Blog Archives - COACH Toby Schwarz

COACH Toby Schwarz

Learn from the Wise!

5/31/2024

“A sensible person sees danger and takes cover, but the inexperienced keep going and are punished.” Proverbs 22:3

Unfortunately, when we are young and inexperienced and have not lived much life, we hang out with other young people and then fooled to believe that either we are smart or that they are smart and we should listen to them. As we get older, we look back at our young self and realize how stupid or ignorant and naïve and uneducated we were and thank God for the grace that saved us from ourselves and our equally stupid or ignorant, naïve and uneducated friends. The wisdom of those who have lived life much longer than us is invaluable.

Lord, help me to check my social media and make sure I am not simply watching people my age or younger so I don't remain insensible.

To Be Right!

5/30/2024

“Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death.” 1 John 3:13-14

Most people don't communicate very well. The purpose of communication is to "make common" an idea or thought or information. We communicate to "share". Unfortunately, the purpose of most people's communication is to prove that they are "right". Instead of seeing another's ideas as being "difficult", we need to see them as "different" and then smile and think "have fun with that" in a non-sarcastic way.

Lord, help me to see others as being different than me but not wrong and help me to not simply try to prove that I am right.

Nothing!

5/28/2024

“Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.”
James 5:13

There are times that "doing nothing" is the best action. "If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all" (or how about saying something nice? Is it really that hard?). Regardless, "doing nothing" is not always the best decision. When we are suffering, we should pray and ask for help, guidance, wisdom. When we are doing well, we should be thankful and grateful and give God the credit. However, if we don't feel we are either suffering or we don't feel great, then we must realize that because we aren't suffering, we should feel great and blessed and we should feel joyful and we should praise Jesus for that.

Lord, help me to not be lulled into a false sense of confidence and fall into the trap that everything is fine. We either need help and haven't realized it yet or we need to be thankful that we don't need help at the moment.

Why do I feel so alone sometimes?

5/17/2024

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” – James 4:8a

It is that simple.

Lord, help me to avoid making life more difficult than it already is.

No Know!

5/16/2024

“For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.” Romans 1:21-23

There is a huge difference between "knowing about" and actually "knowing" someone. God knows us and wants us to know Him.

Lord, thank You for not simply knowing about me but truly knowing me and help me to get to know You more by spending time with You more.

How God Rolls!

5/15/2024

“…First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”
– Matthew 5:24

The God that I love and believe in and seek to follow is a God who wants me to mend my relationships and take care of the stuff in my life that cause me problems BEFORE He gets what he deserves. That is selfless, unconditional love.

Lord, thank YOU that it isn't all about You and that You truly want what is best for me.

I Am The Toaster!

5/14/2024

“Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” John 15:4-5

A toaster that is not plugged in to a power outlet will not produce toast!

Lord, help me to stay plugged in to You so that I may produce the things you want me to produce.

Life Cheat Code!

5/13/2024

“Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.” – Romans 12:19-21

There are specific pieces of wisdom that most will learn but we learn much too late in life. One such nugget that will change your life and the sooner the better ... BITTERNESS, HATRED, GRUDGES, REVENGE WILL ONLY HURT YOU AND NOT THE OTHER PERSON! We need to "Let go" of our issues with others "And Let God" take care of it in His timing. We waste too much time being angry at others and that time ends up being wasted. Be kind and show grace and that will not only bless us but possibly reach the goal we intended in the first place.

Lord, help me to let go and let You take care of an issues I have with others.

Not Self Confident!

5/10/2024

“The person who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed.”
Jeremiah 17:7

Any coach, teacher, parent, employer will tell you that confidence is crucial to anyone's success. Most people struggle with confidence. Most people don't trust God enough.

Lord, help me to find my confidence in You.

Being Liked Is Overrated!

5/9/2024

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” Matthew 5:10

Being liked is not a bad thing. Being disliked is not necessarily a bad thing, either. What matters is "why" someone likes you or doesn't like you. When we seek admiration from EVERYONE, we compromise who we should be and who we most likely want to be. We shouldn't go out of our way to be disliked. However, we also shouldn't go "away" from who we are to be liked.

Lord, You matter more than the admiration of others who most likely have less invested in me than You do.