FIT@50 / Week 80: Being Human
This week’s FIT@50 is probably best spent just being human. I’ve come to understand that it’s okay to just be human.
FIT@50 / week 76
FIT@50 / week 76 Not There: I’m prompting Max to prep for bed. While it takes a little longer, he eventually gets there. I finally warned him with a stern wag of my finger to wrap up the tub time. I came back in his bathroom after sorting his school clothes and he had a head of hair slathered with Old Spice body wash. I grunted, “No. Not there.” He proudly continued to rub it over his head. It never registered with […]
FIT@50 / week 66
FIT@50 / week 66 True Power: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.” – Jimi Hendrix This week I received two notices about Chief of Police positions in Louisiana. My immediate thoughts were “No thanks.” It was about this time last year that I’d announced my August 28th retirement date. I would’ve never in a million years thought retirement from the only job I’d known would’ve been a reality. To be honest, […]
FIT@50 \ week 18
FIT@50 \ week 18 Broken: Don’t Do It “They broke me.” Those words were hard to hear. “I know. It’s what they do,” was all I could say. The somber, wooden expression in my friend’s face showed what two decades of service could do to even the most dedicated. Some professions require a certain adherence to its culture, although not part of the official policy. Mavericks, self-starters and long-haired freaky people need not apply. Unfortunately, the conflict between old school tradition and […]
FIT@50 \ week 14
FIT@50 \ week 14 Balance Thursday night at a family birthday supper my niece said how odd it looked to see a wedding ring on my hand. I said it throws me off balance. Then I thought about what I said. There’s a weight associated with this ring. It’s called balance. To shift from decades of doing what I wanted, when I wanted to coordinating daily calendars for meeting the needs of the family took balance. Shifting gears from an “I want” […]
FIT@50 \ week 13
FIT@50 \ week 13 Sacrifice: Putting Others First WOW, what a week of being FIT@50. I got married—how cool is that. Liliana Hart and I had planned the wedding months in advance, but even before that, we had options to throw any size event, anywhere we wanted. The choice was simple – lets do this for our families. Putting others first was the right decision. Our kids come after God, so to make sure not only the young, but the not so […]
God covers all the bases.
God covers all the bases. Holding Max while he sleeps, I miss my mom more than ever. Always wishing that he could’ve known his “Nonny,” breaks my heart. For most of his young life I seldom mentioned my mom—speaking her name remains painful. As he matured I began to talk about “Nonny” and show him pictures. She was a God-loving, gentle soul. They would have loved each other. After 20 years unmarried, I finally began to pray for a wife because God […]
FIT@50 \ week 9
FIT@50 \ week 9 Signs and wonders: As I’ve matured, leaning on faith has become something on which I focus. Wishing I could say it came easy wouldn’t be the truth. I think it’s a by-product of occupational conditioning. Cops assume everything someone says is naturally not the truth until proven otherwise. Skepticism requires a difficult deprogramming process, but is necessary for learning to trust others. The bible talks about reliance upon signs and wonders versus leaning on faith. As I’ve learned […]
FIT@50 \ week 8
FIT@50 \ week 8 Teamwork: I’ve been a part of teams my entire life – from sports to SWAT. Victory by each definition was the ultimate goal, and I trained to achieve them like my life depended on it. In some cases it actually did. This past weekend, Liliana Hart and I joined our most favorite team to challenge ourselves and each other in an adventure run. Team Us enjoyed the planning, and kidding about how we’d perform. We even had fun […]
Saturday Stretch: When the greatest threat is yourself
Saturday Stretch: When the greatest threat is yourself The love God shows me is undeserved, yet unconditional. Each year I reflect on my son’s birthday and the circumstances surrounding it. The lesson of grace was shown to me that night, so I share it with you today. My son’s birth delivery came fast and complicated. Down syndrome was the blessing yet unknown at the time. Having zero experience with it—the depth of despair was deep. I hadn’t known sadness that intense since […]
FIT@50 \ week 6
PLEASE SHARE to SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX
FIT@50 \ week 5
FIT@50 \ week 5 Legacy Building Talking with a newly promoted commander I encouraged him to consider how he wanted to be remembered. “Think about building your legacy today,” I said, “not on your deathbed.” He leapt to his feet and shared a movie scene he felt applied. Warring kings agreed to have their respective champions fight in their place. King A calls a giant, menacing soldier. King B calls a guy—who’d decided to sleep in that morning. An apprentice was dispatched […]
FIT@50 \ week 4
FIT@50 \ week 4: 1 hour – I was feeling a bit omniscient this week as my 25th year in law enforcement roared around. Sharing a few old stories with the guys helped me reflect on how incredibly different my life had turned out. Our historical journey migrated to a generational generalization. You know the one about, “kids now a days…” Seems the moment 8 hours of accrued leave is earned, some employees miraculously become ill for precisely 8 hours. Just then […]
It’s My Anniversary:
the sacrifices are noble when offered with a sincere heart.
