As we walk through life and we search finding our way doing good achieving sometime.  We continue on that path we seem to believe we are doing all that we need to do.  The achieving builds on our strength of ourselves continuing to believe we are doing great things, which leads us to remain in a thinking pattern that builds upon our natural self.  When difficulties come, it seems we move deeper into to our natural self because our mind thinks we have done all this alone.

What I would like to really speak about here is getting to the end of ourselves because as we live in our natural self we only show we have doubt the Lord Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord.  Getting to the end of ourselves is how we move away from doubt of the Lord Jesus Christ.  By reaching the end of ourselves, we seek oneness with the Lord that nothing we do is done in the natural self-but through praying and seeking a constant connection with the Lord in every second of the day. The end of ourselves leads us to be a broken human puzzle that can only be put together by realizing we cannot achieve anything with lasting power without letting the Lord be the Lord our life.    The end of ourselves is a painful process because we have to give up our right to ourselves, we have to give up dominion over anything, and we say dependence totally on the Lord is the answer.  This way of thinking is so against our natural self.

End of self then what, the then what means we no longer live a life we are attempting to create, but following a life designed by God.  End of self then what, we become free.  End of self then what; only by the grace of God, we take our next breath.  The end of self is a continual process that does not end simply because we feel we have reached our end. The truth is we must always fight against our natural self; our natural self is always searching for a way back to a prominent place.  Therefore, to all think upon your life if it reflects little prayer, little time in the word, or a rushed worship then the natural self has a prominent place. At the end of yourself then what the then what is total abandonment to the Lord Jesus that your life is no longer your life.

Grace and Peace

Rod

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! In 2012 I will blog at least four times a month so please subsribe to my blog in order that you will recieve every blog written in 2012.  The blog will become more dynamic with more pictures, interviews,  my travel with missons trips, soccer as well as video and I do pray  the blog can be a blessing to all who will read.

Grace and Peace,

Rod

As I sat in my quiet time the other morning reading, reflecting, praying just waiting for God to be God in that time.  I began to think upon the cross contemplating do I know what it really means or what the cross really represents.  The truth is there are moments where phases such as redemption, healing, love, and sacrifice come into discussions with easy repetition.  These words mentioned represent the effects of the cross, what does the cross really represent?

The truth is we as believers of Jesus Christ take the simple way out about the cross.  We see a loving God who sent his son to die for our sins so we may have a chance to know the true and living God. Yes, that is so correct and real! What I want to speak about briefly here is the only way God could remain true to who he is was to send his son to die on the cross.  Yes, God loves us that much to send his son, but to totally forgive us without worry or blemish there was only one choice and that is just what God did.

Do we really think about the pain that Jesus felt on the cross? Do we really think about the separation Jesus felt on the cross? I believe most Christian think about both of these situations on the cross, but how does it affect your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?  Does it drive you to a new place you have never been with the Lord?

We hear so much about the cross, but in most cases, it resides in the feel good category.  The feel good of the Lord love us so much that he sent his son, of the feel good category that God did this because he wanted to forgive us, or God did this because he wanted us to know he is God. Well do not discredit any of these feel good category because they are all true. The reality is God had to send his son to suffer separated, ridiculed, and treated as the lowly of lows so that his character could never contradict anything he has ever said or will ever say in order that all sins are forgiven.

So do you have your daily cross experience or do you pick up your cross on your own terms, just when you are in need or is this experienced daily in order that you can live the life God has designed for you.  Anything less reflects the doubt we believe who God said he is, sovereign Lord. The challenge is to examine your cross daily pick it up so you can without a doubt know the one true living God.

Great and Peace

Rod

As the season progresses the team begins to move away from the words of excellences, perfection, winning everything, and being the best because performances seem to be unable to attach to these words. Now words like let us try to get a tie on the road or let us try to hold them off and maybe things will go our way.  What happen to such high standards? Even at some point, could have been talk about winning the league now the standard has dropped to a level of hoping to get something out of the season.

