"For those who live , as she did, with their whole talents dedicated to God's service, death is only the gate of life_ the path from joyous work in this world to greater capacities and opportunities for it in the other." Horatia Eden

Coach Kay Yow went to be with our Lord 3 years ago today. She was truly a Kingdom Coach, and everyone who ever met her would speak for that. This am I sat and reflected about her.

When I graduated from Appalachian State in 1977, Kay was the coach at NC State, the big university. She started the basketball program there. One game, they were beating us 98- something, I remember because my coach called time out and told us to hold the ball to keep them from scoring 100. They dominated us, and I could not stand the Wolfpack or Kay. Particularly, since everyone in my family had graduated from UNC.

But years later when I was a high school coach, I was smart enough to ask to work her camps. Then I started to look at her with different eyes. Somewhere about that time, Kay gave her life to the Lord. So when she asked me to work the FCA basketball camp in Marshall, Indiana where she was the head speaker, I quickly accepted. That week with FCA and Kay and everyone changed my life. I saw what having a personal relationship with Christ looked like, and Kay and I began our special friendship. Grounded in Christ, but the fellowship we had was much more.

We performed silly skits for the camp, we played practical jokes, we laughed, played with her dogs (yes Wolfie and Champ were at camp too), and we started talking about hoops and the Lord and telling stories. We never quit. Soon after that she taught me to play duck hunt on her Nintendo. We tried to beat each other at Mario. We vacationed together with other friends and rode go carts, read, talked X's and O's. We also shared more stories about our teams, our friends, our families. You name it, Kay talked about it. I listened on the golf course, I listened in her office, I listened on the phone. But I always listened. And I learned.

In my life, John Wooden and Kay Yow were the coaches I wanted to be like. And I have studied both of them. They have a lot in common, but the two biggest things I saw first-hand about both of them are:

(1) They loved the Lord and
(2) They loved people

The stories they told, the gifts they gave, the letters they wrote, the games they coached were all the by-product of these two principles.

Matthew 22: 37-40 states, "Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (And the law of the Kingdom coaches, too).

Love. That is what Kay Yow was all about. She loved her best players, she loved her walk-ons, she loved losers, she loved winners, she loved the homeless, she loved rich, she loved cancer patients, she loved the lost, she loved her friends and family, she loved the unlovable. McManus writes: "Love is ever expanding. Love always grows, not just deeper, but wider. Love always loves people more and always loves more people." That is how Kay loved.

Today, in honor of Kay Yow, let's join as coaches and do that as she did. LOVE. What it looks like, as coaches and as servant leaders, will be a bit different for us all.

Kay's team went to the Final four, once. I was so excited for her. I went to visit her there, and we were talking about all of "it". She actually told me that a national championship would be nice, but that she would be fine if she never won one. That close to the brass ring, but still at peace. She actually lived out the song, " just give me Jesus". Instead of just give me the trophy.

Thanks Kay! You are still inspiring us all.

Keep the Faith,

Jane

After all these years, an "ah ha" moment - and one that I want to tell you about. If any of you have more games in the loss column than the win column this season, I hope this speaks to you.

Last season, we had the best season in the history of our university. Folks here were buzzing about women's basketball, and you know how excited that gets you, as a coach. Trouble is, we lost 80 % or our scoring and about that much of our rebounding. On and off the court, these first weeks of the season have been hard, filled with drama, mistakes, and losses. Last weekend, we made a trip to southern California, and lost our 2nd overtime game of the season. At 2-6 I don't mind telling you I was feeling a bit mopey.

But as the Lord would have it, I had the opportunity to meet Dallas Willard and his wife Jane for breakfast the morning after. I had to get up really early and drive a long way in the traffic - so I had lots of thinking time. Turnovers, last second situations, bad shots, etc. filled my brain. When I sat down with them, Dallas simply asked me, "How did it go last night?" I started whining, yes whining about the perils of losing.

To my shock, he had the biggest smile you have ever seen on his face as I ranted on. When I was done, he smiled even more. "That is wonderful!" he exclaimed very sincerely (like i had just developed the cure for cancer). " YOU get to be the one who teaches them about losing! It's a world that is obsessed with winning more than ever, and YOU, Jane, have a very important job."

I got out my notebook and wrote down every word he said for the next hour and a half. He was simply describing a Kingdom coach.

"You get to teach these young ladies how to win when they lose - that they are not failures simply because they fail. Sports are a business and you simply cannot control it. In biology, the term sport is a freak, unpredictable; like a frog with 3 eyes. Right now, we are living in a world where there is no such thing as a moral victory, and that is the devil's lie. In fact, a moral victory is the only such kind there is. 'When the great scorer comes to put a mark beside your name, He will say not if you won or lost but how you played the game'." Then we went on to talk about Coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success, the definition of success, and why competitive greatness is ON TOP of the other virtues. I agreed, the world tries to take short cuts and go straight for the top; and that when you focus ONLY ON PERFORMANCE, you simply cannot learn on any other level.

So my friends, with renewed energy I approached my team later that day. We "got back to the pyramid" and have talked about the blocks every day since then. Of course I talked to them about Tim Tebow, who just happens to be a living demonstration of the virtues coach described, and of competitive greatness.

We lost the next day, and I praised them. Their effort was great. We were getting better. We left California with renewed hope.

And last night, a Pac 12 team came to town. I spoke of our record being 0-0 and theirs being 0-0 too (though the world said they were 7-2). I begged them for the "stuff" in the pyramid.

It was another close game, and we won on a buzzer beater. Dallas would have said, "that's the way the ball bounces", and he would smile.

So I challenge you, change your way of thinking. Get back to the pyramid, teach basketball, but teach life every day. You have their ears and they are watching.

Keep the Faith,

Janeygal

Rick Warren's tweet got me to thinking: Everytime Jesus met a hurting person, he chose a relationship over rules and regulations.

That morning on my dog walk, I stopped at the elementary school playground(to throw the purple ball, ha). It's before school starts, so its usually empty.  But that day there were 3 boys practicing their flair screens on the basketball court.  I watched, and could not resist, so I went over and began to "coach" them.  We were having a blast - pick and pop, back screens.  And the entire time my 2 shelties were just hanging out, waiting for me to get finished, so we could walk play some more. A male teacher came hurriedly across the lot and sternly said to me, "the dogs have to be on a leash".  He was definitely a rule follower, so I  took my pups and left leaving my 3 new friends and their new skill sets behind.  Walking home, I remembered that tweet.  In a way, I gave up the relationships with these boys to follow that rule/regulation.  Was that rule necesssary to follow when no one else was on the playground and my shy shelties presented no harm?

John Wooden told me once that in his early coaching years, he had lots of rules and a few suggestions.  But in his later years, he had few rules and lots of suggestions.  That is a philosophy I have adopted, as I truly believe my job as a coach, is to help these young girls figure out how to live well, not just to be able to follow my rules.

Still, rules make it easy, sometimes, and keep things on a team running smoothly.

Read John 8.  Its' when the crowd brings the women caught in adultery to him: "Teacher," they say to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the very act of adultery.  Moses' law says to kill her,what about it?" (v 4-5).   He just wouldn't answer, but he said, (v 7) "Hurl the stones at her until she dies.  But only he who never sinned may throw the first!" Then he stooped down again and wrote some more in the dust."  And one by one they left.  Seems even the Pharisees could understand his point.  And he sent the lady off with no condemnation, and the words, "go and sin no more".

Did you ever wonder what He wrote in the sand?  Why he didn't try and fix her?  Why He didn't give her some advice about how to get out of this unhealthy relationship?

Jesus,  John Wooden, and a school teacher on the playground.  Rules? Regulations? Relationships? For your life and for your team?

And by the way, there are plenty more stories of Jesus and what he chooses.

Keep striving to coach in His kingdom ways.

And Keep the Faith,

Jane

One of my favorite things about living in Nevada is the countless opportunities I have to go hiking and explore His creation. The Sierra Nevada mountains are certainly full of His glory on any day, any time of year. You would think my players would enjoy hiking too, but that is not necessarily true. Last year, I made them all go on a hike with me, and one of them actually said, "I just don't get it....it's too slow".

Two years ago, after an incredible trip to Yosemite, I spoke to one of my players encouraging her to go. She took me up on the idea. In fact, she actually went on a hike I had recommended, to Mirror Lake. I got a text from her stating, "In fact, it mirrors NOTHING, it is too low." Evidently, the drought of that summer had taken its toll on the lake, and well, you get the picture.

It got me to thinking, as a Christian coach, my goal is to mirror Jesus, and for the fruits of the Spirit to be obvious in my coaching, to be that mirror, I must stay FULL of Jesus, the Living water. John 7:38 states, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." There are almost 700 references to water in the Bible. If you have some time this week, I suggest you read some of them, and spend a little time reflecting 1) What do YOU mirror as you coach? 2) Are you too "low" to mirror Jesus, and if you are, what can you do to fill up again?

A few weeks ago, I attended the Renovare conference in Wichita to hear Jim Smith and Dallas Willard. Although there were lots of speakers there, I kept going to hear those 2, instead of the other choices. I mentioned this to Dallas, and he simply smiled and said, I am the nozzle, Jane." He saw the look on my face, trying to process what he meant (those of you who read Dallas understand this). He quickly followed up with, "what you really want is in the hose -- it's Him -- I am just the nozzle." And I understood.

Think about the opportunities you will have this week to be the nozzle with your team. To reflect Him and His goodness.

Keep the faith

janeygal

A few years ago, we had a team picture taken to be used for our team poster. It was in our locker room, staged with each player in uniform and basketballs and clipboards around. The set up caused the kids to be pretty excited. So the day the poster came, I sat my team down and unveiled the poster. What I expected to be enthusiastic faces, were disappointed and almost angry ones. It seemed the photographer, in trying to make the girls a bit more glamorous, had touched up most of the girls up and removed their scars. It was a slick, Hollywood look - one that you might see in Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Jacie was very clear in her disappointment. "He removed our SCARS, coach! They represent something that happened to each of us and they are part of us. What you see here is not who we really are." I was blown away by her response.

You see, these are the same young ladies who wear makeup, color their hair, and go to tanning salons.

A mixed message? Think about it, but before you do, go read John 4:1-42. It is the story of Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman at the well. What was she trying to hide? (v. 17) How did He respond?

Verse 39 states her testimony to the other folks. "He told me everything I ever did". Wow! And he still talked to her and cared.

