But I know Him

John 8:29 "But I know Him"

My question for athletes is: Do you know the Lord?

Not, do you know of the Lord.

Not, do you know the words of the Lord.

Not, have you heard of the Lord.

Do you know the Lord?

Jesus tells us, in Matthew 11:29, "learn of me". 

Have you taken the time to learn of Jesus?

Vanity of vanities, all is vanity is what Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes. All the trophies, awards, scholarships, championships, wins, losses, money, fame, and recognition - its all vanity. 

What is not vanity is learning how you can use your game to lift up Jesus to the lost, encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ, and glorify God. 

This is your responsibility, and it can only be done if you know Him. 

So.....

Do you know Him?

CJ Pomeroy

Do you have courage?

2017 is upon us. New goals are being set as we go into the new year. Most of us know that the hard part is in obtaining the goal, and that is where courage comes in. We have to have courage to step outside of our comfort zone if we desire to achieve the goals placed in front of us this year, and grow to new heights.

Do you have the courage to do what it takes to reach your goals this year?

Finding the Courage to Grow

The Christ Centered Athlete's First Priority

Christ Centered Athlete - An athlete who exemplifies a Christ in everything they do - on or off the court.

 “It’s better to have God approve, than the world applaud” Unknown

One of the most difficult balances in life is the pursuit of our dreams while keeping Christ in first place. An excellent Christ Centered athlete is still required to dedicate an exorbitant amount of time training to achieve their career goals, and many times that will be disproportionate to the time they spend growing in Christ. Both are requirements for a player’s success, which makes it difficult for an athlete to balance and to also ensure that Christ does not take 2^nd place in their life

From the beginning of time, God requires that He be #1 in our life. It is the first of the Ten Commandments, and reiterated in many Old & New Testament scriptures. Many times God’s children, the Israelites, would worship the god’s of other people and suffer greatly because of it.  The Bible is also filled with God blessing His children when He was #1 in their life.

In today’s culture, there are many things that vie for our time, talent, and money. This creates an opportunity for many things to take precedent over God. A December 2015 study published in Time Magazine showed that the average American checked their phone 46 times per day. Those between the ages of 18-24 checked their phone an average of 74 times per day. That means someone is checking their once every 19.5 minutes! A 2014 study conducted by the Barna Group found that only 15% of Bible reading adults read the Bible daily. This study also revealed the number one reason for a decrease in Bible engagement was because people felt they did not have time to read the Bible. When you consider these facts and the required amount of time for an athlete to achieve their athletic dreams, then it’s easy to see how God takes a back-seat in the life of a player.

So how does the athlete ensure the God maintains a #1 place in their life? Matthew 6:33 provides the answer. When an athlete seeks first the Kingdom of God, then everything else will be taken care of. Psalms 37: 4-5 says “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and He shall bring it to pass.” Make a commitment each and every day that your relationship with Christ will come before anything you do, and then follow through on it. Commit your training and preparation to the Lord. Talk to the Lord on a regular basis throughout your day. Make it a goal to memorize scripture or to write down what God is teaching you every day. Give God, and only God, all of the glory for your achievements. That’s how the athlete ensures that God stays #1 in your life.

To be a successful Godly leader, always remember that He will give you the desires of your heart, when you make desiring His heart your first priority.

In Christ,
Coach CJ

President
CHSM

Website: www.chsmhouston.com
Twitter: @CJPOMEROY1 or @CHSMHOUSTON
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chsmhouston

*http://time.com/4147614/smartphone-usage-us-2015/

*http://www.americanbible.org/uploads/content/state-of-the-bible-data-analysis-american-bible-society-2014.pdf

Reach Heights You Never Dreamed Possible!

On April 5th, 2016, the UCONN Huskies women's basketball team won their 4th straight national championship while winning their 75th game in a row. Their 3 senior starters were a perfect 24-0 in the 4 women's tournaments they participated in, and averaged more points per game than their opponents. So how do 3 incredible talents and Hall-of-Fame coach achieve unprecedented success? The answer is very simple. By committing themselves to excellence in their role, recognizing the end goal requires help, and being humble enough to serve each other in pursuit of that goal. That's called TEAMWORK.