Coaching at the professional level as I do, I have plenty of experience with the playoff system and working to the get into the playoffs.   There is so much excitement around trying to make the playoffs and as a coach, I enjoy the fight to enter into the playoffs it keeps the players connected to fighting for something for most of the season.

The reality of the playoffs it allows everyone involved to lower their standards once things become difficult and results do not go the way the team would have liked perspectives begin to change. Here is an example every team in the MLS has played at least 30 games with 90 points available.  There are several teams fighting for a playoff spot and have less than half the points available that will make the
playoffs.  What standard is that?  Thoughts of winning everything replaced by doubt and wonder if the season will have any positives to latch onto. This is what happens in our person life as well; we set goals and have big dreams as well as a true desire to reach our full potential.  Where change, where dreams and visions are over taken is at the point when we see our thoughts, ideas, and vision moving
away from our grasp.  The standards of excellence we spoke about so much continue to drop to a level that is not
anywhere near the level where we set the first goal.

The truth is that does not need to be the case if we have a relationship with Jesus Christ we should know that where our goals and dreams become reality is not on mountain top experiences. They are achieved in the daily living of working through the daily activities of life such as working on relationships, and doing the simple task to the glory of God. If we are living in these areas as God ask us we will have mountain top experiences.  We must understand the difficulties with us now will only prepare us for what is yet to come. Here are few questions for you to contemplate so you can remain focused on the highest standards.

• What are you doing with your talent?
• Whom are you influencing?
• Whom are you living for?
• Can you make it through difficult without lowering you standard?
• Are the difficulties bringing out the best in you?
• Psalms 86:11 Matthew 6:33
• Relationship with God?

Therefore, to all us who are trapped by the Playoff standards and barley doing well enough to make it thorough today do not move away from the words such as excellence, perfection, being the best, and winning everything because these words will keep you doing the daily mundane things so you are moving toward a mountain top experience.

Grace and Peace,

Rod

There is so much noise in our daily life. The million daily distractions encountered by all of us take us away from the direction of
life God really has in store.  Instead of focusing on being distracted daily with interferes with our listening to God we will focus on improving our listening to God.

First, we must find time to study the word of God.  Not time just to open the Bible and reading the word, but time set aside that will allow a person to dig deep into the word. From this place, we can find the word taking a home in our hearts and minds by which our lives take direction from God. Since the Bible is the word of God and you are spending time in the word, you are spending listening to God.

Second, we must start praying! Prayer is not our time to sit in and run down a list of things we want from God.  This time is for us to cultivate our
relationship with God.  With prayer, our faith grows.  A time of prayer is by which we really come closer to the Lord and develop a greater understanding God.  With prayer, if we do not come with our wish list our thoughts go from our own needs to a place of putting others before ourselves.  We now begin to do as Jesus did!  Our prayer time needs to transform itself from just setting aside prayer time and to a place of constant prayer which keeps us in tune with God.  We need to use our prayer time as well to just sit and let God lead us. We must sit and
let Him speak to us.

The noise of the world the distractions of the world will not seem as powerful once we find ourselves in the word of God regularly and
finding ourselves in prayer our ability to listen to God will increase.  Once we listen to God, we move to a place of obedience with the Lord.  To all who have taken time to read this blog I challenge you to go away examine your time with God in order that you see where change need to be made.

Grace and Peace,

Rod

As you guys sit here today you are at the beginning of season there is excitement, there is
anticipation of what the season will look like and what the results will be for
the year.  Some of you did running and played lots of soccer over the summer to prepare for this time now of preseason
in order to have a strong start to the season. Having a fresh and strong start
to a season is critical for the confidence of the individual and the confidence
of the team to deal with all the twist and turns of the season.

In my life there have been many starts to seasons, I remember going into high school being
talked about by all the players and the coaches as one of the best players to
come into the high school the start of my high school soccer career was good. I
spent many years playing soccer and much time spent on my own time playing so
that I could improve.

