Thursday, 22 October 2009
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A Game Plan for Life
Can you imagine kissing one person your entire life, and your lips would never kiss another? Does that sound incredibly romantic to you, or incredibly silly? The story is told by a man who did just that in his latest book A Game Plan for Life: The Power of Mentoring, which just came out last week.
His name is John Wooden, and he's been retired longer than I've been alive. Truth is, the man is 99-years old. (Can you imagine releasing a book if you reach 99?) He used to be the head basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins, and his string of 10 championships in a dozen years is unmatched by any other coach. Since retiring in 1975, he's been a mentor of other athletes and young men. John Riley of ESPN writes of Wooden, "I like going to Wooden's house for the same reason people like going to church: It makes me want to be a better man."
Wooden enforced upon the teams he coached that they would 1) not speak a word of profanity, and 2) they would not criticize each other as teammates, but help to build each other up. "If the players see you out of control," he said, "they won't believe that you have control of them." He's not just talking about sports. That's an application that fits into any leadership role.
He put this into practice in his own life. He lived what he preached. Wooden confesses in his book that he has not said a swear word since 1924. He and his brother were mucking stalls, and his brother threw a pitch fork over the top of one of the stalls and "it caught me," Wooden recalls. He ran after his brother calling his brother a name which, actually, was more of an insult to his mother than it was to his brother. Wooden got whipped for it. "I had it coming," he says. And he hasn't cussed since.
As extraordinary, Wooden hasn't touched alcohol since 1932. And how many girls do you think the most successful coach in the history of college basketball has kissed? Just one. His wife Nell, who passed away in 1985. He still writes her a love letter on the 21st of every month -- the day of the month she died. I'm jealous of the man's fortitude.
The forward of Wooden's book is written by John C. Maxwell, who has also written Christian books on leadership. With the exception of Maxwell's forward, Wooden has said that he hasn't tried to be overtly "Christian" in the advice he gives on being a mentor, nor did he try to force it on his players when he was a coach. It was more important that he lived it with his life. His values, he admits, are undergirded with the true principles that Jesus Christ taught, and that has been his game plan for life. The book is on my wish list.Proverbs 21:30 "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord."
Could you or do you follow John Wooden's example?
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- From: gabrielpeter@xanga
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Comments (19)
"Can you imagine kissing one person your entire life, and your lips would never kiss another?"
Just the though of that is absolutely positively DISCUSTING! 1 person??? GROSS!
I think the guy who killed Goliath would have to agree with me on this one. So many fish and you people want to stick with one Carp.? Repulsive!!!
i'm impressed by his willpower, but i have no interest in holding myself to the same standards. i see nothing wrong with kissing multiple people, and knowing that the guy i was with had only ever kissed me wouldn't impress or matter to me in the slightest.
and i'd like to know whether he stopped swearing completely, or if he just replaced the words with ones less graphic. the intent is still there, whether you use the word sh*t or crap, f*ck or frick, d*mn or dang.
the idea of kissing one person my whole life is incredibly romantic.
I have good internet friends who did this.. They dated long distance for a long time (2 years) and then met face to face. Neither had dated/kissed anyone else before they met. He proposed at the airport where she and her father picked him up (and he even asked her father for permission prior) and she accepted. She found out that same time he only bought a one way ticket and all his things would follow him. He had even bought a house 6 blocks away from her family home because he did not want her to get homesick. He had arranged a job transfer as well. Sneaky monkey he was, and I proud to say I got to help with the scheming.
They did not kiss until they were pronounced husband and wife, and now they are expecting their 3rd set of twins, 10 years later.
I know my hubby is the only man I will ever sleep with, as we were both virgins when we got married.
I don't necessarily think that it's wrong to kiss more than one person, but I wish I wouldn't have kissed the people I did, or as many as I did. I think that wanting to completely save yourself for the person you're going to end up marrying is the best way to go. When my husband and I got married, our wedding kiss was our first kiss together, and my husband's first kiss ever. It was amazing, and extremely meaningful. Kudos to Wooden for sticking to his principles. I think the value lies in him being a man of his word and living out his Christian principles. Of course, you can err on the side of being legalistic and judgmental and let pride get in the way when you're able to stick to something so firmly, but when someone is trying to serve God through example and because he truly wants to please his Savior, then there is nothing to criticize.
I think that idea is incredibly so romantic. I think its amazing that he turned 99 and is still with it enough to produce a book! that's incredible!!!! I really want to read his book: a successful coach who taught specifically not to use profane language?!?! that's unheard of today. This man sounds truly amazing.
@ChevalierSeingal@datingish - Did David kiss other women that we know of?
When I was college I did a study on kissing in scripture. I wanted to find out how much I could get away with (like many teenage boys). I discovered that you won't find the answer in scripture. Well, you'll find that people probably didn't kiss until they were married in the Hebrew culture. Romantic/sexual kissing is rarely mentioned in scripture. Proverbs 7 mentions romantic/sexual kissing but it's in a negative light as it is paired with prostitution.
Song of Solomon 8:1
If only you were to me like a brother, who was nursed at my mother's breasts! Then, if I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.
