Published Date : March 29, 2018
Categories : Words of Hope
Equaled only or surpassed by his gifted wife, Eva Makk.
Americo Makk was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1927. In 1956 in the middle of the night, Americo fled his country, seeing his father for last time to escape the Soviet’s ruthless occupation.
Daily the talented artist hoped a prestigious Italian art scholarship would arrive in the mail.
At the art institute in Budapest, the letter finally arrived. Americo rushed home. “Father, look, I won the scholarship. I can go to Rome!”
There was but one problem. A big one.
His father was playing poker with friends. One of the men Americo did not know asked, “When will you plan to return to Budapest after your art studies in Rome?”
Americo said, “I will never return to Budapest!”
A number of friends had already been arrested and sent to Siberia. It was common. Americo hated the Soviet occupation.
Later in the evening, Father Makk came to Americo’s room. “Son, why did you tell that man you would never come back to Budapest?”
The man was KGB! Americo began to sob. Two hours later Americo kissed his father goodbye never to see him again. With a passport but no visa at 15, Americo boarded a night train for Vienna.
Americo’s life story is a miracle. From Hungary to Italy to Brazil to America world famous Americo Makk lived a life filled with the love of art, a rich legacy of beauty, elegance, and pure enjoyment.
Unfinished Man is a painting I was pleased to watch emerge from a white canvas. Because my home visit ended too soon the painting was not finished to Americo’s standards I carried it home as a precious gift in its unfinished state.
Unfinished Man reminds me God is not finished with me. I, too, am an unfinished man. As a wise friend once said, “We are alive to learn and grow. This is the essence of life, learn, keep on learning.”
If you want to have a time of enrichment and joy, spend a few hours living in the art of Americo and Eva Makk. You will discover why I believe the Makk’s are among the great artists of past and the present.
Published Date : March 28, 2018
Categories : Words of Hope
Key Statement: Fred, your bones want water. Drink 120 ounces daily. Susan Reynolds’s – Endermologist
Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.
When 18 young basketball gladiators were touring Italy with Susie and me. My joy and privilege was to teach and coach these fine men both basketball and LIFEBALL skills.
It was hot and humid. For this reason, water consumption was preeminently on my mind.
Each player was given a water bottle. The expectation was for each athlete to drink half their body weight in ounces.
It takes 700 gallons of water to make one flannel shirt. 700 gallons!
It takes 1,825 bottles of water each year to keep a 150lb athlete healthy. 5 average sized bottles each day. 1,825 bottles!
It takes 900 seconds each day to keep a person emotionally and spiritually healthy.
900 seconds of silent think time. 900 Seconds!
The principle of LLAA (LISTER LEARN ACT APPLY):
If you don’t listen, you don’t learn. If you don’t act, you don’t apply.
Strong suggestion:
Published Date : March 27, 2018
Categories : Words of Hope
Resentment is a signal light telling us to stop or go!
Resentment is a gut feeling, telling us something is quite wrong.
Resentment ignored turns to bitterness like grapes turn to wine. Bitterness ignored turns to vengeance like mash to 100% proof moonshine!
Resentment has two purposes. Using the hand to illustrate and vividly explain the two sides of resentment see the palm of the hand in this manner.
The palm of the hand is the gentle side. Reach to a dog with palm facing up. This is a sign of peace. It is not aggressive yet it is an indication of confidence.
Palms down is you telling others their actions are creating negative feelings. You are kindly asking them to stop doing what they are doing or start what they are not doing.
Palms down resentment is your signal to change what you are doing to create these feelings. The question here is, Who do I need to forgive?
Palms down is most often the first step in dealing with resentment resolution. Change myself and others will change as I change.
Palms up is speaking your truth in love. “I need to tell you what you are doing is causing resentment in my spirit. I am asking you to…,
Fact is resentment is expensive. Resentment extracts a big payment. Sort of like the IRS or student loans. Compound interest comes into play. Ignore a payment and bang! You begin paying interest on top of interest.
Resentment is a red light! Stop! Who are you mad at? Yourself or somebody else?
Palms down is your cry to the Lord, please change me, forgive me Lord, forgive me friend, forgive me family.
Palms down is to be brave. Whisper with the courage to tell others what you need, whether it be please stop or please start.
