Pivotal Moments

A friend today posted on Facebook that "hopefully today will be a pivotal moment in our nations history." What are those pivotal moments? Often they are the times when we remember hearing about tragedies or news events that catch us off guard and we remember those moments as they are captured in our mind's eye by the media. The assassination's of JFK and Martin Luther King Jr., Neil Armstrong's first moon walk, The Challenger Space Shuttle disaster, Columbine, 9/11, and the Obama inauguration crowds are all images that convey meaning and will never be erased from my mind. I am sure there are others that may impact you and are seared on our collective memories.

Today I was once again glued to the television and watching in horror a sight which has become all too common in America, the scene of a school in lockdown because of a shooting. This was the pivotal moment that my friend referenced because this was no high school like Columbine or University like Virginia Tech where students entered buildings with weapons and enacted whatever strange brand of vengeance that they deemed appropriate. While details are still being worked out we do know that this was a K-4 elementary school where 20 children between the ages of 5-7 years old had their lives ended as well as 6 staff members, and the gunman who was in his 20's and his mother who volunteered throughout the community. For whatever reason the shooter chose to shoot children in a first grade classroom. For me this hits close to home as my son is a first grader.
The other roughly 580 students who escaped have also suffered harm as they will have to deal with the loss of friends and beloved teachers who they will have looked up to. I found out about the tragedy on Facebook as I have a friend who lives in Newtown, Connecticut just 3 miles from the school and has children in the school district, fortunately at another school. They are safe. For that I am so grateful. Coincidentally, I found out on Facebook that I had another friend earlier this week who was ushered to safety from Nordstrom's at the Clackamas Town Center in Portland, Oregon, by undercover security where another twenty some year old man decided to open fire on shoppers with an assault weapon.

My thoughts and prayers of thankfulness for my friends safety is tempered by the realization that others do not have that consolation. They lost friends and family members to these shootings. Having friends nearby makes it real for me but not as real as if I had lost someone. Today's shooting also hit home as I have many friends who are teachers, those so often on the front lines of these attacks, and I appreciate greatly their willingness to heroically stand  to protect our children while also trying to educate them. It amazes me that they continue to do so while being humiliated with salary cuts and demands from the public which are unrealistic and demeaning of the education and dedication that they show.

Primarily however, I thought of my son and daughters who are in school today and I could not imagine having to rush to a school to see if they were safe in the wake of an attack only to find out, as twenty sets of parents did today, that the dreams I had for them had been extinguished. What anguish! It is unimaginable.
To realize that these children who, like mine, were looking forward to winter break and time with family and friends hit home. First graders, who had just finished their first fall of school as "big kids" and whose cares were about potential snow falling for sledding opportunities or vacation trips to see Grandma and Grandpa or about what Santa would be bringing them in the coming weeks. These are the victims. These are the sacrifices we make as a country for gun rights. Collateral damage. I know that my friends who are pro guns would point out that "guns don't kill, people do." Yes that is a lovely, trite saying, that I could never imagine trying to voice to a grieving parent.  I know that if someone tried to console me with that in the wake of a tragedy like this where my child had been shot and killed my response would be to explain, without words, that hands do not kill, people do!

The reality is that every year in this country approximately 11,000 Americans die from gun violence. In other civilized countries including Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, Finland, France , and Switzerland those numbers are usually about 10-60 per year. In America we have more people killed with guns in one week, over 200,  than they do in a year. For many of them we have more killed in one day, 30,  than they do in a year. Do we have a gun problem? Yes. Having lived in so many countries around the world and traveled to many more I have to say that American attitudes towards guns seems unreasonable and contributes to the violence that we see daily on our cities streets and all too often in our malls, places of worship and schools. The Michigan legislature, in the wake of the Clackamas killings, enacted legislation last night to allow concealed weapons in church's, schools, and day cares. We confront these acts of violence with a response which arms more of us. Somehow a policy of personal deterrence does not make sense to me. I hope my friend is right and that this is a pivotal moment for our country, I only hope that we have the humility to look to the rest of the world for answers.