Then I think back going off to college as a freshman, I did not do any training in the
summer and within the first days of training, I pulled my groin and found
myself getting treatment and not having much of a preseason. This had a
negative effect on the star of my college career.

When Istarted my pro career, I was in top shape and had spent many hours playing so I
was ready for the start of the season.  I hurt my knee but recovered and contributed to the team.

Taking over my first professional team, I was well prepared all the years of preparation
paid off the team went to league championship series.  As I point out these fresh starts, it is
important to be totally prepared for the start of something but what I want to
point out is the process of having a strong ending is just as important.

Many players start slow in their developmentor learn later in their playing career but surpass anything that anyone would
have ever expected.

This is what I want to talk to you about today the start of your walk with Jesus. If there
are those of you who do not know the Lord as your savior there is never a
better time than today or for those of you who have a relationship with God there
is not a better time continue that walk. .

A scripture that really brings on the truth is Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all
these things shall be added unto you.

This verse is important because it is clear when we are preparing for a new start in life
we need to spend time with God before we do anything. No matter how much we
prepare with our running and playing soccer.  If we do not seek God first, we may be successful as well as it may look
like we do not need God in the preparing process that is just the look, the
reality is if we want long lasting success, we must have God in our preparing plans.

A few questions, did you prepare for the day in prayer? Before you started your day,
did you spend time studying the word of God? I do not need to know the answer I
just want you to think about how you started your new day off, with God or did
you just step into the day hoping things will come together.

Now let’stake a step deeper you have made a fresh start and it has started off well, but
now you are in the process of the difficult part of the day are you trying to
move around the difficulties or you trying to learn from the difficulties? This
is part of the process of having a strong finish. God is concerned that you are
engaged in the process of reaching the end strongly.

Much like asoccer game it last 90 minutes and based on who scores first or the time of the
game or who is missing a star player this is all the process of going through
learning and improving so the next time you are in similar situations you will
be prepared.  The same situations happens in life events, things change roadblocks get in our way do we learn or do we
attempt to go around without dealing with the issues at hand.  If we start the day off in right manner with God the events of the day will be faced better.

Guys what is that you are seeking first and what are you trying to achieve with your soccer,
is just winning games what you want to achieve are you learning how to relate
your soccer experience to life so you can start strong and learn in the process
in order that you can finish strong in life with God.

If you are thinking you want to use your soccer experience to learn how to have a life
that influences others then you are on the right path. Life may or may not have
started strong but now you are in the process that will lead to a life that
finishes strong for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today I speak to you not for myself to be known, but to bring the
reality to you that God has placed you in soccer for reasons beyond the
game.  Will you use those reasons to affect
others and make God known or will you be like me waste many years trying figure
out what it is God has planned for your life. I urge you cultivate your
relationship with Jesus Christ and if you do not have a relationship with God
come speak to me after I am finished speaking. Therefore, I encourage you to go
and make God known.

Grace and Peace,

Rod

As I contemplated the message that I wanted to share
with all you, the first thought that I have is how thankful I am allowed by the
love and the Grace of God to stand before you and be used by God.

Next, I pray that what I say today will connect with all
of you in a way that will cause you to contemplate.  I urge you to consider that your actions will
affect each person and have the potential to change their life.

I pray that you will remember God more than you remember
who has spoken these words today.

I can tell you so many stories about running to
something or someone throughout my life I have always had to run being a soccer
player. I can remember back when I was a little kid and I first started playing
soccer. My friends at school soon found out that I played soccer.  Things changed in my life at that point I
went from the kid who just fit in to a kid that stood out at recess especially
when we played Kick ball. For those of you who do not know what kick ball is it
a kid’s game similar to baseball.
Instead of using a bat and ball, a big red ball or a soccer type ball is
used.  The ball is kicked as hard and far
as possible. The person who kicked the ball runs around the bases trying to
make it home plate.  Now that I was this
soccer player, everyone wanted me on his or her team.