Samaritans were usually avoided by the Jews and considered spiritual half breeds. The story reveals her life, and what obviously could have been the scars she was trying to cover up. But He accepted her and told her Truth.

Think about the young ladies on your team. Their scars are not just physical. They may be emotional, mental, spiritual, and sometimes they may try to hide them from you and the world. But my guess is that they are hungering to be noticed and to be told the truth. Let's all try to do a better job at accepting each of them, loving them, and helping them to understand that they do not need to hid these scars from us, their Kingdom coaches.

Keeping the Faith

Jane

One of my dogs, Heaven, is a rescue dog. She was a show dog, but a dog bit her ear, so she was of no value to the breeder. Great for me, though. We are enjoying life in Nevada, and one of our favorite things to do is to hike. She searches for rocks and logs and jumps quickly or climbs them, and of course, I give her a treat! As time goes on, this has turned into her obsession. But there is ONE THING she loves more than jumping on rocks -- that is chasing the purple ball. Shelties are not normally retrievers, but for her, it's simply the top of the pyramid.

One morning we began our early walk in the neighborhood. There are several big rocks for her to climb on all of our routes. And there is one route that we take only when we are going to the elementary school yard to throw the purple ball. Usually, she climbs rocks along the way, but not this morning -- she by-passed each and every rock, almost sprinting to the playground. It was fascinating for me to watch my dog, who usually has an attention deficit, ignore everything and everyone along the way. She was focused and her life had one purpose - to chase the purple ball. We made it quickly, and we played an extra, long time. The joy in her face was contagious.

On the walk home, I started thinking about FOCUS. I wondered how great my team would be if they could focus like Heaven did on that purple ball. I am pretty sure we would win a championship. Then I started thinking how my walk with Jesus would look, if I could stay focused on Him. I am pretty sure i would have the same joy that I saw on the playground.

What does scripture say about this principle:

Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Romans 8:5 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."

Pretty convicting, huh? This week, I want you to think about the purple ball, NOT the rocks and logs.

Keep the Faith,

Janeygal

The enthusiasm of this year's freshmen has me thinking.  Although this is the 28th time I have welcomed freshmen to my team, it is THEIR FIRST!   All those years of hard work combine, and there they are; at the beginning of their college careers.  Their enthusiasm is biblical:  " Oh, sing to the Lord a NEW song" Psalm 96:1  -- we can learn something about coaching from this concept.

New seasons, new positions, new friends, new staffs, new players, new campuses, new teams....you get my point.  Have you ever wondered why the good Lord made our days and separated them by night or darkness?   Did you ever have one of those games when you just couldn't stand the thoughts of why your team lost;  maybe even because of a decision you made as a coach?  You finally get to sleep, and you awake, ready to try coaching again.  My daddy always reminded me that the sun would, for sure, come up tomorrow.  And it did.  (Perhaps, He made summers to separate our seasons.  (: )

In lamentations, Jeremiah's sorrow at the destruction of Jerusalem is well documented.  Yet, in Chapter 3, v 22-23 he proclaims:  "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not, They are NEW every morning; Great is Your faithfulness"  It's clear to me, the NEWNESS of the morning requires a song, NOT because of who I am, but because of His faithfulness.  Same is true of this year.  I should be singing about this new basketball season, NOT because of the talent on my team or my experience as a coach, but because of my FAITH that He is in it all; and that He will not fail me!  When I strive to be a Kingdom Coach,  I strive to run my team with Kingdom principles.  As you begin another season, whether it is your 1st or 41st, my prayer is you greet the players with enthusiasm!

1. Psalm 118:24 states: "This is the day that the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it".  Does this give you hope that no matter how many starters you have returning, God is with you?   Be calm and assured (but still work hard).
2. One of John Wooden's favorite quotes is, "make each day your masterpiece".  Imagine for a moment that you played for this great coach.  How do you think he would have communicated this important truth to you?   How can you communicate this to your players?
3. Gratitude and thanksgiving seem to go with this type of attitude.  What are you presently thankful for about your team members and your university/school?   How can you show this thankfulness?
4. Two of my favorite coaches are Dean Smith and Dick Bennett.   Both retired in the fall, before their games started, instead of after a great season.  Both of them talked about not having the energy left for the tasks of coaching their team at that time.  Do your identify with this?  We depend on newness to bring us enthusiam.  Our players, especially the new ones, need to see our love for this time, game, and them.  How can you show this in your actions?
5. As coaches we talk a lot about enthusiasm and its greatness.  What are your favorite coaching quotes on this topic?   One of mine is, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm". Ralph Waldo Emerson

As I write all this, I am thankful for the six seniors that I lost from last year's team.  Each of them contributed to our success in a unique way.  And I am equally as thankful for the five new faces and the dreams they bring to our program.  Their dreams are alive and they appear ready to fuel them in any way possible.  My prayer is that I lead them with the confidence of Him, trusting each day, and singing loudly about it!   The sky really is them limit.

Keep the Faith,
Jane

I was saved when I was in the 7th grade. My salvation has never been in question to me. But as I matured in years and made some really un-Christ like decisions, I often wondered why the church seemed to care more about "saving" folks than teaching us how to live like Jesus.

The life that Christ promised us, was an abundant life. Jim's curriculum helped me learn how to live in His Kingdom day by day, and these principles and habits changed my life. This is done by practicing spiritual disciplines.

• I am pretty sure, as a coach, you have been with a team somewhere and built a fire (my teams certainly love smores). Jim starts his chapter and compares caring for our devotional life with tending a fire. Can you identify? To do this, we must act on what is important, not what we want to do. Just like building a championship team. Worship, devotionals, fellowship, solitude, etc. are disciplines we must practice if we don't want our soul to atrophy. Yes, even as a busy coach!
• The two false narratives Jim addresses in this chapter were easy for me to recognize in my faith journey. They are: 1) what matter is having faith in  Jesus, not having an ongoing relationship with him and 2) the only way to be a good Christian is to keep all the rules. When these are our beliefs we never develop a relationship with Jesus. Have you had experiences with a team when you had no relationship with your a player and it was hard for you to coach her? Or a situation when the player feels she should get to play because she knows you better than any of the other players, even though she is not skilled enough? Can you relate all of this?
• John 15 uses the image of a vine and branches to describe how we should live, connected to Jesus. Read it. Do you agree with me that this is the only way to experience the abundant life that our savior promises - joy, peace, wisdom, gentleness, love, etc.? Are you willing to commit to time with Jesus to experience these things?
• Jesus taught using stories and images. What are the four images Jim writes about to make his main point, Jesus and his teachings is the only way to a good and beautiful life? Which is your favorite? Which is the most challenging for you?
• Madame Jeanne Guyon lived from 1648-1717. Did you connect with her wisdom? Personally, I am a devotionalholic, so I loved her wisdom! What are your favorite devotions?

Jim had our class memorize Colossians 3;1-17 when we took his class. I still recite/read it before every game I coach. It speaks to my task: setting my mind and heart on things above. I am convinced that these verses and his teachings have equipped me more for coaching a game than my experiences with any x and o part of basketball.

In the weeks to come, please join me as I begin my 28th years as a Division I head coach . I will be writing regularly about my insights about kingdom coaching, so I hope you begin your year with excitement, joy, and trust as you anticipate what He has planned for you!                                                            

Keep the Faith

Jane

P.S.  The photo at the top of the page was taken in Coach Wooden's Home

I was a young coach, and one of my best friends was in a life style I did not agree with. We parted ways, and to be honest with you, I still remember some of the horrible things I said to her. Even though she was one of my closest friends at the time, we did not speak for years. Then one day, the phone rang and it was her. Yes, those days were before caller id and cell phones. I was surprised, but the sound of her voice made my heart leap. I was excited to reconnect. After a few moments of chit chat, she got right to the point. "I am calling to ask you a question. Are you still wearing that robe?" A bit confused, I asked her, "What are you talking about?" A pause, then her reply, "You know the black robe that you constantly wear when you judge people." My reply was, "Yes, I think I am." I don't remember much about the rest of the conversation, but I know that this was a wake-up call for me and my legalistic Christian ways.

Jim does a great job of showing us that one of the main reasons we judge others is to try and control them. He also shows us that this fails. I love his distinction between judging and assessing, a difference that he says lies in the heart of the assessor. I often wonder what would have been the result of my friendship if I had stood with my friend, instead of walking away. If I knew then, what I know now, I would have handled that situation totally different. Jim and the Lord really help transform me in this area of my life, and I believe this chapter can help you, too.

• When working with your players, do you use condemnation engineering to "fix" them? How does it make you feel? The 2nd reason Jim says we judge is to make us feel better about ourselves. Can you remember a time when you used this tactic?
• "Change involves adopting new narratives, spiritual disciplines, community and the help of God. The process of change is lengthy and challenging and will usually involve the help of others." (Page 189) Do you find this to be true in your life? I certainly do!
• Read Matthew 7:1-5. Jesus is very clear. We are NOT to judge. Jim has an interesting interpretation about what the "log" is in our eye. Do you agree?
• When Jim taught our class about his interpretation of "do not throw pearls to swine" (Matt 7:6), it was an "AHA " moment for me. He says not because they are unworthy but because they cannot digest them. His story of his ride home after his son's baseball game was classic. Does this conversation remind you of any you have had with your players? Can you say "aha", too?
• What are the 3 reasons Jesus gives us not to judge others?
•  Most importantly, what is the solution that Jim and Jesus give us? Do you think this method of correction will work for you as a Coach?
• Did you try the soul training exercise this week, a day without gossip? Did you just stay quiet, or did you try and reframe the conversation when gossip started among people? What was challenging about this?

This is all hard stuff. But remember, that putting on the character of Christ takes time. For me, not living as a Pharisee is always challenging. I have hurt my players' spirits when I have used condemnation engineering, even though I know it is wrong and it never works. Still I know that understanding why I judge and why it is wrong is the first step to NOT doing it. It's a process. So...

Keep the Faith,

Jane

“And the sign said, long haired freaky people, need not apply..." Do you remember that song? The lyrics often come back to me, "Signs, signs, everywere a sign. Blocking up the scenery, breaking my mind." There are some unusual ones out there in our world.

Recently I read Jeremiah 31:21 "Set up road markers for yourself. MAKE YOURSELF SIGN POSTS". This verse really got me thinking. If I am to be a sign post, what are the signs I post along the way? I have many roles in my life, and you do too. Daughter, coach, sister, aunt, friend, teacher, apprentice of Jesus. Does each role require a different sign? Or are they all to represent the same thing?