The amount of character these girls had to have in order to win is more than we can ever imagine. They did make it look simple, but the truth is - SUCCESS IS SIMPLE. Failure is complicated.

The same is true in our walk with God. Success is reached when we keep your eyes on Christ in pursuit of His will for our life, recognizing that we can’t achieve anything of substance without His blessing and the help of others, a willingness to be broken down and corrected, and being humble enough to serve and sacrifice to help others in pursuit of their desires.

Commit yourself to excellence. Recognize that you cannot experience your dreams without the help of others. Be willing to be humbled, corrected, and selfless to help others in pursuit of their dreams. By doing so, we too can reach heights we never dreamed possible!

In Christ,
Coach CJ

President - CHSM

Website: www.chsmhouston.com
Twitter: @CJPOMEROY1 or @CHSMHOUSTON
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chsmhouston




Read about UCONN's 3 senior starters - Click Here!

Level Up

Guest Post written by Jason Pomeroy - Assistant Coach of CHSM Boys 14U.

While this post was written for CHSM athletes, it would be terrible to not share this great insight with everyone. I hope you enjoy this incredible challenge to "Level Up".

CJ Pomeroy

Level Up

If someone asked you what it means to “level up”, what would you say? Some, if not most, would probably talk in video game terms and say that to level up means that you have earned enough points or credits to take on new missions or possess new and better attributes. It means that you have “paid your dues” - you have fought well - and now you are ready to take on tougher challenges. Think about that for a minute.

Now let’s switch gears for a second. All year the leadership at CHSM has been talking about how we should “strive for excellence”. To strive, quite literally means, to fight…and not just fight, but to fight hard. The Greek word for strive is “agonizomai” – “to engage in intense warfare or battle”. Wow…look at that word again, “agonizomai”. It sounds a lot like “agonize”, doesn’t it? And look at its meaning again, “to engage in intense warfare or battle”. So what if we change the phrase up from “strive for excellence” to “agonize for excellence”? Or how about we say it this way, “To engage in intense battle for excellence”? YIKES! That is far more meaningful, don’t you think?

Let’s go back to video games now and start putting these thoughts together. There is nothing more frustrating than spending hours upon hours in order to “level up”, only to find out that you’ve been fighting the wrong battles all along. Have you been there this year? Maybe it’s worse than that, maybe you KNEW what battles you should have been fighting, but were avoiding it because you were trying to find a short cut. Now, you are frustrated and have to make the decision - do you quit or do you engage in the right fight? Do you throw the game away and say, “It’s a stupid game anyways”? Or do you dust yourself off, gear up, and head straight into the battle that you were intended to fight all along?

Some of us think that we have “strove for excellence” very well this year, but consider this – if the fight wasn’t intense, was it really striving at all? Maybe you think that because you are one of the top players on your team that you “strove for excellence” this year because you worked hard at home all season long. Well, maybe your “battle for excellence” had nothing to do with your skill development at home but it did have to do with your team development at games and practice. Leadership and character - not basketball - was the battle that God intended for you to fight this year but did you fight it? For some of you it was basketball related. Maybe you were told to get tougher, practice your free throws, play lower, box out, etc. Did you fight that battle? Or were you comfortable in the skills you already had and didn’t think it was necessary to “agonize for excellence” in a way that your coaches said would help you to “level up”?

Now you might think that it’s silly to invoke God into video games or basketball games, but let me tell you this – life is a game, and it's a very serious game. You get to live it once - and only once. Don’t you think that God takes the game of life seriously? He does, and that is why he says in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” You should go back and read the rest of this sobering verse, but I can tell you that God takes life seriously. He shows it is serious when He gives you a challenge in order for you to grow spiritually. And He doesn't take a straw poll to see if we think it is necessary or not. He just gives it, without your input or recommendations, and He expects you to take it seriously. By the way, He won't give you a "new mission" or "new and better attributes" until you do.

We are less than 6 weeks from State, and 8 weeks from Nationals and I know that we have a lot of players who are disappointed with how their year has gone so far. Teams have under-performed - maybe some of your teammates have. Maybe you think the coaches keep making the wrong decisions (we are human, too, you know). You keep losing games that you should have won. Or maybe you are playing against teams that you have no chance against in the first place. But let’s put that behind us now, and instead let’s ask ourselves this – “Have I been missing, or avoiding the battle that God intended for me to fight this season, all along?”

