Connecting to your Power Source #15

Not too long ago my trainer and I were reflecting back on our playing days and his coaching days and we got on the topic of some of the best teams and players we played or coached against. Playing for two mid major programs, I always played with a chip on my shoulder, but there would be a moment or two in every season when I witnessed other players that were simply flat out better than me or more athletic than I could dream of. We were always given a scouting report on the other team and watched film to study their plays and the teams individual players. Looking back on those days, I can admit I was never scared or nervous going into a game and mainly it was because I found confidence in my team. I played on good teams and I knew how good my teammates were. So we might be playing a big time player or good team but I always trusted my coaches to put us in a good position to win. I also trusted that my teammates would do their part like I knew they were capable of. I loved being part of a team like that because my confidence wasn’t solely connected or relied only on me. 

When you are a believer of Christ, sometimes it may feel like you're alone in a battle or going through a trial by yourself, but the good thing is you have the ultimate teammate. However to obtain His skills and power, you have to connect and trust in Him. It’s just like a cell phone. You have to connect to the charger to be able to use the phone and all of its capabilities. A cell phone without any power is useless. Just like if I went away from the coaches game plan or tried to prove to everybody how I was better than the player across from me and not that my overall team was better than the other team, then I wouldn't be trying to achieve the overall goal to win the game.  

I was listening to a really good friend last week on a zoom bible study call and he talked about meaning and purpose. He used an example of a basketball being filled with air. With air inside the ball, you can do so many things with it, it has a purpose. Without, it is flat and useless. Very similar to us letting the Holy Spirit live throughout us. Christ can fill you with whatever your purpose is if we go to Him for it. So, I encourage you to connect to your power source in Jesus, God, and His word and let it live through you. He is the ultimate teammate to fight with you on your walk to destiny. 

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5

Enjoy the Growing Process #14

One thing that excites me each year is the summer. Ever since I was in high school, I loved knowing school was out, it was nice weather outside and most importantly, it was time to work on my game. Still till this day, I look forward to the summer grind and I pick specific things to add to my basketball game. It may be shooting from a farther distance, being more in shape, dribbling better or even a combination of things. I think one reason that I enjoy this time so much is because I am constantly looking for a way to improve and I know this is the time to take advantage of it. 

I often get so caught up in wanting to receive the end result that I miss the fun in the process. I love knowing I am trying to improve, but another reason I truly enjoy the summer time is because that is when I get to train with my friends and we push each other to get better. We create a bond that goes deeper and beyond basketball just by spending that time together. Life is short, and I know sometimes I can take this time for granted and forget to enjoy it while I'm going through it. 

Recently, I had this same feeling in my spiritual life. Going into what I thought would be one of the best seasons of my life, I prepared, planned and tried to do everything I could to get to my end result. God had other plans. With worldly circumstances and personal circumstances going on in my life, I would say I got caught up in not receiving what I thought I was going to get and it shifted my perspective a little. So even as I got deeper into my faith, I found myself trying to actively search for the final answers. Nothing is wrong with that, but it is important to have fun with the process of growing deeper in your faith and getting closer to Christ just like I do with basketball and my friends. 

The trouble that one can go through with this process, is growing weary and tired of doing it. I remember last summer I would wake up everyday and train with my trainer alone and sometimes other friends, but it was not always easy waking up at 6am most days. My reasons however, were because I loved the people that I got to see each day and I had a goal in mind I wanted to achieve. It’s important to not give up. It is okay to be tired and not want to do it, but that is why we must lean on the ones we trust to hold us accountable during that time of not wanting to go that extra mile. 

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9

A really good friend of mine told me recently, “That very thing that you think is holding you back can propel you so much farther once God decides it’s your time to move forward.” I thought this was powerful because a lot of times as humans we can look at our circumstances as something that is holding us back or an unfair situation, but that could be exactly how God wants to use you when He decides. 

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. - 1 Peter 5:10

Moral of the story is, have fun being in the growing stage rather than not at the finish line yet. A relationship with Christ is what we should seek first and it is supposed to be an exciting and vibrant feeling. Also, challenge yourself. I challenge myself each year to get better at something in the game of basketball. Apply this attitude to your spiritual life and you’ll see the growth in your faith and ultimately you’ll have the peace to enjoy the growing process. 

Make a Change

With everything going on right now, I believe one way to help and show support is to not be silent in sharing stories, positive love, and show that you’re with righteousness. I will share a little bit about mine. 

I grew up in a very fortunate family situation based around love. With that being said, I am an african american and I did have to have special talks and realization about some truths of this world. I was taught to always be respectful, be kind and treat others the correct way. I was also told that not everyone would treat me that way and sometimes it would be because of my race. As unfortunate as that sounds, that was the truth I had to live with growing up and even today.