Vicki Soto 1st grade teacher from Sandy Hook who shielded her students from the gunman and became a victim and a Hero

I also hope that our response will be based upon other motivations than fear. The pivotal moments in life both communal and personal always bring about feelings of fear and insecurity. What will happen next? What can I do? Where do we go from here? What is safe? These are questions that confront us whenever we reach a pivotal moment whether it be a cancer diagnosis, a loss of a loved one or a job, or a national tragedy. And yet we need to remember the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt who told our country in his first inaugural address that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

So how do we overcome fear? With love. John tells us that "there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear." (1 John 4:18) This may seem like a simplistic answer, but there is nothing simple about it. Love is difficult, especially in the face of the type of pain we face with events such as today's. However, as hard as it may seem, the truth exists that only in love can fear be conquered. So what do we need to do? We need to hold strong to the one who loves us. In God Calling, the two listeners hear God telling them "you must not allow fear to enter, Talk to Me, Think of Me. Talk of Me. Love Me. And that sense of My Power will so possess you that no fear can possess your mind. Be strong in this My Love."
We need to cling to love and we need to comfort those who are fearful and brokenhearted with that love. How can we overcome the violence of our society? By rejecting fear and developing more loving communities. While Facebook has kept me abreast of what is happening in my friends lives I know that I need to be more available, not virtually, but incarnately,or in the flesh to those around me. We may need to change the way we cocoon ourselves in our devices and technology and walk over to a friends house to sit with them and share lives together. I believe that part of our issues even with violence stem from our disconnected nature in our society. We don't feel loved and rarely express our own love in tangible ways to others. So maybe this week we disconnect and honor these children by committing to live and love and play and expel the fears that want to control us.

 I ask you to think of the exuberance of one of those children and allow it to drive you to do one act of kindness or love for someone each day this week. Will you pledge to do that? Please join me.  If we do that we may be able to bring good from a tragic moment and maybe one act by one act create the pivotal moment that is needed in our culture. Not through legislation, not through empty words, but through loving acts.

The Hope of Suffering

"Wow, you remind me of Job" a friend recently told me over a beer at a local pub. He was referring to the spate of "suffering" that I have experienced over the last 4 years including bankruptcy, periods of unemployment, losing my house, divorce, and  3 surgeries in the last year for cancer and wrist reconstruction which have led to more periods of underemployment and a sense of being in a holding pattern for life.  While I claim no comparison to the fates that Job faced or even the intense suffering that many of my friends are currently experiencing I must admit that I find myself wondering "why" often? Why did I not get that job ? I was perfectly qualified and it would be a great fit. Why did I get cancer? Why did the ladder fail and the wrist not heal properly?  Why can't I find someone to love me?  Why did someone treat me like that ? Many questions arise and the outward circumstances of suffering press on us from all sides.

Vincent Van Gough

Add to that the inward suffering from depression which has been a constant companion for me for many years and at times it is hard to find reasons to get out of bed. This all can make life a struggle one which many people can relate to and yet which many more somehow cannot. Many friends exhort me to "just be thankful," to "be joyful," and to "look on the bright side." All wonderful sentiments and yet nearly impossible at times due to the enormity of the darkness that can come with bouts of depression.
Two experiences this weekend touched me in regards to this struggle, the first is the tragedy of Jovan Belcher, the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker, who killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins and then drove to the teams practice facilities, thanked his coach Romeo Crennell and General Manager Scott Pioli for all they had done for him before shooting himself in front of them. This is disturbing in many ways and has obviously attracted the medias attention for its macabre details. I at first wondered if it involved issues of head trauma  as this action is so far from what would be expected from this young man, who from all accounts was a model citizen and a wonderful friend and teammate. Then I realized that whether he suffered from head trauma issues is really not the issue at this time and my thoughts went to a realization of how much pain he must have been in to commit theses atrocious acts. And in my mind I acknowledged that "there but by the grace of God go I."

I am not saying that what he did is excusable in any way, I am just trying to understand what type of suffering he had to be in for someone so young, intelligent and successful to have made such horrible choices. We will never know. Once again we are reminded that money, prestige, and power are not solutions for suffering, they are only a panacea. But what about the issue of suffering? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel or is it really the dark comedic train headlight coming at us?  People often tell me that "when God closes a door he opens a window."  My cynical thoughts quickly go to, but what if that window is on the fourth floor?
So the question I was left to struggle with was, is there some hope or purpose in suffering? It is an important question, not just for me, but for all of us because suffering is a human condition, none of us are immune from it and yet some seem to navigate it better, and others seem to get more than their fair share of it. I have tried, as James admonishes, to "consider it pure joy, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1: 2-4) And yet I seem to be far from perfect and complete and  find it hard to be consider it pure joy when trouble comes. I try to remember that Jesus explained that "you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy." And yet I struggle because in my sitcom and TV drama worldview this joy should be here already. After all, on those shows issues are always resolved within a half hour, or hour at the most . . . ok, sometimes I have to wait one week for an episode "to be continued" but then everything is worked out and all is well. So why am I still stuck four years out? Most Television series have ended their run within that time. Unfortunately God's time frame is not the same as what I have been conditioned to by our culture. So how does this joy come?