The role of signs is to remind us of something, just in case we get lost or need direction. I remember once, a sports psychologist was coaching me how to work with one of my players. She seemed to be "out there" a lot, and I really didn't know if she was into our team. His instructions: "Set up little sign posts along the way for her. You know how when you are not sure where you are, and you need something to bring you back? Text her. Give her a hug. At practice, rebound for her. She needs reminders that she is important to the team, and to know you are there."

I want the signs that I post , for others and for myself to mean something. How about the fruit of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. What would my team/life look like if i could consistently post those signs?

Spend a little time this week thinking about what signs you want to post? What road markers do you need to see? What about your team? Your family? Your friends?

Keep the faith,
Janeygal

Hi Everyone,

I want to let you know that I will be taking a break from writing the blog for the next month.  A few weeks ago I injured my hand while trying to protect my shelties from an attack by a pit bull.  The good news is that my dogs are fine (praise God that the pit bull didn't have teeth!), but I needed surgery to repair some ligament damage.  I'm on the road to recovery, but with my arm in a sling, typing is a challenge, so we'll take a break an resume the blog around April 1.

Keep the Faith

Jane

I was starting to write questions for Chapter 11, Learning to Live Without Judging Others, and the Lord gently nudged me a different direction. So those of you who are following faithfully in our book, please be patient, I will get that done next week. It's the heat of the season, and I want to share something the Lord reminded me of this past week. Something I have learned over the years as a kingdom coach, but that I forget, sometimes when i am in the intensity of the season, trying to win more games.

Recently I read "Wisdom Chaser" by Nathan Foster. He is Richard's son and it is an amazing book (highly recommend to you). This is an excerpt:

"It felt like the first day of spring. The gentle sloping mountains were a soft green hue, revealing the tree's winter labor. I sat outside talking to a student (he is a college professor). 'You know, Mr. Foster, I think you're the best professor I ever had.' I had apparently pulled off the scholar bit. I'm not sure if that's a compliment of me or a criticism of your education. 'No. No, my education was fine. You just brought something else. You seemed to care about us. You took an interest in our LIVES.' His words were shocking. I had worked so hard to be a COMPETENT PROFESSOR, and yet what mattered most, at least to him, was my TIME and INTEREST. His words opened up for me a whole new way of thinking about people, service, and even education." (Page 170)

I have, in my life as a coach, done the same thing. I study offenses, defenses, and try to run the best practice I can every time I step on the court. I have been fired because my teams didn't win enough, and i have worked harder and harder to prepare my teams so they can win. I think my team knows that I value preparation. Yet, when all is said and done, I really believe what Nathan wrote....TIME AND INTEREST.... that is the best gift I can give these precious young ladies who I coach. And it, unlike winning, is always in my control.

Tonight we face a team who has a vicious half-court trap. You better believe we worked yesterday on how to break it and score an easy bucket. So please don't read this as I am taking away the importance of knowing what you need to know in your sport. If you do not prepare your teams, they will not respect you as a coach. I just want to encourage you not to put all of your energy in this task of x's and o's. They need YOU much more than that. In fact, it's biblical. And it is what they want!

1 Corinthians 13

Keeping the Faith

Jane

As basketball coaches, most of us are in the very intense part of our basketball seasons. There are certainly lots of challenging things this time of year for a Kingdom Coach! The x's and o's require a lot of knowledge, experience, time, and wisdom. And for those "outside the lines" issues, well they are challenging, too. Did you know that the term coach was taken from the word stagecoach? A stage coach was used in the wild west to take the gold from one place to another. As a coach of a basketball team, we are trying to take our players from one place to another, on and off the court! Do you feel there are lots of cowboys and Indians along the way trying to capture our gold?

I wanted to take a break from Jim's book and share an aha moment with you. One of the best things about coaching is watching young people transform right in front of you! Haven't you enjoyed when your players grow and mature and realize the potential that the Lord put into them? Of course the other side of that is dealing with the sadness when they don't seem to get the awesome potential that is inside of them. The frustration of watching them self-destruct right in front of your eyes. I was experiencing that frustration with one of my players a couple of weeks ago. A very wise friend sent this to me and I wanted to share it. It is written by Jan Karon. If you read the Mitford series of fiction books, you know Father Tim. He is the main character in those great novels. He adopted Dooley, who was to say the least, quite the project. This is how he recalls the journey of raising Dooley:

"He (father Tim)was asked, "How did you do it?" His answer: "With prayer. A lot of prayer. With patience too, of course, but not enough. As for love, I had no way of knowing how to love a wounded boy-perhaps because I had been a wounded boy myself, I don't know. We think of love as warm and cozy, and that's certainly part of it. But it was hard to master those feelings toward someone who vented his lifelong rage on me. I felt pretty sorry for myself sometimes. It's not the sort of thing romantics like to hear, but I found that in the end, love must be a kind of discipline. If we love only with our feelings we are sunk-we may feel love one day and something quite the other the next. I realized I must learn to love with my will, not my feelings. I had to love him when he threw his shoe at the wall and cussed my dog, love him when he called me names I can't repeat, love him when he refused to eat what I had cooked after celebrating and preaching at three Sunday services...you get the idea. And so I enjoyed the warm feelings, the stuff of the heart, when it was present between us, as it sometimes was, even in the beginning. And when it wasn't, there was the will to love him, something like...a generator kicking up. I learned over a long period of trial and error to see in him what God made him to be. Wounded people use a lot of smoke and mirrors; they thrust the bitterness and rage out there like a shield. Then it becomes their banner, and finally, their weapon. But I stopped falling for the bitterness and rage. I didn't stop knowing it was there; and there for a very good reason, but I stopped taking the bullet for it. With God's help I was able to start seeing through the smoke. I saw how bright he was, how talented, and how possible it was for him to triumph over so much that hounded him. To put a fine point to it, I stopped praying for God to change Dooley; I asked God to change me; to give me his eyes to see into the spirit of this exceptional broken boy. I started talking to Dooley as if he were bright and industrious and savvy and trustworthy. I believed it was already real, that he was already whole and able to love. And all I can say is, it began to work....for both of us."

My prayer for you this week is that you can join me in seeing each of your players as bright, talented, and a wonderful Child of God. And as great basketball players, too!

Keep the Faith

Jane

The focus of this chapter is when we are truly living in the Kingdom of God, we have no need to worry. In fact, the result of kingdom living is confidence and joy.....ok, coach, which one sounds best to you?

1.  Jim does a great job of distinguishing between caution, worry, and fear. How do they differ in your mind?
2. His definition of worry: "a disproportionate level of concern based on an inappropriate measure of fear" has great correlation for our seasons. Think for a minute, how you approach a game. Do you worry? Does it depend if your opponent is a lot better than your team? Or if your team is considered better? Does talent have anything to do with this worry? Fear? If we have prepared our teams well, should we still worry? Is that "crossing the line from being responsible to being anxious"?
3. Read Matthew 6:19-24. Jesus tells us not to worry about food and clothing. Yes these are primary needs. If we are not supposed to worry about these, do you think we are supposed to worry about winning and losing? About signing the top recruit?
4. Jim writes, "Trust keeps my attention on God's abundant resources. That is why worry cannot exist in the kingdom of God. Worry happens when I am on the throne of my life, when I live in the kingdom of me." (Page 178) When I think about the times I worry, this sentence is always true. When the times I trust, it is true too. Try an experiment and trust your next game to God and His plan. I believe this is a simple key to truly experiencing joy in our profession.
5. Solution to worry: Matthew 6:33. Meditate on that verse. It is the key to the Kingdom. Does it really say FIRST?
6. How would you answer Jim's questions -- Who are you? Where are you? Do you have the vision to live in the reality of the answer, "I am a child of God, one in whom Christ dwells, and I am living in the unshakable kingdom of God". Do you grasp how that would affect your coaching?

7 The spiritual exercise this week is prayer. Philippians 4: 6-7, "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication..." That scripture is pretty specific about the connection between prayer and worry. I love how Jim distinguishes that direct effort needs to happen too, but how to pray when it can't. We can't just pray for our teams to be great and not practice! How were these exercises for you? Natural? Require effort?

"As long as we live in fellowship with our good and beautiful God in His mighty kingdom, we have nothing to fear, not even fear itself, for nothing in life or death can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). When we know this to be true, we can let go of worry and begin living with confidence and joy." (Page 182)

For me, living that concept brought me from fear that I may get fired if my teams don't win to the joy of experiencing my team. To get to that place requires vision, intention, and means. That is what Jim's apprentice series is all about. As a coach, if I could help you grasp this importance, it would be bigger than giving you the last second inbounds play that would guarantee a win. My prayer is that this is starting to come together for you and that your season is one where you experience the strength and power of Jesus Christ.

Oh, and Merry Christmas! The Peace of Christ to you!

Keep the Faith

Jane

In this chapter, Jim gives us great insight into "Kingdom economics". My hope is that his writing gives you insight as to what it really means to be a steward of God’s money, as well as His resources. It helps me to understand these concepts, not laws, by knowing the truth that all that we have His, in a sense, borrowed from our Father. When we make decisions how to use these resources, we either walk deeper into His Kingdom, or into the kingdom of the world. I have learned that in the area of finances, even though I want to be a good steward, it is truly a process for me.

1. As coaches, I am sure you can identify with Jim’s story about his Adidas shoes. Can you recall a similar story in your life, or even your players’ lives right now? I had to wear John Wooden Betas! No one else on my team had them, but I knew they made me play better! (Even though they were slick and didn't have much support). Outside the athletic world, think of something else you had to have? How long did the euphoria last?
2. Avarice is an excessive desire for money or material possessions. Do you believe that like vainglory, it is insatiable? Do you recall examples in your life where this was evident?
3. Matthew 6;19-21 describes two kinds of treasures(earthly and heavenly). Dallas Willard’s quote, "we reveal what our treasures are by what we try to protect, secure, and keep." made me think about treasuring our TEAMS. Do you think this would be a worldly treasure, a heavenly treasure, or a little of both?
4. Jim writes that money, wealth, and material possessions are not the real issue, but that our hearts are. Seems like Jesus always points us back to the inward issue, so why not with the way we serve God and mammon? If you believe the kingdom narrative, "GOD will provide for and protect me and mine, and therefore I am free to seek His kingdom and invest the resources He gives me in His endeavors." What are the little and big ways this would change our lives?
5. The subject of money is often misrepresented in our Christian circles. Read 1TImothy 6:6-10. What is the difference between what the scripture says about the love of money being the root of all evil, and the misconception that it says money is the root of all evil?
6. Were you able to participate in the "soul exercise" for this week? How did it feel to give things away? Did you avoid the temptation to buy something else to replace the items? Did you just give away things you didn't want, or were you able to let go of a few things that you really loved?

