The Difference Between Me And Mattress Mack

 

The Difference Between Me And Mattress Mack

This is about a Houston icon. It is from August 29, 2017.
Most of you don't know Nick. He's one of my favorite WCS students, and his mom, who was in charge of our volleyball program in the past, is one of my favorite coaches. I haven't seen Nick in awhile- the last time, I believe, was on television. You see, Nick was a terrific basketball player, playing for two major colleges. He's my Facebook friend, like about 4500 Houstonians and non-Houstonians. I doubt there are many in the US who are unaware of Hurricane Harvey and its impact on Texas, particularly Houston, these past five days. My estimate is that 90% of my Facebook feed is Harvey related. There are personal testimonies, horror stories, pleas for prayers, unreal neighborhood video scenes, heroic rescue efforts.... and the list goes on. In the midst of all the flow of gut wrenching information, Nick posted my favorite social media quote of the week. It simply read:
I don't care what anyone says- Mattress Mack is the realest dude in Houston.
If you don't know who Mattress Mack is, you aren't from Houston. There are famous folks who call Houston home: George and Barbara Bush, Beyonce', J.J. Watt, James Harden, etc. But the best known philanthropist in my mind is Jim McIngvale, aka, Mattress Mack. In the almost twenty years I've lived in Houston, Mack has donated to countless charities and worthy causes. True to form, as Harvey hit, Mack opened both Houston locations of his Gallery Furniture Stores to anyone who needed shelter and also used their kitchens to feed the evacuees. I saw it all on one of the local stations. As Mack was extending the invitation to those in desperate need, he did something else I thought was astonishing. He gave out his cell phone number... TWICE! On the air! Let me put this in personal perspective. When I returned from my twenty-nine day mission to Vietnam, I had NO missed call or voice mails and NO texts.  Why? Because I don't give out my phone number. And yet, there was arguably one of the most famous residents of this huge city giving his out and asking strangers to call. I'm not sure if that is what Nick was referencing. But I have to give him a big  AMEN for his sentiments. 

Even more importantly than Mack's generous offer, our Father implores us to call on Him. There is a guarantee He will hear us if we pray in good faith. In Psalms 145 and verse 18, we hear this promise:

The Lord is near to all who call on him,to all who call on him in truth.
What a blessing! I met Mack once- he spoke at our graduation the night after his main store burned down but I know he would have no idea who I am. Our Father knows exactly who I am and amazingly, still loves me. He's never too busy to listen and He never sleeps. My pleas don't go to voicemail and there is no chance His battery is dead. He hears me AND He wants me to cry out to Him on all occasions, not just during calamities. Do you know why I give out my cell number so sparingly? It's because I hate talking on the phone. Praise the Lord He doesn't feel that way about talking to me.

Applicable quote of the day:
The practice of charity will bind us - will bind all men in one great brotherhood. 
Conrad Hilton

To read my blog about the night Mattress Mack gave our commencement address, copy and paste the link below:
http://stevehawley.blogspot.com/2009/05/speech.html

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Great Expectations

 

Great Expectations

I really like the girls on my team this year even though we have only been together a few times. This is about a team from eight years ago. It's from December 8, 2013.
We lost our game Thursday night. That hasn't been an unusual occurrence this season. Eight games in, we have a record of 1-7 but that's a bit deceiving. We have only one team made of 6-7-8 graders and the majority of our schedule is against 8th grade teams from other private schools in the area. With five of the eleven kids suiting up being sixth graders, we are often at a size and physical maturity disadvantage. But this loss was different. Although we have played our opponents close or even been ahead for a quarter, we have usually ended up behind by a considerable margin when the final buzzer buzzes and the kids and coaches line up for the traditional post game handshakes. Not three nights ago. We lost by two points and we actually had the ball with a chance to tie with fifteen seconds left on the clock. But as inexperienced teams do, we made a turnover and never got off a tying or go ahead shot. The kids took it hard. They really believed we were going to win....and then we didn't. We talked about it the next morning in practice. There are things we have to do better to win games. Even though our focus is never on winning, it is a by product of improving and we are drastically improved over where we were a month ago. I asked Sydney and Lizeth is they ever had to make a shot last year that meant the difference between winning and losing and their answer was they did not. When the game is on the line, it simply is not the same as if you are considerably ahead or considerably behind. It's a matter of experience.

