I’m a soccer dad. I also just found out I get to be the assistant soccer coach for indoor soccer with my friend Koen (pronounced Coon).

Life is not perfect, but I’m not going to dwell on that because Amy took that burden away from me. She is such an amazing friend. She is Jesus to me in so many ways.

Soccer is front and center right now for me, and I think I’m going to purchase Soccer For Dummies on my Kindle. Koen is from Belgium, so obviously he grew up with futbol. I played one year of soccer in high school, and I bought a soccer jersey in Brazil years ago, but I have no idea where it is now. Chloe got into soccer with her BFF, and this year she won the most improved player award. And she really improved drastically more than all the other years she has played. The high school coach Mrs. Spragg has been talking to her about playing in high school, and it really looks like Chlo will play. We’re headed into the indoor season, and then track comes around, and I’d love it if Chlo would go to a soccer camp this summer with Coach O’Brien, who won the conference championship this year to make it to the big dance for soccer.

Competition is so important for young people, and I can’t begin to tell you what it did for me even when I was just playing intramural basketball. It teaches you so much about life in winning and losing, working hard, team work, being unselfish, being humble and lifting others up when they’re down. This team of girls this year who lost against a very good Ensworth team won in my book, and it was a joy to spend the season with them, Coach Layne and Coach Addie.

I might be biased, but God has been so good to me through the Lipscomb community, and this is just another reason to thank Him for that. We aren’t perfect, and we’ve never claimed to be, but we work hard to bless the city of Nashville and beyond. I think it’s exciting to see the changes on campus, and I probably take them for granted because as a Lipscomb Academy parent I see the campus everyday. I can’t imagine what someone sees when they return ten years later.

But for right now I get to enjoy the MAC where my Chloe will play her second year of indoor soccer with Coach Koen. I told my friend Johnna that depression is no fun to fight, but when you are surrounded by a healing community like Lipscomb you find purpose and love to “heal.”

Don’t ignore the moments that happen. It can be as simple as a middle school soccer banquet. Inspiration is everywhere, and our Father loves to give it.