I smiled when I thought about the timing of this chapter. After all, aren't we all getting ready to head full swing into the Christmas season? My hope and prayer is that you can continue to think on these things this month as you do your Christmas shopping. How can I really be a steward of His money during this special time? And remember to treasure your teams!

Keep the faith

Jane

I want to take a break from our textbook today to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and to share a few thoughts on gratitude. 

"Thou hast given so much to me, Give one thing more - a grateful heart. Not thankful when it pleases me, As if Thy blessings had spare days, But such a heart, whose pulse may be Thy Praise. " George Herbert.

One of the disciplines Jim taught me about was the attitude of gratitude.  In fact, I keep a gratitude journal.  I sit in my chair, and consciously think of blessings. Its' items are serious, silly, full of people, travel spots, universal things, and things that only pertain to me.  But when I sit quietly, away from the hustle and bustle of the life of a coach, my mind can really begin to crank out the blessings  -- it changes me.  This week, I urge you to get alone with your teams for 10 minutes.  Bring them a sheet of paper with the numbers 1-50 listed on it.  Title it Counting my Blessings.  Find your favorite quote on gratiude and make the sheet fun. And have them sit quietly, and do just that.  Fifty will seem like a lot to them, so start the list for them.  Toothpaste, snow, laughter, my Momma, our loss to UNLV...  Tell them you will not be taking it up, it is their private list.  It will be slow at first, but then they will, "take off".  Some years I discuss them, and some years I just head to practice.  Just see where your heart leads you.  And remember, this concept is actually not one that Jim made up! It's biblical: 1 Thessolonians 5:18.  IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS...

Next week we will continue with Chapter 9, learning to live without avarice  (another fun, classic, word).

Have fun counting your blessings.  It's a discipline we can learn and do every week, not just the week we will be having turkey.

Keeping the Faith

Jane

At Nevada, we refer to our program values as the "right STUPH" -- Servanthood, Thankfulness, Unity, Passion, and HUMILITY. Once, a freshmen said to me, "I really don't understand why the humility thing is a value of ours. I have always been taught to have PRIDE in the way I played and in what I did." Hmmmmm.

Vainglory. When Jim taught me about this word, it was a new word and concept, but I quickly recognized it in myself a lot more than I wanted to. In fact, in reality, it seemed to be a principle I lived my life by. In athletics, this is easy to do. I believe our profession is a breeding ground for us to determine our worth by what others think of us. What other profession has a total page in the newspaper dedicated to it daily -- Sports! You gotta love them and the opportunity they present us daily to go against the grain of the culture and become like Jesus. Yes, with His help, we can actually prevent these desires from ruling our hearts. But it is hard.

1. On page 39, Jim writes, "do great things and your value increases; fail and your value decreases." He continues on the same page, "the world measures our worth on the basis of our appearance, production and performance - which seem to be the only things that count." Do you sometimes feel only as good as your last game/performance? What feeds that feeling?
2. Do you see, how if we don't fight as much with the "carnal sins", that this actually feeds the vainglory in us? Think about the statement, "this is the only vice that actually needs a virtue in order to exist." Have you experienced this first hand?
3. Read Matthew 6:1-8 , 16-18. Do you understand the concept that the Father is saying when our heart does these things for human praise, that this becomes our only reward? He will not reward us, but if we do them in secret, He will? What is that reward?
4. Pharisees were the perfect example of vainglory. Jesus is the perfect example of humility. Who do you want to represent? Why is this so hard in athletics?
5. See page 148, " No matter how many worldly trophies we acquire, we won't be able to lay our head down in peace because we are only as good as our last success. But our loving Father- the ONLY ONE who matters- tells us that we are loved, that we are of immeasurable worth". Read 1John 4:16-17. Meditate on that love and the contrast of how that true love lasts forever.
6. The soul training exercise this week is challenging. Were you able to perform those acts/services and not tell a soul? Can you continue this discipline?

Coaching in His kingdom -- the audience of ONE. I am praying that this is a week that you feel a strong desire to live above the ways of the world, and coach for Him.

P.S. The photo this week was taken at Coach Wooden's home.  The calendar was on the table in his kitchen.  Nellie turned to this page the day she left to go to the hospital the last time.  He left it there for the rest of his life.

Keep the faith

Jane

Last February, we played at Louisiana Tech. We were tied for 2nd with them, and had beaten them at our home, so it was a huge game. We got behind quickly, and were never really in the game. As I was walking to the locker room, a bit discouraged, a southern lady dressed in tech gear, stopped me. At first I expected to be taunted, but I saw a huge smile, and relaxed. She asked me if I was Jane, James Bryan Smith's friend? I smiled and confirmed that I was, but still not knowing where this was going. Then she asked to see the KC that I had written on my hand. When I showed her, she hugged me and explained how Jim's "stuff" was changing her life...and she had read chapter seven that morning, she was so excited to meet me. We visited about her experiences for a few moments. Then I hugged her, and walked away. You see, the Lord knows when we need encouragement, and sometimes, He chooses to use another kingdom dweller to remind us of the things He wants us to know. I was very aware of His hand at this moment, and thanked Him for the gentle reminder. I also thanked Him that even though we had been beaten, I had represented Him in a way that I believe I am supposed to. Kingdom coaching in this world is challenging, and we never know who is watching how we represent Him. What if I had screamed and hollered and gotten a technical? Would she have spoken to me?

This week, I am going to stray a bit from my usual questions about the chapter and give you a little more of a pep talk:

There is an old saying, there are two kinds of coaches, those who have been fired, and those who are waiting to be fired. We, as coaches, agree to play in this arena and know the rules, we must win, or join the group who has been fired. When I look around, or visit with coaches, I can see and feel the panic of what it would feel like to enter that group. I, of course, have entered the first group and have come to understand that the real true statement should be:

There are two kinds of coaches, those who coach by His Kingdom principles, and those who do not. You see, we can't really control if we get fired or not, but we can really control HOW we coach.

Jesus calls us to be His apprentices and to be extraordinary. You and iIcan do that, but we need His help.

We must understand Kingdom identity(I am Jane in whom Christ lives) and Kingdom awareness (I am in the strong and secure Kingdom of God). And we must understand we need more than these new narratives and exercises, WE NEED THE POWER OF THE INDWELLING CHRIST.

If we are indwelled by Christ who became poor that we can become rich, we will be rich. No matter how little we have, we will be "more than enough" people. (change this to coaches). And yet, without being "more than enough" people, (COACHES), our wanting will always out space our having, and we'll end up perpetually exhausted and forever dissatisfied." Miroslav Volf  Read that quote, and ask yourself 2 questions? As a coach, does your "wanting always out space your having? Are you perpetually exhausted and forever dissatisfied, as a coach?

If your answer is yes, persevere with Jim's books. I am living proof that you can change and not operate like that. I promise you it will be a wonderful journey as you continue to put on the character of Christ.

If you doubt the power of His identity/awareness, read Josh Hamilton's book, Beyond Belief. Quite an amazing story of the MVP's journey to the only thing that could satisfy and heal his soul - Jesus Christ.

Keep the Faith,
Jane

p.s. The exercise this week, pretty challenging huh? I'm still not able to sincerely pray for a few coaches. Help me Jesus!! (:

I had a player on my team who rarely spoke the truth to me. She had heard all my speeches on truth being the top of our team value system; yet she still lied to me regularly. It was confusing to me. During that time, I met with Dallas Willard, and I asked him about the subject of lying. He told me when he asked his class ,"Who is a liar?" that no one would raise their hands. But when he asked them, "who has told a lie today?" most all of them would raise their hands. Hmmmm, there seems to be a disconnect here. He told me to ask this player how she felt when someone lied to her. Of course, we both agreed to what her answer would be. Surely she would say that it hurt, she hated it, it made her feel less valued. Her answer surprised me. She simply said, "It doesn't really bother me. No one has ever told me the truth in my life, so I never expect it." Dallas didn't tell me what to say next.

I am a student in Dallas's class. I would tell each of you that I am not a liar. But Jim's opening story really, really spoke to me, as did the rest of the chapter. Although I am not a legalist, I have totally bought in to this truth (ha), and its now like a game to me to speak without spinning or deception. For a southerner that's kinda hard. Can you agree?

1. The statistics on lying (pages105-106) really shocked me. Did they shock you? Can you think of any "harmless lies" you have told in the last day?
2. Jim writes that the 2 things that drive us to lying are 1) fear of what will happen if we tell the truth and 2) our desire for personal gain. Can you give an example of when you told a "harmless lie" out of fear or desire?
3. Reread Matthew 5:33-37. This contrasts what behavior is considered righteous and what is expected of people who live in the kingdom of God. Do you agree that whether you are under oath or not, you can and should tell the truth?
4. "The kingdom does not run on deception." (page 110). I vividly remember when one of my college coaches motivated our team by telling us a lie about what the other coach said about us. It did motivate us. In fact, we won the tournament. Years later, I actually asked the coach if this coach (Kay Yow) had actually said it, as I knew her by then and it didn't fit her character. My coach simply replied, "There is a trophy in the trophy case isn't there? What does it matter?" Have you ever deceived your team to get what you wanted?
5. I love how Jim distinguishes that lying is not about correctness of what a person says, but about the intent of the heart. Think about this. Does this help you understand the definition of lying?
6. Silence is golden exercise vs. a lie free day. It's probably pretty hard for you to do the silence for a day, coach, especially this time of year. I bet you can find little pockets in your day when you can be silent though. And on the weekend, perhaps get up to a few hours. Try it....it has rewards you will reap!

Let's do this! Whoever taught us "sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will never hurt me" was definitely NOT telling the truth! As kingdom coaches, let's really pay attention to our words this week. Encourage your team by speaking truth and kindness. And hope that they can learn to do the same

Keep the Faith

Jane.

P.S. I didn't really have a truth picture. So I posted one of my dog Heaven. Dogs are pretty honest, don't you agree?

The main idea of this chapter is that lust (epithumania) is the creation of a false image or persona. We objectify that persona or image in an attempt to fill a deep need for intimacy, which can only be met by our union with God and His kingdom. I believe Jim brings up some very interesting ideas/views about sex and that by understanding these, we can understand ourselves and our players better.