On Friday morning, after practice, Natalia was helping me put the basketballs away. During  a time out the night before, I told her that if she said, "I'm sorry!" one more time after missing a shot, she would be a pine sister the rest of the game i.e., she would be relegated to the bench. It's understandable- Natalia has never played before and she is good shooter who wasn't shooting well. I asked her after we rolled the balls into the locker room if anyone on our team had not made a mistake all year. Predictably, she answered no. I disagreed and reminded her that Elizabeth had not missed a shot or fouled an opponent or turned the ball over. Natalia smiled and admitted I was right. You see, Elizabeth suffered an ankle injury in October and has yet to resume playing. (Elizabeth also has not been absent from a game, a terrific lesson for many players to learn!) What Natalia and I concluded is that you have to shoot the ball to make it but shooting with it carries the risk of missing. It's pretty much like life.

We can't go through our existence like Elizabeth is having to endure basketball; on the sideline without participating except in an auxiliary role. We try, we fail, we try again, we succeed. In his sermon tonight on Jacob, David Yasko spoke of how the Lord teaches us through experiences which can be very painful. But, we can't quit. Jacob made a multitude of poor decisions in his life but when he wrestled with God who changed his name to Israel, the father of the twelve tribes was never the same. He still made mistakes- think of Joseph's  coat of many colors- but look of the heroes of the faith who came from his family tree.  Brother Yasko reminded us that in the wrestling match with the Lord, Jacob sustained a debilitating hip injury leaving him with a limp in an era before the onset of physical therapy. His basketball career might have ended on the spot. Still, I bet Jacob had a mean shot fake. After all, his name meant The Deceiver.

Applicable quote of the day:
"All earthly delights are sweeter in expectation than in enjoyment; but all spiritual pleasures more in fruition than in expectation."
Francois Fenelon

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Life Reviewed

 

Life Reviewed

Thirteen  years ago, I spoke at the annual fund raising dinner for Christian Family Services in St. Louis, a wonderful organization my dad was a part of for many years. I worked on my address for months and found it hard to condense all the things I wanted to say. I am increasingly aware of how blessed I have been in my life. The following, from May 30, 2009, sheds some light on my fathers' family. Love your family.

It's funny how people you know in one part of your life end up crossing paths with people you knew from different times and places. Last week, I ate supper with Gayle and Grace Napier who also invited Lane Widick and his lovely wife, Kristen, as well. It would be wise to make some introductions. Gayle and Grace were great friends of my folks, working together in both Nebraska and Texas. I think my parents spent as much time with the Napiers as with any other couple over the years. Last fall, Gayle and Grace moved to Houston to be with two of their daughters who I grew up with. In April, Lane moved to Houston to work with a church, the same one where Gayle and Grace worship. Lane was my student in Tennessee. His father was my principal, his sister was my teacher's aide, and two first cousins played for me and asked me to perform parts of their weddings. As we ate, Gayle was describing Dad to Lane and he said something that stuck. Gayle recalled that my father had, "come from the perfect family." I had never looked at it quite like that. Maybe I should have...and thanked God.

Yesterday, I began watching DVDs filmed by Sue Simons, a friend of the folks, who helped us navigate Dad's ailments. Three months after Dad's stroke, his brother, Monroe, visited him over a two day period, along with my Aunt Julia and my cousin, Wayne. Set in St. Luke's Hospital, Sue turned the camera on and recorded my father and uncle reviewing their childhood. And as I watched, I came to see the validity in Gayle's statement. The talk centered around their remembrances of growing up and their parents/my grandparents. I learned things I didn't know, such as Grandpa Hawley at one time had the best record of any high school debate coach in Michigan. But most of what I took away were the things valued in the home of Harold and Minnie Hawley: honor, honesty, integrity, peacefulness and peacemaking, and love of the Lord. Those were the things, I believe, Gayle saw in my father. And those were the things my dad witnessed each day as a boy.