That answer came  from my second experience this weekend. Last night I went to church and our pastor had us write our fears on a stone and create an altar at the front of the church where we could leave the stone and give those fears to God. I left mine with my fears of rejection, failure and abandonment, hoping that God would be big enough to handle them. Then this morning I was reading in a wonderful book called God Calling, which a dear friend gave to me this fall, and I read something that took my breath away. "There comes a joy known to those who suffer with me. But that is not the result of the suffering, but the result of the close intimacy with Me, to which suffering drove you."
It struck me that I had been looking for the suffering to produce the promised joy but that is not the case. Suffering is just that-suffering- and will continue to be suffering unless we allow it to drive us to where it is intended. It is like a powerful wave that we can fight and thrash against-in vain- resulting in more suffering. Or we can ride that wave to the intimacy that it intends for us in Christ. That intimacy is where we will find joy. The suffering itself holds no possibility of joy, it is only a tool to be used in the development of our character.

So to what do we cling? To suffering? No, to Jesus. I have to admit that clinging to suffering is at times easy because it is strangely comfortable. It is at times like sitting outside the line of breaking waves knowing that at some point there will be a large wave that will crash and drive me but a safe place for the moment and a reprise from the inevitable scary ride back to the shore. That ride may be fraught with more whitewash from the wave tossing and thrashing us around to a point where we don't know which way is up or down and we panic and create situations such as the one where Jovan Belcher found himself.  So why do we fight the waves? Because to trust the wave of suffering to drive us to intimacy with God is to give up control. It is an act of halting in our fight for control and to allow God to direct us, which is scary. Many times I would rather fight and try to swim against the current and at least feel like I am in control, and I can have success at times in calmer waters, but there is no hope and no joy there. There is only more suffering and at times deeper waters and deeper suffering. I have to accept the intimacy of God to allow him to know me, with all of my failures and foibles and trust that he can love me just as I am. That is the challenge. My fears have caused me great suffering and I needed to cast them away with the stone. I need to know intimacy with God and others, something I am not good at. In order to do that I need to get on the wave with God  and allow him to direct me through the waves of suffering. I need to ride the wave with him to shore and experience the joy of intimacy. Life has its struggles and yet it is not about those and waiting for more to come. It is about feeling the lick of bitter saltwater on your tongue from the spray of those struggles, the wind blowing across your body and the warmth of the sun on your face as we move a midst great power and wonders with grace and abandonment of fear.

Chicken Coops and Championships!

We have an old saying in coaching that, "you can't make chicken soup from chicken crap" and that alludes to the fact that it takes talent to win games and be successful. I agree with that sentiment and yet this week find myself literally embedded in the analogy. Not in the sense of not having talent to win because we do have talent here at the Gladiators and have proven to be successful in reaching the teams third consecutive Swiss Bowl. The Swiss Bowl pits the two top teams in Switzerland in  National Championship title match that is the Swiss version of the Super Bowl although slightly less Super!

Today we have the opportunity to take on arguably the best team in Europe in the Calanda Broncos, a team that has been assembled for the express purpose of winning a Eurobowl Championship. They are immensely talented and boast imported players from all over the world. They have been the nemesis of the Gladiators for the last two Swiss Bowls as well so there is a history renewed tonight at Rahnkof Stadium in Basel.
While it is incredibly exciting to be playing for another national championship which makes my fourth one in three different countries now in Europe at the senior level, I was struck once again by the differences in American football here. That is where the said Chicken coop and its by-products comes into play. While in the U.S. any National Championship in American football brings with it enormous media pressure, and a strong sense of achievement, here in Switzerland to say that that sense is missing is a bit of an understatement. While at home I would be enmeshed in studying film, dealing with practice schedules and balancing the extra pressures of a National title game, here it is business as usual which means cleaning chicken coops.

Yes the glamour of a national title game here calls for the defensive coordinator to clean chicken coops along with other various tasks. You see besides preparing for the game through studying film and game planning coaches don't make what they would make in the U.S. so we do what we can to scrape by. In many ways it is a tent-making process as the apostle Paul explained. During the day I do odd jobs to make some money and this week included cleaning out an old hen house which has been vacated by its previous tenants. Hence much shoveling, scrubbing, and washing down of the entire building was needed and that was the glamour of championship week. Don't get me wrong it was actually a good task in that I was able to accomplish something and look at the final product and see a clean building.

