OCTOBER 29, 2026

  “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”  

 Ralph Waldo Emerson

JEREMIAH 25-26

 4And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. 5They said, “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. 6Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. (25:4-6)

2 TIMOTHY 3

 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

JOURNAL 

Watching the Nick Saban documentary has really reinforced something I have been coming to understand more deeply: the extraordinary power of the ordinary day. So much of life is spent chasing outcomes, measuring success by achievements, recognition, wealth, or some imagined destination where we believe fulfillment and happiness await us. Yet Saban's philosophy of focusing on the process reveals a much greater truth. The greatest performances and most remarkable accomplishments are not produced by obsessing over winning, but by becoming completely invested in doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well. This is the very heart of Deserve Victory. We cannot command the outcome, but we can devote ourselves to becoming the kind of people who deserve victory through our effort, discipline, grit, and love for others. There is tremendous freedom in this because it allows us to surrender the results while taking complete responsibility for how we live today.

What strikes me most is that this philosophy reaches far beyond football. It is really a way of approaching life itself. Every ordinary day is filled with opportunities to grow, serve, love, learn, and become. When I become consumed with outcomes, I lose sight of these opportunities and often sacrifice the joy of living in pursuit of something that may or may not happen. But when I surrender the outcome to God and focus instead on faithfully embracing the responsibilities and opportunities of today, everything changes. Gratitude becomes the foundation of that perspective. I begin to recognize that even the frustrations, disappointments, difficult people, and seemingly insignificant responsibilities are opportunities for growth. Rather than allowing the failures of others or the circumstances of the world to rob me of my peace, I can choose to respond with love, discipline, and purpose. That is where obedience becomes more than simply following a set of rules. It becomes a grateful response to the extraordinary gift of life.

Perhaps the greatest revelation is that the joy is not found at the end of the process, but within the process itself. There is something deeply satisfying about becoming better, doing meaningful work, overcoming challenges, and giving ourselves fully to whatever is before us. This is what I want our players to understand through Deserve Victory, but even more importantly, it is what I want to embody in my own life. Winning is wonderful, but the person we become in pursuing excellence is infinitely more valuable than the victory itself. And when we learn to find joy in the effort rather than attaching our happiness to the result, we actually free ourselves to perform at our highest level. We no longer carry the burden of having to prove our worth through achievement. Instead, we are free to give our very best simply because the opportunity to do so is a gift.

Ultimately, remarkable lives are not built in remarkable moments. They are built through ordinary days, faithfully and intentionally lived, stacked one upon another. A life of excellence is not something waiting for me somewhere in the future. It is being created in the choices I make today, in how I teach, coach, work, love my family, treat others, and respond to adversity. God has given me this day, and my responsibility is not to control what it produces but to make the most of what it offers. To rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances is to recognize that every moment carries an opportunity to live in tune with Him. Perhaps that is the greatest meaning of Deserve Victory: to become so completely invested in the joy and purpose of living each ordinary day well that the outcome no longer determines our fulfillment. And somewhere along the way, those ordinary days become an extraordinary life. 

16Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

OCTOBER 28, 2026

 " ...Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the weakness of true strength. Then I, his father will dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain. ”

― Douglas MacArthur - Prayer for his son

“Make every day your masterpiece. ” 
― John Wooden

JEREMIAH 23-24

 6My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. 7I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. (24:6-7)

2 TIMOTHY 2

22Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

JOURNAL 

The book of 2 Timothy is considered to be Paul's final letter before he is executed. Timothy is considered to be his "son in the faith". Paul serves as a "spiritual father"...so this are his last words to Timothy...his final instruction. In many ways it reminds me of the Poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling.

Over the years I have been fascinated by final letters written as people faced their death. Mostly these are from soldiers and to me there is something holy about the final moments of a soul on this earth...especially when they are choosing through sacrifice and principle to risk their lives. One of those was from a civil war soldier named Sullivan Ballou who died at the First Battle of Bull Run. This letter captures the essence of sacrifice and the preciousness of life that God grants us. It is a reminder that every day and every moment is a gift and should be treated as such. It is also a reminder of the timelessness of our hearts and souls and that there is a longing and a reality that is beyond the borders of our flesh and  blood. 