As a child, I thought everyone had family experiences like I did, like my dad did. My eyes have been opened by the years. This afternoon, I visited a ninety-five year old widow who lives on my floor. I check on her periodically and with limited mobility, she enjoys the company. Today, she told me stories of her family, stories of betrayal, anger, abandonment, and grief. I wondered how such a nice lady who tries to follow the Lord could endure so much anguish. That's a far reaching question which many would want answered but I have no insight there. What I do know is that I was blessed, as were my siblings and first cousins, by having a father grow up in such a loving home. Dad recognized it. In fact, I discovered a DVD left in the DVD player, which has been unused for months. I smiled as I read the print on the DVD, the title of a lesson Dad taught at a St. Louis church in 1997. He had called it, "Why Has God Been So Good To Me?" I just bet Dad has his answer now.

Applicable quote of the day:
"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." 
Desmond Tutu

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

The Treasure

 

The Treasure

It's hurricane season again and folks on the Gulf Coast always anxiously watch weather reports for developments in the tropics which sometimes means evacuating. What would you take if you had to leave? Here are my thoughts on what I think is among my most valuable possessions. It is from January 12, 2006. Beauty remains in the eye of the beholder.

Like a million of my fellow Houstonians, I attempted to evacuate the Bayou City with the advance of Hurricane Rita in September. Our mayor, Bill White, made the recommendation that if you could leave, you should leave. Remember, this was scant weeks after the devastation that Katrina leveled on our eastern neighbor, New Orleans. It was an evacuation which devolved into chaos. Sixteen hours on 59 North netted me only fifty miles on my attempted escape to relatives in Arkansas. As I prepared to make my exodus, I had decisions to make on what I should take just in case the Worst Possible Scenario, a direct hit from a Category 5 storm, came to pass. (We were spared: Rita came ashore further east than predicted.) Some choices on my packing list were easy: enough clothes and toiletries to get by were obvious. Others were personal. There was no way I would leave my passport behind- it was so hard to obtain one in the first place. I needed extra copies of the book I authored- never know when I might make a sale! One thing I neglected? WATER!! I came as close to dehydration as I have in my life which could have had disastrous consequences. I now leave two unopened bottles of water in my refrigerator as a reminder. This is no lie. After twelve hours on the highway in 95 degree weather with no AC for fear of running out of gas, I was dreaming about the water fountain outside of our school weight room!

There was something else I took with me when I left town. I brought it to school in a safety deposit box this week and told my students it was tremendously valuable. When I let them guess, no one was close. I gave several hints. I worked fourteen years to get it and I wouldn't trade it for a thousand dollars in cash. That shed no light either. I opened the box and there it was..... my high school basketball practice jersey. Some students thought I was joking. It's tattered and faded (but it would still fit!) The style is obsolete and it's made of heavy cotton instead of mesh like current athletic gear. Here's the point. I knew from the time I was little I wanted to play on the high school basketball team in York, Nebraska. I dedicated my life to getting that piece of cloth. It cost me countless hours, bloody noses, gut wrenching emotional distress, near frostbite from winter nights shooting in the driveway, and embarrassment from personal failures, but it was worth everything and more. The experience helped mold me into who I am. I made the observation in class that Jacob worked fourteen years to win Rachel as his bride. I asked the girls if there was any doubt that Jacob loved Rachel. The unanimous answer was no- you don't give that much of your life if you're not sure of what you are fighting for.

It's a nice little story with a good application, but as we reviewed for a test in sophomore Bible today, we covered Jesus' teaching about laying up treasures in heaven. What does the Lord say will happen to earthly treasure? It goes the way of all things physical; moths, rust, and thieves. Everything we work so hard for down here- looks, wealth, intellect, fame- will fade even before we die. Basketball, symbolized by that gold and blue jersey, was life to me but it wasn't eternal. The really important things can never fit in a lock box.

Applicable quote of the day:
"I have memories- but only a fool stores his past in the future."
David Gerrold

God bless,
Steve (York High Dukes- Guard - 6'1"- #32)
Luke 18:1

Signs Of A Sister

Signs Of A Sister

Love these two sisters! This is from August 25, 2017!