This is one of my real first memories of being able to
do something better than most people so I gravitated to being the person who
kick far and run fast.  If things around
me where not going well I could have a kick ball game at school and now
everyone would want me to be part of their team

This is how life is, we find the thing that we are good
at or what people make us feel good about and we put all of our energy toward what
feel good.  This is what I want to speak
about today: what you are running towards?

My life as a professional soccer player and professional
coach is what my life would gravitate toward I would run to the next
achievement.

Early in life, I gave my life to the Lord as a young kid
and I have always tried to follow the Lords ways but I have had the pull of the
world on me.

I will share my story with you and it will shed some
light on what I mean.  From the moment I
walked on the soccer field I was always one of the best players on the team or
the best player on the team.  When people
would tell me how good I was, I really loved that I was getting notices so I
worked harder and harder to be better as a soccer player.

By the time, I was in the 9^th grade I was
playing on my varsity high school team.
I was one of the best players throughout my high school years I continued
to run.  My team depended on me even my
club team or travel team and colleges were looking at me, offering me
scholarships to come to their school I was the guy and people were always
lifting me up and I enjoyed that  so my
focus became even greater on soccer

Where was God if I gave my life to Him at an early age with me
but in a box with me? He was at church, He was at the dinner table, He was in
my prayers when things were bad, so He was used on my terms. We will come back
to this thought a little later

When I finished high school, I was considered one of the
top 50 players coming out of high school. Where do you think I ran to when hearing
this? I put more time into soccer because I was being noticed.

I received a soccer scholarship to go to university and
I made an immediate impact on the team and was noticed on even a larger scale.
I went running to soccer again.

After I graduated from University, I signed my first
professional soccer contract and now I thought I had reached my goal of being a
professional player now I was getting notice on even a larger scale. Where did
I run? You guessed it, soccer.

Where was God, in the same place in the box I keep him
just in case I need him! I had no doubt He sent His only son to die on the
cross for my sins.  I believe that with
all my heart but I still ran to soccer because that is where my notoriety came
from and that is what I was doing all my life running to soccer.

After playing professional I became a professional coach
in my first year of coaching the team made the playoffs, which was a great
success because the team had struggled. We lost in the semifinals of the
playoffs, the next year we did not make the playoffs and in my third year, we
won the championship now I was receiving exposure worldwide as a coach. Now I
just put myself deeper into learning and becoming a better coach. My coaching
career really took off. I am one of the only African American coaches to have
coached at the pro level outside of the US
so again I ran to the game my coaching career continued.

Things were where changing in me I took God out of the
box more, but there was a problem, I had spent all of my life running to soccer
to get the good.  What really makes all
this so difficult is that in regards to soccer I was doing nothing wrong I was
bringing people joy by being successful as a player and a coach. I was helping
people by using my soccer gift to help others in my mind.  Since God lived in a box for me, I could
justify that my life with God was in good condition.  The reality was there were many things that
were not good in my life but since I kept God in a box and only took him out
only for my needs I was a long way away from where God really wanted to be with
him.

By keeping Jesus in a box I ran to Him only in my need
and I ran to the success of the world all the time and that is a disastrous way
to live. When I sat back, looked in detail at my life, I could see the pain the
destruction that I could not see before because I was running and running from
the things of God.

One day I knew I needed to change my life so I began to
cultivate a real relationship with God through years of cultivating God shared
many things with me and I want to share with you how Jesus
changed my running pattern and it influences everything I do in my life today
and everyday

1.  God
says we must Abide in Him    As in
John 15:4 Remain in me and I will remain in you no branch can bear fruit by itself
it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you
remain in me

 Psalm 119:114 You are my refuge (a place
giving shelter from danger) my shield and I put my hope in your word

This is such a powerful verse for me because I did not
abide. I kept Jesus in a box and used Him on my terms. Yes my life looked
successful and my life looked like it had no problems but the reality is that
it was full of destruction bad choices because I did not abide in Christ.  Christ is the place where all the answers to
any questions to life questions reside.  Once I came to grips with that God is in
control I could abide in Christ and my running pattern began to move in a different
direction

2. Seek God But Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and
His righteousness and all these shall be added unto you Matthew 6:33. Many
people including myself looked at God like santa claus calling on Him or taking
Him out of a box on your terms. The truth is God wants us to bring Him the
smallest details of our life.   He wants us to be so committed to Him that we
will lay down our lives for Him. This is how we must seek God with all of our
being.