We all have a choice to make now. For some of us, it’s mental, for some, it’s physical, but in the end it’s all a spiritual. Philippians 3:14 says, “I press (strive) towards the mark (goal) for the prize OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD in Christ Jesus”. God’s calling is always a call to battle, both spiritual and physical – and that is the choice that lies before us now. Will you continue avoiding the battle God has called you too this season? Or are you willing, for the next 6 to 8 weeks, to “agonize for excellence” in order for you to “level up”? It doesn't matter if you lose every game from here till the end of Nationals but it does matter if you fight the battles that God has called you to, starting today. If we do this, I think we will all be able to say at the end of the year that we had a winning season!

Jason Pomeroy​

Staying Healthy

One of the greatest blindsides to a team is sickness. It sneaks up and, before you know it, you are calling your coach to let them know you won’t be at the practice or game because you came down with something. Here are some ways you should combat looming sickness during the season.

                Sleep: This is one area where most high school kids fail. Most athletes require 8-9 hours of sleep, and the best sleep is regimented - going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. It’s not always easy to do, and it won’t work all the time. BUT, all athletes should attempt to get 8-9 hours of uninhibited/scheduled sleep.

Champions - Do not stay up late before practices/games.

                FYI - Practicing while battling a sickness that is keeping you from performing at a high level is not necessarily a sign of toughness. If anything, it can be more detrimental to your team (and long-term health) if you try to push through practice while sick. Just stay home and get better (then do all the things mentioned here).

                Water: The average person should be drinking roughly 64oz of water per day. Athletes should probably consume more since they sweat more. Water helps remove bacteria from the body, and provides athletes the ability to recover more quickly after physical exertion. It also helps with cramps, spasms, and joint issues.

                                

Champions - Stay away from unhealthy drinks - like soda.

                Wash their hands: The basketball gym, gym bags, and locker rooms are rampant with germs. I know, I might have just scared a few people, but as long as athletes wash hands on a regular basis, then they should be fine. One of the best ways to combat the flu is to wash hands on a regular basis. Players should be washing hands before games/practices, after games/practices, and any time they are handling basketballs, etc....

Champions - Understand the importance of cleanliness. 

                Use Vitamins: The bodies of athletes are constantly fighting. Whether it is germs or physical exertion - the body is constantly draining and refilling. Use of proper vitamins in a proper manner will help the body in the fight to stay healthy.

Champions - Understand the importance of living healthy.

It really is a miracle that our athletes don’t get sick on a more regular basis, and we should really thank The Lord for this. The season is half-way thru, and I want everyone to have a great finish. Let’s encourage our athletes to take care of themselves so that they can perform at a high level in the big games!

Striving for Excellence,

Coach CJ

Executive Director – C.H.S.M.

www.chsmhouston.com

Follow CHSM on Twitter (@chsmhouston)

Follow Coach CJ on Twitter (@CJPomeroy1)

www.facebook.com/chsmhouston

Face Your Giant. Meet Your Giant. Defeat Your Giant.

When trying to reach the next level, in anything, one will encounter tougher experiences on the way. In a video game, you must defeat multiple levels of difficulty in order to beat the game. Life works the same way, and everybody is on a different level of the “game”. In order to level up, one must defeat their current level with enough “life” to help them beat the next level.

This is no different in sports. There are various levels, and while players are on a single team, the level of difficulty varies from player to player. In order to win the game, each player must conquer the level they are on and still come out of each game with life. This is what makes coaching so hard. It’s not just making sure to understand X’s & O’s, but to know how to help your team get through the difficult levels of the game with life. For this to work, each member of the team must be willing to face their giant. In 1 Samuel 17 we find the story of David & Goliath – a story every athlete has heard. However, most athletes understand the story to mean that the underdog can defeat the favorite. This is true, but most do not understand why David could defeat Goliath. Let’s look at some very important points to understand.

 1 – David had to submit to authority.

              1 Samuel 17:17-20 we find that David was commanded by his father to deliver food to his brothers. David would have never had the opportunity to defeat his giant if he did not submit to his father’s authority.

2 – David had to be passionate about the God he served, and why he served Him.

