I simply can’t help it!!!!
When traveling, I like to have an idea of college towns that I will be passing through. If possible (and it’s not too far out-of-the-way), I like to get a glimpse of the given institutions facilities. Most importantly, their FOOTBALL STADIUM!!
Today, as our team buses drove through Baton Rouge, LA I had another chance to see the home of the Bayou Bengals! I timed it just right as we drove over the mighty Mississippi River! I gazed south toward the bayou and caught a glimpse of Death Valley.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not a die-hard LSU fan. I’m simply drawn to those buildings….
I’m drawn to what they represent.
I’m drawn to the pageantry and pride that each institution places in these landmarks.
I’m also drawn to memories on foggy, humid fall nights. The smell of grass and paint. Battle cries from fans and the anxiety of a state as their heroes gallop onto the gridiron.
One may say….these icons have a way of haunting me!
As football season kicks off, I always have a rush of memories. This year, as we prepared for our first opponent, my mind drifted back to Bryant-Denny Stadium in 1999. The Crimson Tide was playing the Mississippi State Bulldogs on a humid and foggy night in Tuscaloosa. I’ll never forget how the sound of the crowd seemed to stay under the fog for the entire game. I remember the face-paint! I remember the Alabama Greek Section! I remember my date for the game wearing my jacket after a few adult beverages rained down from above.
It was loud!
It was intense!
It was SEC FOOTBALL!
As the years have passed I have noticed a distinct shift in my thinking. I am still drawn to these icons of American sport….the Rose Bowls, the Texas State Fair, The Swamp, Kyle Field!! However, as drawn to them as I am, I now pair them with memories and relationships, and dreams!
I will always remember…
….the anticipation that we had before flying out to Pasadena in 2009 for the National Championship. And the hugs exchanged when the game was over! And the quote from Coach Carter Blount, “Let’s go get another one”…….
…..staying in western North Carolina the night before the Tennessee/Alabama game in with friends and driving to Rocky Top that Saturday morning.
…..the silence of Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga on that fall night in 2008 when the “Blackout occurred!” and high-fiving our players as we headed back to Tuscaloosa.
….. those pregame prayers in the football building at Tuscaloosa County High School.. and holding my players and fellow coaches hands before we went to war.
…….Coach Dan Newell’s prayer in the locker room at Hampden-Sydney. It still gives me chills years later.
and here is the biggest one…..
Watching these young men and coaches pursue their dreams!
….and maybe more importantly….
Remembering what dreams have we have ignored or tried to forget?
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This week I want to pose a few questions that hopefully will stir something inside you!
What dream have you let become dormant?
What goal have you always wanted to obtain?
What is it in your soul that just won’t stay silent?
In the early morning hours…on nights that you can’t sleep…what does your heart bring to mind?
What personal “football stadiums” are out there to remind you of your God Given Talents?
We all have a purpose in this world! We owe to ourselves and those around us to pursue those gifts with everything we have!
You may have to quit your comfortable job…
You may have to leave your comfortable life….
You may have to leave your well-paying job in South Florida?
But eventually, you have to jump!
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I was sitting in a hospital parking lot in Texarkana, TX! I was working for an AWESOME company traveling the country working with incredible doctors and incredible people. I had been called in early in the morning and was about to walk in to work. As I scanned down through social media….I found this video and in turn….awoke my spirit…
This week, all I want to do is stir that dream inside of your soul! I want you to drive by your personal “football stadium” and awaken your personal gifts and dreams! I want you to feel that fear and freedom! The ups and downs! The dependence on God himself!
I want you to wake up and feel alive with anticipation and nervousness! I want your palms to be sweaty and I want you to look in the mirror and see a natural …..SMILE!
Do you feel called to be a minister…start an ARC church? DO IT!!!
Do you feel called to be a coach? DO IT!!!
Do you want to go back to school to finish that degree? DO IT NOW!!!!
Do you want to adopt a child? DO IT!!!!
Do you want to move to Florida and live on the beach? Make it happen!!!!
Do…You…Want…To…Be….Happy? That’s your choice.
I don’t know what each of your dreams and aspirations are! But I do know the beauty in seeing someone fulfill their purpose! And if I can encourage you to simply pursue your purpose…then I’m living my dream!
I’ve jumped….
I’ve been scared doing it…
I’ve had to rely on God….for everything….
I’ve doubted myself and questioned myself in the middle of it…
But….I did it! And it’s LIFE that I’m pursuing.
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This week, as you lay down for bed, and ponder how to awaken your dream…meditate on this word from the commissioning of Isaiah:
Isaiah 6:8.
” 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
“Here I am. Send ME!”
It will be scary at first…..It will be intimidating…..
But it beats driving by your own “football stadiums” and wondering
What if ……….
Dream Again….
You will miss people…family…and friends….
You will miss places like Texarkana and Shreveport…..Tampa and Tuscaloosa…..Dallas and Baton Rouge……Chattanooga and Birmingham…..NYC and Miami….
You will have doubts…you will doubt yourself……
But eventually…you will KNOW THAT YOU HAVE NO REGRETS!
DREAM AGAIN!
#CoachKD
coachkd.org 