FIT@50 \ week 3
FIT@50 \ week 3 Empathy: It’s okay to care. No matter how “fit” I’ve become, minding my own business has always been my business. During the many years in special operations my job was to know other’s secrets. I was good at my job. Knowing the darkest moments in another person’s life is a cross of confidentiality I understood I’d carry to my grave. Over the years it might have even caused me to construct a wall around my empathetic understanding. During […]
The basis for a right relationship
In my years of ministry, I have been with numerous people as they left this life to enter into eternity. None have called for their accountant or their bankbooks. They only call for their family members, friends, and their God. At the end of life we all realize the only thing that really matters is our relationships. Ultimately, the most important is the relationship we have with our God. God created a special garden He called Eden, and placed the first man […]
Don’t Doubt – DO
Be an Oak
It was around 1981-1982 that I decided to quit my job and pursue the full-time ministry of an Evangelist. I had been taught by my Pastor that you never make major changes without prayer and fasting. I had a wife and two children at this time (my youngest was not yet born), and making this decision was serious because it would affect their lives greatly. I had to know it was God directing me. I took a few days off from […]
Who is Calling the Shots?
The greatest battleground in your life is between your ears. Scripture clearly states that as a man thinks, so is he. The Apostle Paul wrote that the way to transform your life and find God’s perfect will is to transform your thinking to God’s way. (Romans 12:1-2) Our right choices allow His Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and make us a child of God. This is what scripture calls “born again”. It is clear that the battle between Good and Evil […]
Do you have what it takes?
Adrian Rogers told the story of a man who was going to be made CEO of a major company. The Board of Directors talked about it, and it was decided. In the company cafeteria one day, the existing CEO was behind this man in line. Unbeknownst to the man, the CEO saw him take a pat of butter that cost about 3 cents, then put a slice of bread over the butter so that no one would see it. The CEO […]
Get out of the boat
They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind. Matthew 4:22 Something about the comfort and safety of the boat makes it hard to leave! After Noah had floated in the ark for months, God caused the floodwaters to recede and directed Noah and his family to leave their haven of refuge. Surely Noah wondered what it would be like outside the ark. Peter, too, knew the safety of the boat. But one day Jesus challenged him to leave the known […]
It is Well | Mother’s Day
It is Well | Mother’s Day Last week I was blessed with a wonderful sermon about the Shumanite woman from 2 Kings 4:8-37. Her sacrifice, silent suffering, and faith reminded me of my mother – as I’m sure her character is similar to your moms’ also. Elisha asked about her child, and having just lost the young boy, she answered, “It is well, it is well.” Not that she wasn’t hurting, but her spirit, which transcended human understanding, was at peace despite […]
City on a Hill | Day of Prayer
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; – Matthew 5:14 It was a humbling presence to pray for our law enforcement and military on Thibodaux’s courthouse steps. The representation of spiritual leaders, prayer warriors and praise partners gathered to pray for our nation, state and city illustrates that God is Not Dead – He’s roaring like a LION in the City of Thibodaux – Our city on a hill.
Filtering Out the Negatives
Wouldn’t you like to have a filter inn your brain that filters what’s important and what’s not? Well, you do. It’s called the “Reticular Activation System” or RAS. It’s the part of your brain that automatically filters out what is not important to you, and brings your attention to the things that are. We all have it. A Mother will tell you that they can pick out their own child’s voice among the noise of many children. Dad can be snoring so loud […]
Be an Oak
It was around 1981-1982 that I decided to quit my job and pursue the full-time ministry of an Evangelist. I had been taught by my Pastor that you never make major changes without prayer and fasting. I had a wife and two children at this time (my youngest was not yet born), and making this decision was serious because it would affect their lives greatly. I had to know it was God directing me. I took a few days off from […]
Preparing a Place
It is such a joy when someone saves a place for us. We walk into a crowded room wondering how we’re going to find a seat, and someone across the way waves us over; pointing to a chair they’ve held especially for us. For a moment we feel a sense of relief, a taste of being on the inside. Now consider Jesus’ words in John 14:2—”I am going . . . to prepare a place for you.” Christ promises that He is […]
Wonder Why?