                Verses 23-26 tell us how David heard Goliath boastfully defy his God, and it stoked the passionate fire inside David’s heart to not let the enemy speak so defiantly against his God.

3 – David had to recognize the problem, and come up with a solution.

                It was one thing for David to tell his brothers how someone should stand up and fight Goliath, but it was completely different to have to tell the king that, essentially, everyone in the army was a wimp – including the king! David recognized that fear had paralyzed the Israelite army, and that for 40 days Goliath was winning the battle of the mind. This battle of the mind was the pre-cursor to the physical battle. The Philistines were trying to scare the Israelites into submission, and if they would not submit, then they would paralyze them with fear, thus making the physical battle an easier victory for them. David not only saw that, but he had to come up with the solution for overcoming the problem. (17:26-32) Overcoming the problem would only happen because….

4 – …David was prepared to overcome the problem.

                Saul asked David why he thought he could defeat the giant. I’m sure he wasn’t ready for the answer! 1 Samuel 17:33-37 tells us how the Lord had prepared David. God brought multiple difficulties into David’s life before Goliath. David, on his own as a shepherd, faced those difficulties and conquered them. Conquering those difficulties allowed David to “level up” in his faith towards God, and his courage.

5 – David took what he had, and he RAN towards his giant with confidence and God’s power.

                David declined the best armor in the army because he didn’t believe it was going to help him. Instead, he took his trusted slingshot and foot speed to battle. 1 Samuel 17:43-49 tells us how David went into battle knowing that God would not only give him strength to fight, but victory over the enemy. However, for David to be victorious, he had to RUN TOWARDS his giant (vs.48).

Parents, Players, and Coaches must do the same to face and defeat their giants. In order to defeat our giants, we must:

Submit to the authority of the coach/program,

Be passionate about the program,

Recognize problems and develop solutions,

Prepare ourselves mentally to overcome obstacles in our way,

Take what we have and RUN TOWARDS the giant – knowing that if we are in the Will of God, then nothing can stop us!

This week, let’s encourage our athletes to face their giants, develop a solution to overcome the giant, and then run with confidence to meet & defeat their giant. That’s how David slays Goliath!

Healthy Communication (it's more than words!)

The longer I watch and coach, the more I realize how important communication is. Communication is food. For a team to be healthy, then it must fed healthy food on a regular basis. This is done through healthy communication. However, communication is more than words, its also body language. Each player on the team is responsible for feeding each other healthy food – through words and body language

How many times have you seen a player make a mistake and then hang their head, or walk back on defense, or simply just get lazy? Unfortunately, these players don’t realize (or are too proud to admit) that they are feeding their teammates unhealthy food. I compare it to good milk and sour milk. If we continually feed our teammates good milk, then we will grow. If we continually feed our teammates sour milk then, eventually, players will get sick. The longer a team stays sick, the harder it will become to achieve the goals they have set for themselves.

On a side note - when it pertains to body language, perception really does matter. You can be the nicest person in the world, and desire to never hurt anyone. That does not mean you are not feeding your teammates/athletes unhealthy food. You cannot add chocolate to sour milk and expect it to go down easy, or keep someone from getting sick. Perception is the palate with which people eat the food you have prepared for them. Is it clean or dirty? Perception is also how you’re coach views you. As the saying goes “Your actions speak so loud, I can’t hear the words you’re saying.” The thought of “what’s in your heart is all that matters” is true. However, it includes your actions. The Bible says “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” In this case, your body language is non-verbal speaking to those around you. So take note, perception really does matter – regardless of what you think is in your heart.

However, it’s not teammates alone that feed each other, but its parents and coaches. Every time we react to something with a sour attitude, then we are feeding the players sour milk. Many times we don’t think that our words and actions have a great effect on the players, but it does.

Here’s my question to coaches, parents & athletes: What are you feeding your teammates/team? Is it healthy food, or is it something that will make your team sick?

Here’s my challenge: Consider, not only your words, but your body language. If you have been feeding sour milk, then change it. If you see someone feeding sour milk, then encourage them to make it good milk. When we start drinking good milk, then we will start growing. When we start growing, then we get closer to achieving the goals we have set out for ourselves!