God asks us to persist and trust even when it is not to our immediate benefit...to do it because that is what it really means to trust and to believe. These words are so beautiful, strong, elegant and would seem impossible that this would be his last words. Yet this sacrifice that God called him to has inspired millions of people all over the world. It has been read in locker rooms, board rooms and even on the steps of Congress upon presidential inaugurations. So while I may never understand God's timing and his purposes, he is always good and his timing and plan are ultimately perfect.

Camp Clark, Washington

My very dear Sarah: 

The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days - perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more.

Our movement may be one of a few days duration and full of pleasure - and it may be one of severe conflict and death to me. Not my will, but thine 0 God, be done. If it is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution. And I am willing - perfectly willing - to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt.

But, my dear wife, when I know that with my own joys I lay down nearly all of yours, and replace them in this life with cares and sorrows - when, after having eaten for long years the bitter fruit of orphanage myself, I must offer it as their only sustenance to my dear little children - is it weak or dishonorable, while the banner of my purpose floats calmly and proudly in the breeze, that my unbounded love for you, my darling wife and children, should struggle in fierce, though useless, contest with my love of country?

I cannot describe to you my feelings on this calm summer night, when two thousand men are sleeping around me, many of them enjoying the last, perhaps, before that of death -- and I, suspicious that Death is creeping behind me with his fatal dart, am communing with God, my country, and thee.

I have sought most closely and diligently, and often in my breast, for a wrong motive in thus hazarding the happiness of those I loved and I could not find one. A pure love of my country and of the principles have often advocated before the people and "the name of honor that I love more than I fear death" have called upon me, and I have obeyed.

Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me - perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar -- that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.

Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have oftentimes been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the garish day and in the darkest night -- amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours - always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.

Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.

As for my little boys, they will grow as I have done, and never know a father's love and care. Little Willie is too young to remember me long, and my blue eyed Edgar will keep my frolics with him among the dimmest memories of his childhood. Sarah, I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your development of their characters. Tell my two mothers his and hers I call God's blessing upon them. O Sarah, I wait for you there! Come to me, and lead thither my children.

--Sullivan

OCTOBER 27, 2026

   “If you stay intent and your ability warrants it, you will eventually reach the top of the mountain.” 

― John Wooden

JEREMIAH 20-22

  3This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. (22:3)

2 TIMOTHY 1

 I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 

JOURNAL 

It is amazing how easily life can become formulaic, especially when we desperately want to feel in control. We develop routines, establish disciplines, set goals, and convince ourselves that if we consistently do the right things, we can somehow guarantee the outcomes we desire. There is comfort in formulas because they give us a sense of predictability. But I am beginning to realize that even in my relationship with God, I can fall into this same trap. Read Scripture, pray, meditate, exercise, serve others, and repeat. Somewhere along the way, these wonderful practices can become less about knowing God and more about trying to create a life where everything works out the way I want. But a formula is not a relationship, and God is not an outcome that can be produced by following the right steps.

For years, 2 Timothy 1:7 has been foundational to how I approach life. Power, love, and self-discipline have shaped my understanding of who I want to become and how I want to influence others. Yet I wonder if I sometimes turn even these gifts into another formula for success. The most important part of that verse may be the part I too easily overlook: "For the Spirit God gave us." These qualities are not simply things I must manufacture through greater effort. They are expressions of God's Spirit working within me. Discipline is not intended to give me control over life but to help me remain connected to God. Prayer is not a means of securing a desired outcome but an opportunity for communion with Him. Scripture is not simply an instruction manual for success but a way of coming to know the One who created me.

John Wooden's words about remaining intent and reaching the top of the mountain resonate deeply with me. I believe wholeheartedly in the importance of effort, perseverance, and trusting the process. It is the very foundation of what I want Deserve Victory to represent. But there is a difference between committing to the process and believing the process guarantees the outcome. I can prepare, work, love, and serve with everything I have, but I cannot control what tomorrow brings. Perhaps the real purpose of the climb is not reaching the summit but becoming the person God intends me to be along the way. Jeremiah reminds us to do what is just and right, while Peter encourages us to continually grow in goodness, self-control, perseverance, and love. These are not boxes to check on a spiritual scorecard. They are the natural expressions of a life lived in relationship with God.

