Blog Archives - COACH Toby Schwarz

COACH Toby Schwarz

Three REsponses!

9/30/2024

“For every one of God’s promises is ‘Yes’ in him.” – 2 Corinthians 1:20

Not every request is a "Yes" because we are selfish and want what we want and not what we need. God promises A TON of stuff to us and we may feel that He doesn't follow through. Again, that is our selfishness because we want everything NOW or in OUR timing. God always follows through on His promises, but not our selfish requests. He often says NO to us when it is selfishness on our part. God is always a YES when it is His plan and promise. And then there is the third response that happens more frequent than we want but it is definitely what we need, the answer of NOT YET. Patience is a gift that we need to practice when it comes to our perceived "NO" from God, but is actually a YES but just NOT YET.

Lord, give me to awareness to see the difference between NO and YES and NOT YET!

CounterIntuitive!

9/26/2024

“A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.” Proverbs 11:25

But if I give it away, then I won't have it! Thanks Mr. Obvious! What is also true and even more important, when we give it away, we typically are given something different and better in it's place. If I have something in both hands, I don't have room for something else in my hands that may be bigger and better. When we give something away, we allow ourselves to receive something instead.

Lord, the fact remains, I can't out give You. The more I give, the more I get and thanks for that.

Litmus Test!

9/25/2024

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

A good way to determine if "life is too much about me and not about God and others" is to ask this question: Why is it so hard to be joyful and rejoice in God. Joy is an attitude and a choice and based on our gratitude about what we have and not what we don't have. When we focus on what we don't have and focus on what others have that we don't (jealous much?) then it is impossible to be joyful ALWAY.

Lord, help me to make life about You and others and not about me!

Not Alone!

9/24/2024

“…I will strengthen you; I will help you…” Isaiah 41:10

We can choose to be alone or we can choose to not be alone.

Lord, thank You for always being with me and now help me to realize that fact to be true.

TEAM Sport!

9/23/2024

“For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:10

Let's face it, life is much easier when there is no one around to bother us or criticize us or for us to have to take care of. Let's face it, life is much more difficult when there is no one around to help us or to instruct us or to help take care of us. "When you feel loves unfair, you just ask the lonely" Journey

Lord, life may be more difficult when I must interact with people but thank you for making life more meaningful and also better for me when I invest in others and they are able to invest in me.

Follow the Leader!

9/19/2024

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me.” John 10:14

I saw a kid in the middle of a playfield a few years back and he was just wandering aimlessly all by himself with no one else around. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "I am playing 'Follow the Leader'". I responded, "I get it". When we wander through life only doing what we think is best, we are like that kid, aimlessly walking in circles, thinking we are actually doing something.

Lord, help me to realize that I know stuff but I don't know everything and I need direction and also a Director!

The Cost of Freedom!

9/18/2024

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

We are blessed to be free. Freedom allows us to make our own choices and to say what we want, when we want and to who we want. Freedom allows us to do what we want, when we want and where we want to do it. Unfortunately, we don't fully understand the ramifications and costs of those choices. As I have said, an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet is a great thing, but it is not an expectation or a requirement, but simply a suggestion that you can choose not take.

Lord, thank You for the freedom to choose but help me to choose what is the right path and not the fun, comfortable, selfish one that leads me away from You.

Ignoramus!!!

9/17/2024

“I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.” John 16:1

I don't believe I have heard anyone call someone else an "Ignoramus" in a few decades. When I was growing up, "Ignoramus" was a common term and used widely. It was a not a term of endearment. Ignorance isn't necessarily as inflammatory as we make it out to be. We are ALL ignorant. It is impossible to know everything. However, we do have brains and more importantly, we have resources that help us to know more than we currently know. Unfortunately, we also have arrogance and pride to think we do know everything and we don't need help.

Lord, You have given me so many ways to know what You want me to do. Please give me the strength to fight the urge to listen to myself instead of listening to You.

fIRST tHINGS fIRST!

9/16/2024

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.” Mark 1:35

Tip #1: If you want to be successful at anything in life, 8am is NOT early. 7am not really early either. 5am is early, but it is better to be early than late.

Tip#2: If you require someone else or something else (external motivation) to make you do things that you know you should do or even worse, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, then you are not doing what you need to do to be successful. We all need motivation but we all MUST HAVE internal motivation.

Tip #3: Before anything, PRAY!

Lord, help me to Pray first and Do things first, if I want to be FIRST!

It is already Done and Done Better!

9/13/2024

“For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 3:11

Humans tend to make life much more difficult than it already is. Life is extremely hard and challenging and we make it more so by attempting to "be perfect" and "do more" and "solve everything" to insure our salvation. Jesus has already done that for us. Instead, we should be taking all of that energy to Love God and to help and Love Others instead of wasting time doing something that has already been done and done at a much better level than we would ever do it.

Lord, thank You for saving me and now help me to direct all of my attention toward loving You and loving others.