Striving For Excellence

Coach CJ

1 Peter 2:1-2

Executive Director – C.H.S.M.
www.chsmhouston.com

Follow CHSM on Twitter (@chsmhouston)
Follow Coach CJ on Twitter (@CJPomeroy1)

www.facebook.com/chsmhouston

The End of the Line

Growing up in homeschool basketball I had the opportunity to watch a few really homeschool players.  Players like the Sanders boys, Fosters, Wells, Kevin Johnson, Flatt’s and a few others were always fun to watch (although you never wanted to play against them!)  So, when I returned to the homeschool coaching scene 4 years ago, I didn’t know what to expect or the landscape had changed.  Then I started hearing names like “Chicken”, Jefferson, Spani, and one Justin Jackson.  I remember the first thing I thought when I saw Justin play for the first time – “That kid is supposed to be a major college recruit?”  That thought didn’t last very long!  After watching him play, and seeing how the culture of our youth has changed in the last 10 years, I began to wonder – “Is this kid a good example of homeschool basketball?  Is he a good example of HCYA basketball?”  Those wonders were also quickly answered.

I have spent a lot of the last 3 years getting to know Justin Jackson.  Not on a very personal level, but I follow his activities as much as possible.  What I have come to know about Justin is this – He is humble young man, and his only desire is to truly honor the Lord and put his absolute best on the floor for his teammates and coaches.  Sadly, this is not something that you see in many of the best players today.  Justin has truly shown himself to be the model athlete for not only HCYA, but homeschool basketball as a whole.  As he begins his last state tournament, I would like to take a moment and highlight some of what Justin has done for homeschool basketball.

                Brought exposure to the game.  Homeschool basketball has been blessed with some awesome players in the past, but no one has come close to a talent like Justin possesses.  Many players, on both HCYA and their opponents, have received exposure to schools that they never would have without Justin.  This is excellent for the homeschool athlete!  There are great homeschool players out there, but sadly they don’t get much exposure.  Recruiters are now learning that homeschool players have potential and they are starting to pay more attention.  Good for players now, and in the future.

                Demonstrated winning character traits.  Justin has been committed to excellence for a long time now.  He understands that it takes discipline in his school, at home, and on the court to exceed.  He spends his time wisely, listens to his parents, respects his coaches, and loves his teammates.  Not only is he the ultimate player, but he is the ultimate teammate.

                Exhibited Christ-likeness through the game.  It’s guaranteed that if you give praise to Justin, then he will give it right back to the Lord.  He understands that The Lord has truly blessed him, and that his continued success is because of God’s grace and blessing.  He never praises himself, but gives God the glory for all the success he has enjoyed.  Justin has shown that you can play at an elite level and still keep the Lord #1 in your life.

The 2014 Texas State Homeschool Tournament represents the beginning of the end for the best homeschool boy’s player the game has ever seen.  As a coach, I’m excited that we won’t have to go up against him again.  As a fan though, I have bitter-sweet emotions.  Justin has been terrific for the game, and helped take it to another level.  I am going to miss seeing him play at these tournaments, but I will enjoy seeing him on ESPN in the coming years!  As I go through this weekend, I will enjoy every game he plays.  But, I will also take the time to shake his hand and tell him “Thank you”.

I hope you will do the same as well.

In Christ,

Coach CJ

Keeping Your Team Strong (Part 2 of 3): Players

Click here to read part 1

Players:

The athletes play a critical role in keeping their team strong & ready for the season.  Superstar players can help you win a game,but teams comprised of strong character and skilled players will help you prepare to win a championship.  So what can players do to help keep their team strong?

Take care of business at home & school. 

Too many times athletes hurt their teams at critical moments because they don’t get their school done, keep their grades up, or obey the rules at home.  It’s really basic – maintain your grades and don’t get in trouble at home.

Work on your game outside of practice.

                I know it can be tough to get in much practice time outside of practices/games.  However, nothing does more for a team then to a see a player help them win by using a skill that was a weakness coming into the season.  So, find extra time each week to work on a weakness, or enhance a strength. You don't pay a price to fail. You pay a price to succeed. How much are you willing to pay?

Be humble – Serve your team.