3.  Communion
with the Father is the time we just sit and enjoy who God
is, not looking or asking for anything.  This is a difficult thing because we all have
things we want to accomplish or want God to do for us.  Communion should be the time we sit in the
presence of God knowing the fact that He simply loves us, wants the best for
us, and always wants to be with us.  Matthew 11:28-30 come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.
29 take my yoke (to join or unite) upon you and learn of me for I am gentle and
humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and
my burden is light.

4. Walk in
the Spirit Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you and cause you
to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them.  This is how we live our lives daily not in our
strength not in our thoughts not in striving to be better, but asking the Holy
spirit to be with us daily in all our moments of life.

5. Instant Obedience, in Genesis 22
Abraham was tested to see if he loved God more than he loved his son. In Mark 1:16-17-18- As Jesus walked beside
the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the
lake for they were fisherman. Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of
men. And at once they left their nets and followed him.  What you see here are people who decided that
there was nothing more important than having a life being totally lived for
Jesus.  We do not have to give up our
jobs and live a life without anything not saying God will not ask that of
you.  What needs is conveyed here is that
if you are a follow of Christ He will speak to you in a small still voice and
you have a choice to obey instantly or put it off and the effect it will have
on your life as well others because we were not obedient.

5.  Now let’s look at the final piece to change
our running path.  This is to lay down
our life for the Lord. John 15:13
Greater hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for a friend.
Many of us think the only part is that Jesus is saying He will die for all
believers yes this is a true statement, but Jesus is saying yes we can die for
him and that is a sacrifice to do such a thing.
The question posed will you give up your right to your own righteousness
and say God my life is yours whatever you engineer for my life.  I will accept because you are the Holy the
Lord. That all you do Lord is for my good. The questions comes; what if God say
I will not cure you of that disease, I will not give you the money you need to
save your house I will not give you the job you so desire.  Will you still down lay down your life for
the Lord, will you still seek Him, will you still abide in Him, Will you still
commune with Him, Will you still Instantly obey Him, Will you still look to
walk in the Spirit? If you say yes your running path will lead you to the best
that God has for your life.

The truth is our relationship with God should lead us to the place where we truly believe and know we are doing nothing apart from God. When stepping out into something without engaging God in prayer or studying the word of God is an insult to the Lord.  This is not a safe place to be because we are working in our own ability without leading from God. For nothing we do, shouldbe done without seeking God before acting upon anything.  If we want to be the men and women the Lord has called us to be we must go to God with everything before we act.  Because God has called all believers we must seek him earnestly and keep the scripture Psalm 69:5-6 in our heart and mind all the time.   O God,thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee. Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of host be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.  The words in these scripture I hope awakens each of you as it has awakened me in the sense that we must develop a relationship with the Lord that we are not findingourselves becoming too busy or simply forget to consult God in the smallest morsel of life.

As I writethis blog I am convicted by the fact that I have done this often in my life so I ask the Lord to forgive me for my presumption in stepping out withoutengaging the Lord before acting.  Well let’s take this even a step further to say instead of engaging with God sometimes how about cultivating a relationship with the Lord that we are engaged in constant communication with the Father so he will always be leading us and guiding us.

