Psalm 6:6

"I am worn out from sobbing.
All night I flood my bed with weeping,
drenching it with my tears."

Pouring out his heart with tears, David was completely honest with God. We can be honest with God even when we are filled with anger or despair because God knows us thoroughly and wants the very best for us. Anger may result in rash outward acts or turning inward toward depression. But because we trust in our all-powerful God, we don't have to be victims of circumstance or be weighted down by the guilt of sin. Be honest with God, and he will help you turn your attention from yourself to him and his mercy.

-Holy Bible, YouVersion

I have decided...

"Be careful how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." 

- Ephesians  5:15-17 (NIV)

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I have not posted in my blog space for a while, but felt that tonight was as good as any to do so. Its Wednesday night, and as usual I spent my night at "The Walk". The Walk is a college and young adult worship gathering at Sevier Heights Baptist Church. I started to attend this service last year thanks to some great friends who help me find and return to my faith in the Lord. Tonight at The Walk, Tim Miller started a new series titled, "I have decided..."

We all have skeletons in our closests. We can all be better, and we should all strive to be better. I personally, I have been struggling with myself to be a better person spiritually. Am I a good person? I think so. Do I think I can be better, I know so. I have decided that I want to start a daily bible devotional and try harder to learn about God. I want to be able to use what I am learning and apply it to my life and share with my friends, coworkers and even complete strangers.

I sit in church every week and listen to the message that is being delivered. More and more often, I can relate directly with the message and can find ways to directly apply the teachings to my life. But week after week, I leave church and I forget what I have learned, or I pray on it for a day or two and then become so busy and stressed, that I know longer make time.

I have decided that I am publicly proclaiming to you my want and need to be more dedicated to my relationship with God and the study of his ways. I appreciate your support and prayers! Hold me accountable! For those who wish to mock, I pray that I have the strength to teach them and help them to understand what I know and believe. I hope that I am wise enough to realize and understand that when I am mocked/made fun of, it is satin, using those people to attack me and my belief and love for God. 

Moving Forward

I decided two weeks ago that I was going to start a blog... By posting just one or two posts, I had even inspired some other people to start a blog. After a few short posts, I have failed to write anything else. That is, in part, due to what was happening in my life and at my workplace. For a couple of days, I really avoided making any public comments or statements. One of the swimmers even said, "You know something's going on in Coleman's life when he hasn't updated his Facebook status or posted a new picture of Scarlett in 48 hours."

My English Bulldog preparing to cheer for Tennessee!
She'll take Smokey over Uga any day!

But, in the spirit of moving forward, here I am writing another post. We travel to Athens, GA tomorrow for a dual meet against The University of Georgia on Saturday. I am pumped to watch an exciting swim meet! I get excited to travel with the teams, as it is a big part of what my job as "Director of Operations". I started planning this trip back in August when I arranged the hotel rooms and contracts. I have spent the past two weeks organizing meals and creating itineraries for the trip. It was a big sigh of relief on Tuesday afternoon when I realized that I had completed everything I needed to. Now I can't wait to watch all the pieces fit together into, what will hopefully be, a perfect trip!

One of the many joys of my job is being able to multi-task and plan/organize for several trips or meets at the same time. Next weekend we host Florida for our senior day competition and just 2 weeks after that, we are hosting the SEC Championship meet. This becomes a busy time for me at work, but a time that I enjoy!

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“The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.” 

Job 17:9

I don’t understand it.

I don’t understand it. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner; the people were in and out of the cold.  The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers.  He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and its awful cold in there for tonight.  Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay." The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16 and they will let you in." So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm. Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?"  He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food," The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself:  John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full. She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16 ...  I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out. The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: John 3:16 ... I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rest. The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible.  She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. "Do you understand John 3:16?" she asked gently. He replied, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it." She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16 … don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe. You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  I do Love God. He is my source of existence. He keeps me functioning each and every day.

The Spirit of Tennessee Swimming and Diving

To become a man is what we want

To be proud of our thoughts, our words, our deeds;

To be able to face our own conscience and say, "We made the most of what we had;"

To take our share of the world and let other people have theirs, 

To have the courage to accept those things we cannot change, 

To have to strength to change those things which we can, 

To have the wisdom to know the difference between. 

Because this is what life is all about.

This is what Tennessee Swimming & Diving is all about.

This is why we're here.

-Craig McConnell, 1971

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

My First Blog Post!

After taking some time to read the blog of a friend of mine (thanks Meredith!) I thought it might be fun to become a "blogger". And what better time to start than now?! Its 2012! A new year! A new me! (Too cliché?!?)  

I used to enjoy writing. I found joy in working for The Watchdog, the newspaper of Big Spring Middle School and BS Edited, the paper of Big Spring High School (to clarify, BS stood for Big Spring, not the common English expletive which may be shortened to the euphemism bull or initials B.S.) I'm pretty sure the paper has since been renamed The Paw Print. I took a break after serving two years as the managing editor of the high school paper to become more involved with other interests in my life. 

In high school, I always thought I would go on to get a college degree in journalism, but instead have earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education, majoring in recreation and sport management with a minor in business. A degree perfect for my current job as the Director of Swimming and Diving Operations for the men's and women's swim team at The University of Tennessee. My next endeavor is to earn my masters degree... and am seriously considering journalism or communications. Maybe this blog will help me decide if it’s really what I want to do. Maybe that's what this year is for... figuring life out! 

It’s January 2, 2012 and I have fresh start that I haven't messed up yet. I received a text from my dad yesterday, which read, "God bless you this new year. Always do the right thing, and everything will be fine." This was wisdom I was definitely ready to receive for the New Year. I hope that you will enjoy following me this year through my blog. If you’re still reading, I thank you! I hope maybe someone might find joy, wisdom, humor or anything from my blogs. If not, I feel it might be helpful for me to relax and unwind. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11