Why don’t you ever see the headline “Psychic Wins Lottery”? Why is “abbreviated” such a long word? Why is it that doctors call what they do “practice”? Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker? Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour? Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes? You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don’t they make the whole plane out of that stuff?! Why […]
What to Bury
If you want to live a life that matters and has the Peace of God in it, learn to know what to bury and what to remember. This Poem I often read at funerals says much about what is important. A time has come when my life on earth has ceased. I ask you my family and friends, remember these special things: Bury my body, but don’t bury my beliefs. Bury my heart, but don’t bury my love. Bury my eyes, but […]
The Christian Police Officer
By: Officer Johnathon Fontenot Thibodaux Police Department (LA) I am a Christian, but I am also a Police Officer. The challenges of being a Christian or a Police Officer are in and of themselves diverse, but being both at the same time has proved to be more challenging than I could have ever imagined. My journey with God began in the summer of 2009. My life was completely transformed, and God gave me an intense desire to know more about him. So, […]
The Farmer and the Atheist
An atheist neighbor came over to speak to the old farmer as he worked in his garden. He told the farmer, “I don’t believe in your God and if he did exist he wouldn’t be that smart. See that little vine with that great big watermelon on it, and that great big oak branch with that little bitty acorn on it? Good sense says the watermelon should be on the big branch and the acorn on the little vine.” About that […]
Know What to Do and When to Do It
Several years back, I read where an Oregon Middle School was having problems with some girls. They were putting lipstick on and kissing the bathroom mirrors. The principal finally gathered the girls they believed responsible (Police Work J), and stood them before the kissed mirrors. The principal then said, “Please help me stop this problem. It’s so hard for our janitor to clean this off. Watch, I’ll show you.” Then the janitor promptly dipped his mop in the toilet and began scrubbing […]
Building momentum for your life
It is said that you can take a 4”x4” block of wood and place it in front of a Steam Engine Train and it cannot move. But let it build up its speed to 50 mph and it can plow through a 10’x10’ steel reinforced block of concrete. That is the power of Momentum. Obstacles are a part of life we all deal with, but those that are successful in Life are people that keep momentum going in the right direction. With […]
Secret Service
A while back someone sent me a gift certificate of $400 to buy a suit. I never wore a $400 anything in my life! Believe me my children let me know they can see that. The generous gift allowed me to purchase two suits and some accessories. I haven’t found out who gave the gift. I have operated my gift of suspicion, but it was never confirmed to me. Whoever did this understood the principle of doing things secretly and being rewarded […]
The Fog
In 1952, Florence Chadwick stepped into the waters of the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island, determined to swim to the shore of mainland California. She’d already been the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways. The weather was foggy and chilly; she could hardly see the boats accompanying her. Still, she swam for fifteen hours. When she begged to be taken out of the water along the way, her mother, in a boat alongside, told her she was close and […]
Be this guy
“Courage is being scared to death…and saddling up anyway.” John Wayne I first saw this photograph a couple of years ago and was struck with a sense of sadness for the man in the circle. My imagination swept me into believing the worst of fates for his non-compliance. I put the picture aside, and every so often would come across it again. While I wanted to cheer for his refusal to cave, I still suffered from the sadness of his assumed inevitable fate. […]
Putting on the restraints
A little boy was riding around and around the block on his tricycle. Somebody said, “Son what are you doing?” He said, “I am running away from home.” The man said, “But you’re just going around and around the block.” The little boy said, “Yes, Momma won’t let me cross the street!” Even when rebellion happens in the earliest ages, there is the restraint of parental training that is put in the heart of children. Today, we have a philosophy that says […]
The Eulogy: 2013
Over the last few days I’ve witnessed so many who’ve cursed or eulogized the last year; yes 2013. Instead of rejoicing in the 365 days of life God allowed them, they dismiss the gifts of grace in hopes of happenstance instantly or magically changing their circumstances. What makes a person believe that the tick of a second-hand tock is going to erase the hardships, the failures, the could-have-beens, the should-have-beens and the never-have-beens? Good things happen, bad things happen, terribly horrible things happen […]
It’s Green and Sticky | Christmas