That does not mean that the smell was completely wonderful even after the washing down with a pressure washer, those who have raised chickens will understand what I mean about the olfactory sensations of a hen house even after it has been cleaned, but it was better. It also was a great illustration for me in understanding that success is not always what we envision it as being glory filled and exciting. There is much hard work that has to precede the eventual success and if the work is not put in then there will be no success.

Our players have spent their own time cleaning out the chicken coops of the season through hard work dedication and determination. We started out very slowly losing our first 2 league games and yet were able to bounce back and make the playoffs and beat a very good Zurich renegade team last week in the semifinals 15-13, holding onto the narrow victory through the miss of a field goal by the Renegades on their last drive with seconds left in the game. It was not a pretty victory but it enabled us to advance to the final today. It was another picture of a clean chicken coop, it still smelled a bit like chicken poop but it looked better than it had earlier in the season.

As far as the fame and glory, that is also something that is not huge for the sport here. Most people I know don't even know this championship game is being played here in Basel today. Will there be a huge crowd, probably not, but it will be a decent following that will hopefully see a game that will  further peoples appreciation for the sport here in central Europe.  So today the question  for us is whether we have enough strength and character to overcome a great Broncos team in a final that pits us against them for the third time this season. I know this, our players will play hard and give it their best shot whether it smells a bit of  chicken poop or not at times. The thing I am most proud of with this group of men is the way they have handled adversity this season and have remained focused on getting here to this Swiss Bowl when most people had written them off. We are hoping for a great batch of chicken soup today because we have the right ingredients.

Blessings,

Jim

Gods in Stripes

Heading to Chur In the Swiss Alps

Tomorrow I have the opportunity to do something I have never done in over 25 years of coaching, watch a game from the stands of a team I am coaching. Yes, I have the ignominious distinction of being suspended for one game by the Swiss Football Federation after being ejected from last weeks game. Many of you are probably saying, it's about time . . . especially my friends who have refereed games that I have coached. I admit I can be more than passionate on the sidelines and protective of my players.

The Universal Sign!

Last weekend was no different.Against the Winterthur Warriors one of my players was ejected after being hit after the whistle standing near the pile and as he backed up slapped the opposing player on the face mask to push him back and create space. Both players recovered and patted each other on the back realizing that both incidents were not intentional or in anger. As they were walking away the official behind them threw his flag and then the head official motioned that our player had been kicked out of the game. I heard later that both players were ejected but I am still not sure of that fact as I never got an explanation. I do know that between the junior game before ours and our game this official ejected 5 people for sure and if the Warrior player was also ejected that would make 6. I am sure that must be an American football record regardless of which number you use.
In my case I walked onto the field to try to get the Head officials attention and asked him to come and explain why my player had been ejected. In the USA this is common protocol. If there is a controversial call or an ejection the officials will come to the sideline to explain to the coaches what is going on thereby alleviating the inevitable yelling from the coaches for an explanation. In Europe that is not the case. In fact here in Switzerland the head of officials has reportedly instructed his charges that they are" gods with stripes on!"

Discussing strategy with  Graham

Well my god on the field that day threw a flag on me for being on the field. I accepted that and told him, "Ok so you have had your fun and thrown the flag, now would you please come and talk to me, that's all I am asking!" At this point he gave me the big thumb and ejected me from the game. In all honesty I had not used a swear word during the altercation nor denigrated his mother in any way, I simply asked for an opportunity to know what they had seen that I hadn't that warranted an ejection of my player. As coaches sometimes we need to know these things so that I can discipline a player. In fact just moments before I had benched one of our players who had been too mouthy and was threatened by the officials. So it is not always my defending my players, I know they do and say dumb things at times but I need to know that and that is where as a coach I want to be able to work with the officials.

In the hail at Winterthur

However, when the official will not work with me then I become pissy! When they act like the game is about them I become furious. When this God with stripes on ejected me the gloves were off and I admit freely that I used every word in my vocabulary in multiple languages to express my displeasure with him as I left the field.
I am not proud of that and understand that it is a flaw in my character that allows me to become so immersed in a game that I lose my temper. As a Christian coach and someone who talks of character building to his players it is my Achilles tendon, my weakness. I feel so horrible after the encounter and  it affects me for days later. I feel like a total failure and a fraud. It is hard even now to write about this here a week later, but unfortunately it is part of my coaching persona that I need to continually work on and harness. I have to ask forgiveness from God, my fellow coaches and my players and I usually try to apologize to the officials as well.