Over the years, I've compiled quite a list of traditions in my classroom. Boys stand up when girls walk in. Touch the LUKE 18:1 plaque on the door when you exit. A bonus question on every quiz and memory verse. Febreze Day. Counting Honduras (and now Haiti) pennies. There are others but I don't want to bore you. About five years ago, I added another activity which has become a tradition. On the second day of school, almost always a Friday at WCS, my students sign in on the wall. Now about twelve layers deep, we cover the wall by the door with artwork and over the years, we've added to it so it might be compared to an archaeological dig site. (Truthfully, it's easier to take it down every several years than every time we want to add a layer. As long as the stapler can still go through to the wall, we'll keep going!) When they sign in, they trace either a circle or square and write a few items of interest about themselves inside the lines. I give few instructions; that will come with future assignments.

One reason I start the year in this way is that I can learn some things abut my new students and they can share some things with both me and their peers who are practical strangers at this point in time. I give our international students the  option to do part of it in their native tongue except for their name but none take that route. One thing I like is that the students will walk around before class and see what the others have penned. Like I implied, it's a get to know each other exercise. But many of the youngsters already know each other and some very well. Of the close to ninety teens on my roll sheets, we have several sets of siblings including one set of twins. Mostly it's one eighth grader and one junior. That's where Sydney and Kendall come in. I've known both of them practically all their lives. Sydney played basketball for me in 6th-8th grade and was a student in my 8th grade Bible class. Now she's a junior in Gospels. Younger sister Kendall is an 8th grader and this is the first time I've ever been around her in an academic setting. That's their sign-ins at the top of this page from last Friday. A close look shows they have many things in common; cheer, softball, volleyball. (You might notice Sydney got in a shout out of my unrequited love for Colombian songstress, Shakira!) Even their handwriting is almost interchangeable. But those nuggets have nothing to do with why I'm writing this tonight. You see, at the bottom of her intro, Sydney wrote
"I heart my sister Kendall smiley face"
And at the bottom of Kendall's circle, she reciprocated with
"I love my sister Sydney smiley face"
I think that's really neat. At that age, I would never have expressed any love for my siblings and although I realize girls are more likely than boys to be open emotionally, I still think that's really neat.

Some of my favorite kids to coach have been sisters who played for me at the same time and they have been a joy. Brothers who have played concurrently for me? Not so much! The two sets of sisters we know in the Scriptures- Mary and Martha, Rachel and Leah- both were in tense situations though over different circumstances. Rachel and Leah trying to share Jacob would likely test the loyalty of any sisterhood bonds but I think even that Kendall and Sydney could navigate. (I'm sure their wonderful parents hope the boy stage is delayed as long as possible!) Sydney as elder could be the domineering type but she isn't. Kendall as the baby could be the annoying type but she sure doesn't seem to be! It may seem a simple thing to get along with your sister (or brother) but it's not. My students already have seen horror stories among their relatives of familial strife and in those situations, there are no winners. Sydney and Kendall even at their tender ages get it right and are not afraid to proclaim it. There's a lesson in there for us older folks.

Applicable quote of the day:
A sister is both your mirror - and your opposite.
Elizabeth Fishel

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Cemeteries And Cousins

 

Cemeteries And Cousins

As we begin our year in my five Bible classes, we speak of family and relatives and their importance in the Scriptures. This is from January 1, 2013. 

Happy New Year from Houston where I arrived several hours ago from Arkansas. I had a wonderful nine days and put many miles on the Honda Fit! The longer I live, the more I love my family and know I'm blessed by them. Yesterday, I met my newest cousins, eighteen month old twins Bailey (girl) and Griffin (boy) Fox, the children of Melanie (and her husband, Jacob) who is the daughter of my first cousin, Debbie and her husband, David. They aren't the newest babies- my nephew, Ben, and his wife Courtney introduced Jenson into the world in July. And in April, my nephew, Seth, and his wife, Lauren, are due to deliver a little girl, named Adeline, and I hope I spelled that correctly. Our family tree is alive and well and we hope the trend continues!

But to have a family tree, you need roots. Last Saturday, my Uncle Jack, our family historian, told me I needed to know a little more about my McClure relatives- my maternal grandmother, Ruth, was a McClure. He's right; I know much more about the Chesshir family which was my grandfather's side. Uncle Jack took me on a walking tour of the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery which is right up the road from the family farm owned by Uncle Jack and Aunt Jerry outside of Nashville, Arkansas. He knew where my relatives were interred and there were quite a few of them. I was most fascinated by the stone pictured above. I can't remember what Uncle Jack told me my relation was to the lady buried there but I noted several things. One, she died in 1854 and might have had the first funeral on the site. Second, her first name was Sarah, my mother's name as well and according to Uncle Jack, the name of many of our female kin. And thirdly, the spelling of Sarah's last name was changed by the next headstone I saw, inverting the r and the e. Uncle Jack was right- you can learn quite a bit about your past from those you will never meet. 

