TGIF: THE WAITING GAME - His Perfect Timing

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3

Have you been praying about a situation in your life and found yourself waiting forever an answer? Are you wondering why the answer hasn't come yet? Nothing tries our faith like waiting on God to answer our prayers. However, people fail to realize that waiting tests our submission to Him as our trustworthy Authority. Waiting is accepting that God knows best and He has a better idea and plan for us. If we run ahead of God, we will painfully crash into chaos, exhaustion, and failure. Taking matters into our own hands never turns out well. Think of Abraham with Ishmael, Saul's usurping the role of a priest, Israel looking to Egypt for help.

“When we wait, we learn God Himself. God is revealing His perfections, His impeccable ability to be in charge of every detail. His timing is split-second. He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omni-caring. He works all and in all. He gives confirmations of His ever-presentness.”

Waiting on God also prepares us for what we are about to receive from Him. If God blesses you with what you desire, and you are not ready for it, you will simply ruin and waste it. Our waiting time is preparation time for the blessings that are soon to be unfolded. Just ask David. God promised that he would be King over Israel when he was 15 years old. David did not become king over the entire Israel until he was 37! He had many opportunities to ignore God’s timing and kill Saul, but instead, David used that time to prepare himself to be king. He trusted God and His timing and knew He would not break His promise. As a reward, he was blessed beyond measure and is still seen as one of Israel’s greatest kings.

God causes things to happen at exactly the right time! Your job is not to figure out when, but to trust and believe what is promised to you will come to past (as long as it is in the will of God). You might be in a rush, but God’s timing is ALWAYS perfect. Everything happens exactly when it is supposed to happen and not a minute sooner or not a minute later.So stop trying to figure everything out, and let God be God in your life. You will be rewarded for your patience and faith in God. Just trust, believe, and keep the faith. This waiting period is helping you prepare for something greater.

2 Months Strong - Let Regular Season Begin

I know I have been gone for a minute, but I am back! I hope everyone is doing wonderfully and being blessed by God's greatness!

Two months down and I am still going strong!!! France has definitely been treating me well. Things have picked up now that regular season has started, but everything is still going as smooth and as great as it was in the beginning.

When it comes to basketball, my team is a BEAST! :-) We have been killing it on the court. Right now we are currently undefeated and ranked number one in our league (conference). We have developed such great chemistry among each other, and it still suprises me sometimes of how good we are. When I first arrived in France, we had good team chemistry off the court but not on. We did not know each other, and we did not recognize each other's style of play. It was almost like playing pick-up in the park - every man for themselves. We were struggling. Now, however, it is a completely different story. Teams that we lost to in preseason, we have now blown out by 20 and 30 points. Sometimes I have to stop and say wow because I did not see us being this good in the beginning, at all. Even the president of our team said he did not see us being this good (I know, great confidence LoL). But we went from being a decent team, to the team everyone wants to beat in our league. Blessings. Hopefully we continue to go strong. This is a LONG season, but we are trying to win the "ship."

On the personal side, being overseas you have A LOT of free time. Your only job is literally to go to practice and games and that's it. The rest of your day is to yourself. Therefore, you end up with a lot of time to reflect and ponder. I have grown tremedously in the last two months. Being overseas gives you time and space to put a lot of things into its proper perspective. You learn a lot about yourself, and you begin to realize what is important and who is important in your life. This helps you see and truly appreciate the blessings in your life and embrace the experience. Therefore, I thank God every chance I get because this opportunity has allowed me to grow closer to Him, closer to my friends, has given me clarity about certain situations, has given me guidance about the future, has confirmed the positive direction my life is headed, and that I am fulling God's purpose and pleasing Him. 

Well that's it for now. It is currently game day, so I am about to start my pregame rituals and get my mind right. Remember, in All and through All to give thanks for All, All of the time. HAPPY NOVEMBER! God Bless! 

Peace, Grace, and Blessing
T.C.

P.S. SHOUTOUT TO VANDERBILT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM WHO STARTS THEIR SEASON TODAY!!! Once a Dore, Always a Dore! #VandyWBB #AchorDown #ProudAlum #ItsGoodToBeGold #StarsPlayHere

TGIF - YOUR GRIND, YOUR VISION

“DON’T EXPECT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND YOUR GRIND, WHEN GOD DIDN’T GIVE THEM YOUR VISION”

"Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work" (Jer. 1:5).

