There are so many analogies rooted in trees.
The Bible alone talks about the Tree of Life 10 times.
We use the tree for a wide range of things both in analogies and realities; climbing, fire wood, paper, shade, landmarks, rope swings, postcards, framing houses, log cabins, fruit, and on and on.
Me?
Any of my close friends would tell you that I love trees! 

Alright scoot up and listen up.

As athletes we need to pay extra attention to what we eat.
We get very specific about how we fuel and re-fuel our bodies.  We base our nutrition according to what type of things we do daily per our sport, position, or event.  We need all the help we can get, right?

And, for those of you who follow the Chalk Talk Blog and Podcast,

Bring it in… scoot up and pay attention.
See this dude here… the one holding the umbrella?
Let’s talk about him and the obvious things we see about his condition and situation;

1.  It’s obvious it’s raining.
As a matter of fact, we could say it’s pouring.

2. We can also note that this guy is prepared… right?
This person has obviously been given a gift, a tool..

College Football Season is officially starting today!
We are aware that High School Football has already a couple of weeks under it’s belt, and I personally have been to a couple of games… and it still remains fresh and alive to me as ever.  What a great great time in a young man’s life.

There are many differences between High School Football and College Football.
I could go into many of them,

Proverbs 20:4  Sluggards do not plow in season;
    so at harvest time they look but find nothing.

sluggard

noun slug·gard \ ˈslə-gərd \

: a habitually lazy person

Just saying this word aloud kind of makes you know the definition without knowing the definition, right?
For certain it sounds like something you do not wish to be called,

Hebrews 10:24
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds

I try to run daily.
Running has always been a time of listening to music, podcast, Louis L’amour books, prayer and self reflection.
The other day I was about to run and noticed a rubber/silicone bracelet my friends at my local bike shop (Robins Bikes and Fittness )had given me honoring their friend who had suddenly passed.

Alright… Bring it in. Scoot up. I want to talk to about push-ups!
 Why push ups?

Listen up! (that’s a good idea too.. listen UP… for a later blog)

For now… First let’s recognize that a push up is an exercise.
Exercise defined;
1 : regular or repeated use of a faculty or bodily organ
2 : bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness

Keywords;

What do you want?

What do you really want?
Where is it your thoughts first turn too when asked this question?
Material things? Money? Boyfriend, Girlfriend? Starting position, undefeated season? Your child to start, play, score, win?

What if you ask yourself this question; What is it that satisfies you?
Does anything really satisfy you?  IF SO… for how long?  Does it fade? Does it depend upon others…

It is your page.
Of course it is all about you.
What are you ALL about?

MATTHEW 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Don’t lose yourself in yourself.
Some self is good.
Some self is ‘ish’.

 myself, oneself, self-confidence, self-conscious, self-contained, self-control,

We all are tempted.
We all face temptation.
Let’s look at the root word defined by Webster’s Dictionary;

tempt
tempted; tempting; tempts
transitive verb
1 : to entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain

Hey… Glad to recognize all temptation is not of Evil…  You can be tempted to eat a little more ice cream, right?
But, when it comes to what you know to be Right Vs.