One of many believers' favorite chapters in the Bible is Hebrews 11, sometimes called the Faith Hall of Fame. Why would the writer recount snippets of the heroics of these titans of the Old Testament? (Some of us with our 21st century wisdom might even snicker at the inclusion of Samson.) Well, I guess we need to know all we can about our ancestors, even in the spiritual realm. Without the retelling, the danger is forgetting. We need scriptural reminders constantly of those who paved the way of faith for us several millenia down the road. And every family needs an Uncle Jack, who not only knows the family history but is willing to pass it on. As for Bailey and Griffin, they have an incredibly bright future, simply based on who their parents are. Bailey and I did not hit it off well- she cried when I tried to hold her for a picture. There will be reunions, and hopefully, we'll make up. And hopefully, we'll always have an Uncle Jack to tell the story of Bailey's and Griffin's and my family. 

Applicable quote of the day:

“The fence around a cemetery is foolish, for those inside can't get out and those outside don't want to get in.”

Arthur Brisbane  God bless, Steve Luke 18:1

Basketball And Bracelets

 

Basketball And Bracelets

This is a story about one of my players who found a way to help others! It's from August 21, 2017.

We are three days into what promises to be a very exciting and rewarding school year! I really like my five Bible classes and I really love my basketball team. We have a practice period built into our day just for practice so we are together all year. When you factor in that it's first period and they have to change into school uniforms for the rest of the day, it's only a thirty five minute time frame but I do get to be with them every day. On Thursday, we just talked and I stressed two points:
A. The biggest distraction is BOYS
B. What do you call someone late for work? UNEMPLOYED
I think they got the message!

On Friday, we came ready to practice! We went over some procedural stuff and then I gave out practice gear, shorts and practice tops. We look good! I put the girls through some very basic things just to see what kind of hand I've been dealt. (Quote from Hoosiers!) When we finished, we stacked it up and prayed and enjoyed our traditional Friday morning Capri Suns. It was a good day.

Here's where I should point something out. Our 2017-2018 WCS MS Lady Wildcats only has seven players. There was no trying out- if you signed up, you made it! I told the girls that small teams get more work in and they all will play a great deal. It will be a good year. We will improve and have fun which is what matters at this age. On Friday, as I usually do, I gave the seven girls and our wonderful student coach, Taylore, a small gift. Each received a beaded key chain made by the three sisters in Vietnam. (If you are a regular reader, you know what I mean.) But that wasn't the only gift exchange. Seventh grader Kaylin brought new wrist bracelets for her teammates AND the coaching staff! Get this- Kaylin made them herself! You can see mine at the top of  the page! I'll bet we are the only team in Houston- or maybe Texas- outfitted with such cool gear. You know the old saying: The team that looks good, plays good. No doubt about our season now!

One thing I like about these bracelets is that they identify the people on our fledgling squad. One of my favorite sports' quotes is this:
The only team that matters is the one you stack it up with.
That said, our girls all play on other teams as well; volleyball, soccer, softball, etc. But they should matter to each other and they should care about each other. I love a song we sang in worship when I was a kid:
And they'll know we are Christians by our love......
That's taken from, I'm pretty sure, what Jesus told His apostles in John 13, verse 35:
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
You can't be a follower of the Savior without loving the brothers and sisters and you can't be on our team without one of Kaylin's bracelets, although I'm sure she would provide one if someone else joined us! I've got the bracelet but do I have the love Jesus spoke of? Is it obvious I love by the way I act and react? If not, the bracelet means less because I need to treat these young ladies the way I would want my daughters to be treated and coached. Basketball is temporary and someday the bracelet will wear out but love never ends. It should be what I wear all the time and not just during basketball season.

Applicable quote of the day:
“Winning and championships are memorable but they come from the strength of the relationships.” 
Jim Calhoun, former head coach of the UConn men's basketball team

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1