Current Events

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The Cross & Why I'm Thankful

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TODAY IS GOOD FRIDAY.  AND FOR THAT REASON, I AM THANKFUL.

Why am I thankful?  Because of Jesus.  Because of the cross.  

"Jesus did not instruct his disciples to concern themselves with the details of when and where.  The disciples primary goal was to be exulting in and proclaiming the good news of His death and resurrection." 1

17 years ago my life was changed by the gospel when I understood my sin and how Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave.  7 years ago my life was RADICALLY changed by the gospel when God opened my eyes and my heart to serve Jesus with my life.  You could say Jesus took me to a new level.  

I don't know what tomorrow will bring in my life or the lives of those I love.  I will never know that.  But because of the cross I know that whatever comes will be better than I deserve.  Before I knew of Jesus on the cross, I was deserving of death and was heading that way .  After the cross, I was still deserving of death, but now had a Savior in Jesus who conquered my sin and death when he rose three days later!  I never want to move on from the cross.  I never want to move on from grace.  I always want to have joy at the cross knowing what Jesus did for me.  He is too good.  

THANK YOU, JESUS!

This song below will give you goosebumps.  I'm so thankful for the cross.  I'm so thankful for the gospel.  I'm so thankful for Jesus!

1. Excerpt from "The Cross Centered Life" by C.J. Mahaney

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Homeless Never Means Helpless

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"GO GET A JOB!"

"THEY'RE SO LAZY!"

"STAY AWAY FROM THEM, THEY'RE DANGEROUS!"

Throughout my life I've heard these stereotypes applied to people less fortunate over and over again. Much of society has a view on the homeless population as people that have no work ethic, aren't responsible, and don't try hard enough. I'll be honest, I even had this type of mindset when I was younger. Growing up you're taught that working hard and doing what you're "supposed" to do will give you what you need, but I'll tell you right now LIFE does not always work that way! This last week I had the opportunity of serving with an outreach organization called New York School of Urban Ministry where I went into the streets of Midtown Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens to bring food, blankets, and Jesus to the homeless or less fortunate. But as I came to this organization with a mindset of blessing others, I was the one who was truly blessed.

The stigma that has been attached to the homeless that they aren't hard working or talented is completely false. My first night in Manhattan we went to a location where the homeless were able to stay until a certain time for shelter due to the cold weather. I met an elderly woman by the name of Erlma. She was walking down the stairs holding every type of bag you could think of while also holding a cup of coffee. I saw she was struggling, so I helped her carry the bags so she could get down safely. As we began to talk more, I noticed she was limping which she then told me she had a knee problem for the last five years. I went on to pray for her and her knee which brought us to her story. Erlma went on to tell me that she was a graduate at the prestigious Columbia University in New York where she attained two degrees and was once a college professor. As I kept on speaking with her I forgot all about the fact that she was homeless, but was viewing her as a human being with worth. I'll never forget what she said to me before I left. She said,  

“The people you invest into do not always give you a return on your investment, but that’s not why we invest into others. We invest into others because we have a duty to love people and give them a chance to understand their potential.”
— Erlma

I immediately gave her a hug because of how much those words meant to me.

Another woman I met named Paticia had her son with her that night. When I sat down next to Paticia she immediately began talking to me about the importance of having confidence when approaching my career. Her son, Tyrell, was only nine years old and I could tell he looked up to his mom like she was a superhero. Since Paticia is a single mother she would have to drop off her son at school every day somehow. She went on to tell me that before he would leave he would ask her every day what she was going to do today. Her response every time was that she was going to go save the world. Paticia told me she didn't want her son to know that she wasn't able to have a job right now. Tyrell just needed to focus on one thing and that one thing was just being a kid. As we got to the end of our conversation I told Paticia I wish I could just hire her myself. She went on to give me some encouragement in regards to my future, 

“It’s hard. I’ll tell you right now that New York isn’t for everyone. But I see something in you. You have a gift with people and I don’t usually talk to people this much, so that should tell you something.”
— Paticia

I went on to pray with Paticia, but she also told me she wanted to pray for me. She went on to pray for me in a very powerful way and I was truly blessed.

