The years teach much which the days never knew. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

This reminds me of sitting in Pastor Michael’s office, during one of our Monday morning discipleship sessions, reflecting on something (which was normal, as he would spiritually kick my butt time and time again!) and looking at him and saying, “I just wish I could get old fast!” Kind of strange coming from the mouth of a college student, but then again it wasn’t for me. It was sometime during college that I realized growth, maturity and wisdom can’t be forced. It develops over time in the heart, mind and life of an individual. It takes time. It was then that I realized the years are a great teacher. So here’s to another year and another decade behind me and a just a tad bit more wisdom, growth and maturity hopefully to my life! Oh yeah, the learning might just be beginning, if this quote is true…

Everything I know I learned after I was thirty. - Georges Clemenceau

1. Number 1, has to be what I just wrote! I’m excited to welcome this new 30-something chapter to my life because it seems to bring a whole new set of adventures and lessons to my life!
2. I have absolutely beautiful and stunning sisters, that every year continue to amaze me with their beauty, talents, creativity and so much more! I love you Megs and Miks!

3. My parents seem to become cooler and cooler with everyday I know them. I can’t quite describe this. They have always been my biggest cheer leaders, but they seem to become greater and greater with age! They amaze me. Thank you Mom and Dad! I’m thankful I was conceived 30 years and 9 months ago!
4. Even though age brings wisdom, years also break hurts. I think the 29th year of my life, might have brought more emotional hurts than the previous short 28 years. Many events transpired over the last year that brought me to my knees in tears and also in prayer! Most of these events, I of course, wish I wouldn’t have had to deal with, but then on the other hand I’m grateful for them. Doesn’t make sense does it? At least not by the world’s standards, it doesn’t make sense! But if God does exist and is indeed sovereign then each hurt, betrayal and etc. had a purpose, it wasn’t some random event that happened at the result of broken people, including me! (Romans 8:28) Therefore, I am grateful for the hurts that the 29th year brought, because God was working for His Glory and my good in the midst of it all!
5. I love traveling. Every time I’m traveling, I feel at home! I love it! New places, new faces, new cultures and more of seeing God’s beauty expressed all over the world! (below: Nerja, Spain & New York, New York)

6. Much to my mother’s displeasure, I’m still accepting applications for this position! (see below) (I listened to my mother tell me, at least, once again, this week, that she would like grandkids sooner than later! Haha! You’ll have to talk to Megs and Tom about that one mom!)

7. In my 29th year I discovered that the “coaching blood” of my father also flows in my veins! Last year, because of several situations, I became the head coach of the Prague Lions Junior Team and I couldn’t have asked for a better first season as a head coach! We only had one loss and it was by a mere two points. Then we went on to have one of the biggest comebacks in Czech football history and then repeated this in the Championship game to reclaim the crown! What a huge blessing! I’m stoked about our fall season! GO LIONS!
8. The Czech Republic celebrated 20 years of freedom from communism last November and as I was in the midst of the crowd I had a this overwhelming longing to see another revolution in this country! This isn’t anything new, I’ve said this before, but being in a throng of Czechs celebrating political and social freedom, made me long for a deeper change here. Please continue to pray for the Czech Republic, pray that this revolution would take place!


9. I’ve learned and important fact of life this year - that the more I learn, the more I realize I have no idea what I’m really talking about. I’m told this is wisdom! This may be true, but I’ve been blown away by this. It’s produced a hunger to learn even more! I love that the education/maturing process never ends!
10. I really like coffee. I’m thankful for my many friends at St. Arbucks, who hook a brother up time and time again! It’s funny the Wenceslas Square St. Arbucks baristas and managers are like a second family! Thanks guys!
11. My retirement. Yes my 29th year brought retirement to my life! That is retiring as a player of the great sport of football! I had planned on planning into at least my first year of my 30s, but because of situations that took place within the Lions, I decided that I could have a bigger impact as a coach, rather than as a player or do the ridiculous thing of being a player/coach! This is has been tough at times, because I’m a competitor and love competing, but at the end of the day it was the right decision. Beyond that I count it a blessing that I wasn’t forced to “retire” because of a serious injury. I’m thankful that I’m not that guy “who’s trying to live the [hopeless] dream” and continue to play, when he should have hung up the cleats and let the young pups have at it! Furthermore, I love coaching because of things like this.
12. I’ve learned that I can’t receive enough grace and I certainly can’t extend enough grace. Grace has become a much closer friend in the last year of my life, than they previous years. I’m looking forward to the journey with grace for years to come!
13. What do you do with critics? That is a good question! Depending on what field of work you are in, with more years means more opportunities, increased leadership roles and more critics! My 29th year has been spent with learning to turn my critics into coaches and using their words and thoughts (whether they are good or of ill intent) as lessons to grow as a leader, man and much more! (see more on this)
14. This year brought another cool coaching opportunity! I have the extreme blessing of being the offensive coordinator for the Czech Junior National Team! Which has meant that I get to coach 12 of my guys that are on the Junior National team, but also coach guys from all over the country! I’m so thankful for this opportunity to coach and make a positive influence on more young men here in Czech! Here’s the highlights of our qualifier game against Italy. CESI! CESI! CESI!
15. My family has always been, um, “entertained” (a better word might be embarrassed by me) but as I’ve matured I’ve realized there is a place for my “entertainment!” Which is a good lesson to learn, but I also don’t want to be boring. I like keeping people on their toes. I like making people laugh. So I think the last year was another year of learning balance here, at least that is what I think!

