Rashional Thoughts — Pure and simple at the core

Basketball, anyone? It’s that time of year when many of us are glued to the TV watching game after game and studying our brackets with each sound of the buzzer.

I enjoy keeping up with basketball and watching games here and there. And I always have fun attending the games live, but my casual appreciation for the sport doesn’t come close to my hubby’s sold-out true love for every aspect of the game.

In fact, I still haven’t determined — after almost 18 years — whether basketball is a close second to me or I’m a close second to basketball.

But I do know that we have watched a lot of basketball since mid-March. As I’m writing this column, the conversations all around me are focused on the first big upset of the NCAA tournament — good press for the state of Alabama indeed. Go UAB Blazers!

While I only assisted my hubby in his bracket selections rather than filling out my own, I did pick UAB to win over Iowa State — and wow what a win. Don’t ask me how well I did on some of the other selections though.

Coaching the best

As the Elite Eight are about to become the Final Four, I plan to learn from the best of the best in basketball and pay attention to more than the fast-paced moments on the court.

It is interesting to hear the coaches’ philosophies on growing a solid team that knows how to win with humility and how to lose with grace. I’m also intrigued with how the coaches teach and develop the players as individuals and as a team.

One coach urged his team to “play simple basketball” while another echoed the sentiment with “stick to the fundamentals.”

And then another coach said “don’t be afraid to take a risk but make the risks count.”

I wish I could tell you which coach said what but I was catching these comments while watching four different games at the same time, so I have no idea who said what.

But the “play simple basketball” and “stick to the fundamentals” reminded me of the time I attempted to camouflage an English paper in school with a fancy cover sheet, binder and fonts. I don’t remember how weak the writing of the paper was but for some reason I felt compelled to decorate it, likely in an attempt to earn points for presentation.

Standing on its own

My English teacher saw right through me and called me out on it. She said I needed to spend more effort developing the fundamentals of the paper and less time trying to make it look good — that if the paper were solid in and of itself, then the rest wouldn’t matter. It would stand on its own.

You can tell I never forgot what she said. In fact, her coaching in that moment has guided me in a lot of areas in life well beyond writing English papers, news articles and first-person columns.

And her words come to mind every time I see an organization, team or even church trying too hard to “decorate” themselves to earn points with those considering joining them.

Why do we sometimes think a polished image and glossy appearance is more important than securing the core of the structure?

Think about your favorite restaurant or food truck that you would describe as “not much to look at” or “a hole in the wall” but you would be crushed if it went out of business. Your mouth is watering just thinking about it, isn’t it?

Think about some of the most precious experiences in your life. The surroundings might have been truly beautiful or they might not have been special at all, but most likely whatever was happening was because it was simply what it was meant to be — with no extra, unnecessary decorations.

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Rashional Thoughts

Making the Most of Your Time … Every Day
By Teri Lynne Underwood
Excerpts from blog post on terilynneunderwood.com and notquiteamishliving.com

Do you ever end the day with the sense you didn’t do anything, even though your checked-off to-do list suggests otherwise?

Earlier this month I was reading Psalm 90 during my quiet time. This prayer of Moses is rich with praise and insight. One of my favorite verses is 12: “Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom” (NLT).

God calls us to more than management. He calls us to time maximization. While the world around us beckons with instruction about how to do more with the hours we have, His call is much different. His concern isn’t so much what we do — it’s who we are.

While I don’t believe there is always a one-size-fits-all approach for our discipleship, I have learned there are general principles which can be applied in multiple manners depending on one’s personality and season of life.

     1. Prioritize time in the Word.

There is no such thing as a perfect quiet time [but] there is an absolute urgency to prioritizing time in the Word every day. Psalm 119 is rich with admonition about the value of Scripture. Verses 9 through 11 read:

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your Word. With my whole heart I seek You, let me not wander from Your commandments. I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

When we prioritize daily time reading Scripture, we find the guidance we need to keep our eyes focused on Him.

     2. Plan with purpose.

I like to plan out my days, noting what tasks must be done and how I can move forward toward my goals and dreams. But I have learned to hold my plans and to-do lists loosely. Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

One of the most practical ways I apply this verse is by looking over my calendar during my quiet time. As I read over the list and tasks for the day, I ask for wisdom to do what must be done and for grace to accept any interruptions and detours. I remember that people are always more important than plans.

     3. Pray constantly.

First Thessalonians 5:17 is familiar to most of us, “Pray without ceasing.” But learning to live in this attitude of ongoing conversation with the Lord may not be as simple as memorizing those three words. I’ve learned how to maintain a prayerful attitude throughout the day by applying the verses before and after this verse:

I seek opportunities to do good for others (v. 15), chase joy (v. 16) and make sure to give thanks for the gifts big and small in my days (v. 18).

Learning to maximize our days will lead us into greater wisdom … and more intimacy with the Lord as we lean into Him.