1. Do you agree that our society is obsessed with sexuality and lust? Has your church been silent on the issue? Give examples when our players and ourselves are exposed to the fascination of sex by the culture in our society.
2. Dallas Willard writes, 'the two main errors in the area of human sensuality are these: 1) assuming that all sexual desire is good and 2) believing that all sexual desire is evil. This mirrors the world’s false narrative that all sexual desire is good, and the church's false narrative that all sexual desire is evil. Do you see the half-truths in both views?
3. We know, as kingdom coaches, that Jesus is more concerned with our HEARTS - our inner and not our outer. So it makes sense that the issue of lust will only be solved inside with our hearts. When I took Jim's class, he had us read several passages in books that explained the differences for the struggles in this area between men and women. Men, it’s a visual thing that gets them in trouble. but with women, it is emotional. The readings for men were from the book Every Man's Battle by Stephen Arterburn. For women, the book is Every Woman's Battle by Shannon Ethridge really spoke to me. There was a chapter called, Not Just a Man's Battle. It began, "at one time I was having extramarital affairs with five different men..." She went on to describe that although she wasn't having sexual intercourse with any of them, she was having an emotional /mental affair and how that affected her marriage. The description of emotional need defined for me, some of the confusion we, as women, develop in this area. Can you relate?
4. Epithumia allows one to feel a very strong and good sensation, but it never satisfies and leaves us wanting more. On page 94, Jim writes, "When we are properly connected to God and his kingdom, we find that the void is filled". That is the result from knowing who we are and whose we are! Do you believe He can help us write better stories in our lives?
5. Did you agree with the commitment/physical intimacy triangle that Jim described? Does it help you understand the proper boundaries for sex, as our God given gift?
6. Soul exercise of media fast! Let me say when I fasted from the media those 2 days, I wanted more fasting, but I couldn't do it. You will see as you continue with the readings/exercises, that they all begin to tie together. Now I regularly fast for long times from TV, facebook, sports articles about my team, etc....and it feels great. Keep working at it -- you will get there.

Hope all is well in your king/queendom. Keep striving to align your principles with His kingdom principles. It makes life so much easier.

Keep the Faith

As a kingdom coach, my goal is to be transformed, and not have to work hard to live the way Jesus lived. This chapter begins a list of attributes we will acquire if we do the disciplines that connect us to GOD. It takes effort to connect and become an apprentice of Jesus. Yesterday was our first official practice. I have a player who has taken her game to the next level. During the off season, she disciplined herself in many ways. One was shooting the ball thousands of times when no one was watching. Her skill level is so high now, because of that discipline, and I expect her to be one of the best players I've ever coached. I encourage you to work on the exercises, disciplines that Jim outlines in each chapter as you continue to learn more about the narratives of kingdom living.

1. Jim's definition of anger: " unmet expectations plus fear" helped me to understand why I become angry. In sports there are many things we do not control, so our expectations are often unmet. Do you believe you have a need to control your players and their behavior? Is this negatively affecting your relationships with them?
2. Walking in the flesh. I read that hundreds of times, and honestly always thought that referred to my body. The clarification that it refers to "living from one's own resources" really changes what scripture says to me. I didn't have as much problem with the sins folks talk about a lot such as drunkenness, lust, etc. But when I started understanding my sins included jealousy, pride, worry, false judgment, and anger, I realized I was not properly being led by the spirit, but my flesh! (my own resources). Does all this connect for you?
3. Matthew 5:21-22 shows us that the first issue Jesus addresses in his sermon on the mount is anger. Reread the false imperatives/kingdom narratives on page 76. Then write your own list that the world of coaching presents to us. It can begin with false narrative: I must win many, many games or I will get fired and lose my job. Kingdom narrative: even though it hurts to lose games, I know that Jesus is in control of my life and will provide and care for me.
4. The season i got fired at Wichita Atate, my team was losing a lot of games. I wrote this on a note and hung it on my mirror: There is nothing that can happen to me today that Jesus cannot use to His glory. He will provide and care for me in every way I need." That helped me to understand and meditate on the presence, truth, and power of GOD. As I learned to really believe that truth, it changed my attitude as I coached my team. I had no unmet expectation with fear! What area of your coaching do you need to apply this truth?
5. Do you understand the difference between righteous anger and the type of anger that poisons our souls? Describe it - (is a bad call by an official righteous anger or sinful anger?) LOL
6. Keeping the Sabbath gives coaches a chance to give up control and also to rest! I have found both of these things to be a great help. If you plan and can get a Sabbath each week, even if it is not on Sunday, I believe you will see that this discipline is truly a gift. It will fill you with joy and delight. Were you able to try it? I hope you can keep trying this one. It's life changing!

My prayer for you this week is that you can continue to change your core narratives as you engage in the spiritual exercises that Jesus practiced, and that as you see a need to do this, you can resist the urge to be legalistic. Remember, you won't get points for doing these things, but you will gradually find that you are closer to coaching like Jesus.

Keep the Faith

I don't know about you, but the Beatitudes were always very confusing to me.  Like Jim, my personal narrative of believing I could earn God's favor through my actions led me to assume that this list Jesus gave us was a prescription for how to get GOD to be happy with me.  I  was not many of the things described, so even though I knew they were from the greatest sermon ever given, I was troubled.  Should I ask to be persecuted?  Was I wrong to be joyful?  This important chapter frames His kingdom and its inclusive nature.   I hope it sheds light for you like it did for me!

1. Back in Jesus's time, there were 5 stipulations about who the kingdom was for? What were these 5 requirements for the Jewish kingdom of God? Since that included most people, can you imagine how radical His teaching was that we are ALL invited to join him in the Kingdom of God?
2. So the Beatitudes are not a set of virtues that divide the haves and the have nots, but are "words of hope and healing to those who have been marginalized." Who are those people today? Are any of them on your team?
3. "Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness". What a description of a Godly person, someone who is starved for righteousness. What would be the outcome if this became your coaching goal? How would your players react?
4. The people mentioned in the Beatitudes are not blessed because they are in those conditions. They are blessed because of Jesus! Do you think the characteristics in the beatitudes lead to power, prestige, or victories? Jim writes on page 64, "Those who are in Christ become living beatitudes, walking talking, blessings to the world". Is this an image that is easy or hard for you to understand?
5. Re-read the excerpt from Radical Hospitality on page 66. Think about how sports are a world of inclusion and exclusion, and how problems on teams usually come from exclusion. Then act on some of the suggestions Jim gives us to practice hospitality with your team. How did they feel? Did you see a difference in attitudes?

These first chapters of the Good and Beautiful Life are the foundation for the rest of the book. The remaining chapters begin with, "learning to live with...." I believe they are very powerful and will equip you in specific ways to coach by His kingdom principles. Remember, this is a slow process. Try to share what you are learning with someone right there with you. Or blog about it....(:

Almost October. Practice begins soon. Go Get Em!

Keep the Faith

Jane

This chapter deals with the gospel "Good News" of Jesus Christ. Through it, we understand that we are loved, forgiven, and raised to a new life. But Jim explains that this is incomplete. We must understand life in the Kingdom of God! In basketball, we learn fundamentals and teach them to our players. But the game of basketball isn't basketball, until we have a GAME!!! That is the great adventure!

1. Jim defines the kingdom of GOD as an interactive life with GOD. On page 37 he states: Jesus is essentially saying, "change the way you have been thinking - a life of intimacy and interaction with GOD is now in your midst". I don't know about you, but that empowers me, and I want it! Is this concept new to you? Do you understand that this offers His wisdom and power for you while you are coaching in His kingdom?
2. At camp, I used to sing that song, "Heaven is a wonderful place. Filled with glory and grace. I wanna see my savior's face , yes heaven is a wonderful place.". All that implies that I will see Jesus in heaven, after I die and go there. And I believe i will....but i don't recall singing a song about the PRESENT aspect of the kingdom, so when Jim presented this to me, it was totally new. trying to run the queendom of Jane by His kingdom principles is very challenging....in sports, especially many Kingdom principles are not valued by the world....thus, i pray, "thy Kingdom come...." what principles in sport do you find to be against the grain for His teachings?
3. Jim speaks for the kingdom of GOD having "authority and power (p. 43). That makes Him our head coach! Can you recall a time as a coach where you used your power/authority in a way that helped your players know how to succeed? How did it feel? Can you envision giving Him this authority /power in your life?
4. Pharisees, in the bible, kept their outer life, which people could see, clean, but their inner life was filthy. Read Matthew 23:25,26. Sadly, this described me for a number of years, as I tried on my own power to be who I was supposed to be. When I committed to work on aspects of my soul and try to become like Jesus, integrity, gentleness, respect, mercy, and love were actually more of a byproduct than something I tried to model. Pray that the Lord will guide you as you continue to learn about life as a Kingdom coach.
5. See p. 46, "the good news is that we are invited into this life with God. We enter the kingdom through ___________, ____________, ____________, and a ___________ to begin working on our hearts in order to become the kind of person God desires us to be.
6. The exercise on play was amazing....think about the differences between competition and play! Can you incorporate both of these in coaching?

The vision of heaven on earth is profound. the fact that we can get "heaven" into us now should really empower us as we coach. Perhaps the greatest thing to understand is that ALL of us are invited to have our hearts shaped by Jesus, regardless of our past. He will change us from the inside out!

Keep the Faith,

Jane

One of my best friends is Sue, who coaches at Florida State University. We talk all the time and share our faith, so as you can imagine, she has listened and read a lot of Jim's stuff with me. When this book came out, I made sure that she had a copy. After several weeks, I asked her how she liked it. Her reply was simple - "I can't get past the first page". That sounded kinda strange, but she continued, "Make them virtuous and happy, easy in themselves, and useful to others. That's what I want ." Isn't that what we all want? Trust me, this book will help make that happen. As Jim says, not to get us in to heaven, but to get heaven into us. If allowed, the Holy Spirit will transform our character. This is a book that is truly a curriculum for Christlikeness. I will simply try and relate it to the athletic world. I encourage you to find a friend and go through this with him/her or to blog with other coaches who visit this site. Together, we can be agents of change in the athletic world.