Gladiators on D

Reflecting on it this week, I have had many reactions internally. One is understanding that I am not the only coach who experiences this phenomenon and I dare say I am not the worst I have been around either. I have been on the sidelines when coaches have berated the officials so badly that if they were a wall the paint would have melted off. I also realized that this reaction is not with every official, there are some I really enjoy working with and have great respect for, even if they do throw the occasional flag on me for getting out of order . . . you know who you are! LOL! I also realized how different things are here in Europe in regards to officials and coaches.
For those of you who have not had the opportunity to see an American football game here across the pond I will try to elaborate on some of those differences. Please understand though that each official is unique and there are some I have run across in the US who may feel more at home in Europe.

Biel Jets vs. Basel Gladiators coin flip

The first thing to understand is that in the US there is continual interaction between coaches and officials during the game incuding joking, banter, and at times heated discussions. Officials there understand that they are there to not be noticed. Their responsibility is to make sure the game is played safely and that it is played fairly. The reality that everyone realizes is that, even at the NFL level, if they wanted to referees could probably call a penalty on every play, but that would be counterproductive to the game and the experience for the fans and players. So it is understood that infractions are called to keep the game under control and if a foul impacts the outcome of the play. For instance if an o-lineman holds slightly on the opposite side of the field on a player who will never make a play on the ball carrier it is best to let it go unless it endangered that players health.  Conversely if the holding occurred at the point of attack it clearly has an impact on the defensive players ability to make a play and needs to be called.

Gladiators Purple Haze D

Here in Europe, things are different. Because of the influence of soccer on the mentality here the referee  is viewed as god, all knowing, all seeing, and all powerful. Managers and coaches must be seen on the sidelines but not heard from as good obedient children. Above all they must never question an officials decision because that would be tantamount to heresy. After all who are we to question the ruling of god, even if we know the rules better . . . oops did I say that? Watch out for the lightning strike!

Love officials who will talk. 

The problem is that officials don't understand that what they see needs to be communicated to the sidelines for our digestion and use in correction of players. When officials take the time to come over and explain something briefly it is much easier to deal with. I can understand what they saw and perceive as the penalty. I may not agree all of the time but their attempt to treat me as a human being and not just a pawn in their game makes a difference. We have a saying back home, "if you want respect you must give it!" The officials here demand respect but seem unwilling to give any back.

Wondering what the call was?

The other quirk of American football in Europe is that the officials, being gods, seem to think that the fans come to see them throw yellow laundry on the field and that part of their duty is to make sure that games are even. I have no other explanation for the fact that the best teams in Europe are usually the most penalized. In Finland the top four teams are always the ones with the highest penalty yardage, that is a rarity in the sport in the US. When there are over 200 yards of penalties on a winning team, which occurs regularly, something strange is happening.  This draws out games, negates exciting plays and in general confuses and turns off the fans. I have heard more than one coach in Europe comment that the thing holding back the game from a popularity perspective is the referees and their propensity for throwing flags.  Our referees last week found a solution to that however as they just shortened the game on their own volition after flagging us for over 200 yards.

At exactly two hours after the game started they blew the final whistle and since they did not allow the time to be displayed on the scoreboard but kept it on the field they were able to do so. Each team had only 37 offensive plays for the game, whereas we are usually running 56-60 plays per game. My best guess is that they had an important barbeque to get to and being gods could determine what was best for the game. Unfortunately, we were trying to get young players into the game for experience and they got shortchanged, but I guess that is better for the game, right? Who am I to question? Well at the time I couldn't anyway because I was already watching from the stands . . . where I will be again this week as our team faces the #2 ranked team in Europe, the Calanda Broncos. Pass the popcorn so I can watch the yellow hankies!

Enjoy the view from the stands coach!

Pain

"Pain"

Les pains

This word in French le pain means "bread,"  the sustenance of life, a basic staple. it is served at no cost in French restaurants. In English it is much different as it refers to discomfort, hurt and suffering. And yet this also can be a basic staple of life. It is also served freely and often in our life experiences.  In fact, this thought has been with me throughout the Lenten season that has just concluded. Part of it has been due to a sermon by my pastor, Scott Herr, at The American Church in Paris at the beginning of Lent. He spoke from Mark 8:31-38 where Jesus rebukes Peter and then tells the disciples that 'if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Statue at the Kuntsmuseum in Basel

The Spire at the American Church In Paris!