I have been stopped by the police based on suspicion on the neighborhood I was in, I have been stopped and searched because I was thought to have drugs in my car, and I have been looked at differently when walking into a store with a group of friends because maybe they thought we would steal something. I’ve never had any disciplinary problems in my entire life. I went to a predominantly white school growing up and made the honor roll list each semester. I say all of this to bring light to the point that even though I was doing everything I could to be successful, I still was looked at differently by some people.

One thing I am proud of, is the amount of relationships I have been able to create with all races and ages rather it be from me playing basketball, or just everyday interaction. Over the summers, I am a trainer at a basketball facility and I see kids and families of all races. Many of these kids I have been able to make an impact in their life. Even though I am just a small part of their day, I am able to help them out on and off the court. In order for us to make a change in this world, we must instill the qualities of Jesus in any type of interaction we have with someone. 

The bible speaks of protests and supports it. We are all called to serve the purposes of God. That includes righteousness. It is encouraged to fight for justice and righteousness for all because we serve a righteous God. We start by changing ourselves and our views on the injustice of the world. One thing we must know is the anger and dislikes of injustice is not called for us to act illegitimately. Legitimate protest honors God and His will. Remember, there are two types of ways of thinking we can have, God's way or the world’s way. You get to make the choice on which way you will decide to choose and which way you will instill and influence someone else. So as you stand up for the justice of society, share your story if you have one to give others information, open your eyes to the wrongs of this world, reach out to someone else of different race or color and show love, protest and rally in public righteously or even share positive things on social media. Stand up for what is right and bring the qualities of Jesus back into every area of your life to impact someone else's. 

Failures vs Success #13

If you are a believer of Christ, at some point in your life you will face a trial. God says many times in the bible that you will have something put in your life that you will have to overcome. Some of these things are from the circumstances around us, some from our own sin, and somethings happen simply because God allows it to. As I read more in scripture and even looking at the lives of people today, a lot of their stories are similar. We’ve seen many people make a comeback and overcome a specific event or events in their life and be looked at as a success. So my question is, is failure really the opposite of success or is failure just a stepping stone to get to success? 

A trial is a divinely ordained difficulty that God causes or permits so that He may grow us and conform us to be into the image of Christ. The purpose of the trial is like a makeover. It is to completely change our view of God in a positive way. God wants to develop us spiritually and he does that by testing our faith because that builds endurance. 

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. - James 1:2-4

I have faced many trials in my life and I feel if I would have prepared myself with these teachings, the outcome would have been a lot faster and smoother along the way. One thing that I can say about my success is failure has definitely been a big part of it. From failing on the court and having to fight back from injuries, from failing in relationships and having to shift my view on what’s important, to even failing on being a good friend and family member and not being selfish has led to many life changing details in my life. 

One of my favorite comeback stories of all time is Derrick Rose returning back to the NBA after three knee surgeries. After losing athleticism, being doubted and overlooked, he comes back to the league and plays at arguably an all star level. He had to overcome many different trials he was facing. Dealing with the surgeries and focusing on his health, being traded from NBA team to NBA team, moving his family from city to city, and the pressure of being a high profile athlete that was in the media for not being as successful as he once was. I don’t think anyone would call his career a failure at this point, but many would say because of his injuries he did not live up to the success many thought he would have. Because Rose never gave up, worked hard doing everything he could do, and leaving the rest in God’s hands, he received his comeback. We too can overcome and receive our comeback if we take the Derrick Rose approach and take it one step at a time letting God lead us through our trial.

Now that we know that there will be trials in our life, now it’s time to talk about how we are supposed to approach and look at them. I am a very organized planner, precise, “my way” type of person. I am very critical of the things I work hard at. It’s safe to say that for a long time, I was a believer in, “if it’s not successful, then it failed.” My playing career as an example, my high school basketball team did not get very many team wins like we projected. We had a number of committed college athletes on the team, with a lot of talent. However, we did not make it out of our sectional in four years. I had individual success while I was there, but for a long time I looked at my high school career as a failure. What I didn’t realize was how this would alter how I approached which college team I chose to play for and pretty much how I lived the rest of my life. I wanted to win, not individually but collectively as a whole.

In a trial, God says we must first pray. We should ask God for wisdom on how to handle our trials head on. Then, we must go to scripture and find what God says about your specific problem to understand deeper. Then lastly, we should ask God for help from spiritually minded people who can teach us how to best apply biblical truth to our problem. Most importantly, we must go to God in faith and not doubt. 

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.- James 1:5-8

God has a funny way of turning things around on us. I now put winning on a bigger level on and off the court more than I ever have before because of some events that happened in my past. Even as I go through various trials today, with my current playing career, relationship status and even future plans, I have learned to put God’s teaching first and to be joyful during the trials because I know at the end I will be more like Christ. 