1. Ben operated in the business world and had adopted a set of ideas about what success and happiness are that were all wrong. Do you know or observe any coaches who obey a false narrative about what constitutes a good and happy life?
2. Reread pages 20-21 where Jim lists multiple false narratives about acquiring happiness, e.g., sex, money, and power. In sports, there are numerous false narratives, the biggest of which is winning is the only thing that matters. What are others that you have believed in your career as a player and or coach?
3. In Jim's 6 steps of ruin, #3 is idolatry..."idols do not have to be little images; they can be anything we invest our lives in. The idol serves us by giving us our desires, and we serve it by sacrificing our life energy to it". Ouch! does this remind anyone of our coaching jobs?
4. One of my coffee table books is Bill Bradley's "Values of the Game". It's got a basketball on the cover, and it is an awesome book about virtues of sport. Sin is always ugly. Virtue is always beautiful. So it makes sense that a virtuous person is a light to all. What does a virtuous coach look like? Can you see yourself as being described in this way?
5. I took Jim to meet Coach Wooden, so reading about his trip there was especially fun to me. Dallas Willard and his wife Jane, and Jim's son and brother came on this trip, too. John, Dallas, and Jim are living examples of people who have built their lives around Jesus' teachings. They have all committed to doing the things Jesus commanded, not as LAWS or RULES, but as a new way of life. Read anything you can get your hand on that is written by these 3 people. When we obey His teachings, we begin to look like these 3 men. And we can coach with these principles. Do you truly believe that it can be done in the coaching arena?
6. On page 31 Jim states we should not ask," what will I have to give up to follow Jesus? But rather, what will I never get to experience if I choose not to follow Jesus?" If we choose to pursue winning, and only winning, what we will be giving up?
7. When you write the letter to God, make the following change: "Dear God, the life I want most for myself is to coach as you would coach. For me, this will look like.......

I bet things are getting started for you with a new academic year. Remember, pickling is a slow process! This week, I wish you to be "virtuous and happy, easy in yourself, and useful to others."

Keeping the Faith,

Jane

I trust and hope each of you has had an amazing summer....and that you all have that pep in your step that comes with the start of another year!

This week I will be flying back to Wichita to speak at Jim Smith's faith and learning class. The topic of my talk will be Kingdom coaching and of course, I will be relating the stuff he has taught me to my coaching style. I will also play the song "Great" by Ten Shekel Shirt. The lyrics:

I have always wanted to be somebody who is great....I want to be great.....to be great in ....great in Your eyes is my dream....TO be the one who makes You smile is everything... TO love my enemies...to serve others....and to become the least....become the least....to be great in....GREAT IN YOUR EYES is my dream...to be the one who makes You smile is everything....to be real and genuine in my love for others....and for You....is to be GREAT....

This week, I hope you spend a bit thinking about what it will look like for you to be a GREAT coach this season. And next week - we will begin Chapter One in The Good and Beautiful Life. Get ready - its life changing stuff!!

Keep The Faith

Jane

To All My Fellow Kingdom Coaches:

August is a month this kingdom coach will be running camp, vacationing, spending time with family and friends, hiking, and getting ready for the start of another coaching year.  I will be taking a break from the blog and look forward to picking back up in September.

Buy James Bryan Smith's second book, The Good and Beautiful Life and we will get started on it in September.  It's just as amazing as the first one.

Hope this month is one that you get to paint the colors in your paint by number dreams!

Keeping the Faith,

Jane, in whom Christ dwells and delights

On July 16, I lost my first dog, Graham. I have lost many games in my life, but none as painful as this loss. She was going on 14 years old . She was very tired, in no pain, smiling, and in my arms when the vet gave her the shot. Suddenly I was holding this precious animal in my arms without any life in her, just the memories of what we had shared. Graham wasn't a basketball coach, but she was a coach, a life coach. She taught me so much. I have often thought I could write a book about all she has taught me, but I won't! Today, I will honor her on this blog. Lots of you knew her. Some of you called her the Jesus dog. Others said she had eyes like Pat Summitt, cause when she stared at me she got anything she wanted. All who knew her, knew one thing for sure: Graham knew how to love and be loved.

The great commands Jesus gives us: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength and love others as ourselves. Jim wrote about it in his book. We already discussed it. We hear the word every day, but Graham LIVED it. If you have a dog, you understand what I mean. There wasn't anything so wonderful to Graham than to BE with me. Sitting. Walking. Hiking. Playing. The last few weeks of her life, when it was hard for her to walk around, she would sometimes walk to the other side of the room and lie where she could get a better look at me. Then she would smile and stare, stare and smile. Feasting her eyes upon her master. That smile. I felt loved. I will always remember that smile!

She let me love her every since she was a puppy. I showered her with treats, and toys, and walks. I picked her up . I made sure she had reason to wag her tail. I brought her along. We were a great team. To love and to be loved. They are equally important, I believe. To give love and to receive love. If we do one without the other, we have turned the virtue into an unbalanced vice. Loving, and being loved by Graham were both the best.

Henri Nouwen wrote "the goal of education and formation for the ministry is continually to recognize the Lord's voice, His face, and His touch in every person we meet." Reread that sentence and think about why Henri believed that to be important. My guess is that if we truly recognized Jesus in every person, we would love them well. Reread that sentence and put a player’s name into the place where he writes “every person”. How does that make you feel?

Read 1 Corinthians 13. Read it again. That is a picture of how Graham loved me. And how Jesus loves me too. What did Paul mention first in the list of love is? Patience! Jesus and Graham loved with patience. Why do you think that was first?

dc Talk said it once in a song, "love is a verb". I believe that it is. So this week, while I am in Reno, and then out on the road, I will be thinking about ways I can love my players in the way Graham (and Jesus) taught me about love. And other coaches. And everyone I meet. The rental car guy. The waitress. I will also be thinking about Graham and how grateful I am to have had her for so long. We only have one first dog. But there are many other dogs in our lives worthy of love. In fact, I have 2 more, Heaven and Pepper. I look up and see Pepper looking at me, waiting to love me. Thanks, Jesus.

I trust all of you are having a wonderful summer...it’s been a great July for me. I have especially enjoyed visiting with some of you "kingdom coaches" on the recruiting trail. Thanks for the encouragement! Another special treat for me was last week after a day of observing games, I got to have dinner with Dallas and Jane Willard. On these occasions, I bring my paper and pen and write down about everything each of them says.....can you say WISDOM?

This time, I specifically asked Dallas about several challenges I believe we have coaching today’s young ladies. How can I as a kingdom coach, teach them about kingdom principles in the way Jesus did it? Since I am at a state university, I want to make sure I follow the rules and don't force my faith on my players. How, then, can I teach these not-yet-believers of the principles that have worked so well for me?

FORGIVENESS was one of the concepts I was curious about. As I have blogged about before, my players, and can I add people in general, have a real problem with this. It is just not natural. The result of this unforgiveness is a lack of long term relationships. I view that as a huge problem.

According to Dallas: Most people don't know what forgiveness truly is! The matter of forgiveness simply means that we will resume relationship with one another; we are going to stop punishing one another and live forward. It is the resumption of relationship. Unforgiveness, then, means I will cut you off and not continue in relationship with you. It is a problem because people believe if I forgive you, I am saying that it is okay that you hurt me, and also that it is okay to do that again. It worries them that we think to forgive means it was okay. So it is easier just not to forgive. Then I restore my rights and keep you and your hurt away.

To help our players with this issue, we must understand that it is a character issue and speak to them about character. Get them to discuss greatness. Have you ever been forgiven? What is forgiveness? Do you ever think you would need forgiveness? When someone offends someone else, who is the greater person, the one who forgives or the one who committed the offense? Does the ability to forgive make someone great? Then you must help them learn to establish a boundary after they forgive that will keep them safe. Again, forgiveness does not mean it is ok for the person to do this to me again. It only means that we will resume relationship with one another.

1. Do a study about what the Bible says about forgiveness. What is your favorite parable that Jesus told to illustrate this important concept?
2. Think about a time when you , as a coach, needed forgiveness from a player or another member of your team. Contrast that with a time when you forgave someone on your team who hurt you. How did these make you feel?
3. Can you see the importance of Dallas’s definition of forgiveness in building a team?
4. Read what you can about the umpire who , earlier this summer, made an incorrect call and prevented a pitcher from pitching a no hitter. How did each of them react? What was the public reaction to this event?

I am optimistic that Dallas’s concept of forgiveness can help you in building your team. There are countless times I know that my players have held grudges for a long time, and it always hurts the greatness of a team. I feel better equipped to handle these cases and hope you do to.

Eat some watermelon and bask in the sun for me. It’s summertime.

Keep the faith,

Jane

It was probably about 15 years ago when Kay Yow gave to me the booklet , "The Tyranny of the Urgent" by Charles Hummel.  I read it.  It seemed foreign to me.  Life was buzzing all around me, and I had so much energy for it.  I knew she thought it to be important, so it was, but I just didn't grasp it.  I remember liking it, thinking about it, but I didn't buy in to the concept. The 2nd course of this concept was in Jim's class a few years ago.  The image of making a pickle...the examples he used of slowing down, and relentlessly eliminating hurry in my life...well, I totally bought in.  Today is July 3rd, and I will be getting ready to leave on my annual Division I recruiting pilgrimage all over the country.  I smile as I think of the irony that this week , our final chapter of the Good and Beautiful Life, is the week some of us will be totally challenged by the truths of this chapter.  A great and challenging final exam.

Spiritual transformation is a SLOW PROCESS and it never ends. Once, while in Jims class, I broke one of my rules and criticized a player in the press.  I apologized to her. She didn't seem at all phased by what I had done, but uncomfortable with the apology!  I felt horrible. In talking with Jim through the class, I relayed the story.  His comment:  "God doesn't like perfect. congratulations. Try again the next time you have the opportunity.  You will do better."  Truth is, I have not made the same mistake again.  I have grown ...but am still pickling.

• Look around this week as the Lord gives you opportunities to "be where you are".  With my players, I call that face time. Yyou can do it.....slow down. How does this feel?
• Do you believe , as coaches, we are obsessed with "productivity, speed,, and effeciency"? Maybe more importantly, do you think this takes away from coaching with Kingdom principles?
• Jim writes on page 177, "the mantra of our achievement-oriented world is, you are only as valuable as what you produce."  We bench our players when they aren't productive.  Some of us have been fired because we have not produced.  Can you see how this really should not connect with the well being of our souls, but how it does?
• Read Mark 1:35-39 and look for Jesus’ balance of contemplation and action, rest and labor. is this the image of true balance?
• Mary’s heart and Martha’s distraction are both part of our lives. Jesus’ gentle rebuke was, "there is need of only ONE thing".  That is to listen to Jesus, to become like Jesus. Simply, JESUS.  On page 181 Jim writes, "We simply do not have enough time to do all that we would like to do. When we add too many things to our lives, something has to be eliminated.  Unfortunately, busy people (COACHES) often rid themselves of the most important ones: RELATIONSHIPS, SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND SELF CARE."  Is this a description of your life? If it is....listen to Jesus.