We can develop such a relationship with the Lord by understanding daily we have a first action, a first word, a first thought, and a first moment.  By giving these entire first to the Lord before anything else we begin to develop the process of reliance upon the Lord which
can lead us to the place where we are not stepping out without direction from the Lord. The lifestyle of moment by moment living in connection with the Lord will become more apparent as we seek the Lord with our entire first.  The more this happens the more our entire life will be lived in obedience and reliance unto the Lord.  Remember if we do not find that place with the Lord where we are consulting, obeying and relying on God it will be costly for you, family, friends and people around you for generations to come.

Grace and Peace,

Rod

In today’s world everyone seems to worry about someone or some group of people stealing their identity. Now a person can enlist in a program that will insure their identity to be restored, if stolen. When contemplating how far we have moved to become a society that has to insure ourselves against more than one person using the same identity, this thought can cause a person to be unsure about life.. What has the development of the world done? What do you think? Why do you think in that manner?   The world has been moved away from moral importance, character, and respect for a person’s life. So we have to check our credit reports frequently, it seems as if it is a full time job in order to protect those things which we thought were private.

So, I ask the question are you concerned about the identity that reflects you as a child of God. If your answer is yes, listen to stories that may move you to the path you desire as a child of God. Some years ago I was just starting out my coaching career and attempting to create an identity in the coaching world. My days would start about 6 am in the morning and would be completed somewhere around 9pm which did not include those 200 days of travel per year.  These days were brutal in with respect to how minimal the time was I carved out for God or my family.  By putting all my energy into becoming the best known coach it was evident that my identity was being shaped by who I was as a coach. I remember days that I thought all my actions were right and I was building a life for my family. Chasing an identity is a path to disaster, how can I say that? I have been down that path.  Looking more into this question of identity theft the question has to be asked, does your family provide your identity? Before moving deep into this thought I must be clear about family.  I love my wife and my kids more than you can ever know or than I can ever explain.  The question still remains, does your family provide you an identity.  I have to say my family provides me worldly security, worldly joy, and worldly peace. Does your job provide you with an identity?  I can say it provides with temporary security, temporary manner in which I provide for my family. What happens when the job does not exist anymore? Who are you when the family has a loss of a loved one?

Therefore I say to you that the only permanent identity that is not fleeting is how we are identified in our walk with Jesus Christ.  We must seek to create our identity with how we live for Jesus daily.  Looking, searching, craving, and longing for the world to provide you with an identity impenetrable is preparation for disaster.   In Matthew 6:20, But lay up your treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.  This verse is conveying the idea how we place such value in things our sight becomes darkened which leads to destruction.  So to all are we moving toward a stolen identity because of lack constructing our identity continual love of Jesus.  Find your answer! Create your identity so people will know how you have an identity that cannot be stolen.

Grace and Peace to you,

Rod

The times of the today reflect the day when Jesus walked the earth. People searching for the correct path of life, and people being confused about Jesus resembles what Jesus faced. As we discover in our own lives many times we seek

Jesus for what we want from him. This is a difficult thought process to change because pressure and circumstances causes a person not to be patient.

So how do we find ourselves seeking God for whom he is and nothing more. We must understand that God is the creator of everything.  Also we must realize that everything we have is only on loan from God.  Knowing the more responsibility the Father provides the more he expects of us. When we begin to grasp these principles our minds move in the direction of eternity thinking therefore seeking God because he is God becomes paramount.

How can we daily improve in the aspect of making sure we are seeking God because he is God?  Firstly it starts with our closest relationship by enjoying those people for who they are and not what they can do for us.  Secondly, in our non personal relationship we do not work with people and work for people to use them to step up the ladder. Thirdly, we need to learn how to enjoy the journey of life and not looking at aspects of life to reach what we perceive as our destiny. Finally, we must put away that users attitude that we all possession.

All that is written here is unimportant if we do not work on the application of seeking God for God.  In all that we do even the most insignificant aspect of life we must seek God for who he is and what he has done for all of us.  As we build a closer relationship with the Father the more we will understand seeking God because he is God.  To all who want to hear and to all who want to know God deeply seek him and not what you want from him.

Grace and Peace,

Rod