Spurs: Quietly Going About Their Business

So, have you paid attention to what our San Antonio Spurs are doing lately? Let's just say, we should savor these exciting days, Spurs fans. They are indeed special. The big three- Tim, Tony and Manu are playing fantastic. Kawhi Leonard was just selected for the NBA- All-Star Game. Boban-Mania is at an all-time high. Boris Diaw is enjoying a new expresso machine in his locker room and sharing well. And Jonathan Simmons continues to do Jonathan Simmons-type things. Pop is resting Tim Duncan again because he's 57 years old in basketball years. Oh, and I can't forget, the Spurs have won 32 straight at home.

As you know, our Spurs really enjoy staying under the radar. Each morning, I do a quick ESPN check for the day. You have to look long and hard to find headlines on the Spurs. I find that astounding, but normal. In fact, a few days ago, I caught a segment of the Dan Patrick Sports Show on the way to work. I quote Patrick: "The San Antonio Spurs are quietly going about their business." I chuckled. Now isn't that just a perfect statement? Quietly going about their business. The Spurs don't care if they didn't make the ESPN headlines. The Spur players don't care if they don't get the great individual stats others do. The Spurs players aren't splashy OR flashy. The Spurs have respect for other teams and players. The Spurs team look ahead to the next team, not just the big game. (aka, tonight) Every one of these Spurs players are unique, yet together, they can achieve so much more! TEAM basketball!

Have you considered how you go about doing your business? Are you consumed with seeking others' attention and/or the limelight? Do you find yourself in circles quick to speak, but slow to listen? Are you able to control your tongue and speak respectfully of others? Do you seek out those who are new on the team and help them grow? Are you thrilled when others excel beyond you? Do you do what you say you will do? When was the last time you put someone down in front of someone else? Would others describe you as an outstanding team player?

I love this quote from Mother Teresa: "These are the few ways we can practice humility: To speak as little as possible of one's self. To mind one's own business. Not to want to manage other people's affairs. To avoid curiosity. To accept contradictions and correction cheerful. To pass over the mistakes of others. To accept insults and injuries. To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked. To be kind and gentle even under provocation. Never to stand on one's dignity. To choose always the hardest." Mother Teresa, The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living

OK… honestly, I can't come close to living these beautiful aspirations without God at my side. God embodies humility! I need God to help me live this kind of beautiful life! I am way too selfish and self-centered without God. So, this week, I am going to pick TWO of the sentences above that I need to grow in. I'm not telling you what they are, but trust me, I need help! I challenge you to PICK TWO that you can grow in. Pray about these and ask God to help you practice humility in these areas. Spurs fans, how can YOU quietly go about your business this week? #justlikethespurs #gospursgo #beatgoldenstatewarriors #quietlygoingaboutyourbusiness

"And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you…" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Challenges from Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, we honor and remember the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many of us will go about our normally scheduled routine. Some of us have the day off. All of us will find our mailboxes empty. We can easily go about the day’s activities without stopping, considering, and thanking God for this great man.

 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is remembered most for his famous “I Have A Dream speech as part of the March on Washington. The public speech took place on August 28, 1963, in which he calls for an end to racism in the United States. The speech was delivered to approximately 250,000 people who came to Washington DC to march for civil rights. It was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement!

 

One thing I learned about Dr. King is that he almost didn’t give the “I Have a Dream” part of the “I Have A Dream” speech. Singer Mahalia Jackson urged Dr. King to “Tell them about the dream, Martin!” In this part of the speech, which most excited the listeners and now has become famous, King described his dreams of freedom and equality coming out of a land of slavery and hatred.

 

Let’s pay tribute today to this great man who fought for equality even when all odds were against him. Let’s consider several character traits that embodied MLK:

1. Persistence: Nothing stopped him from achieving what he wanted to achieve. Even from the confines of the Birmingham Jail, he did not stop fighting for what he believed in. Are you and I so passionate about our cause that we won’t let the trials and challenges of our work affect us?

2. Listened to others- Just think, it was Mahalia Jackson that spoke into MLK and encouraged him to change up his speech!  Are you and I willing to listen to those around us? Do we believe that others may actually help our cause, if we humbly listen?

