Matthew: Realizing My Dream

This is what my son wrote for an essay about how he believes his college will help him with his career path. I'm really proud of him. 

Just starting out.

Senior year of HS

Being a basketball coach is something that I have wanted to do my whole life. I have played basketball pretty much since I was able to walk. My parents bought me a plastic basketball goal for little kids, and I have never stopped playing. This year, I led my high school team to the state championship game in GISA AAA division. Coaches and announcers kept calling me the leader of the team, and some even said I would make a good coach one day. And that is what I would like to become.

The college that I will be attending is Shorter University in Rome, Georgia. I think Shorter will help me in my journey to become a basketball coach. The coach offered me the opportunity play basketball for the school. I hope that by playing on the college level, I will become a better basketball player and learn more about the game. That’s what the assistant coach said that he did. I hope to follow a similar path.

After I graduate from college I want to become an assistant coach for Shorter University or another college. As an assistant I want to learn under a head coach and take everything he knows and apply it. I think the coaching staff at Shorter University is a good group to learn from. They are knowledgeable, and they care about basketball and the players. They also stress positive values. 

I hope by doing all of this, I will get to be a head basketball coach one day. By getting the chance to play college basketball, it opens the door for me to hopefully coach at the collegiate level. This college will specifically help me in what I want to become. If Shorter had not given me the chance to come to their school and play basketball, I may have missed out on a great opportunity to follow my dream.  I look forward to being a Hawk. I think I am learning from the best. I know I will get a great education from Shorter University both on and off the court. And I will be able to pass my knowledge, passion and values to other kids. I will help them reach their goals and become better people.

This scholarship is sponsored by CenturyLinkQuote.com.

To My Little Katybug

I had to write what I thought about my youngest daughter for her 8th grade scrapbook. She's such a wonderful little girl, so this was easy. Here it is...

Sometimes the best things in life are surprises.

No more babies.  That was my plan. I had three beautiful children, and I thought our family was finally complete. But God had other plans. He decided we weren’t quite finished yet, and he gave me a wonderful surprise – my sweet little Katybug.

Amazing. Kind. Generous. Athletic. Hardworking. Smart. Bubbly. Positive. These are just a few words to describe my baby girl. Katy is rarely seen without a smile, she has a good heart, and she doesn’t let circumstances or people get her down. She surprises me everyday with her abilities, her humor and her sweet personality.

I’m glad that God sometimes ignores our plans. I’m glad that sometimes he has something better in mind. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank him for little suprises. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank him for my little Katybug.

Just Say Yes

The world needs more people who find ways to make things happen instead of people who find  reasons to say no.

The world needs more people who actually give a crap, who care and are willing to make sacrifices to achieve greatness.

And the world needs more people with dreams.

Helen Keller is credited with saying, "The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision."

I was in my twenties sitting in a room with hundreds of others like me at a leadership conference in Atlanta when I realized that one of my biggest fears as a leader was getting older and losing my sense of adventure. I remember looking up and begging God to help me so that I would never lose my ability to dream, to learn, to say "yes." 

Now that I'm in my late thirties, I smile when I think back to that day. It seems that my prayer has been answered. I question and dream more than I used to, and I am proud to say that I'm also more adventurous than I used to be. 

And though my sight is becoming a little fuzzier, my vision is as sharp as it's ever been.

My brain may be getting older, but I pray my thinking never does.

A little parting wisdom for us all: Make things happen, give a crap, and dare to dream.

And the Journey Continues

Life goes on, and so must I.

I considered starting a more professional blog and ending this one. Then I thought better of it. I just can't walk away from this. I know...I haven't posted anything since January of this year, but that's OK. We all need a break sometimes. 

Quite honestly, I was just busy living life. It was awesome! And I have so many stories to tell.

So stay tuned...I can't wait to start sharing my journey again.

By the way, I'm happy to announce that I graduate with honors in a few days from Georgia State University with a degree in journalism/public relations. Oh, happy day!

Today is my Resolution

A resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something, the act or process of resolving. Guess most of our resolutions turn out to not be so firm. Mine are far from firm. In fact, they're just plain...mushy.