                Real champions are humble servants.  They serve their team by giving encouragement constantly, helping their teammates get better outside of the gym, pushing themselves to the max in every drill and at every game, accepting their role, and having a right attitude.  Sometimes the circumstances get rough and a player will be greatly tested.  An injury, reduction of playing time, loss of a coach or teammate, or issues at home can really hurt the psyche of an athlete.  Yet if that same athlete responds with a positive attitude and puts his thoughts and efforts on serving others, then not only will they learn some valuable life lessons, but they will become a rock of stability when the team needs it most late in the season.

Keeping our teams strong throughout the course of the season requires a lot of hard work by the parents, players, and coaching staffs.  The outcome of the season though will be largely determined by the player’s desire for excellence.  Players can be overcome by the circumstances, or they can overcome the circumstances.  It’s not our actions, but our reactions that defines the character within us.  A player’s right reaction to a long season will help the team be strong!

Keeping Your Team Strong (Part 1 of 3): Parents

Because parents, players, and coaches invest so much time, money, passion, & energy into athletics it’s easy for division to happen within teams and programs. All it takes is a persistent negative attitude, over-bearing parent, or a high-strung coach to cause fracture. It takes a team effort from your parents, players, and coaches to keep your team from falling apart during the battle of the season and it's imperative that excellent programs stay united.

So how do you keep your team strong and ready to compete in every game?

With help from your:

Parents

No doubt you are sacrificing a lot for your kids to play. A lot of times you expect a return on your money thru playing time. Much of the complaints that a coach receives is due to this one reason, and it can be a serious detriment to the team. If you really want to be about the team, then make it a rule – NO COMPLAINING ABOUT PLAYING TIME. A coach already has to deal with the inconsistencies of players during a game, player egos, and attitudes (all players have an attitude – it’s either helping the team, or hurting the team). The last thing a coach needs to be thinking about during the game is “will my parents be mad at me”. A coach cannot do his best if he always has to think about what parents think of him/her.

Now understand this, your son or daughter may deserve to play the most. They may be the best player on the team. Complaining to your coach about this though only causes a coach to take his mind off of the TEAM. You don’t know what a coach is already thinking about, or why he makes the certain decisions. However, you aren’t helping the TEAM by telling the coach how to do his job better. If it’s something that really needs to be addressed, then consider these things:

(1) Encourage your kids to overcome. Life is not fair. Teach your kids how to overcome the hard times now. This only prepares them for what they will face later in life. Whatever you do, don’t quit simply because they aren’t playing as much as you want. This example will teach your athlete to be loyal to the decisions they make.

(2) Set up a private meeting with the coach and ASK - not demand - what your athlete needs to do to EARN more playing time. Don't forget - other athletes may have worked just as hard as yours.

(3) Review how much work your athlete really is putting in. Are they making EVERY practice? Do they do specific workouts outside of practice? (FYI – playing ball at church or with your friends does not count). Are they obeying the coach’s instruction during practice & the games? Does your athlete carry themselves with a good attitude regardless of the circumstances? Are they on top of their schoolwork? If they aren't excelling at one of these items, then that could be what’s holding them back on the court.

We will do more for our teams, programs and players by teaching them how to get through obstacles, rather than away from obstacles. Stick to it – OVERCOME!

Coach CJ

Executive Director – C.H.S.M.

www.chsmhouston.com

Follow CHSM on Twitter (@chsmhouston)

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Persevere

There’s no doubt that this summer has been one of the toughest summers I have experienced. Between work, ministry, and trying to a good husband & father, it sometimes feels like there is more to be done than I can do – an overwhelming sense of not enough time. More than likely, you have been there too. The days are long, the nights are short, the deadlines are daily, and the list of things to do just gets longer. You feel like a caged hamster running 100 miles an hour – but going nowhere. Chances are, you probably feel like you are in the middle of a great storm and you just don’t know how much longer it’s going to last. This same scenario is what drives us to the latest self-help book, seminar, or time-management class. Yet, we still feel like we are in the middle of the storm – and it’s getting worse! This past weekend, as I was thinking about this in my own life, I asked myself this question – how does one get through the storm? Here are two things the Lord showed me.

Keep your eyes on Him.

It’s very easy to get so caught up in working and put your eyes on what is around you, rather than keeping your eyes on the One leading you. However, if you keep your eyes on Him, and follow His commands, then you won’t notice the great swells around you – you’ll only know that you are still on top of the water, not under it. (Mark 6:45-51)

Jesus cares.