 

3. Patience- There wasn’t just one speech that put an end to segregation in the US. MLK worked tirelessly, knowing full well that things wouldn’t change overnight. Are you and I willing to take the time, energy and hard work to fulfill our dreams?

4. Bravery- How much courage would it take to stand up before thousands? MLK had a dream and wanted to see it through. Are you and I filled with courage and faith to believe what feels impossible?

 

As you ponder just a few of the beautiful qualities of Martin Luther King, Jr, would it not be appropriate to consider how God wants to mold and shape us as a leader? Let’s not let a day like today go by, without considering how this man lived and how we live. 

 

As you start this day, read thoughtfully these quotes, all attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr.  How do you think God wants to challenge you today?

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?”

 

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”

 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

 

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

 

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

 

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Take Time!

This year has started off with a bang in the Abbott home! Super busy days. Lots of appointments. Early morning alarms. Work travel for my husband. Routines are back and we are in full gear for the new year! I don't know about you, but last week was one of those weeks where it was hard to stop and smell any roses, even the pretty pink ones at HEB.

 

Do you remember the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible? In Luke 10:38-42, the story begins with two ladies who are about to have a full orb kitchen squabble. Jesus and his disciples were making their way to Mary and Martha's door. Martha opened the door and let him in. Mary, the sister, was quick to go to Jesus and sit at his feet, listening to what He had to say. So, Martha was a bit like Martha Stewart…in the kitchen making fancy recipes all the while peeking out into the living room, noticing Mary "just sitting there." Grrrrrr. 

 

Yeah, I think Martha would have been super ticked. Here she was doing all the work while Mary just sat there at Jesus' feet! Finally, she blew! She asked Jesus "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" If I were peeking through a window watching this unfold, I might initially applaud Martha's indignation. Mary was slacking. Not helping. More interested in Jesus and less in helping out. It wasn't fair! Then, of all things, Jesus actually praises Mary for what she's doing. He said "Martha, Martha…." It's always scary when your name is said twice by someone of importance! "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." If I were Martha, I'd hide in the food pantry and shut the door. Enough said.

 

As we start the new year running, we are remiss if we don't take time to be with Jesus regularly. Time spent in God's Word, the Bible. Time spent praying. Time spent worshiping. Time spent listening. Just like Mary. When I start my day like this, things just go so much better. In fact, I find that I have more time! When I sit at Jesus' feet, I am reminded of how deeply and dearly I'm loved. I'm overwhelmed by His care and concern, His wisdom, His perspective, His comfort and encouragement as I spend time with Him.

 

What would it look like if you and I believed that God deeply likes and enjoys us? What if we believed that no matter what we have said or done in our past that God loves us perfectly? What if we never had to prove anything again? Sometimes, we get so busy trying to prove ourselves, that we, like Martha just fritter away with worry, anxiety, and exhaustion. 

 

Come on. Let's make this a great 2016. Work hard. Play hard. Take time to be with the One who loves you like crazy. Go ahead...take time. You won't be sorry.

 

"Tenderness awakens within the security of knowing we are thoroughly and sincerely liked by someone. The mere presence of that special someone brings an inward sigh of relief and a strong sense of feeling safe." Brennan Manning

 