Scott elaborated that three time Mark repeats Jesus' prediction of the cross and his death and this in just 16 short chapters, so it must have been important for him! He also commented that Jesus didn't say "I am taking up my cross and I will follow the way of pain and suffering" but that we are to take up our cross and follow him. We are to partake in the suffering of the crucified Christ. This is not really a message that we like to hear in the western world. We avoid pain, the suffering kind, not the bread, because frankly . . .  it hurts! And yet here is Jesus telling us, this is normal. We are to experience the life of Chris,t and that includes the suffering and painful parts.  Clearly picking up the cross meant following the way of death, it meant pain.
I have understood this in part through my faith journey and yet this year the clear call to pain became more indelibly imprinted upon my heart. You see I like to try to navigate life as painlessly as possible, not that I have been successful, but I want to deal with the pain on my terms. However, this message pointed out how that is not the way, this verse clearly illustrates that the suffering is on God's terms not ours. We are to pick up the cross and come after Jesus, follow him with those burdens. His way, not mine, ouch! And yet through the lent season as I have contemplated this message many times I also realized that the pain is the only way to realize the resurrection, the hope of new life. It is through the pain that God works on our hearts and heals us. It is through the agony that Jesus is revealed and developed in our character and lives.

I have to be honest, I don't like pain! I have tried to convince God of this but he seems to have a different agenda.
The last year few years have been filled with much pain for me and I have often wondered "when will it end?" Bankruptcy, divorce, separation for vast amounts of time from my kids, periods of homelessness and loneliness,  cancer, broken bones, surgeries, broken relationships, moving from one job to another- not by my choice. In fact, the day after I had heard this message and began to come to terms with the reality that pain needs to be befriended as it may be a constant companion, I found out about a secret team meeting to discuss my future with the Flash.  Through the next couple of weeks as I questioned management and others about what was going on, I experienced even more pain as I was lied to repeatedly and eventually released by the club after losing two games by a total of 10 points even though our defense proved very stout in those defeats.  Personally it was a very painful process as I felt unjustly blamed for what was going on with the team and believed we were on the cusp of turning things around.

Flash  friends

As I have had a chance to reflect on the pain of that situation I also realize how petty my sufferings were in relation to the blame that Christ took on himself on the cross. Did it and does it still hurt? Yes! To feel like a failure is never a fun experience and yet even in this there has been rebirth. I was offered a position with the Basel Gladiators in Switzerland within 4 hours of my being fired by the Flash. I took that position as the defensive coordinator and am now enjoying the fresh air and beauty of Switzerland as opposed to the sirens,  mean streets, and poverty of Paris.  I have to admit that like the disciples I was afraid and ashamed after some of the painful experiences of the past few years. I have struggled with bitterness. And yet just as he did with the disciples after the resurrection, Jesus come after me and  called me back to him repeatedly.  To follow again, to love and pray for my enemies, to forgive and see them through the eyes of Christ. To refocus on what he called me to do. To love people for Christ through the avenue of sport. To bring hope through sport and play to those without hope. I thought it would be in Paris and yet God had different plans for this year.

Paris

So I am now a Gladiator!

The team is a breath of fresh air in that practice attendance is amazing and guys are punctual and willing to learn and find ways to win together.  I miss the players I have left and it feels strange to now be with a third team in less than 12 months. It is a hard adjustment to re-establish a temporary home, discover the nuances of a new culture and try to develop new levels of trust and relationship. I often feel like I am failing and yet need to pick up the cross embrace the pain and follow  through joy knowing that God has plans and desires far greater than mine.

I have also come to a realization that I have been asking the wrong question. It is not when the pain will end, because it won't, it is part and parcel of following Christ. Instead I need to focus on discovering what I can learn from the Master, through the pain, as he molds me into what he wants me to be which is a painful experience in and of itself! And yet one which brings about new life and deeper understandings of the love of God! Bless you Flash and Butchers and Let's Go Gladiators!

Jim

Win the Day!

Win The Day! All credit to this term belongs to Chip Kelly and his staff at the University of Oregon, but it is a term that struck home with me and I have adopted it for my teams. We used it last season in Finland and are emphasizing it here in France this year with the Flash! For me it is a simple reminder that we can not focus on the future but only on today. The only day we can win is today! These three simple words sum up so succinctly many of my personal beliefs on sport and life.
I was reminded of this today during my devotional time as I read Matthew 6: 33-34. This section of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount has always been a powerful section for me. This was one of the first verses that I was challenged to memorize by my Younglife leader Keith Kessler way back in high school in Eugene, Oregon .