If you’re in a trial, or just want to learn more, I encourage you to read through the James chapter 1 to start. Learn the reasons behind trials, how to face them the right way and also how to overcome and receive your comeback!

Win the Day #12

I’ve been talking to a mentor and friend and I realized that I can sometimes fall victim in something that God calls us not to do. Sometimes I worry and focus so much on the future that I miss the responsibilities that I need to focus on today. 

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” - Matthew 6:34

In the world today, setting goals and properly planning to take the steps to achieve your goals is a responsible task. By doing this, we try to organize and put ourselves into position to succeed. Nothing is wrong with striving for a goal, but the problem comes when we get so focused on our future that we try to take it into our own hands. 

I just think about how one of my main goals as a kid was to play professional basketball. I worked hard knowing what was ahead if I properly executed the plan that was set. I worked so hard that I actually put basketball before my faith and God. Of course, at the time I didn’t realize that but now I do. I understand how It allowed me to stray away from God’s purpose over my life.

God’s word says he will give us enough grace needed for each day. He says this because we have so many other things to think about each day, that to worry about what is on our plate for tomorrow will become overwhelming. Pastor Tony Evans said it best, “Today, is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.” Meaning don’t borrow from tomorrow’s to do list and worry about how you’ll complete or accomplish something meant for tomorrow, when you have to think about today first. 

When I think about winning each day, it takes me back to my high school football days. Each week we had a unified team goal to win on Friday night. For us, winning on Friday meant we had to start the Saturday before. We all came in on Saturday morning to watch the next team’s film, and then we went out each day of the week to execute that specific day's tasks to help prepare ourselves for the big game on Friday. Anyone that knows me well enough, knows that my senior year of football was probably my favorite year of sports in my life. That is mostly because of the coach I had. He was by far my favorite coach to play for, and that was because he conducted a team like I've never seen before. We were organized, competed hard each day, all got along and we all bought into the team goal.

 Now, you’re probably wondering how I have played division I college basketball and professionally overseas and pick my senior year of football as my favorite year. Well, each day for me all I had to do was attack and win that specific day. I was taught to play the quarterback position from my head coach and assistant coach day by day. I was new at the position and hadn't even played football since my freshman year in highschool. I chose to play football the summer going into my senior year, so they were forced to teach me the position quickly, but also only give me enough that I could handle. We had a good team, and many of my teammates went on to play college football. At the end of the year, I ended up receiving an award for MVP of our team. Not because I was the best, there were far better football players on that team, but because my head coach and assistant supplied me with enough knowledge to lead the team each day. 

Same goes for our spiritual life. We all play for a great, unbeatable coach in God. To see the success we are looking for, we must follow His playbook. However, we must understand He only gives us enough we can handle. So, each day we need to turn the page and ask, what can we do to dominate today and when tomorrow comes, we will repeat the cycle. Walk with the lord and walk in his plans, and soon we will be living out His playbook for our lives.  

“For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.”- Ephesians 2:10 

Michael Jordan Last Dance #11

Today is a bittersweet day for me. One of the best sports documentaries/movies I’ve ever watched, “The Last Dance” airs its final two episodes tonight. The mini series focused around Michael Jordan and his years with the Chicago Bulls has been nothing but amazing to watch for all the sports people in the world. For me, I have always loved Jordan’s game, but watching some of the behind the scenes interviews, stories and deeper understanding of his life allowed me to see another side that I never got to see because of my age. Each week as my dad and I watch together, I get a deeper meaning of his career and because of that, I can apply it to my life and the world today. 

As I sit back and take in all of the episodes, one of the main things I took away from it was, Jordan dedicated everything he had to basketball. Because of this, it allowed him to branch out and be able to reach other things like endorsement deals, movies and commercials, his own clothing brand and even his own organization. This stood out to me because in today's society, we are told and taught to explore and never limit our options because it gives us more opportunities to succeed. I am not saying as a kid, you shouldn’t play multiple sports or in school keep your field options open for your career, but I am saying if we give and dedicate everything we have to God, he will allow us to branch out in his will. 

If you were like me growing up, then Michael Jordan did nothing wrong in your eyes. That obviously was not true, but after watching this documentary I got to see how imperfect Jordan was. It took MJ seven years to win his first championship. His road towards it was not easy. He spent less time with his family, less time on the golf course and even forced his teammates to raise their level over the summer rather than taking vacations. One thing he didn't do was give up or accept being average. During those first seven years, he could have been complacent and accepted that he was just going to be a great individual player and score and dominate his position. However, he wanted to win so badly that he had to elevate his understanding of the game, rely on his teammates and coaches more to achieve his overall goal to win a championship. 