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Hopes and Prayers for 2016

I've really enjoyed the last few weeks of the holidays. The wonder of Christmas and all that brings. The non-scheduled time for reading, baking and hanging out with friends and family. Fewer emails. Not so many deadlines. The slower pace has made me think a lot about my own life and hopes for the new year. My attitude. My character. My work. My relationships.   I thought about this question: Who would I like to be on December 31, 2016? Yes, that's right. Next year. What kind of person do I hope to become by next year at this time? What character traits do I need to strengthen? What attitudes do I need to work on? The prayer below summarizes some of my hopes of who I would like to become. I love setting goals, but need God's help in seeing them happen. So, I pray for these things, not just today, but throughout the year. I work to become a different person as well. So, here goes:   Lord, may I not be so demanding of my own rights. Help me freely let others go first in a line, cut in front of me on a freeway and just have the joy of letting others be first. Help me practice giving honor and preference to others. Crunch the "me-first" attitude that still exists in me.   Lord, without love, I am nothing. Let me remember to daily clothe myself with your compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Help me love others well. May I follow your example found in the Gospels of loving well.    Lord, may I enter this New Year with less worry and angst about things I can't change or have no control over. Help me to pray more and worry less about all things. Allow Philippians 4:6-7 to become a reality in my life.   Lord, may I be more inclined to listen first and talk second with others. Let me be more interested in hearing from someone else, rather than having to share my opinion.   Lord, may I learn to live more by the rhythms of your peace and less by the up and down circumstances that life has to offer. May peace reign in my heart, no matter what happens in my life or the world around me.   Lord, during this year, there will be times when others might hurt, disappoint, and overlook me. May this remind me of my great need for You and that you will never let me down.   Lord, even though I love you, I often find myself reaching out to other things and people to fill the void that you alone can fill. May I apprehend more and more the enough-ness of God and live in your fullness each day.   Lord, I am tempted to judge others in silly ways that people judge others these days. Putting others down to lift ourselves up is seen as "normal."  I can be just as guilty. Help me look for ways to encourage, pray and support those in my life.   Lord, May I keep my focus much more on what matters in life, than those things that don't matter "squat."  So little time; too many distractions. Keep me focused! Here are a few of my own prayers that I have tucked into my 2016 prayer journal. How about you? Who do you want to be by the end of December, 2016? Prayer changes things. Prayer changes you. Prayer changes me.  Happy New Year!   "Is anyone crying for help? God is listening ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut, He'll help you catch your breath." Psalm 34:17-18 MSG   Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Disturbance of Peace

It was 5:20 a.m. in the morning, just days before Christmas. Ben had already left for his morning Starbucks ritual. After tying my running shoes, I headed out the door to the YMCA. As I opened the door, there before me was a tall man staring at me in the dark, just inches away. He was motionless. I let out a bloodcurdling scream as he tried to push on the door, but somehow I managed to shut and lock it. After fumbling with my phone, I called 911, along with our local neighborhood police unit. The man continued to pound and yell “Let me in…let me in...” and eventually broke through the door window before the policed arrived. For fun, let’s hashtag this experience: #frightenedoutofmymind  #someonepleasecomequick!

 

We are grateful the man was apprehended and that all is well in our home. A bit shaken up, we realize how quickly things can change in life. Ben and I were just wrapping up our annual tradition of reading out loud to one another “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” From hosting a large Christmas party to visiting family in Ohio to enjoying a home Spurs game, we were in full Christmas mode. Life was good. In a blink of an eye, things changed.

 

Isaiah 9:6 states “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.” Over the last week, I’ve been meditating on that verse. Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Prince of PEACE.

 

Prince of PEACE. PEACE when a family member gets a cancer diagnosis. PEACE when a job is lost. PEACE when there is turmoil in a relationship. PEACE when finances are dwindling. PEACE when kids are making poor choices. PEACE in the midst of tumultuous weather. PEACE when we are judged by others. PEACE when circumstances aren’t going our way. PEACE when our own home is broken into. Do you know this kind of peace? A relationship with God gives us peace with God. This peace can carry us through the worst of circumstances (Romans 5:1)

 

God’s peace is different than the world’s peace, which is subject to circumstances. When circumstances are good, peace is present. When circumstances go south, peace departs. Having “peace” doesn’t mean “easy.” God promised that He would carry us through the difficult times. In fact, in the Bible, we are to expect tribulation (John 16:33) and trials. (James 1:2) But, as we give God our worries and anxieties, the peace of God will literally guard and protect our hearts and mind. (Philippians 4:6-7) 

 

Some of you reading this may think this kind of peace is non-existent or ridiculous. Talking about God gives you anything but peace; it makes you very uncomfortable. Because you haven’t experienced this kind of peace for yourself, you may not believe it’s possible. I ask you to consider God and the peace He has to offer.

 

What has disrupted your peace today? What trials or troubles have left your tummy in knots? I know. I get it. Living in peace each day is not easy. This week, I have continued to struggle with some anxiety in my home. The world around me can bring disruption to everything near and dear to my life. But nothing can separate me from Jesus and His peace. Nothing.

 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Mary, Did You Know?