It is vital to diagnose when dealing with Palms Up Resentment Resolution is the person intentionally hurting you or are their actions unintentional?
If intentional, it is a very very serious – either it stops or the relationship stops. If there is no relationship. This is where courage must find itself in us.
If unintentional, exercise patience. Any movement in the right direction deserves encouragement.
Forgiveness is your get out of jail free card. The absence of un-forgiveness is joy. Joy is gratitude, it’s gestures are a gorgeous flower or a sunny morning
Jesus nailed to the cross – Palms up
“Father forgive them they do not know what they do.”
Jesus Speaking to Peter – Palms down
“Get thee behind me Satan.”
Published Date : March 26, 2018
Categories : Uncategorized, Words of Hope
Pictured Above: Miracle Hanson ladies from Bristol Bay Alaska. No more worthy cause than investing in our future leaders!
When you need encouragement give oxygen to others! Then you get encouraged.
Dear Charlie, Steve, and Jennifer,
Here I sit in semi-darkness this March 25 in the am.
My mind is alert; my heart is overjoyed.
The three of you flooded my mind.
First, thank you, Jennifer, for taking the NBC reigns. You made my NBC generation 2 solid with a very bright future. Your new team is awesome. With deep gratitude thank you for making me feel of value to what I call the new version of NBC.
Charlie and Steve, you have honored me with respect and appreciation all these years. My entire being this a.m. has the privilege to experience levels of peace, happiness and fulfillment some never experience. This freedom is God’s gift. You are His angels doing His bidding.
You three are power players in my life. Your encouragement is oxygen to me. Thank you.
Published Date : March 25, 2018
Categories : Faith, Words of Hope
In 1855 Robert Browning wrote the poem, Andrea Del Sarto. The line, less is more, has become an oft-used expression in promoting inner peace and personal focus.
Yet do much less, so much less, Someone says,
(I know his name, no matter)—so much less!
Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.
There burns a truer light of God in them,
In their vexed beating stuffed and stopped-up brain,
Heart, or whate’er else, than goes on to prompt
This low-pulsed forthright craftsman’s hand of mine.
Their works drop groundward, but themselves, I know,
Reach many a time a heaven that’s shut to me,
Enter and take their place there sure enough,
Though they come back and cannot tell the world.
My works are nearer heaven, but I sit here.
This past summer Susie began an ambitious project. Minimize, dejunk, declutter every closet, cupboard, room, and drawer in our house, including the garage. Surely a daunting task for two people who collect much more than we discard.
Browning’s less is more became a daily goal. We forced ourselves to commit to rigid goals, a biggie was to reduce our closet by two-thirds. Christmas decorations were the most difficult. “How do we depart from these cherished memories spanning 50 plus years of marriage?” we asked ourselves.
An amazing thing happened, as we minimized we experienced the exhilaration that comes with cleaning, organizing, simplifying… were energized. It felt good!
My daughter Jennifer had her NBC Camps team read the book Essentialism. It is a good read. The author changed, less is more to less is better. Same concept.
It reinforces the Crowell commitment to live more simply. We are finding a deep sense of peace and joy in living moment by moment in a PSALM 23 state of mind; the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.
It makes perfect sense when we can experience living in the now, the “I shall not want life” becomes heaven on earth.
Let’s take a moment today to quiet ourselves
Published Date : March 24, 2018
Categories : Words of Hope
The most reliable teacher of all is your life experience. Your life experience proves each new day begins with a sunrise.
The promise of a new sunrise is the gift of a new day.
A new day is the gift of a new opportunity.
A new chance to use your precious gift of life to love people.
These four sunrises were taken by my special friend, Mike Tauriainen. Mike and Kay live in Sterling, Alaska.
51 years ago the big Finn walked into my office at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. I was seated at my new desk. Mike asked, “Where is the new coach?”
I said, “I am the new coach.”
Surprised Mike countered, “No you aren’t!”
“Why am I not the coach?” I said.
“You’re too young.” Was his answer.
51 years later Mike and I are best friends. We have enjoyed many sunrises and new days together.
Some days like today we can’t see the sunrise but photos like these four remind us there is a sun and it comes out each morning whether we see it or not.
A Yupik mother, terribly afraid of more cancer radiation, and I prayed together. She was in a place where there was no light, no appearance of a sunrise.