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6: 33-34

Offense on the move

Its funny how some lessons you have to re-learn many times. This is one that I have to remind myself of daily. Jesus had just given beautiful illustrations of how God clothes the flowers with beauty and feeds the birds, and reminds us that we are more valuable to God than they are. Then comes these verses where we are admonished to trust and seek God's Kingdom and his righteousness and he will take care of these things. This is not some prosperity gospel message, it is a simple message about living life one day at a time and winning that day. How do we win it? By seeking God's Kingdom and his righteousness. That sounds like a daunting task though, so how do we do it? By not worrying about tomorrow and focusing on today.
So often I get so caught up in tomorrow . . . or many tomorrows ahead that I forget to see what is here in front of me today. I then stumble . . . and fall. Anyone with me? Then I tend to give up because the road ahead looks so daunting.

In my reading today from The American Church in Paris's Lenten devotional, the writer highlights how the book of 1 Samuel is about four great men of God, Eli, Samuel, Saul and David all with flaws. Flawed family men and fathers, who committed crimes that we we would condemn in today's world with a media frenzy that would force them from any leadership position in the modern world. Yet God told Samuel:

"Do not look at his appearance or his height for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
 1 Samuel 16:7 

These men stumbled greatly but God saw their hearts and saw that they tried to seek him and his kingdom and righteousness and used them to change their world and save their people.  God looks at our hearts and not at our stumbling bumbling actions. As I look too far forward and trip, he reminds me to "Win the Day." To stop looking so far forward and get back up and focus on this moment, on the next step I need to take, on the next move for today!

Samyr making halftime adjustments

Today is a good day because it is a game day. It is easy to focus on an opponent who is clearly defined . Today we play the Spartiates from Amiens and though we don't know what they will bring to our stadium, as they have not played a game yet this season, we can focus on them as they enter our field and home turf. Winning and losing the day on game day is clearly defined  in many ways. As a football team one of our primary goals is to win games so we will know how that comes out when the final whistle blows.  But as a coach I know there is far more to today than the lights on the scoreboard. Winning the day will also be measured through how we play both technically and as a group of men. Did we play with class and respect for the game and one another? Did we play every play with the same intensity and purpose. Did we become better football players and men today. Did we learn how to love and serve one another through doing our job? These questions for me are far more important because those lessons are the ones that will impact those around us. Will we continue to pick ourselves up when we fail in life and take the next step forward. When  we face marital strife, rebellious children, serious illness, financial trouble, injustice and many other realities of life will we take the next step forward and dedicate ourselves to Win the Day? Not focusing on tomorrow but only on today because we can not control tomorrow. Only today!

vs.  Molosses

The non-game days are more challenging. The opponent is not as clearly defined. One of the things I have loved with the Flash has been coming to practice and as I walk on the practice field seeing guys working hard . . . before practice starts. DB's doing cone drills and working on breaks. linebackers working on reads and footwork, receivers working on ball catching drills and many other examples. These guys are winning the day! They are putting in extra work to make themselves better, it warms my heart! But I also know that sometimes these same players see others who stroll into practice late and do drills during practice at half speed and get so frustrated. I understand that frustration because I share it. I want to win a Eurobowl Championship this season.

However, I have realized that I can not focus on that goal because there are too many stumbling blocks in front of me before we get there. I have to focus on today and what I can control. Did I do everything in my power to make myself better and to encourage those around me today? If I did, I won the day and tomorrow I start again and must work to win that day. I believe that if we continue to win those days together then we will win the days ahead. But if we focus on tomorrow, today will slip by and we will not have won it and will be unprepared for the next day! What some of our players have not seen is the slow growth in turning things around. There are more players coming earlier, there is more focus and openness to new ideas from a few guys. Those are significant changes that I do see. Yes, it is hard to face the ones who have not made the switch yet, but patience and living for today will make those changes, not worrying about the future.

Mac and Jim Shelly

For me I need to seek God's kingdom and righteousness, accept his gifts that sustain me and trust him that he knows what I will face tomorrow and prepare me for that time by helping me to Win the Day! Go Flash!

The Fire that caused us to lose practice time last week!

From Suomi to France

Well here it is, 15 hours and counting to a new journey as I start this new season in a new city in a new country and in a new league with my new team. Thank God it is the same old game. After two wonderful years in Porvoo coaching the Butchers I have moved on to Paris, France where I am now the Head Coach for the Flash de La Courneuve. The parting in Finland is bittersweet in that I made so many wonderful friends and wish that I had the opportunity to finish what I felt we had begun. However life sometimes gets in the way of plans and the reality for the Butchers was that financial issues restricted their ability to resign me as the head coach. I wish all the players and management there my best and hope they know I will always hold Porvoo and the Butchers fondly in my heart!

