is but actually it’s a much more important season. It’s Christmas Season. For the next couple of weeks or so we will all be busy with family activities and the business of Christmas. To Chiefpigskin.com and all of you coaches out there I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

This season is to be a season of Joy. Webster’s dictionary defines joy as happiness or delight. I get much joy from my wife and children, but I am getting new joy in my grand children. They are truly a delight. And if I turn on the television and see a football game (or almost any sport for that matter) I get some joy from that. But I was reminded of some simple joys by Mike Heiniger, Pastor of Crossroads Church in Monticello, Illinois and with his permission I’d like to share them with you. I believe some of these apply to coaches and teachers particularly well. Mike called them simple joys and the bible has much to say on the subject.

1. Timely words. Proverbs 15:23 says, “A man takes joy in giving an answer, and a timely word – how good that is!” (HCSB) Not only is it good for us to give encouraging words but it is good to hear timely words. Think of the simple joy you give to your family, players and others with an encouraging word.

2. Timely looks. Proverbs 15:30 tells us, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” (NLT) Think of it, just a cheerful look can bring joy. The impact of good news and a cheerful look can’t be taken lightly. Too often I have had a somber face, too stern. I need to heed the advice of Proverbs and give a warm smile and nod of encouragement as I greet those around me.

3. Generous gifts. Acts 14:16, 17 remind us that “In earlier days God permitted all nations to go their own ways, but He never left himself without a witness. There were always His reminders, such as sending rain and good crops and giving you food and joyful hearts.” (NLT) We too can make joyful hearts with our generous giving. How often have you given away a good gift and had your heart warmed? The receiver and giver are both blessed with joy.

4. Joy of Jesus. No matter what, you can’t take Him away. He’s always with us. Jesus said, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love just as I obey my Father and remain in His love. I have told you this so you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John 15:9-11. (NLT) And Hebrews 10:34 says “When all you owned was taken away from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew you had better things waiting for you in eternity.” (NLT) And finally, how about 1 Peter 1:8, 9 which tells us “You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy. Your reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.” (NLT) Now that’s something to be joyful about.

Remember the simple joys you can bring to your athletes and students. As coaches we cannot overestimate the influence we can have over those around us. Use timely words, a cheerful look, and be generous, whatever that looks like to you. May the Lord bless you and your family this holiday season and grant you the simple joys!