I love new beginnings. I dare say that no one loves making New Year's resolutions more than I, but my track record with them is not so great. And I know the reason why. My response when faced with the decision to follow through with my resolution is...tomorrow. Not exactly what one would consider resolve.

Although my resolutions have been "epic fails," I'm not ready to give up on them. So I've decided this year's resolution is to give up my response of  "tomorrow" and instead resolve to say, "today."

I read last night in Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey that one of the most important things to do with our goals is to write them down. So, there. It is written. This year I resolve to say...today.

With that being said, I'm off to my first "today" thing. And nope...not going to spill the beans just yet.

I pray that 2012 is our best year yet. Face it with grace! Happy New Year, everyone!

This beautiful pic can be found at http://www.williamsportmd.gov/images/fireworks4.jpg.

Have Mercy

There is a time to lovingly speak truth, and there is a time to shut up and show mercy. Mercy and judgement have always been difficult for us Christians. We tend to fall into extremes. That's human nature. 

I've said for years that if I am to err, I should err on the side of mercy. The merciful will obtain mercy, and the measure in which you judge others will be the measure in which you will be judged. I'm not perfect. We all fall short. And whoever is without sin...go ahead...cast the first stone.

According to a recent study, the church is considered to be judgmental in general and to be hateful towards people who live alternative lifestyles. We Christians are called to live holy and righteous personal lives. We are also called to show love and respect to others. 

Yes, we sometimes need tough love and to also give that tough love to others, but we are not called to be others' holy spirit. There is one already that has the responsibility to guide and convict, and he does it much better than we can. 

Because we are loving and merciful, we desire to share life and truth with others, but we cannot and should not force our way onto others. God gives us free will. Who are we to not allow others that same free will? 

I try to live a holy life because I love and respect God and others around me. I try to show mercy to those who, like myself, fall short and struggle. And I think it is perfectly biblical to teach and advocate mercy, love, grace and forgiveness, just as it is biblical to teach about sin, repentance and hell. 

I'm a little bothered because of all the things I've read and heard over the past few months from Christians who have chosen to speak so much judgement and so little mercy. 

God is love, and with that love comes an element of holiness as well as mercy. In my years of life and ministry, I have found it is often much easier to try to make others be holy, and it is so much harder to live honestly and transparently and with mercy and forgiveness. 

Lately, I have found myself asking God what the Gospel was intended to be before we Christians got a hold of it and transformed it into what we have now. I desire to find that pure, unadulterated Good News that Jesus lived and taught. I pray that I can live out the great command to love God with everything in me and to love people as I love myself. 

The older I get, the more I realize I have to learn, the further I have to go. God, may you continue to increase in my life, and may my way and will continue to decrease...until everything I am resembles you.

a new journey is beginning...and it's all good

I am not the same person I used to be. I have always struggled with self esteem. I have struggled with making decisions, sharing an opinion, speaking my mind, assessing my worth.

I am not that woman anymore. That wounded, unsure, fearful person has blossomed into a confident, emotionally healthy, adventurous one.

I am about to enter into a new phase of my life. In May 2012, I will graduate from Georgia State University with  a degree in Journalism/Public Relations and will emerge a career woman.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous. OK...truth be told, I'm stressed to the point that my facial tic is back. Dern that eye twitch!

Seriously though, my cup runneth over. I don't know what the future holds, but I am excited about it nonetheless.

I caught myself saying the other day that I'm good at what I do. Those words coming from my mouth to my ears surprised me. I've never felt this confident before. 

I thank God for those he has strategically placed in my path. I thank God for a supportive family. I even thank God for my struggles. All this has led me to where I am now.

You know, in Genesis, every time God finished a phase in his creation, he ended it by saying that it was good. Well, I'm gonna follow his lead.

As I finish up this phase of my life, I must say (in the Hammond family way)...like gravy on a biscuit, baby, it's all good...it's all good!


that cute pic came from ...http://tulsafood.com/talk/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/I-HEART-BISCUITS-GRAVY.jpg