The SOS passage would lead us to believe this engaged couple did not kiss. SOS 1:2 expresses a desire to be kissed as well but the kiss is a result of a rich love and nothing less. It was most likely a cultural thing. But we should ask why it was a cultural thing and why our culture differs in values. What is the best route to take in loving others and pursuing a spouse? Let's take that road, whatever it looks like. If that means not kissing people, then let's keep our lips to ourselves.
I think if we read about sexual morality and how to treat out bodies as scripture instructs, and we of course consider our lips and tongues as part of our body, then our conclusion will probably be pretty conservative. After all, as little as we may consider it to be, kissing in a romantic context is sexual activity. It's possible there is a very high standard for believers. I'm not saying people won't enter the kingdom for kissing anyone before marriage but I am saying it may not be the best option for us as individuals, couples, or a community.
@TheGreatBout@xanga - OMFG! Tell me you are joking right? You have got to be kidding me right? Your lucky I am no longer a christian or I would either slap you for being so retarded or kidnap you and take you to the rubber room myself.
The only protestant Christians on planet earth that even attempt to use that thing in between there ears called a brain anymore are the reformed presbyterians. No wonder the catholics fondle so many boy toys.
For me to even attempt to refute something so retardedly stupid would mean I was a retard for even attempting it. This is like looking at a gallen of milk and saying "There's no milk there"!
My God son you need help, BIG TIME HELP!!!
@ChevalierSeingal@datingish - I'm not joking. I mean, We know that when David was at Nob he mentions to the priest he is a virgin (1Samuel 21:1-6) and given the culture and what else we know about David, it's very possible he was sexually moral outside of that one instance with Bathsheba. We even see repentance for his actions. He's a man after the heart of The One True God. Scripture doesn't mention any other wives he may have had or anything to make us believe he wasn't a sexually moral man outside the one instance (that I'm aware of).
You mentioned before (on my blog) that you know the Bible better than 95% of all ministers and theologians so I was hoping that you would shed some light on this for me. If my response is truly ridiculous can you please explain to me why so I can mature in knowledge and leave my foolishness?
@TheGreatBout@xanga - King David had multiple wives, and had at least one affair (with Bathsheba). Even though it was 'only one' affair, I still think that puts him ahead of most people on the extra marital tomfoolery scale. And with (at least) five wives, it puts him ahead of the one set of lips rule. I got my numbers from 1 Chron. 3- I just did a quick scan.
@TheGreatBout@xanga - Your a pacifist christian who obviously rips the entire 110th psalms out of the bible. See my above comment for your answer.
Time is my most valuable asset. God himself could refute you and it would not change your presuppositional lunacy.
There is a REASON the reformed do not spend any time on this blog.
@Shy___Away@xanga - Thanks you sister!
I will not spend the time to deal with the disadvantaged.
@Shy___Away@xanga - Can't argue with that. Thank you. Now I know he had several baby-mamas. Only one is mentioned as a wife in this passage strangely. I wonder if Jezreel, Abigail, Maacah, Abital, and Haggith were wives as well. Even if they weren't we know David married Bathsheba after her husband died and this passage tells us Eglah was his wife so he obviously had two. I guess it doesn't matter. David had concubines. It's safe to say he wasn't a one-woman type of man. Though I wouldn't say that gives room for promiscuous activity (even in kissing) for Christians. Polygamy was accepted then and there unlike now.
Something worth looking more deeply at (for me) would be the connection between the polygamy practices in Jewish culture through history and the teachings of marriage in scripture. It'd also be interesting to see if there was a framework for faithfulness within polygamous relationships.
@ChevalierSeingal@datingish - "God himself could refute you and it would not change your presuppositional lunacy... Your a pacifist christian who obviously rips the entire 110th psalms out of the bible."
You, obviously, don't know my views. I recently posted a blog (that was featured here on Revelife just yesterday) about difficulty with scripture and the need to submit to it when it conflicts with our personal views. I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong.
@TheGreatBout@xanga - That's good. Flexibility is very important no matter what side we are on.
"I would either slap you for being so retarded..."
"The only protestant Christians on planet earth that even attempt to use that thing in between there ears..."
"For me to even attempt to refute something so retardedly stupid would mean I was a retard for even attempting it."
"God himself could refute you and it would not change your presuppositional lunacy."
"I will not spend the time to deal with the disadvantaged."
Hm...
Thank you, TheGreatBout, for being a such a great testament. The way you've responded so patiently to ChavalierSeingal makes me re-evaluate how I react to people who talk down to me like that.
@gabrielpeter@xanga - He has to tolerate my forthrightness he is a pacifist.
Pacifists believe in spreading there ass cheeks real wide and providing Vaseline for the rapist and taking the black Godzilla stick with joy, peace and compassion. That is how they are going to change the world.
Plus there is not a christian on planet earth who can beat me in a debate. You do believe a walking talking snake stole the universe (Gen 3) do you not???
@ChevalierSeingal@datingish - Nope.
@gabrielpeter@xanga - I guess I just assumed you were a christian. My mistake.
Unless your catholic and believe the pope is the all infallible cocksucker.