I had even more numerous amazing interactions with people such as Robert who went out of his way in one of the shelters to teach me how the game of chess has many connections with life itself.  Or Jason, who was younger than most of the homeless, helped explain to me the best way to reach inner city youth. Jason gave me knowledgable approaches to the youth of places like Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Manhattan. I couldn't believe a man with soo much knowledge was in his current situation.

As I reflect on the time I spent with this organization I would say the main lesson I learned is that the opportunity to serve others is an absolute gift. New York City has a homeless population of about 100,000. These people do not have less worth than anyone else. If we are truly going to apply God's Word to this subject then the worth of people is found in Christ, not in how big someone's house is or the title they have at their job. From my time this past week I have learned more from people that are less fortunate than I have from many people who are considered "successful" in the eyes of the world. That should tell us something. "Success" in the eyes of the world can take you down a detrimental spiral that can get us off track of what is important. Never take for granted the blessings we have that look simple. Because one day, those same blessings could be gone in an instant.

BY LARRY TAYLOR

* I love seeing former players who have a passion for Jesus and serving others.  Larry is truly a special person and God is going to do big things through his life!  It was an honor to be able to share his story from his time in New York. - Coach Wingreen

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Is Cam Newton a Terrible Leader?

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NO. GET OFF HIS BACK.

He was beaten.  The Denver defense was simply better on the day that it mattered most.  He has every right to be frustrated.  

Six sacks, two fumbles, and one interception later; Cam Newton sits in a chair in front of members of the media who will ask anything to get a good story.  I mean, this dude just lost one of the biggest games of his life and now he has to answer for it?  It was guaranteed that the media would ask the worst questions at the worst time.  Any one of us would naturally react to this situation with negativity and frustration, right?

LEADERS FAIL.  I GET IT.

Frustration is understandable, especially after losing a game as big as the Super Bowl.  None of us understand the pressure these guys face and we can certainly respect the hard work and dedication they encompass over the course of a long, grueling season.  It was obvious that Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman were hurt by the loss and expressed their frustration.  I can't imagine getting that far only to come up short.  But Cam Newton is the leader of his team and everyone knows it.  The only voice that mattered after that game was his...

AND HE BLEW IT.

“Leaders are bound to fail. They will have a choice to respond with class or react with disdain. The choice they make will determine if their leadership will make a positive or negative impact on those around them.”

There were no other thoughts that I had other than that I was disappointed with this so called "leader" and his lack of character after a tough loss.  In case you have no clue what I'm talking about, here is a clip of his postgame press conference:

HOLD UP.  I'M NOT A CAM NEWTON HATER.

Before you start getting defensive, truth be told, I really like watching Cam Newton play football.  I've never seen someone play with the kind of energy and passion that he brings every day.  His smile lights up the room and his dancing entertains me.  He is a fantastic football player and a great person.  The fact that kids want to grow up to be like Cam Newton should be enough to make you realize that this guy is special.  

HANDLE THE LOSS WITH CLASS, CAM!

Ok, so let's go back to the real question.  Is Cam Newton a terrible leader?  No, he is not.  But his reactions in the post game press conference last night were unacceptable.  Here we have a 26 year old man that acted like my two year old daughter when she can't have more than three pieces of chewy sweet tarts before bed.  Life is tough and unfair.  Get over it!  Cam Newton is as natural of a leader as they come and he chose to react to a situation rather than respond.  The dabbing and dancing is all great, but show consistency in your leadership. Be the same man you are after a loss as you are after a win.  Some say he was displaying wisdom by walking off the stage before he said something he would regret.  I don't buy that.  He's better than that. There is no doubt that he has what it takes to be a great quarterback.  He's proven that.  But if he wants to sustain his success and impact lives the way he says he does, then he needs to learn how to handle failure.  I think Cam Newton is a tremendous leader that had a bad game both on and off the field last night.  But at the same time, his actions were unacceptable.  There is no excusing his whining and pouting, regardless of circumstances.  I fail.  You fail.  We all fail.  But that's not a good enough excuse!  We need to change.