It’s easy to think our hard work is for naught when we don’t get what we believe we deserve, or achieve the goals we had hoped to achieve. That’s not how God operates though. Too many times we try to tell God how and when to reward our effort, rather than accepting the fact that His timing may be different than our timing, and His reward might be different. This is not a sign that Jesus doesn’t care about us – on the contrary! God rewards us in His time, and according to His will, which is always perfect (Jer. 29:11)

Athletes, who are trying to excel, are always working on their craft. They play in summer leagues, receive individual instruction, and become students of the game. Many times it’s easy for an athlete to feel like he/she is going thru a storm. Something is always getting in the way – circumstances, coaches, or even other players. It’s also easy for them to think that they aren’t getting what they think they deserve, or what they believe they should have already achieved. It’s at these moments that an athlete’s character really comes thru – How do they respond to the tough times? The athlete who overcomes these difficulties is the one who keeps their eyes on Jesus, and knows that He really does care. When the athlete does these two things, then no matter how many times they get knocked down – they get right back up. No matter how many times they are told it isn’t worth it and to quit, they persevere because they know that God’s plan is much more rewarding than their own.

The reward for keeping your eyes on Him and understanding that He cares is God’s continued strengthening and blessing on your life. Sometimes it will be allowing you to achieve what you want to achieve. However, it will always be His perfect will, which will be more than you can ask or think.

Persevere.

Press On.

Coach CJ
Executive Director – C.H.S.M.
www.chsmhouston.com

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Objection - Rejection - Dejection

I can clearly remember the first year I started playing organized basketball.  I was ecstatic that I could play “for real” what I did so much in my back yard.  I wasn't familiar with the program, or the process, I just showed up ready to play.  I worked my tail off during those try-outs and listened intently to the coaches.  However, my name was never called when the teams were announced.  There were 5 teams that year, and I didn't make 1 of them.  The feeling of rejection was enormous – I wasn't good enough to play on 1 of the 5 teams who would play games that year.  To make it worse, I got to play on the intramural team – basically a year-long development camp.  We practiced the same time as everyone else, but we had to practice outside on unmarked cement, rusted out backboards, and no rims.  The feeling of rejection was one that lasted the entire season. 

My entire basketball career was filled with objections and rejections.  During my junior season my coach informed me that I was “on the bubble” and that I would probably end up on our varsity B team.  My younger brother made the A team and I was allowed to suit up & warm up with the team, but I would rarely see the floor.  It wasn't a rejection because I still got to participate, but it was a very strong objection because I could not participate to the same extent as everyone else on the team.  Needless to say, I wasn't a very happy player.  Although I never said anything, I made sure that my attitude said everything.  To be honest, my coach was gracious enough to let me stay on the team because my attitude alone warranted me being kicked off.  The feeling of dejection from being objected to lasted the entire season.

These are just a couple of examples from my own playing career.  Chances are that you have experienced them as well.  I’m grateful though that I had a dad who would never let me quit, and a coach who made it a point to continually try to help me.  It’s because of these experiences, and the lessons God taught me, that I was able to overcome many different work issues, death, and life changes throughout my very short career and marriage.

As a person or a player, objection, rejection, and dejection are 3 things that you will experience in life.  As a player you have more than likely experienced the feeling of getting cut or losing a starting spot.  As an adult, you have no doubt experienced a lay-off, cut in pay, divorce, or loss of a loved one.  It’s in these moments of objections and rejections that dejection begins to take root in our hearts.  These moments are like high winds and rolling waves on an open sea – you don’t think you are going to make it, and begin to sink into hopelessness.

The Apostle Peter was this way.  In Matthew 14 we find the story of Jesus walking on the water.   As Jesus is walking near the disciple’s boat they start to cry out in fear not knowing that it was their Master.  Finally, Jesus speaks in an effort to calm them.  Peter has doubts though.  He asks Jesus if he can come join Him by walking on the water from the boat.  The winds were raging and the waves were rolling, but Peter gets out of boat anyways.  As Peter begins to walk towards the Lord on the water he takes his eyes off Jesus and starts to look at his circumstances.  As the fear of the wind and waves mount up against Peter, he begins to sink. 

