Consume Me Lord...!

I awakened this morning with these lyrics on my mind and in my heart...

My heart and my soul, I give You control, consume me from the inside out, Lord...!

Praise God... Oh Lord, let not my day be about chasing wealth. You WILL meet my needs and the needs of my family. Let my day be about pursuing others for Your Kingdom and drawing closer to You, my King...! Praise You, For Your MERCY...!

Father God I love You and I pray these things in the precious name of JESUS,,,!

Seeking God

It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still how little use we make of God Himself. Though He is "our own God," we apply ourselves but little to Him, and ask but little of Him. How seldom do we ask counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we go about our business, without seeking His guidance! In our troubles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord, that He may sustain us! ~CH Spurgeon

Oh this has been my issue all my life. I have tried so many times to solve problems on my own under my own power... But Praise God, I am learning to lean on HIM now and NOT my own understanding.

My Way is the path of death and destruction.

God's way is the road to peace and life everlasting.

Heavenly Father, help me to follow You. Help me to be obedient. Give me a hunger and thirst for Your Word and for Righteousness. Father God I pray blessings on my family today. Cover and seal them in the Holy Spirit. Protect them from the world and the Enemy, Lord. My Lord and Savior, I love You my King. I run to Thee. I cling to Thee.

You are my rest. You are my strength and my Fortress. In Jesus' holy precious name I pray, AMEN.

Praise Report...

Last night I enjoyed a fun family evening with Connor, Elijah, and Monica. That's right, everyone was present. We enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by my precious wife, and then watched sky angel together for several hours after that.

I honestly can not remember the last time all four of us enjoyed a peaceful family evening together... PRAISE the LORD...!

It's no coincidence that this blessing came around Easter time...

Praise God from who ALL blessings flow...

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You Lord Jesus: Giver of All Good Things...! Lord, I take credit for nothing good in my life. Every Good and Perfect Gift comes from You...!

I love You Lord. I am not worthy of anything good yet YOU have chosen to bless me and not only that, You have blessed me ubundantly. Father, I am so sorry for my sins that nailed You to the Cross. Thank You for Your Grace and Mercy.

Lord I pray continued blessings on my house. Please continue the good work You have begun in this family. Help me to be the husband, daddy, coach, and friend that You have called me to be.

Father God, You are truly an AWESOME GOD...! I lift Your name up on High...!

And in Jesus' Name I pray, Amen...!

Too Busy to NOT Pray

I just started reading the book: 'Too Busy to NOT Pray' by Bill Hybels. I will probably be posting thoughts and comments on this topic more and more the next few days and weeks to come.

Let me start with this: I think most people are too busy, period. I would categorise myself as 'too busy' most of the time. I must confess that on occasion I am so busy that I forget to pray, myself. Dr Hybels acknowledges how busy the world has become and suggests that if we are really overly busy, we can't afford not to pray.

The title of this book really caught my eye when I first bought it years ago. I have been battling 'busyness' for years and years. I would not say that I have a handle on it yet but I know that I can't conquer busyness on my own. It's only though God's Grace and Mercy that I will be victorious. We MUST Pray. We can not be too busy to pray. We must pray first thing in the morning and the last thing as we drift off to sleep at night. We need to try to be in a constant state of prayer every minute in between those times, too.

Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to be a better steward of my time. Help me to be more mindful of my prayer and thought life. Help me to be more disciplined about time spent in the WORD. Father God I pray blessings on my family, friends, and all those within my sphere of influence today. Help me to be a witness and an Ambassador of Christ. Season my speech today to speak life and truth. Let my light that comes from YOU shine in dark places. I love You, Lord. I acknowledge that every good and perfect gift comes from You and You constantly shower me with the finest gifts and blessings. Praise You Lord. Praise Your Holy Name, Jesus. And it is in Your sweet, precious, holy name I pray, Amen.

Lifting up Coaches...

In my life I have been greatly impacted by coaches and teachers. Praise God that when I was a young boy, my first experience with coaches was a very positive experience. My little league baseball coaches were very Godly men and were very nurturing and encouraging. I had not even realized the impact of kind words and encouragement until a few years later in public school when I first encountered some 'really mean' coaches. The end result was that I did not continue in the sports that had mean, discouraging coaches and I gravitated to sports where the coaches did not scream angry remarks or make unkind comments to myself and my teammates.

Sadly, as the years have gone by I have probably seen far more instances of coaches who use negative reinforcement as their coaching style and I have observed the detrimental results on the young athletes these coaches impacted. The obvious, immediate result is the young athletes quit the sport, possibly never to play again. But who knows really what long term lasting effects a harsh word can have on a sensitive, impressionable young person...? I am 45 years old now but can still vividly recall some very discouraging childhood moments involving coaches and authority figures that have shaped the course of my life.

As a Christian I know that God is in control of everything. He has a perfect plan for our lives. As a Christian Coach, I recognize my duty to not only teach my sport, but point my young players to Christ. So what does that look like?

Proverbs 15:1 says a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Ephesians 4:29 says to not use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. These are two great verses for coaches.

I'd like to continue this commentary over the next few days, but want to close here by publicly forgiving those 'mean' coaches I have encountered throughout my life, especially those who discouraged me when I was a young person. God used that to make me the man I am today. Today I am also lifting up in prayer teachers, and all those who impact the life of a young person. I believe there is no greater work a man or woman can do.

Coach Sam Chadwell ~April 8, 2011

It is time to seek the Lord... Hosea 10:12

This is the verse that is featured in Spurgeon's evening devotional for April 1... What an awesome reminder. Oh, our world just seems so sick and vile. Nearly everywhere I turn I see evil and lawlessness. I see immorality. I see hate and anger. It is time to seek the Lord, indeed. Come, Lord Jesus, Come...! Far to many times I try to remedy situations under my own power. It is time to seek the Lord. Tonight I am discouraged. ~ It is time to seek the Lord. I have questions with no answers. ~ It is time to seek the Lord. Our lives are like a vapor. ~ It is time to seek the Lord. Friends if you do not know HIM as your Personal Savior, It is time to seek the Lord Amen..