Crowell has been there too often in the past six years.
Thankfully, cancer no longer robs me of personal sunrises.
With peace, these are the cancer fighters we discussed and prayed over.
Be joyful always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is God’s will even in cancer or hardship for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Crowell’s Big Five:
Sunrises are God’s guarantee He will never leave you, He will never forsake you, and He loves you unconditionally.
Published Date : March 23, 2018
Categories : Faith, Words of Hope
As a young coach at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks my college president taught me a lesson for life.
Years later I discovered choice was God’s unique gift to humankind. No other creation on earth has the power of choice.
My president had promised 10 basketball scholarships, and when this promise was broken. With great difficulty, I finally got a face to face with the president.
For 45 minutes except for brief pauses for oxygen, the powerhouse UA headman waxed eloquently on the challenges he faced running a university.
Abruptly he arose from his chair, wrapped his long arm over my shoulder as he guided me to the door. The president’s last words to me were, “Coach, anytime you are asked a question there are only 3 answers and 2 are usually bad. They are yes, no, or I am thinking about it.”
Choice always costs something. A yes to something means a no to something else, while an I don’t know often results in missed opportunity.
When the Creator chose to give man and woman free will, the gift of Choice, He risked disobedience on our part. Ultimately the gift of choice cost God his only son who gave his life as a ransom for our sins.
Use or abuse of the gift of choice is on a moment by moment basis and based on our decisions.
Today I choose life, not death.
Today I choose to please God above man.
Because my life experience tells me I can choose to have a big God and small people or big people and a small God.
Today I choose to have a big God.
Life just works best when God is first in my life.
Published Date : March 22, 2018
Categories : Basketball, Words of Hope
Jeff Erickson has been my friend, mentor, and hero from the first day I met him at NBC Alaska Camps. Jeff loves people; especially the youth of Alaska. The fact Jeff is a devoted husband and father of a son who has endured disabilities since birth only deepen my respect for one of Alaska’s most devoted and dedicated educators.
The photo is a 76 birthday present for a 76-year-old coach who 52 years ago coached some of the finest men in the world. In this photo is Mel Brown #12, an Ivanoff from Unalakleet, Milo Griffin #21, UA Hall of Fame, Mike Taurianan, 1959 homesteader, Civil Engineer in Soldotna, Ben Ramos, Eielson Air Force, Fairbanks resident, Stephan Anderson #32, Nome business leader.
This was the first UA basketball team to play a full 26 game collegiate schedule, no military or tavern teams. These men were the forerunners to the very good NANOOK teams of the 1970’s.
Thank you, Jeff Erickson, for finding this photo which brings back so many many wonderful memories. Only two seniors were pictured here. This team had a great future. Unfortunately, the university chose to reverse their commitment to the four scholarships they had given the previous year. It was a great loss to all of us. This team had many good games and some amazing wins and losses.
To three national powers at the then powerful NAIA D2 level. Losses are always losses; however, when building a program knowing you can beat the best in the USA is the first step to building a strong program. These men pictured here would have won many games the next two years.
Published Date : March 21, 2018
Categories : Words of Hope
#1. The Preparation Experience. Potentially, this can be an exciting time. Anticipation, hoping, planning and preparing are good things.
Example: I find the hunt for a new thing, be it shoes or a car, is more fun than the purchase. Thus I take two to three years to buy a car. I love the hunt.
#2. The Event Experience. Where are you? Right here right now. If we can win the moment we can win the minute; then the hour; then the day.
Live to love life. The enemy is to live in yesterday. This creates depression and regret.
Another enemy is living in the tomorrows, which brings us anxiety and fear.
#3. The Memory Event. If we prepare well, live the event fully, the memory is the best of the 3, because it can be relived the rest of our lives.
My joy cup runs over. Memory making is my plan. Game Changer is my purpose. Loving people is my action steps. Living in the moment will create fantastic memories.
Let’s live the moment today!
Published Date : March 20, 2018
Categories : Words of Hope
The need to belong and to have something of value to belong too; the need to have success and be recognized for this success; the need to love and be loved.
Just one of the many tragedies of modern day education is when a star athlete reaps huge accolades while student artists, musicians, singers, dancers, and many others with great talent go unrecognized.
