Well, well, well...here we are, the end of another year. Some things have not changed, some things have and some things will never be the same. I definitely can look back at this year and appreciate it, but to be honest, I need a new year. I need a fresh start (even if only in my mind). I have had some great successes this year and some of the worst failures as well. I haven't posted much this year and its mostly because I haven't felt worthy of saying anything worth reading. I have spent most of this year running from God, running from what I know I must do to find the happiness that I know I want. I have come to grips with a lot of things over the past couple of days and really hope this year will be the one that I dream it will be. I am not a super reflective person...and I have a terrible memory, but I am going to try to recap this year in my life and hopefully help someone else that needs to be reminded of how much God loves us (them).
Here are some highlights (I believe we are to rejoice with each other, so I hope you can rejoice with me in this stuff).
1) My C-team went undefeated. That was cool.
2) I had the opportunity to do sports camps in Trinidad and Tobago in April, I learned tons about myself and will never forget that Spring Break.
3) We had the 5th annual Culbys. Okay, so back in May I did an awards ceremony for my students, each student got an award and I danced around and acted like an idiot for them. It is so much fun to do and it reminds me just how much I love teaching and working with students.
4) I had the most unreal worship experience of my life at The Vous Conference 2012 in June. I CANNOT WAIT to go back to Miami in June for that conference! Nothing I have been to compares to it.
5) I got a chance to take a group of high schoolers to Peru again! This year we had 3 SALVATIONS!!
6) I went to The Gauntlet 2012 with my church (NewSpring Church) and we had a great time. I hope that my guys were encouraged by me as I was by them. It is amazing to see God move in such an awesome way.
7) Football started...we had players accepting Christ at practice, things were going incredible. I felt the God was calling me to meet with some guys throughout the football season to keep the fire going from Gauntlet. I met with them a few times and felt that I needed to stop...but we had a somewhat successful year.
Here are some lowlights.
1) I dated several people that I knew I had no business dating and wasted another year looking in all the wrong places for the 'right one.'
2) I didn't finish my reading plan...I try to finish the bible in its entirety every year...that didn't happen this year.
3) I got really cynical at times this year.
4) I struggled with the same sins for another year, doing the same stupid stuff.
5) I got really mad at myself and frustrated in general this year.
Okay, so I say all of that to say this: This year can be different for me and for you! I know that the people that read my posts struggle with some of the same things. I don't know what you did this year that you would like to forget, but I KNOW that God can forgive you of it and HE will forget it (its as far as the East is from the West).
The thing I know about me (and believe about all Christians) is that the thing that is keeping you from the breakthrough you are looking for, is me (or in your case, you). Some of you are chasing all the wrong things and wondering why you aren't finding contentment in life.
We can change the World, our schools/workplaces, our families...but we have to change ourselves first.
AND...thats what I am planning to do in 2013.
LOVE YOU ALL, Thanks for reading.
Chase Culbertson
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
I'm Glad We Didn't Have Social Media!
Hello All!
Every once in a while, I think of something that is worth sharing (its very rare). Today I saw a tweet about where we would be if there was no social networking. That is such a fascinating topic. It has been such an important part of our lives for several years now and it has seemingly changed the fabric of our society.
Instead of giving you the checklist on what NOT to do in social networking, I will tell you what I would have probably done that would have been wrong/stupid/irresponsible when I was in high school...
I would have definitely vented on social media. What I mean is I would have complained about work, school, friends, parents, etc. This is obviously a terrible, terrible platform for such things! Everyone would have seen it and you can't take it back! Not to mention that as a Christian, it is counter-productive to winning souls to Christ! I would have definitely been guilty of this. Here is the thing, as a teenager, you are going to get frustrated. You are close to adulthood, but without the privileges that come with it. Its a tough time. So, do what we did growing up, call a friend and talk! It is private, you get your frustrations out and you don't say something that is destructive (and in some cases illegal) on twitter or facebook.
In short, there is nothing wrong with social media in and of itself. I personally will not follow anyone that complains, why would I listen to negativity by choice!
So, be careful what you do on social media!
Every once in a while, I think of something that is worth sharing (its very rare). Today I saw a tweet about where we would be if there was no social networking. That is such a fascinating topic. It has been such an important part of our lives for several years now and it has seemingly changed the fabric of our society.
Instead of giving you the checklist on what NOT to do in social networking, I will tell you what I would have probably done that would have been wrong/stupid/irresponsible when I was in high school...