This brings me back to the idea of being in tune with God. A musician must continually listen and adjust to remain in tune, and perhaps my spiritual life should be approached the same way. Not as another task to complete, but as an ongoing relationship requiring attention, humility, and surrender. I can become so consumed with doing everything correctly that I forget simply to be present with God. And when uncertainty or anxiety appears, I sometimes find myself searching for what I have done wrong, as though following the right formula should have prevented those feelings in the first place. But faith is not about eliminating uncertainty. It is about trusting God in the midst of it.

I don't want to become less disciplined or intentional. I want those disciplines to have a deeper purpose. I want to begin each day not simply asking what I need to accomplish, but how I can be more aware of God's presence and allow His power, love, and discipline to flow through me into the lives of others. I want to pursue excellence without demanding perfection, work diligently without becoming attached to results, and embrace each day without trying to control tomorrow. Perhaps the greatest freedom comes when I finally understand that God is not asking me to master a formula that gives me control over my life. He is inviting me into a relationship that frees me from needing that control in the first place. My responsibility is to remain faithful to the process, love others, and make the most of the opportunities before me. The outcomes belong to Him. And perhaps the greatest gift was never reaching the top of the mountain, but learning to walk with God every step of the way.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

2 PETER 1:5-9

OCTOBER 26, 2026

  “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.”― John Wooden

JEREMIAH 17-19

5This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,

who draws strength from mere flesh

and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

6That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;

they will not see prosperity when it comes.

They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,

in a salt land where no one lives.

7“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in him.

8They will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.” (17:5-8) 

1 TIMOTHY 6

6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith.

JOURNAL 

Life is tough and I think what makes life so difficult other than the obvious fact that we have to face pain, death and a host of unfortunate circumstances, is that it never goes quite the way we want it to go. It can seem and feel that we are cursed with the idea of perfection because we are never able to attain it. 

That's why it is imperative that I inundate myself in scripture every single day. Scripture has a way of flipping my perspective and giving me the mindset I need to press into the difficulties, the blunders, the unfortunate, the painful. It also has a way of helping me see truth and how to navigate a world that sometimes just is unfair. 

I love this quote by Wooden. The beauty of the quote is it's packed with so much biblical truth within 15 words. It essentially says that life will turn out best when you stop complaining, and stop insisting that life turn out a certain way. It demands that for things to really turn out the best, you have to accept what is and continue to give the best of yourself no matter what happens. No matter if you strike out, blow it, no matter if you get a terrible diagnosis or get betrayed or lose someone close to you. No matter if you are falsely imprisoned or accused or crucified. It also means that when things do go your way then you still seek to make the best of the circumstance.  

To me this quote is an RX for life. Whatever happens, make the best of it and trust that God will in turn make the best of your efforts, your sacrifice, your persistence, your talent. Regardless of whether its accepted by the world or rejected by the world...the result is not what matters, but how you respond means everything. 

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^a whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

JAMES 1:2-4

OCTOBER 25, 2026

  “Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to.” 

― Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven

JEREMIAH 14-16

19Lord, my strength and my fortress,

my refuge in time of distress,

to you the nations will come

from the ends of the earth and say,

“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,

worthless idols that did them no good.

20Do people make their own gods?

Yes, but they are not gods!” (16:19-20)

1 TIMOTHY 5

8Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

JOURNAL 

It is very clear from these verses that man is to do all he can with what he has to provide for himself and his family in obedience to God.  He is to trust God and God only and is not to be consumed with things that are not God. 

This is such a tough word yet it is pretty cut and dry. To follow this means that I am willing to give up pursuit of anything other than God and his direction as my ultimate goal. This means that every action, encounter, situation and circumstance has to be put through the filter of this obedience.  Obedience to God has to be my ultimate objective or else I am not really a believer. I see no other way of interpreting scripture. Sometimes though that is hard to determine God's direction...especially given the emotions I will experience moment to moment. Yet that's why scripture is so vital...many times what may seem to be the obvious choice may come to be a path that's opposite of God's direction. Following God is a daily, moment by moment pursuit.

However once obedience to God is my ultimate pursuit then many things will follow that pursuit. Humility, diligence, generosity, honesty, sacrifice, courage, joy and love. Obedience must come first and then God has created us so that when it does and we do the hard thing in surrendering our will then he releases the rest to us. It's the equivalent of good roots. When a plant has good roots and nutrients it thrives but when the roots are bad and the nutrients are lacking...it's doomed. To live life with these attributes being poured out of my life becomes a life that is the best of which I can give. It is a life that I am honored to live and one in which I will have no regrets. 

17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19