“Control what you can control. You can’t control the circumstances or the outcome of the game. You can’t control the questions you’re asked or the criticism you’ll face. But regardless of what happens, you always have the opportunity to control your attitude.”

Cam Newton is not a terrible leader.  He is a 26 year old man that has unlimited potential.  I do not excuse his reaction last night, but this experience could be a game changer for Cam.  If he can learn from his failure and respond with wisdom to change, there is no reason that I wouldn't become his biggest fan.  

The ball will be in your hands once again, Cam, and everyone will be looking at how you respond.

*Noted - It is clear that Cam Newton heard the Broncos players press conference and walked off after hearing their comments.  Again, his actions are understandable, but not acceptable.  The NFL needs to put a little more thought into the placement of post game pressers as it can play a part in situations like this.

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One Word 2016: PERSISTENT

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I began choosing One Word in 2014 after being challenged to do so by Jon Gordon & Dan Britton through their book, "One Word That Will Change Your Life."  In 2014, I chose the word Immediacy in hopes to discipline myself to complete tasks as soon as they came up and limit my procrastination.  In 2015, I chose the word Serve with the desire to humble myself in order to help others so they could see Jesus reflected through me.  Both years have proven to be challenging and rewarding by focusing on my One Word.  

FOR 2016, I CHOSE THE WORD PERSISTENT.

[per-sis-tuh nt]

adjective

1.persisting, especially in spite of opposition, obstacles, discouragement,etc.; persevering:

2.lasting or enduring tenaciously:

3.constantly repeated; continued:

I've always been someone who is motivated to push through obstacles, so I am familiar with the attributes that go along with persistence.  However, I've struggled recently with doubt, anxiety, and self-discipline both at home and work.  I want 2016 to be a year that I remember for giving everything I had into becoming the best husband, father, and coach that I could be.  Regardless of what God has planned for my future, I desire to thrive and overcome due to an ongoing mindset of persistence.  Not only do I want to be persistent through discouragement and disappointment, but I want to be consistent in setting myself up for success through my daily habits and disciplines.  I truly believe that 2016 has many great opportunities in store for myself and my family and I'm looking forward to see God's plan unfold one day at a time!  Please pray for me and encourage me to continue with persistence throughout the year!    

Never Forget

I was in the eighth grade.  I woke up excited on the morning of September 11, 2001 because I was going to Miller Park that evening to watch the Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals.  

I arrived at school and it wasn't long before my teacher told us that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center in New York City.  As the days events unfolded, it became clear to me that I wasn't going to be seeing any baseball that evening.  

OUR NATION WAS UNDER ATTACK.

As I look back on that day 14 years ago, all I can remember was the anger that unified our country.  Not a hateful anger necessarily, but an anger that insisted we weren't going to allow this to happen.  Not in America.  Not in our house.  

President George W. Bush wan't perfect, but he was the perfect leader for us at that moment in time.  I still can recall the goosebumps I got when he spoke to a crowd at Ground Zero a few days after the attacks.  A man yelled out from the distance, "We can't hear you!."  To which the natural leader replied,

“I can hear you. The rest of the world can hear you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.”
— George W. Bush

Sidenote: Watch this 30 for 30 short film that was produced by ESPN.  It will be worth your time.  

30 for 30 Shorts: First Pitch

Our country was united through tragedy and we had a leader that had a genuine care for others.  He did not care about himself at that point, but he cared for his people and was willing to fight for them.  I will never forget those that died and will always remember the courage we had as a country.  Together.

#NEVERFORGET