I can’t get enough of the beautiful Christmas music this time of year. One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Mary, Did You Know?” written by Mark Lowry, seen now as a modern Christmas classic. The song begins questioning Mary…”Mary did you know that your baby boy will someday walk on water? Mary, did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.”

 

The other day, as I was listening to this song, sung by Amy Grant, I was struck by the questions asked in this song. Mary, did you know? As a thirteen year old teenager, Mary didn’t know that her baby boy would give sight to a blind man or calm a storm with his hands. Mary didn’t know that her baby boy would be Lord of all creation or one day rule the nations. Mary just didn’t know at the time.

 

I can only imagine that finding out such news as a thirteen year old girl in that era could have been quite a shock. I can only imagine Mary might have felt shame, worry and stress over such an announcement. As I pictured myself in Mary’s shoes, this announcement might have freaked me out. In Luke 1:28, the angel said...“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.” The angel knew what Mary must have been thinking because he responded…”Do not be afraid. Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his Father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”  I'm sorry, but that's just craziness to have an angel show up at your door step! Imagine hearing from a real live angel that you would give birth to a son whose kingdom will never end! Mary responded just like you and I might!  She asked a question..... “How will this be since I am a virgin?” The angel said “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God… For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:35, 37) You gotta be kidding me! I’m a pretty gullible person, but if the angel gave me that line, I might have started laughing in disbelief! Yet Mary responds “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Just like that and the angel is gone. 

 

The Christmas story began with a virgin girl willing to say “yes” to God. Mary didn’t know a lot but what she did know, she believed and trusted God.  Today, we have access to the entire Bible that tells us the rest of the story. The story that Mary didn’t fully know, you can know in full. Knowing this story can change your life. Saying yes to this story can change your life. It did for Mary. It can for you.

 

"Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life. ~Corrie Ten Boom

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

What God Wants For Christmas

My husband recently asked me what I wanted for Christmas. It's that time of year when Ben begins to panic..."What in the world do I get her?" Each year, I tell him the same thing. I want a pony. A real live four-legged, living, breathing and moving horse. I need to share all those adjectives with him because last year I received a 12-pack of mini-stuffed Ty pony animals that ended up being dog toys. If only he would listen....:)

Christmas brings dilemmas to even the best gift buyer. the questions that roll in our mind this time of year... What do I buy for so and so? How much should I spend? Where and when will I go shopping? It's those type of questions that can bring us plenty of angst at this time of year. Of course, we can't forget the proverbial question we ask each other about this time of December... Do you have all your shopping done? With all the stress that comes with even THINKING about shopping, I can easily forget the true meaning of Christmas.

Just recently, I heard the song "What God Wants for Christmas" by Darius Rucker. The song goes like this "I wonder what God wants for Christmas...Something that you can't find in a store. Maybe peace on earth, no more empty seats in church...might be what's on His wish list. I wonder what God wants for Christmas... What do you give someone who gave His Only Son? What if we believe in Him like He believes in us?"

I don't know about you, but honestly, I haven't thought recently about what God might want from me this Christmas. Have you? I can get so busy with being busy! Just this weekend, we're preparing for an upcoming big party. Between other parties, preparations, buying gifts and traveling, we sometimes don't consider that God might want something from us. As I think and pray about it, I think He wants me to be more attentive to His moment by moment presence in my life. He wants me to remember the joy of His birth so many years ago and live with that joy. He wants me to show and share His love with others this Christmas...and always.

What does God want from you this Christmas? If you do everything you can to avoid God, maybe He would like for you to move one step closer to Him. If you've kept God at a distance because life didn't turn out the way you wanted, maybe now is the time to reconsider God. Perhaps, you've put God aside just because you're not into religion. God is not about religion, but a relationship with you. He loves you more than anyone on this earth ever could love you! Maybe you love God, but just got caught up in the busyness of the season. Now's the time to make Him a priority. Read and ponder the Christmas story. Use an Advent calendar with your family. Take time to pray and thank God for sending His Son to this earth. Recommit to make time for this most important relationship. Jesus. The reason we have a Christmas.

What do you give someone who gave His only Son? What if we believe in Him like He believes in us? The answer is in the song. What does God want from you this Christmas?

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.