When I read the 10,000 hour rule, I smiled.  Any of your players achieve the level of mastery associated with this?  For me, if I get them to practice an extra hour during the week on their skills, I am excited....I got Gladwell’s point that to become proficient at something, it takes a lot of time. a  After I got over the desire to have a player who truly understood this, I applied it to my life.

Yes, change is slow, but it does happen. And you are the author of that change in your life.  My prayer is that this book replaced some of the false narratives in your life that prevented change, and that the exercises you built on have shown you a glimpse of that change.  I hope you have fallen in love with Jesus, who is truly good and beautiful.  Be patient.  Stay with it. the sports world needs kingdom coaches!

We will take a break from the series, but go ahead and order book 2, The Good and Beautiful Life.  We will go through that in the fall. In the meantime, I will be blogging weekly with stories, exercises, and pictures.  Please join in.  If you see me on the road, it is my hope we can go share a meal and discuss what we are learning.  Keep the faith and pickle on!

I can sing you the chorus of that old Billy Crockett song, "Christ in Me....The Hope of Glory..." catchy little tune.  Do you remember it?
Well, I sang it a long time, and I guess I read it too.  According to Jim, the phrase "in Christ or in the Lord" occurs 164 times in Paul's epistles.  You would have thought I would have "gotton it", but I didn't.  It took a while, but I grasp the concept now, Jane, in whom Christ dwells.  My little queendom runs much smoother with His power and principles.  As I am aware that He is in me, guiding me in each and every move.  Transformation is such a powerful thing.  You have seen your players transform and its fun to participate in their life transformation. But to truly understand this concept and be transformed by Him completely changes your life (and certainly how you view coaching).

• I can vividly remember a time in my Christian walk when I was losing the battle with sin.  My effort to address this and be who I wanted to be, just didn't work. So I could relate well to Carey's story...can you?
• Sit for 5 minutes and contemplate , "Christians are people Christ dwells in." How does that make you feel? What does it mean to you?
• As ones "indwelt by Christ" we are not under the law; but we know that everything is not beneficial for us. Our choices are made in light of who we are, and they do not define us. How does this truth change how you look at your day?
• Dallas Willard once told me a story about when he cared what people would think about one of his messages. He understood that this wasn't Christ-like, and he admitted it rarely happened like this. But when it did, he asked me why? Of course I didn't answer, as its always better to hear him.  He replied he felt this, "because my flesh is not dead." That is what Jim writes about in his concept of sin remains but must not reign.  As christians, we are not immune to sin, but we must always understand its power has been broken. What does this mean to you and your life?
• Reread John 15:1-5.  Jim writes, "to abide means to rest in and rely on Jesus, who is not outside of us, judging us, but is inside of
  us, empowering us." Read Matthew 11:40 and Phillippians 4:13.  Connect the dots...(:
• Country dogs and city dogs -- one of my favorite images.  Have the rules of Christianity made you restless or bitter? That is not how He wants us to live in His Kingdom.  Contrast that to the image of the vine and the branches.  Which is the life you want?
• I am an introverted extrovert! Maybe some of you are, too.  When I committed to the discipline of solitude, and learned that being alone is not loneliness, I became a better kingdom coach. Yes, its one of the hardest to do for a coach who has players and people around lots of the time, but I encourage you to really work on this discipline.  It will help transform your life.

We are coming to the end of this book.  Remember, Jim has written 2 more.  The second in the series is "The Good and Beautiful Life".  Lets decide if we want to move forward and continue growing with Jim's direction.  I"ll be glad to keep on leading. I'm hopeful we can have more interaction. Step it up, kingdom coaches.  Let's get to know one another more!

Happy July 4th.  Count your freedoms.

When I coached at Northern Illinois, a person in the community made some very simple crosses for anyone on my team who wanted one. They were very unique, made from some cheap yarn but in a very creative way. In the world’s eyes their value would have been a few cents, but a few of my players really loved them, and put them up on their lockers.  Of course we gave tours of our locker room, and once after a tour, I got called in.  It seemed that the crosses had offended someone who was taking the tour, and this authority wanted them taken down.  Just a simple cross, but its meaning was huge to the believers and to the non believers.

Take time to make a list of the hymns or worship songs you know that mention the cross: The Old Rugged Cross, At the Cross, etc. Yes, it is the symbol of the self sacrificing love our savior has for us - this love is an essential part of the character of God.

• Contrast the false narrative : We work our way to God with the truth that He works His way to us.
• Jims writes of unrequited love, i.e.,  love that is not returned. As a human we have all experienced this, and it is painful.  Even though the Lord could have forced us to love Him, He chose to create us with free will.  We get to choose to be in relationship with Him. Do you believe He feels sadness and pain when we do not return His love?
• Rich Mullins lived with Jim and his family in Wichita. When Jim and I would go out to eat, I would want him to tell me Rich stories, and he would want to know why my point guard turned the ball over so much. I love Rich’s music, and I wish he would put his songs in every chapter!  If you have “BoyLlike Me, Man Like You” listen to the entire song, or get it on iTunes. Which of these “Rich” images is your favorite?
• In baseball, we actually have a skill called the sacrifice fly.  In basketball, we often ask our players to give up individual glory for the best of the TEAM, but that concept is often hard to sell to young people.  On page 141 Jim writes, ”At the heart of the universe is this one principle: self-sacrifice is the highest act. The grain of wheat must die inorder to give life. The cosmos reflects the nature of the God who created it.” Do you have any stories with your team that reflect this principle?
• The Brennan Manning name story was very powerful to me and a great analogy to a question we sometimes ask God, How did you react to this story?
• Did reading John help you to understand Jesus? What is your favorite of all the stories in the great book?

This week, as you are working or vacationing, see if you can sacrifice a wee bit of something.  Maybe just not being the one who says where you are going to go for lunch, or even giving money to someone instead of getting that “thing” you wanted.  Sacrifice -  think how small your sacrifice really was in the scope of things, and sit and ponder the empty cross and the greatness of that sacrifice. The truth that Jesus died on this cross so we could live, so we don’t have to earn our salvation. Whisper a thank you to our Lord and Savior, then ask Him how you can love your players to model His love.

Have a week of awareness of his blessings.  They are all around you.

P.S.  I never told my players to take the crosses down.

Keep the Faith,

Jane

Addison Road’s song, “What Do I Know of Holy?” really got me thinking. The chorus is:

What do I know of HOLY?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life “its” name?
What do I know of HOLY?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
on earth and heaven above
What do Iknow of this LOVE?

This chapter combines God is LOVE and God is also HOLY. Jim explains how God’s wrath toward sin is an action that reflects both LOVE and HOLINESS! (and he does it in a very clear way!)

• Jim addresses two false narratives that we may believe. the first is that God is wrathful and always angry at us because we are not holy. The second he describes a “teddy bear” god who does not care about our sin. Which of these opposite view points have you grown up believeing? Do you ever combine the two?
• Thomas Jefferson literally snipped parts of the Bible that he didn’t believe. We may not do this literally, today, but are there parts of scripture that you feel like we as believers, “snip” out?
• Dallas Willard's definition of love (see page 119) is, “to will the good of another.” This is not the emotional love we tend to hear and think about! Begin on page 121 with “God is fiercely and forcefully opposed to the things that destroy his precious people....” and ends with “if there were no sin there would be no wrath.” We are his precious people, you and me! Does this connect LOVE-WRATH-HOLINESS to you?
• God is love, not just God loves! He cannot NOT be love. God is HOLY! but God is NOT wrath. Wrath is just an act of the holy God towards us. Complex, indeed, but also a simple truth. To me, this concept was one of the most helpful of all of Jim’s teachings. Explain it in your own words and how it effected you.
• Picture a coach who loves the game of basketball and wants her team to play the game in a “pure” way. That means teamwork, execution, fundamentally, etc. You are that coach. You go watch a game and see how sloppy it is, how selfish players are being, and the street ball way of play by a group of individuals. As you are watching, how do you feel? And is that because you really love the game? Do you get my analogy?
• The chapter ends with “God’s first word is always grace.” Do you agree that only when we begin to understand God's holiness can we begin to understand true grace?

The soul training exercise this week is probably very challenging for most coaches. Were you able to create and understand the importance of margin? Is it practical for a kingdom coach who wants to keep her job?

Celtics or Lakers? I am confused....have a great week...

 Coach John wooden lived from 1910-2010, for almost 100 years! One of the biggest blessings of my life is that I became friends with him, and often went to his home in Encino California to literally sit at his feet. During those times, I wrote many many bits of wisdom down in a book. I listened to him tell many stories. but mostly I just sat in his presence and witnessed the fruit of the spirit.  John Wooden was a man of very deep faith. So when I started reading the tributes to his life, I was disappointed that most of them did not include the truth that he was simply being like Jesus.

This week, instead of Chapter 6 of Jim's book, I hope you can read a biography or autobiography about Coach Wooden. He has so much to teach us that is so in line with how to coach in His kingdom. Did you ever read that poem or quote about "the dash?" Well, when I see the dash between 1920 and 2010 I marvel and I contemplate and I celebrate the life that he truly lived.

Coach John Wooden - he is the best of the best of the best! Thanks Coach! Let's pause this week to honor him.

My prayer is that we, as apprentices of Jesus and coaches of this great sport, can read and know what you knew, do what you did, and be who you were. And I am not talking about winning 10 championships!

LOVE...even the beatles wrote about it,  "All You Need is LOVE".. But the world shows us conditional, or contract love.  Jesus models unconditional love, or covenent love.  This chapter describes our God who loves without condition - Who loves each of us, even as the sinners that we are.

This is a very simple concept, but one that is truly hard to grasp.   Even when we break our contracts, He loves us! Scripture tell us that GOD IS LOVE....so when HE LOVES US, it is just Him being WHO HE is.....love is not just an attribute that He possesses, it is Him.  Jesus could become angry at something and that is an attribute He had....He is NOT anger.  This is a huge difference.  "Jesus LOVES me this I know...." is a great truth and when we really understand the unconditional love He offers, we change the way we love others.  As a coach, that is the love I want to show each of my team members, but I fall short everyday.  Why? Jane is NOT love.  When I love it is an attribute or a fruit of the spirit. I what I do or feel, not WHO I am.  So I am much more familiar with conditional love, and
sometimes when someone breaks a contract with me, I withdraw my love.  That, my friend is NOT the love Christ models and Jims teachings helped me to understand that.