A few questions every parent should be addressing every day of their child’s lives. Words matter and the following words really matter.
Encouragement is as precious to the child’s spirit as water is to the garden.
Oxygen in the blood is as important as encouragement to the mind and heart.
Encouragement inspires greatness.
Effective encouragement must be specific.
Effective, oxygen-filled encouragement must be personal & individualized.
Effective encouragement must be sincere & truthful.
Effective encouragement must be consistent & repeated often.
Love is paying attention to the details. Encouragement is a powerful tool for loving and inspiring people to discover the hidden miracle in themselves and in every human.
Crucial question. Why is it so difficult, so uncommon, so rare for parents to say?
Those who encourage often live at a higher level.
Those who see goodness and greatness in others lives life with appreciation & gratitude.
Those who encourage others receive an abundance of encouragement.
Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Encouragement is a precious tool to have in our life skills toolbox. However, a tool not used is a wasted, a tool that begins to rust. Don’t waste your encouragement tool.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. – Hebrews 10:24
Published Date : March 19, 2018
Categories : Words of Hope
A crude way of stating this more clearly is, “If you love the message you will love the messenger, and if you hate the message you will hate the messenger.”
Basketball coaches and military leaders often speak in crude terms. In both competitive sports and war, dance words don’t work.
The Old Testament Prophets spoke in terms that often caused them to be rejected, even hated. Isaiah was a tough guy who spoke truth.
The prophet Isaiah wrote about how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news; Good news of peace and salvation; the news that the God of Israel reigns.
It took Isaiah 52 chapters to bring this amazing good news to His people who were in slavery.
Makes me wonder how many people you and I know who are in slavery to things like:
Fact is, we are messengers. Question is, “what is our message?”
It has taken me many years to know the best message moves people towards love.
One of the most difficult words of counsel are given by St James.
“Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger for God’s righteousness is never accomplished through anger.” – James 1:19-20
Published Date : March 18, 2018
Categories : Words of Hope
Will you forgive me for; now call the offense by name.
I am sorry; I was only kidding; I didn’t mean it that way; are only excuses and do not bring relational healing.
Will you forgive me for being rude?
Will you forgive me for my anger?
Will you forgive me for my selfishness?
These will you forgive me’s work towards healing.
But we are not done yet if we are truly seeking forgiveness!
The second question is just as important in relational healing.
What was it like for you when I lied to you?
What was it like for you when I forgot to call you?
If these two types of questions were so easy to ask, why is it so uncommon to hear them?
When is the last time someone asked you these type of questions?
When was the last time you asked these two kinds of questions?
AAA Wisdom is:
Now it is your move, what are you going to do with this WORDS OF HOPE?
Published Date : March 17, 2018
Categories : Words of Hope
Everyone delights in and appreciates an encouraging thank you shout out.
Alaska Airlines deserves a Fred Crowell – NBC Camps shoutout.
THANK YOU ALASKA AIRLINES – Excellence Award
Think seriously about these situations:
Many educators teach for an entire career without receiving even one shoutout.
Vast numbers retire with exempt pensions and are given no shout outs.
Sons and daughters as adults don’t send shout out letters to parents.
If shout outs bring more joy to the giver than the receiver, why are shout outs the exception not the norm, and why are they not the common practice?
The 7-10 principle is an excellent shout out idea. Give a ratio of 7 thanks to every 3 asks in the course of 10 contacts in a relationship. Another idea would be to eliminate negative shout outs.
One legendary Alaska state basketball coach was known to teach his players to totally eliminate what he called “killer shout outs.”
Killer shout outs:
Positive shout outs:
Alaska Airlines is flying me from Spokane to Anchorage first class. My joy and passion is to inspire young basketball players at the Alaska Basketball Tournament. Basketball is my tool to help save and build successful lives. With gratitude, I give a shout out to Alaska Airlines who has helped me fly to villages throughout Alaska.
Please read the following true story of a miracle child who was suicidal. This story among many others tells why Alaska Airlines deserves my shout out.