This is the typical life experience of every human being.  The wind and waves of objection and rejection, and the subsequent feeling of dejection cause us to lose hope – we take our eyes off the Lord.  We begin to sink in the storm of our circumstances.  We forget that the power of Jesus is so great that even the wind and sea obey him (Matt. 8:27).  We forget that during these circumstances Jesus tells us to “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Matt. 14:27).

We can’t get away from the storms of objection, rejection, and dejection in our lives. However, let me encourage you with this – instead of being fearful of the wind and waves of our circumstances – keep your eyes on Jesus. In John 16:33, Jesus says "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Don't let the storms of life overcome you. Instead, overcome the storms. Have faith. Walk on the water.

Coach CJ

Executive Director – C.H.S.M.

www.chsmhouston.com

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Live in the Present

It’s all too easy for us to think about our past.  We see pictures from friends, reminisce at family reunions, and tell our co-workers about what we used to do.  Sometimes, we just think about we want our future to be.  I am a dreamer, and I love to think about the future and what I want it to be.  I find myself thinking about my next step (that is still 10 steps away!), or what I want for my kids 5 years down the road.  As a matter of fact, I just recently found myself thinking about past friends in Colorado and new changes for the future, but then God began to speak to me.

Now don’t misunderstand – it’s not wrong to remember our past, or put together our future goals and bucket lists.  I wonder though, do we think about these things at the expense of the present?  As I pondered this thought, the Lord started to bring a few things to my mind:

Longing to live in the past. 

All too often we step outside and smell something that reminds us of where we used to live, or we go on vacation and remember how nice it was to be closer to family, or see old friends and wish it could be “just as it used to be”.  It’s not abnormal for us to have these thoughts, nor is it wrong.  However, sometimes, I think we let these thoughts hang around so long that we begin to desire the past, instead of being grateful for where God has put us in the present.  So much so, that at times we fail to see the incredible things happening right in front of us.  Our kids making new friends and building life-long relationships, or the blessings of God in our home, or the fact that someone was moved toward God because we allowed Him to use us.  When we fail to see what’s happening right now in our lives because we are looking behind us, then we end up sacrificing our present for the past.

Desiring to skip forward to our future. 

This is something I struggle with a lot.  I have such BIG visions and lofty plans and I just want God to put them all in order right now!   Sometimes it might be in regards to a job situation, or maybe we want a new house, or we want the kids to hurry up and grow up so we don’t have change their diapers, spoon feed them, or get up with them in the middle of the night.  It's not uncommon to have these thoughts.  We want to pay the house off, get rid of the car loan, or just get away!  There’s no problem with those things – it’s natural.  You should want to get rid of your debt, and if your job situation isn't healthy for you or your family, then you should want to move.  We just can’t let these things worry us and neglect to take care of the here and now.  When we do let these thoughts dominate our thinking, we usually find that our attitude goes south.  When the attitude goes south, then usually our relationships, work, and family life go the same direction.

So how do we fix this!?!?

Be grateful for where you are. 

The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  Your current circumstances may not be what you want them to be, or what you think they should be, but it is what it is.  God has known all along that you would be where you are today – He is not surprised!  Instead of asking the Lord to move you, or give you a new job, or resolve your financial woes – try thanking Him for his goodness and grace to you.  The will of God is to praise Him in everything we do, and everywhere you are.  If you find that difficult to do, then instead of asking God to change your circumstances, ask Him to change you and to help you realize His awesomeness around you.

Understand that God holds the future.

In Jeremiah 29:11 we find these awesome words of hope, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”  This great verse constantly reminds me that God has a plan for my future!  As long as I honor Him in all that I say and do, and obey Him when He speaks to me, then I will have a life of peace.  I may go through trials and tribulations, but because my hope is in Him, I am assured that His peace will be with me (Phil. 4:7).

It’s OK to think about our past, and sometimes it’s necessary to look at our future.  We just can’t let those thoughts dominate our mind and rob us of the present.

God has a great plan for us right now, and we don’t want to miss it!

Coach CJ

Executive Director – C.H.S.M.

www.chsmhouston.com

Follow CHSM on Twitter (@chsmhouston)

Follow Coach CJ on Twitter (@CJPomeroy1

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