Our lives as a Christian are solely dependent on Jesus. With that being said, none of us are perfect. God has already given us victory and our championship, but it is up to us if we receive it here on earth or have to wait until we get to heaven for it. Just as Jordan had to dedicate his summers to basketball and rely on his peers and coaches, God calls us to do the same for His kingdom. Dedicate your time to his word, help other people along the way and let his victory live through your life. Also, the good thing about it is, if you haven’t been doing that, you can start right here, right now and make the change. God doesn’t hold it against us for taking a while to do it, but loves when we convert and give it all to him. 

One part of the documentary that intrigued me was how Jordan was highly criticized when he did not take a stand in the political world. He was shunned for it because ultimately it came down to race. A black democratic governor versus a white republican governor. Jordan was expected to take sides of the black governor because of his race but Jordan did not endorse either side. I think his quote the media put out was, “Republicans buy Jordans too.” Today, there are social and racial issues that continue to get worse. I understand the stance of what Jordan was expected to do and I understand the stance Jordan actually took. However outside of Jordan’s actual situation that was portrayed, my main takeaway was that sometimes we get so worldly that we do not consider God’s take on a matter. It is okay to support any race or any political party or person as long as their word matches what God says on an issue. 

In 1993 Michael Jordan retired for the first time and went to play baseball. This was right after his father passed away and was always a dream of his. Jordan to me is without a doubt the best sports interviewer of all time. Always professional in the media and knows how to answer questions in a respectful, knowledgeable way. One thing that I found interesting was that the media related Jordan’s father's death to MJ’s personal life. Majority was gambling and trying to link the two. In our life, there will be unfair situations, things we can’t control and things we wished never happened, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the world. If you've made a mistake, that is okay. God accepts mistakes if we come to him about it. That is called repenting and the goal is to learn, give it to God and be better in a future situation if tested. I learned from Jesus and Jordan to always be respectful, shed light on your situation and lean close to the people who care for you in your life. God has restored us using Jesus Christ, so ultimately everything is in His hands. No we can’t control everything that happens here on earth, but we do know who is in control so that is why we are never to panic or get out of sorts. 

I could talk forever about this topic and documentary, but I just wanted to touch on a few details as we go into the last week of episodes on MJ’s great basketball career. Remember, God is in control of all, Jesus is the key to our salvation, and we should dedicate everything to serving his will and allowing him to live through us. 

Spiritual Growth #10

As we are wrapping up and getting into our last steps of spiritual growth, it’s important to remember that this is a transformation process to bring us closer to God. Allowing Him to live in us and through us as we serve His kingdom. 

13. Calling:

God has called all of us here to serve His kingdom. Within that, He has given us all a specific job and way we can do that. Our designed purpose is linked to our experience, opportunities, passion and abilities. Where all these things meet, is where we will find our purpose. Our calling is not just something we do for a living or a job to make money from, but our divinely pre planned service for God.  

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10

When I was in college, our coaches made us write on our shoes, what was our purpose for playing. They did this to motivate us and remind us that we have a bigger reason we all chose to grind and do all the hard work we are doing. Many players wrote down a family member or someone they knew that passed away. I remember having a couple different reasons why I played the game of basketball, especially at that intense level. One that sticks out to me that I wrote down on my shoe was, P.O.L. or providence over luck. Providence is God causing or allowing things to happen for His purpose. So for whatever reason, I know at the time God was using basketball to be a part of my life to help me individually and for His kingdom, ultimately leading me to my calling or purpose. 

14. Obedience:

The response of your spiritual growth is your obedience. We need to understand that God’s new covenant when Jesus sacrificed for all of us, embedded in us all His teachings and wrote it on our hearts for forever. Obedience activates the word and work of God in our lives. 

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.- James 1:19-25

 

One thing that changed my life was when I got to college and I saw what the definition of hard work really meant. Majority of the things I did in high school did not compare at all. I soon adjusted and was used to "working hard." So much that, even until this day my workouts are more intense than most people. When I played professionally in Germany, many times I had to workout and lift weights alone or with one other teammate and because of my changed nature, the workouts I did kept me in shape and healthy. 

 

15. Maturity: 

The absolute goal of spiritual growth is maturity within. You know when you have matured when you can consistently view and live life from a heavenly perspective rather than earthly view. When you operate this way, mature Christians can often see, hear and have thoughts on things that regular humans can’t. This is because they are close to God and able to detect when something is from Him rather than something from the world. The spirit is helping them to think God’s thoughts. Mature believers have transformed lives that reflect and transfer values of the Kingdom of God. 

12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.- 1 Corinthians 2:12

 Now that we have concluded our 15 step breakdown of spiritual growth, I highly encourage you to study and implement them all into your life. As a believer our goal is to grow closer to God and serve His kingdom, but first we must understand how and which steps to take. He has given us all the ability to do so, but it is on us to take the required actions to go forward.