Dear Mr. Crowell,
Good afternoon, I am emailing you now to tell you that I have accomplished so much in the past few months in finding my confidence, self-worth, and respect for myself. I have been leaning on my new friend and role model a lot and I have talked to her anytime I feel like I am starting to backpedal again. I am happy to tell you I have realized that I don’t need people to tell me that I a beautiful, confident or strong. I realized all I need to do is believe in myself and believe that I am beautiful, confident and strong. I also wanted to thank you for telling and showing me that I am worth more than I think I am worth. I want to thank you for that because if it wasn’t for you shining that light for me I do not think that I would be here now. I was in a deep and dark place and you were that hand to help pull me out and I thank you for that.
Sincerely, your friend (Alaska Village NBC Camper)
Who has earned a shout out from you? What is stopping you? Give them a shout out!
Published Date : March 17, 2018
Categories : Friends of Fred
Fred,
I love reading your WOH. Thanks for thinking of me. The one of laughter hit a nerve in a good way. Growing up I had the good fortune of a mom and aunt, twins, who would spontaneously erupt in laughter as if on cue. It didn’t matter if we were in a movie or out somewhere they would lose it so to speak. As kids we got to the point when we went to a movie that we would sit away from them because they would erupt in unison laughter even when it wasn’t a funny part of the movie.
To this day, I can think of them in those situations and begin laughing even as I am writing this email. I am due however for a bellyaching laugh that you have a hard time stopping your laugh.
My father in law was a joke teller and I became his greatest audience because even if I already heard his joke previously and knew the punch line would laugh and the rest of the family would shout a number like 56 or 22 to indicate that his stick was so old they had numbered his jokes.
One night we were sitting down to dinner, he at the head of the table, and everyone including the grandkids at the long rectangular table. He turns to me matter of fact tone and asks if I know how to make leek soup. I respond with no, how? He says, in a stone face, first you take a leek. I apologize if this is somewhat dirty, but I lost it. For the next 20 minutes at dinner, I couldn’t control myself. My brother in law was upset at him for telling that at the table with the kids around and the more I snickered, the more he got upset, and my father in law beamed with pride that one of his jokes had that kind of effect on someone. To this day I can’t look at a leek or here that word without beginning to laugh.
I am truly blessed that I can laugh in that way.
thanks for reminding me. This ability to laugh at a moments notice is a gift from my mom and aunt and one I cherish.
Peter
Published Date : March 17, 2018
Categories : Friends of Fred
NBC Camps Maui, 2011
Attended my first NBC Camp with my daughter that I love. I thought the camp was for her. I was wrong. God was speaking to my heart as I sat in the gym observing camp all week. I didn’t know it at the time, but a CHANGE was coming. A change of HEART, a change of lifestyle. I gave up drinking & smoking cigarettes…cold turkey, is the way Fred & I describe it! December 31, 2011 (New Years) at approximately 9pm, I took my last drink of alcohol. I couldn’t stand it. It was a bitter taste in my mouth. Talk about conviction!
I loved basketball growing up. That’s all I had. I gave up my passion for basketball after playing JV my sophomore year in high school. Eighteen years later, God took my passion I had as a kid and gave it back to me so I can navigate my course in life back to Him & use basketball as a tool to share Christs’ love for others.
My family and I immediately started going to church. The Burton faith has grown, we have New Eyes, a new outlook on life, a life with Christ.
I believe that the work that we are doing here has started a New Belief System for others.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
– Josh Burton
Published Date : March 17, 2018
Categories : Friends of Fred
I must repeat back to you, you’re very words. Your commitment to write daily words of hope has been valuable to my mind and heart. I consider knowing you and learning from your gift of wisdom being one of the great blessings in my life. Thank you
Mike Dahl
Published Date : March 17, 2018
Categories : Friends of Fred
Thank you, Fred. What an amazing compliment from you and Susie. I feel like it has taken a long time to learn not to feel like I have to force knowledge and strength. I never want to be Napoleon. Servant Leadership has really framed my interactions and relationships. For someone little it was a little scary at first because it can open you up to be labeled weak but around my neck I wear a cross with 2 Cor 12:9-10 inscribed in it. If I am going to profess to it, I need to live it. So far, it has worked with me leading our scouting staff and gained the confidence of our leadership. God willing, that will continue and hopefully I will be trusted with more influence over time.
Austin is the red head in the blue shirt.
Tell Susie I miss her!!