We all have different goals and dreams, which have been blessed upon us by God. Visions in which, God didn’t intend anyone else to foresee. A lot of people won’t understand your grind, your passion, or the work that you put into something, because it is not their goal/dream. It is solely for your own purpose; to fulfill God’s plan for you.

With this you might encounter criticism, people talking negative about you, or saying you have changed. All this is a good thing. Remember Jesus had many disapprovers and haters. However, He also had people that believed in Him, and was by His side to help Him carry out His purpose because God gave them understanding as well.

So, never give up on what you are doing. When God gives you a vision, “be strong and courageous” like he told Jeremiah, like he told Gideon, like he told Moses, like he told Joshua, like David told Solomon. Some people may never understand your passion because they just might not be on the same wavelength as you, and that is okay. Do not get discouraged. God made everyone different and unique. Therefore, He gave them a passion of their own. God gives different passions so that everything He wants done in the world will get done. Therefore, you should not expect everyone else to be passionate about your passion. Instead, listen and value each other’s life message because nobody can say it all. Most of all, if you believe in yourself, and in God’s purpose for you in life, that’s all that matters.

"God has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do" (Col. 3:23-24; Matt. 25:34)

Peace Grace and Blessings

T.C.

TGIF - “Keep Them Squares Up Out Your Circle”

“If your best friends are the first people you contact to get drunk and go out, but NOT among the first people you contact when you need prayer warriors, then you need New Best Friends”

Our lives are drastically influenced by the friends we have and the company we keep. Friends hold, unconsciously and consciously, a significant amount of influence in the decisions we make throughout our lives. Along with family, friends can shape our behaviors, how we act, and sometimes what we believe. Some can have good influences on us whereas others can affect our lives in the wrong way. This is why the friends you keep are just as important and the people you do not hang around with.

Having friends who do not have the same beliefs, as you can be dangerous in your growth as a Christian. We are cautioned numerous times to steer clear of “friends” who may lead us astray. The Bible says, “Don’t be deceived: bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33), and “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20). We are not to associate with people who entice us to do wrong, no matter how appealing their “friendship” may seem to be. By entertaining individuals who are bad company, you are risking the chance of picking up their negative qualities and habits. Those who “rush to sin” should be avoided. The old phrase “if you hang with dogs, you will catch fleas” is very accurate.

Some tend to argue that instead of unrighteous friends bringing them down, they are helping their unrighteous companions up. While in some cases this kind of relationship does workout, I warn that it is much harder to pull someone deep in sin up, than it is for them to bring you down. Imagine standing in a chair and trying to bring someone up to your level. It is easier for them to pull you down to the ground than it is for you to pull them up. They have the force of the floor helping them. That is the struggle we face. More than likely, you have struggled with sin longer than you have been saved. If you are not rock solid in your faith and beliefs, it is hard to go against someone with years of expertise and practice in sin. They have the sturdiness of the ground (years of experience with sin) to help pull you down. In order to pull someone up, make sure your chair, a.k.a your faith, is bolted to the ground and cannot be shaken.

Having true friends are vital to our growth and maturity as Christians. All of us are more consistent in our faith when others walk with us and encourage us. Friends share our burdens, share our joys, counsel us, and are our confidants. As Rick Warren once stated, “You need more than the bible to grow, you need other believers. We grow faster and stronger by learning from each other and being accountable to each other” (The Purpose Driven Life). God made humans relational beings. Not only does He want us to be in a relationship with Him, He wants us to have true relationships with other believers. We all need sincere friends to help us get through this perplexed world. So begin to think about the people in your life, and get your team in order. Surround yourself with people that will help you to your destiny, not hinder it. Surround yourself with Kingdom People! “Keep Them Squares Up Out Your Circle”

As you choose your inner circle I leave you with Romans 15:5 – “May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.”

Peace, Grace, and Blessings

T.C.

My "9 to 5" Daily Grind

Ephesians 1:18 - I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.