I would have definitely vented on social media. What I mean is I would have complained about work, school, friends, parents, etc. This is obviously a terrible, terrible platform for such things! Everyone would have seen it and you can't take it back! Not to mention that as a Christian, it is counter-productive to winning souls to Christ! I would have definitely been guilty of this. Here is the thing, as a teenager, you are going to get frustrated. You are close to adulthood, but without the privileges that come with it. Its a tough time. So, do what we did growing up, call a friend and talk! It is private, you get your frustrations out and you don't say something that is destructive (and in some cases illegal) on twitter or facebook.
In short, there is nothing wrong with social media in and of itself. I personally will not follow anyone that complains, why would I listen to negativity by choice!
So, be careful what you do on social media!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Post 4: I honestly (think) I love you
Wow...it has been almost a year since I have blogged about relationships! I promised that I would finish it soon, so I am going to get started on post number four immediately.
The first three posts, biggest distraction ever, you can't handle the truth and you are too ugly to get a girl were seemingly well received and I have had many people talk to me about it. I am glad that those posts have helped some people! This post will be very, very personal...just to warn you.
The year was 1999 and I was a teenager in love. She was all I could think about, all I wanted to think about, all I wanted. I would watch romantic movies and cry, it was hopeless. Admittedly, I can be a bit emotional on occasion, but this was ridiculous. I was so in love that I was convinced we would be together forever, no one could tell me differently. Luckily (or unluckily) she felt the same way, we were all about each other. I couldn't sleep at night because I would be thinking about her. My friends wanted to kill me and they had every right because I was super annoying. I had never felt like that before, you know, the butterflies, no appetite, completely head over heels in love.
Teenager, have you ever felt that way? Are you dating them right now??
In my other posts, I have called the heart a 'lying whore' so I will change my tone a little with this post. Those feelings are real, those thoughts are validated by how you feel, I know, I have been there.
Here is the fear. What if those feelings are the enemy trying to keep you from a greater calling? Remember that our primary goal as a follower of Christ is to live worthy of the calling on our lives, not to chase an emotion. I see so many high school students jumping from relationship to relationship, trying to catch that feeling. Granted, feeling 'in love' is fun, I know, but there is a problem when that 'feeling' is felt for a significant other and NOT Jesus. You can be in love with a person AND Jesus, but if the love for this other person, takes your eyes OFF of Jesus, then that is a problem.
I told you want I did while I was 'in love,' but I never told you want I didn't do. I didn't read my bible, I didn't pray about Gods will, I didn't take the advice of Godly counsel, I didn't have peace. You see, the Devil wants you to be ineffective by ANY MEANS NECESSARY. He will place EXACTLY what you want RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, if what you want is something other than Christ. The tough thing is that he will package it in such a way that you (without consulting God) will rationalize it as a good thing. I did that, heck...I have done that many times!
In conclusion, you may truly love that person, but you may not. Those feelings mean very little, remember I told you about all the feelings I felt, yet I am unmarried. Not only am I unmarried, I know without a doubt that God does not want me to be with that particular woman (she is married now, but I have known that long before the fact). This is what I beg of you, pray for Gods will in it.
The next post is entitled "Stuff your parents don't have the guts to tell you." Should be fun...
May God bless each of you!
The first three posts, biggest distraction ever, you can't handle the truth and you are too ugly to get a girl were seemingly well received and I have had many people talk to me about it. I am glad that those posts have helped some people! This post will be very, very personal...just to warn you.
The year was 1999 and I was a teenager in love. She was all I could think about, all I wanted to think about, all I wanted. I would watch romantic movies and cry, it was hopeless. Admittedly, I can be a bit emotional on occasion, but this was ridiculous. I was so in love that I was convinced we would be together forever, no one could tell me differently. Luckily (or unluckily) she felt the same way, we were all about each other. I couldn't sleep at night because I would be thinking about her. My friends wanted to kill me and they had every right because I was super annoying. I had never felt like that before, you know, the butterflies, no appetite, completely head over heels in love.
Teenager, have you ever felt that way? Are you dating them right now??
In my other posts, I have called the heart a 'lying whore' so I will change my tone a little with this post. Those feelings are real, those thoughts are validated by how you feel, I know, I have been there.