I’m blessed to have served another year as a Chief of Police. Christmas is a natural season for the people I serve to graciously show gratitude through cards, foods and snacks delivered to the Thibodaux Police Department. Not unlike probably every agency across the globe, we become benefactors of an outpouring of goodwill from the folks we pour out our lives to everyday. Trust me, it is so very appreciated. The more chocolate the better I say! As I sorted through the pile […]
“Mary” Christmas
Mary Christmas! I love Christmas! Christmas is a special time of the year for all Christians and many non-Christians. It is a time of fun, family and expressing our care for all mankind. It’s just a good time of year. Unfortunately, the trend is slowly moving to take Christ out of Christmas. Stores put on their signs, “Happy Holidays” because they don’t want to offend non-Christians. Some places even put “Merry Xmas” making sure that Christ is not on their marquee. I […]
ENDURE
There is a song that says “Can’t Give Up Now” often times we give up right before our breakthrough. Truly the Lord knows us in and out. But have you felt an extra boost of strength to keep moving just when you were about to give up? Why do we give up so soon? Is it because we have had enough? Or does it display a much deeper problem we have within ourselves.? It is so easy to give up then to […]
Show me yours…
“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” That’s not just some cool quote or a random idea from Google. It’s a Biblical concept. In Proverbs 13:20, Solomon, the wise-guy, wrote: “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” It’s just like your mother always told you – Be careful who you hang around; Be careful who you associate with; Guard who pours into your life. Don’t let just anyone […]
Leadership, Smeadership | Get your own coffee
I’m often asked by officers, media and my college students about leadership. Seldom is asked what it takes to be led, or how to actually lead; but mostly when do “I get a chance to lead” or “I want to lead now.” I appreciate the enthusiasm, and if sincere, the desire to offer themselves up for the sacrifice to lead others. Sacrifice? Did you say “sacrifice?” No one ever mentioned sacrifice. Guess what? Servant leadership requires sacrifice. You must understand that to […]
Can a Christian be a Cop?
I’m often asked, “Who is God and why should I serve Him?” My answer is that God was the first cop. “For […]
Be the Best You
I told one of my grandsons the other day that he didn’t always have to be the best, but he did always have to do his best. I don’t remember where I first heard this axiom (a self-evident truth), but it is definitely sound advice. To do your best requires certain things in your life. One of the most important is a determined desire. Proof of desire is pursuit, but without consistency desire alone isn’t enough. In fact – Discipline, not Desire […]
The Extra Mile
We have all heard the expression “Going The Extra Mile,” which refers to acts of service that go beyond what is required or expected. What some may not know is that the expression comes from the Bible, when Jesus declares in his sermon on the mount – “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:41). The verse is a reference to the practice of “impressment,” which, among other things, allowed a Roman soldier to conscript a Jewish […]
The Fishbowl | What you do in Public
NOTE: I am posting this message received for two reasons; 1. It was sent via social media, so I trust I’m not violating a confidence by posting. 2. It is possibly the nicest message I have received, and moves me to know that our actions, as important as our words, speak volumes about who we are and what we do. Hi, Scott. I found your sight by clicking on a twitter link tweeted by an author friend. I was curious because of […]
Through the Eyes of a Child
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds – “What does love mean?” The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth. Billy – age ? Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and […]
When God has a Message | Just hush
Developing a talking theme for the year’s last quarter, I thought about leadership. Everyday my inbox is inundated with training solicitations for courses on leadership. Sure, everyone wants to lead, guide, direct and command. It’s our manifest destiny standing at the helm with a sword in one hand inspiring the troops. Today we can learn how to do it for a very reasonable registration fee, travel, hotel and per diem. Then I thought about learning to serve instead. Jotting ideas of what our commission as public servants […]
How You Can Change for the Best
While sitting, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles with it. While doing this, draw the number “6″ in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Someone smarter than me will have to explain why, but I do know there are some things we do that alters the way other things work in our lives. Jesus taught that He came to seek and to save us […]
Valor | Strength of Mind & Spirit
I am so fortunate to be associated with men and women who hold this sacred. I’m thankful for their friendship, service and sacrifice. Who do you know living by this ethos? Thank them. Thank you.