Coming out of college, I knew I wanted to work in sports but I DID NOT want a desk job. After completing several desk job internships, I knew a 9 to 5, suit and tie,  was not the move for my life at this current time. Therefore, that left only two other options: graduate school or professional basketball. To some the choice would have been obvious, but as I explained in my previous posts, the decision to play professional basketball was not that simple and easy for me. Yet I, or I should say God, chose the latter for me and I am overjoyed that He did. There is no other job out there that suits my talents, my gifts, and my personality any better. All the more, it is fulfilling God’s purpose and plan for my life. Bible says, "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." - Proverbs 16:3. Therefore, my job does not get any better. Let me tell you about my job…

As many already know, I am currently playing professionally basketball in the beautiful country of France. That is the first perk of my job. I am seeing another part of the world for FREE. One of the items on my bucket list was to travel the world and visit as many places as I could. By playing in France, I have been granted the unique opportunity to visit the whole country for free, and granted the ability to travel to other countries on my weekends off. They are literally just a train ride away! I am actually taking my first leisure trip this weekend! Post about that will definitely follow!

Another great aspect about my job is that I work nowhere near a 9 to 5 schedule. My workdays are literally two to four hours long, and if they are as long as four, believe they are not consecutive. Let me take you through a typical “workday” for me:

On a four-hour workday, my day would begin at 10:30am with weight training (yes I sleep in every day!). This usually lasts about an hour. After weight my team and I would go into our gymnasium and “free shoot” for 20-30 minutes. When we are through with shooting, it is recovery time. We are free and have no obligations until 6pm when we evening practice. This is when we get all of our running in. This practice is usually an hour and a half  (two hours if we are just doing terrible). Then, I am done for the day. On the days when I work only two hours, it is because I do not have weight training that day! I literally cannot complain about the hours I “work.”

Lastly, the best thing about my job is that I get to stay in shape (and by in shape I mean eat a lot of Oreos and not worry because I will run it off in practice and at games J). No gym membership needed! I have a job that allows me to travel, work very short hours, and keep me fit and healthy. I am literally getting “paid to play.” It does not get any better. And to think, I almost passed up on this opportunity. What was I thinking??? I am truly blessed. Thank you God for being my Guide and steering me in the right direction. May Your will be done. Amen!

Peace, Grace, and Blessing
T.C. 

TGIF - I Am Second... Let Me Tell You About Who Is First

I Am Second... Let Me Tell You About Who Is First

Inspired by the “I am Second” movement and Jeff Jones

Song: Background - Lecrae

I’ve never met anybody who, in describing Jesus says He’s a bad guy. Everybody that I know believes that Jesus was a wonderful person, a great teacher, a great philosopher. But when you actually look at who He said He was, when you read books like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, He claimed to be much more than a great teacher, or great leader or great compassionate person. He claimed to be God Himself. Who looked down from Heaven above, stood up from His glorious throne where He was being praised and living the GREAT life, and said “Excuse Me, My children need Me.” Who then came to this planet, took on flesh to live among people just like you and me with all of our hurt, suffering and sin. He did this because the Bible says first of all that He wanted to “identify” with us. He wanted to know what it was like to be us, to live in the world, to be relatable. And then He came to suffer and die on the cross for our sins to take the punishment that you and I Deserve. “When you ever heard about a hero dying for the villains?” – Andy Mineo…We should have died 1,000 deaths for our sins, but He died so that WE could Live. He SAVED us…So when you think about who Jesus is, He didn’t come to be just a great man. He came to make it possible for us to know God.

That is who is First. Therefore, everything you do in life should be for Him; to please Him, to serve Him, to make Him happy. Everything. Because EVERYTHING He did, was for You.
#IAmSecond
#LiveSecond

TGIF – Finding Your Purpose

TGIF – Finding Your Purpose
(Lesson inspired from The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren)
Song Recommendation: Identity - Lecrae

 “Everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him.” – Colossians 1:16 Your life is not about you. You were born by His purpose for His purpose. We always ask self-centered questions like: What do I want to be, what should I do with my life? However, focusing on yourself will never reveal your life’s purpose. “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power.” – Job 12:10. You did not create yourself, so there is no way you can tell yourself what you were created for. The only way to figure that out is to ask God. Always remember, you were made by God, for God. Only through Him will you discover the meaning and purpose of your life. The easiest way to figure out how an invention works is to ask the creator! The same is true for your life purpose: Ask God. Try to figure it out yourself, you will always end up at a dead end. “It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for...”- Ephesians 1:11 In order to find out your purpose, have a relationship with Jesus Christ and ask Him.

Peace Grace and Blessings