Ryan Carr
Director of Scouting
Indiana Pacers
Published Date : March 17, 2018
Categories : Friends of Fred
Had an amazing motivation message prior to the game from my close friend Coach Fred Crowell. Fred has a unique gift of helping young men see their destiny! He then had to go watch his granddaughter perform in a play. No pressure Fred we are going to fly you out 9 more times this year;)
We then listened to the FIJI rugby pregame song. We always celebrate singing their post-game song but first time we listened to the song they sing before battle. Then listened to King of my Heart and then talked about the difference in David and the other cowards who were scared of Goliath. His Heart. The talked about Jesus and how he came from David’s heart and bloodline and how he came as a servant and in love as a lamb for us. He was a warrior though and stood up for weak and healed the sick. He drew the line in the sand saving a prostitute from stoning. I think he would have stopped them physically if necessary but He knew how to fight with love. He took the greatest stand in battle of all time first showing His power to His disciples by calming the storm and walking on the water, feeding 5000, and so many more Miracles, but He first demonstrated His plan to defeat Hell and the grave when He let Lazarus, His friend, die and get put in the Cave Grave of darkness for 3 days. He wept as he saw how sad Mary was when he arrived at the tomb. He then showed His power and future plan by telling Lazarus to come out of the darkness and back into the light! Then he took a beating and took a stand of unprecedented love on the cross where his leverage to stand was nails in his feet to push up to breath and his fist were not used to fight but instead nailed to the cross where he had to pull up to breath. After he bled for us and took all our sin and pain, Jesus went to war by saying it is finished, he declared war on hell and after defeating hell and all sin, Satan and Satan’s demons, Jesus did what He showed us He was going to do with Lazarus. He called the game-winning shot and won victory coming out of the grave! Greatest Victory of all time.
We played ok the 1st half up 7 at the break.
So at half, we all go in and I play powerful worship music playing. I have a table set up in the center of the locker room. I roll out another cooler full of grapes, strawberries, blackberries, plums, and Gatorade. An amazing feast. I explain that in 23rd Psalms. God prepared a table in the midst of battle right in the midst of their enemies. We, because of Jesus victory, are playing from a place of victory, not striving for victory. We are to claim this victory and I read about 7 versus speaking to the power we are promised when we focus on fulfilling His plan and bringing Glory to the King. Allowing the Spirit of God to fully flow and not hinder it by our own weaknesses. Allow God to use our weakness instead of us allowing our weakness to own us.
Guys came out and buried OCU. Game was over before we left the locker room. Funny how when you tap into the power of the King. You can’t even explain how or what just happened, but one thing is for certain. God was Glorified and we focused on humility to the end.
Published Date : March 17, 2018
Categories : Friends of Fred
I hope this email finds you well. It has been on my heart for the past month to email you. I had a great lunch with Ken Sugarman the other day and we talked about all the little things we learned from spending time around you, it was fun. I have such good memories of you, thank you. As I continue to mature I find myself longing to spend time around people who spill Jesus on others by how they live and love. You were one of these people, thank you. I won’t fill this space with tons of words, but I wanted you to know I am thankful for you and how God used you in my life.
Former nbcer; now a medical doctor
Published Date : March 16, 2018
Categories : Words of Hope
So vividly the memory of a bad brag rests in my memory bank. It was my 9th-grade year; basketball was the brag. On the ride home Dad, teammate, and his father listened to my bad brag about my great game.
Making it even more nauseating was my buddy had hardly played. I was oblivious to his pain.
When our friends left the car, Father C looked at me with sternness; “Never blow your own horn; let others blow it for you. Your brag sounds terrible.”
The Apostle Paul teaches us the best brag possible is to brag on the Lord Jesus Christ. In his day the former Christian hitman was unsurpassed with brag rights, yet he counted them as dung.
One of my former players had a severe bad brag problem. One practice I asked this boy.
Do you notice I brag often about your teammates?
“Yes,” he replied.
Do you know why I don’t brag about you?
“No.”
It’s because you do all the bragging about yourself. Do you want me to brag about you?
“Yes.”
Great, you stop bragging about you and I will start telling everyone what a great ball player you are!
Principals of good brags.
For these reasons I take delight in sharing with others the good works, our Lord Jesus does in my life. My intent is to bring honor and glory to Jesus; for it is Him alone who deserves the best of the best Good-brags.