It's Football Time

It's football Time in Tennessee, I know this is a saying that has been made famous by announcers for the University of Tennessee but when I say it's football time I'm referring to the football that my son plays.
I love watching and being involved with Eli playing football; and I believe I enjoy it more because he loves to play. Now I know, as a parent, were supposed to be proud of our children no matter want; but I'm really proud of Eli. Because truth be told, he's a real good football player, I don't know what the future might hold as far as a career in football but you never know. As far as right now it brings joy to my heart to watch him play.

The other thing I enjoy is helping to coach these young men in a sport that I love. I started playing football when I was six years old and played up to my freshman year in high school, until a knee injury finished my football playing. I have to say some of my favorite memories come from playing on the football field, when I was younger.
And now I feel blessed that I can be involved with these young men, and I hope that one day they'll say their fondest memories came from playing on the football field when they were younger and just maybe I would be involved in that time that they enjoy.
This year Eli has moved up to the next phase of football and is playing in the Midget division, and I have to say things are a little bit different from when he played in the Pee Wees. But not only did Eli move up, I moved up with him and am now helping coach the team that he plays on. One of the things I'm truly enjoying this year is getting to coach with Phil Waddell; and one thing that has become very obvious over the past month worth of practice is: That this is a game and this is a sport - and Phil coaches the sport as he should. But Phil goes beyond the sport and uses this opportunity as a ministry to reach out to these young men.

As for Phil and me and the other coaches Roger and Keith we all have one thing in common and that is the fact that we love the Lord and are brothers in Christ. And at this time the good Lord has truly blessed us with an opportunity to take these young men and show them our love and respect for each other and we pray more than anything that they don't just learn about football but that they learn what it's like to be a follower of Christ.
Of course as coaches of the team we would like to win every game, but more than anything I pray that we may be used, that all of these young men would win in life.

A servant of HIS,
John Deyton