Here is the fear. What if those feelings are the enemy trying to keep you from a greater calling? Remember that our primary goal as a follower of Christ is to live worthy of the calling on our lives, not to chase an emotion. I see so many high school students jumping from relationship to relationship, trying to catch that feeling. Granted, feeling 'in love' is fun, I know, but there is a problem when that 'feeling' is felt for a significant other and NOT Jesus. You can be in love with a person AND Jesus, but if the love for this other person, takes your eyes OFF of Jesus, then that is a problem.
I told you want I did while I was 'in love,' but I never told you want I didn't do. I didn't read my bible, I didn't pray about Gods will, I didn't take the advice of Godly counsel, I didn't have peace. You see, the Devil wants you to be ineffective by ANY MEANS NECESSARY. He will place EXACTLY what you want RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, if what you want is something other than Christ. The tough thing is that he will package it in such a way that you (without consulting God) will rationalize it as a good thing. I did that, heck...I have done that many times!
In conclusion, you may truly love that person, but you may not. Those feelings mean very little, remember I told you about all the feelings I felt, yet I am unmarried. Not only am I unmarried, I know without a doubt that God does not want me to be with that particular woman (she is married now, but I have known that long before the fact). This is what I beg of you, pray for Gods will in it.
The next post is entitled "Stuff your parents don't have the guts to tell you." Should be fun...
May God bless each of you!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
The Role of Politics...
Hello All...
I really suck at keeping up with a blog, mostly because it requires me to sit down and concentrate on something! You will probably notice that most of my posts occur when I am not coaching a sport, mostly because thats when I have the most free time. Anyway, I would like to give my opinion on politics...yep, its a controversial topic, but I think my spin on it will not be!
I have heard it said that you cannot trust in a person or political party to fix America. That when we put our hopes in things other than God, we will always get disappointed. This statement is most definitely true...without a doubt. So, with that said...here I go!
Have you ever had an old car...like a piece of junk car that barely runs, it costs you money in oil, because it leaks...the transmission keeps needing work, its just a terrible, terrible car. What if I told you that you could trade in that car for something more reliable and something that more suits your needs? And...what if I told you that it is completely and totally free?!?! I know, sounds great, right? Here is the problem...unlike cars, people look at politicians differently (like the old phrase one mans junk is another mans treasure) and people view the role of government differently as well! So...if you think we have a 'piece of junk' car that keeps costing you money, then vote to remove him. But, if you think he is like an Aston Martin against a field of Ford Pintos, then don't!
My major concern with Americans that do not vote, is that they truly think that both political parties are the same, that they really do not have many differences...you could say, they are the same car...so why should I care?!?
They are most definitely NOT the same...there are fundamental differences between the two on almost every single major issue. So...research, find out where you stand on issues, always ignore TV ads and then vote for the person that meets your needs, it may not be a luxury car, but voting is a luxury you can't afford not to take!
This blog post does not endorse any candidate, however the blogger does (I am just not saying).
I really suck at keeping up with a blog, mostly because it requires me to sit down and concentrate on something! You will probably notice that most of my posts occur when I am not coaching a sport, mostly because thats when I have the most free time. Anyway, I would like to give my opinion on politics...yep, its a controversial topic, but I think my spin on it will not be!
I have heard it said that you cannot trust in a person or political party to fix America. That when we put our hopes in things other than God, we will always get disappointed. This statement is most definitely true...without a doubt. So, with that said...here I go!
Have you ever had an old car...like a piece of junk car that barely runs, it costs you money in oil, because it leaks...the transmission keeps needing work, its just a terrible, terrible car. What if I told you that you could trade in that car for something more reliable and something that more suits your needs? And...what if I told you that it is completely and totally free?!?! I know, sounds great, right? Here is the problem...unlike cars, people look at politicians differently (like the old phrase one mans junk is another mans treasure) and people view the role of government differently as well! So...if you think we have a 'piece of junk' car that keeps costing you money, then vote to remove him. But, if you think he is like an Aston Martin against a field of Ford Pintos, then don't!
My major concern with Americans that do not vote, is that they truly think that both political parties are the same, that they really do not have many differences...you could say, they are the same car...so why should I care?!?
They are most definitely NOT the same...there are fundamental differences between the two on almost every single major issue. So...research, find out where you stand on issues, always ignore TV ads and then vote for the person that meets your needs, it may not be a luxury car, but voting is a luxury you can't afford not to take!
This blog post does not endorse any candidate, however the blogger does (I am just not saying).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)