All Categories - COACH Toby Schwarz

COACH Toby Schwarz

Counting Steps and Missteps!

9/27/2023

“With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing came out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.” James 3:9-10

With the amazing advancements in technology, I am confident someone will develop an app that will keep track of our words that are said throughout the day, just as we are able to count our daily steps. 10,000 words? For some a very easy goal. The app will then advance to the point of being able to categorize words into either "positive/helpful/supportive" speech or "negative/destructive/unsupportive" speech and we will have a ratio of "positivity: negativity". I hope that technology is at least 50 years away.

Lord, help me to monitor my own words and more importantly, the intention and motivation behind them.

Being Competitive!

9/26/2023

“David said to Saul, ‘Don’t let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!’” 1 Samuel 17:32

Do we only do something if there is a guarantee of success? If so, then we will never reach our full potential. David had faith in God and trusted God but that didn't mean that he was guaranteed to win. Maybe God had another plan for David. Maybe God felt that David wasn't ready to win or that losing would be better for David and for others. God only knows the big picture and we need to trust Him. In this case, God wanted David to win so that EVERYONE would know that God existed and that if we fully trust God, He will have our back. Because no way in heck would that little guy kill a giant. It is a scientific fact.

Lord, thank You for examples in the Bible but more importantly examples in my own life where You show up and allow me to accomplish more than I ever could because of Your presence. And because I am just a puny little weakling like David.

We Need Help!

9/25/2023

“Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil.” -- Ephesians 6:10-11

If you believe in God, then you believe in a "world" that isn't like earth and if you believe in that, then there is obviously bad there or good wouldn't exist and if that bad exists in a world with different rules, then that bad wants you to be bad and that bad is stronger than you so thot would necessitate something outside of us and from that "world" to help us and provide an "even" playing field, and there is no one better to be aligned with than God because God is undefeated.

Lord, thank You for run-on sentences but more importantly, thank You that I may not be strong enough but You are more than capable and I just need to be on Your team and not try to battle life on my own.

Need Motivation?!

9/20/2023

“For Christ’s love compels us…” - 2 Corinthians 5:14

We all need motivation. We all need something that moves us from being stationary to doing what we desire to do. Motivation diminishes over time. Motivation is not constant or consistent. We all need help with motivation. God's love is a great source of motivation.

Lord, thank You for your love and help me to rely on it to motivate me toward loving others and growing closer to You myself.

Never Enough!

9/19/2023

“No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel will prevail against the Lord. A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the Lord.” Proverbs 21:30-31

Have you ever prepared so well and done everything possible to succeed, but still find that you fall short or fail? This is when we scream for anyone to hear, "LIFE ISN'T FAIR". Why is it that we can do everything possible but still not achieve the desired result? Because we can prepare but the result is up to God and whether He feels that the result is in our best interest or not. Let's face it, if we always succeeded, we would never see the need for God. And believe it or not, not everything we want is necessarily good for us and in our best interest. And if we feel that all that we have is due to our own effort and abilities, then we would never see the need for God. And face it, we all need God.

Lord, thank You for giving me so much and help me to realize that no matter how much I have, it will never be enough without You.

Forest Lost in the Trees!

9/18/2023

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

Unfortunately, we focus too much on all of the ways that people may disagree with what we believe in or how we disagree with what they may think or do. We forget that God cares more about "those people" than any lifestyle choices or opinions they may have that we may disagree with.

Lord, I may not like what others think or say or do but I need to love them because You want me to.

Cherry Pick!

9/14/2023

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12

At least I haven't killed anyone, yet. When that is our standard, we are pretty good people. However, it is amazing how, when given a list of areas to become better, we will find the things that we identify with already but look past those things we don't. "I am compassionate and kind, most of the time" someone may say. But then gloss over the more challenging notions of humility and patience. One of our downfalls as humans is that we compare ourselves to others and cherry pick the things that we do well or better than others, but fail to see our true weaknesses.

Lord, help me to be more intentional about addressing ALL of the areas in my life that You believe I can become better.

I am ...

9/13/2023

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Humans love labels. We love labeling others and we love labeling ourselves. "I am ..." is not only an answer we give to others when asked "what are your" but it is an answer we subconsciously give to ourselves with our inner voice on a consistent basis. Unfortunately, how we answer that question can limit what God can do through us. Often times we cling tighter to our labels and prevent the freedom needed to truly follow God.

Lord, I am a follower of Jesus and I am willing to listen to who You want me to be and avoid telling You who I am.

Getting STraight!

9/12/2023

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” - Proverbs 3:5-6

AMEN!

Lord, thank You for always straightening me out when I am lost and help me to trust You so that I may be straightened out.!

Too Many Pickles!

9/11/2023

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 3:13-14

I was a fat and lazy kid as a youth. When I was about 7 years old, I spent a hot summer day at a neighbor's house eating an entire jar of freshly canned pickles. I then went to T-Ball practice. Needless to say, standing out at 2nd base, I pooped myself. Thankfully I did not allow that one poor decision and that very embarrassing athletic moment to ruin my life. Nearly 50 years later, if I called all of those in attendance of that practice, I am sure my failure has not impacted their life whatsoever. Nor should it have impacted mine.

Lord, we all fail and we also have failures occur to us but none of those should define us as much as what we do today and who we desire to be tomorrow.