Porvoo Butchers

But now I have a new adventure one that I never imagined six months ago or even two for that matter. When it became clear that the Butchers would not have the financial resources this season for me to come back they told me to look for other opportunities. I did and the Flash came calling. Cam Olson who led the Flash last season to the French National Championship called and in November he hired me as the Defensive Coordinator a position I was ready to attack. In Late December I learned that The Flash had released Cam and asked me if I wanted the position of Head Coach. In all honesty the firing left me stunned and I was unsure about what to do. I spoke with Cam who was more gracious than i probably ever could be and he encouraged me to think about it but to take the position because he wanted the team to continue on the path he had established. I decided to do it and I don't know if what I am doing is following in the paths that Cam blazed or not. Sometimes I am at a loss to understand what I have gotten myself into? However, I do want to see these men succeed and am trying to lead in the only way I know how . . . with a servant's heart!

Helmet Montage by Cameron Olson

I hope that this season The Flash and I will continue to blaze new paths as well on our way to a European Championship and that Cam's faith in me will be realized. But as I told the team that will only happen if we take each day and dedicate ourselves to winning that day. It is the only one we can control and live in now! So that is our focus! I often wonder what kind of an idiot I am to keep taking over teams that are defending National Champions. There is only ever one way to go . . . down! But I keep doing it. Why? Because there is more to football and life than just winning games. There is winning the day, winning with class, winning at life! And that is my goal to teach those things and when we are successful then we will have done more than just light up a scoreboard.

Flash Unit by Cameron Olson

I am truly excited to be a member of the Flash. The mission of this team dovetails nicely with where my heart is. I have wanted to use sport and play to bring hope to kids and families in impoverished places around the world. Through A Champions Heart, we have done that to an extent. But the Flash have been doing it since 1984 here in La Courneuve. For those unfamiliar to this area of France let me introduce you to my new home. La Courneuve is in one of the highest crime, highest poverty, high minority sections of France. It is known as the Neuf Trois and is infamous for being one of the roughest areas of France. For those of you in the U.S. think of the South Side of Chicago, Harlem or East LA. The Flash have dedicated themselves to providing opportunities for young men from this region to have something to fill their time with besides, drugs, gangs or crime. We have three levels of junior teams all with over 60 kids in each respective team. We have 2 adult teams a D-3 team and the Elite team and also participate in a flag football league as well. Almost all of the players on the elite team have come through these junior programs. So we have players who have been playing in the Flash organization for 15 or 20 years. Many of these home grown players were good enough that they had the opportunity to play professionally in the NFL Europe. In addition the Flash are now starting a new program whereby they are helping to sponsor five junior players a year to have the opportunity to study for a year in the United States on a foreign exchange program. They will be able to go to high school, improve their English and play football. If any of you out there would be interested in hosting a Flash junior please contact me and I will pass on your information to our wonderful intern who is handling all the complex issues involved in this type of program.

Paris at Night

So for me to join the Flash is a dream come true. We are seeing young men changed and the Flash provide a beacon of hope in some dark neighborhoods with their continued success. It has been an adjustment for me though, one I am continually struggling with. The language is a challenge. As opposed to Finland where most of our players spoke very good English that is not the case here. Translation is constantly needed and my assistant coaches who are French are amazing at helping with that. They are also amazing coaches in their own right and I am so blessed to have them. Being a minority in terms of race is also a very different situation than what I am used to. Don't get me wrong, the players, coaches and community have been more than welcoming but at times you do think . . . "one of these things is not like the others . . . and it is me!" Probably more my perception and self awareness than anything else but still it sits in the back of your mind.  also finding space to think and reflect. I am an outdoors type of person and it was so nice in a small town of 40,000 people like in Porvoo to escape to the woods on a run. In a city of 12 million people that becomes a bit more of a challenge. I have found some wonderful parks though, such as Georges Valbon in La Courneuve to escape and formulate my thoughts.

Georges Valbon Parc

So while I struggle with the newness of my life hear I am also excited. because in less than 14 hours now that familiar whistle will blow and we will be back in familiar territory! We may be in Paris, but we are playing American Football and we are seeing men grapple with success, failure, frustration and joy and come out better for the struggle! Blessings to all of you and thanks for your friendship, support and challenges in my life.  

Jim