• Once again, Jim deals with performance based acceptance! He explains how this leads to legalism and has a great definition of it:  "the attempt to earn GOD's love through our actions; or avoid GOD's curses through pious activities".   Before I took Jim's class, I had a check list of the activities I did that would earn His love and favor. Perhaps my daily quiet time was at the top of the list! What activitiy have you falsely believed earned you favor with God?
• The prodigal son! This is one of the classic stories of the Bible. But this story has three characters that can teach us, not just one:  the father, the elder brother, and the prodigal son.  Can you relate to ALL of them in different situations you face as a coach?
• Please reread the 2nd paragraph on page 102 "...only one thing that seperates us from GOD, and it is not our sin.   It is our self righteousness..." it ends "Instead you grumble."  Can you think of times you grumble about the actions of your players when you should rejoice?
• George Herbert's poem (with the help of Jim's explanations) really blew me away! The "quick-ey'd love" that he wrote about resonated with me.  How can we observe our players with this "quick-ey'd love" like Jesus? What image does this bring to your mind?
• Of all the spiritual disciplines we practiced, the lectio divina was one that I had difficulty with!  What are your thoughts and did it connect with you?
• Look for opportunities this week that the Lord will give you to love your staff, players, and people around you with the LOVE that Jim describes in this chapter....

Playing Time. As a coach, we always deal with this. How many times have I told a player, "coaches don't decide who plays, players decide." Yes, we all know that playing time is EARNED. I talked a little about this in Chapter 2's review: How accepting the narrative that we do not earn favor, forgiveness, or acceptance is just flat out hard for the "coach" in me. This chapter’s truth : God is generous and gives them to us freely.

• On page 77 Jim writes about a false narrative. "Love and forgiveness are commodities that are exchanged for performance. God's love, acceptance, and forgiveness must be merited by right living. What God most wants is for us not to sin and instead do good..." What effect does that narrative have on your relationship with God?
• Sin. Jesus hates it! We understand that truth -- we as coaches hate turnovers! On page 78 Jim writes "To say that sin has consequences is different than saying because of our sin God entirely rejects us". Think about those turnovers again. When players turn the ball over, there clearly are consequences to the game and to our team goals. Do we as coaches hate the player who turns the ball over? How do we react to her? Is this how god reacts to us when we sin?
• Generosity is not an activity; it is a character trait. And Jesus was the most generous person who ever lived! We are truly most like Jesus when we give! What did you learn about his character from Matthew 20:1-15?
• When I truly understood my identity as Jane, in whom Christ dwells and DELIGHTS, it changed how I felt about myself. it may be kinda corny, but when I truly understand that the God of the universe delights in Jane Albright, it makes me feel very special. Think about this: What if we as coaches, could delight in our players in this way? If they really felt that their coach delighted in them, don't you think it would change how they felt, too? Can you think of ways you as a coach can show each of them His love by your delight in them?
• Psalm 23! What a beautiful expression of God's gracious protection, provision, and care! Did anything about this well known Psalm jump out at you as you did this exercise? How did it make you feel?

My prayer for each of you this week, is that in this competitive world, you can realize that our gracious Lord has abundant resources and enough for each of us in His Kingdom. Yes, even for those coaches in your conference. Provision for us all!

The primary focus of this chapter is that we can trust God, because Jesus trusted God - even as He entered into His suffering.

1. Have you ever had your team participate in a ropes course or other team building activities? Describe what you and your players learned about trust.
2. On page 62 Jim states, "My point is that God's fatherhood must define what human fatherhood ought to look like, and not the reverse." I have found that my players have often told me about fathers in their lives who were absent or negative influence. These young ladies also told me they had trouble trusting a heavenly father. I was raised by very Godly parents, so the reverse is true with my narrative, and I find it easy to trust my heavenly father. Which of these have been true for you or the players, who shared their father stories with you?
3. A "cup" (pages 64-65) is that aspect of your life that makes it difficult to trust God. What has been your "coaching cup"?
4. The soul exercise was a fun one, counting your blessings! I do this with my team every Thanksgiving and have found it to be very meaningful with them. I also began keeping a gratitude journal, which is running over with blessings that I have become aware of. What did you learn about God and yourself through this exercise?

P.S.....remember the idea for the soul exercises is to build on them each week, so remember: sleep, solitude, silence....!

As we become apprentices of Jesus, we replace many of our wrong narratives that the world or church taught us. Truly understanding the truths of this chapter changed my life and coaching narrative more than any other that I learned in Jim's class.

Thomas Torrance wrote, "There is in fact no God behind the back of Jesus." To me, that means the angry God that people expect to be tucked away behind this man does not exist....perhaps that notion comes from the Old Testament....for me, it took a while, but I learned that the principal of linearity did not exist in His Kingdom in the way I believed. For example, if I do this, then I will receive this ( A + B = C). As I try tried to align how I ran the queendom of Jane with His Kingdom, it was a hard lie to trade in for truth, because for much of my life, this belief was very convenient.

I can actually remember sitting on the sidelines before a game and looking at the coach of the other team and smiling. Back then, I believed with all my heart we would win the game because I had been so "good" (serving, doing quiet time, praying, confessing, reading my Bible), and I knew that she had not ( she wasn't even a Christian). A pretty good lie to have on your side when you are feeling good, huh? But years later in my life, several crises happened, I believed the reverse. When my Daddy died, when I got run out of town because I didn't win enough games, and when I had a brain aneurysm, I was pretty sure I knew in each of these cases horrible sin I had committed against GOD to deserve these horrible things. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I replaced the “narrative God is an angry judge. If you sin, you will be punished." But it took several years. I know now that GOD is good and that nothing can happen to me today that He cannot handle. I am safe in His kingdom.

1. Have you ever felt you were being punished for a sin? Or rewarded for being good? Is this hard to replace?
2. Reread pages 46-47 "The Good Only the Good Know". St. Augustine is profound as he shifts the discussion away from the "cause and effect" narrative of sin and suffering. What does he replace this with?
3. On page 49, Jim writes, "we participate in HIS faith." How is coaching an opportunity to do that?
4. The disciplines of silence and being aware of His creation were life changing for me. Both of them took time to develop, but I have found that when I combine the two, I break the hold of the world and also that I feel closer to Him. I just returned from a week at the beach, where i had long periods of both, and I feel refueled and refreshed. Short doses daily, PLUS longer times -- each are like gold to me. What did you learn this week as you began exploring these disciplines?

The premise of this chapter is that most people want to change, but fail- not because they are not TRYING, but because they are not TRAINING properly.

1. As a coach, how can you relate to this concept by your experiences of observing athletes who are trying hard to change, but failing because they were not training properly? Why is it easier to see this truth in our athletic performance than in our spiritual lives?
2. The narrative of change by indirection is exactly opposite of the expression "Where there is a will, there is a way." Which do you believe?
3. Think about your narratives or stories that have shaped your lives. Which ones (family,cultural,religious, etc) have shaped your coaching philosophy? Are they positive or negative?
4. The discipline of sleep?!? How did this exercise go this week? How did it FEEL?
5. What scriptures spoke to you this week as you thought about transformation?

Welcome to our Kingdom Coaching Blog...our goal is to grow as a community of basketball coaches as we strive to coach our teams with kingdom principles....

So let’s get started:

Our text book will be, “The Good and Beautiful God” by James Bryan Smith. You can order it online at www.amazon.com, www.christianbook.com and www.barnesandnoble.com or maybe even find it at your local bookstore. Beginning Monday, May 3rd, I will post a few questions that will incorporate these principles with coaching....and we will be set up to share our thoughts with each other on this blog all week. We’ll do Chapter 1 on May 3, and will follow with discussion on Chapter 2 on Monday May 10th....feel free to read ahead, but we will follow the one chapter a week rule for our posts... There are 9 chapters in the book, so we’ll plan to have it completed by the week of June 28.

Jim(James Bryan Smith) and I will be blogging with you during the course of the week....

There is no charge to be part of the blog, but you will need to get the book ....all you need to do is just give your time, and have a commitment to grow....

I am excited to see where the Lord leads us ....thanks to FCA for making this possible....

Spread the word....www.wbbkingdomcoach.com

Keeping the Faith,
janeygal (In whom Christ Dwells)

My name is Jane Albright. I have been a D-I women's head coach for 26 years. During that entire time , I have been a Christian. I have wanted to coach the principles of the kingdom of Jesus Christ in a way that I believe He would coach. Most days I have fallen short of that, but in the last five years I have learned biblical truths that have helped me navigate this competitive world. But I am continually a work in progress.

I coached at the University of Wisconsin for nine years and during that time, I had a lot of worldly success. My teams were in the NCAA Tournament many years, I was the Big 10 Coach of the Year, we were ranked consistently in the top -25....and as high as fifth in the country.When the powers that be told me that wasn’t enough, that I needed to“get out of the kids lives and go deeper into the NCAA Tournament”, I left the program with zero confidence and lots of bitterness. I then took at job at Wichita State University , where my teams there were average, and most years, below average. I was fired for lack of worldly success and yet, when I left, I had all the confidence in the world. How could that be?

While I was in Wichita I took a class from James Bryan Smith called “Becoming an Apprentice of Jesus”.It changed my core narratives, what I put my trust and belief in, and it helped me develop the spiritual disciplines that I needed to navigate my competitive world of sports. In short, it totally changed my life and how I strive to coach. Now, I believe I have the resources to coach as I have always strived to coach, like Jesus Christ. Yes, I am as competitive as I have ever been! But the difference now is evident in my everyday life. The Lord has laid it on my heart to share what I have learned with other basketball coaches.

So here we are....

James has put life-changing curriculum into three books now, and this blog will take you through them. All you need to do is buy the first book, commit to reading a chapter each week, and join us on our journey.We will be blogging as a community of believers these next months. Basketball coaches striving to do our very best to coach like Jesus.

Our opening day will be May 1st. I will lead our discussions and Jim (James Bryan Smith) has agreed to follow us and share his wisdom with occasional blog posts as well.

Tell your friends and let's build a community of coaches who are equipped to coach like Jesus!

Keeping the faith,
Jane in whom Christ dwells