16. One of the things I’ve longed to do more here in Prague are charity activities in areas that are outside of my normal grid here in Prague. I’ve, more over, longed that I can somehow do a little cross pollination and bring different “worlds” of mine together here in Prague. In the last year, the Lions partnered with a home for troubled girls, with the Lions cheerleaders, and also helped in two charity events, which were for after school program for at risk kids. It’s slowly becoming an embedded value into the hearts of my guys, that we should look for opportunities to help those who are in need of help. I can’t wait for the next opportunity!


17. My 29th year, especially the last few months of my 29th year, have been filled with many moments that I need to preach to myself that God is indeed on His thrown and “upholds the universe by the word of His power.” I often feel like I’m trying to hold everything together, when in reality that is futile. I can’t hold everything, or anything, together. I can’t make everything, or much, right. BUT I can know and trust in the one who can and who does! I’m more thankful for the sovereignty of the Lord more than ever before. It is this “theological” truth that is a terribly practical reality of how I continue to endure here in Czech.
18. I love creating! It’s true I do, but with the many hats I wear here, I don’t get a ton of time to “do creative things” like I wish I had time for! There are those rare moments of bliss, in the midst of life, where there is a moment of creativity and I love it! I often wish I could bottle that moment up and open it in one of my moments where I just feel the need to create. I’m thankful for the epiphany creative moments that do fall upon me!

19. This last week has reminded me of a life lesson I need some major growth in - working hard but ALSO resting hard! Time and time again I work, work, work myself straight into being sick! With the growing volume of responsibilities and opportunities I need to be very intentional to rest well, so that my work will be better and will endure!
20. I love adventures! I’ve blogged on this before, but when Megs and I went to Barcelona last November we spent a few hours in a restaurant and by the time we were leaving we friends with most the servers and felt like we were regulars at that Tapas restaurant in Barcelona. We also picked up a few facebook friends from the night too! It’s one of my highlights of my 29th year and is one of the other reasons I love traveling - adventure!

21. I for the first time in my life have more friends than my ever-uber-popular sister, Megs! Wait do facebook friends count! Megs, I somehow had to work this in here!
22. I’m going to miss my sister, Megs, so much, as she is moving back to the States to marry an awesome man and start a huge new chapter of her life! I’m so excited for her, but I’m so going to miss her! One of my biggest regrets of my 29th year is that I didn’t take advantage of having my sister living in the same city as me.

23. I’ve learned that I need to listen more, simply - keep mouth shot and listen more!
24. I love the body of Christ for so many reasons, but one of the reasons is that in the body of Christ God provides second families to me! I’m very thankful for the love I receive for my “second families” here in Prague and throughout the we world! Thank you guys for being there for me time and time again.

25. Strength in weakness. Is this upside down in the world’s eyes? Yes. It it consistent with Jesus, the disciples and the Bible? Yes. (1 Corinthians 1:25-27) At one point this year, I was told I have “all the power” to do something and my response was that Jesus laid down his “power” for something greater. I’ve seen this played out in a few other ways as of late, as well. The simple truth, that sometimes to be stronger you have to be weaker first. I’ve used the illustration of cancer patient this spring, as I’ve thought about this. If someone needs to have cancer removed, they will need the cancer removed, of course, but in the process of removing the unhealthy cancer they will also loose some healthy tissue, they will lose strength! BUT without losing this strength, without being made weaker, they will never be healthy, they will never be stronger. I’m learning that this is okay. It may even be necessary! What ways do you need to get week in life?
26. I love my guys! Being a coach of high school aged guys means that I spend a lot of time with guys that are now 10+ years younger than me and I love it! I love turning my guys worlds upside down by loving them in ways that don’t make sense to them! Like today, I was talking to one my guys, who got in a little trouble and I told him, “Call me. I’m here for you if you need anything.” He knows this is true, but him hearing it again made him stop and think once again, “What’s up with this guy? Why does he love me?” As I look at coaching, my opinion is that if you don’t make a positive impact on your players on AND OFF the field then you are wasting your time and their time! Sadly, this applies to most coaches! My heart - love them, teach them, be there for them, make a difference! It was a blast taking some of my guys to the States with me and, Lord-willing, doing just this!

27. As I enter my 30s, still waiting to fill the previously mentioned “position,” I am fighting to not become that bitter, single thirty something! Again and again, I’m reminded by the Spirit, that I’m exactly where God wants me to be and I’m learning about contentment again and again! With learning about this contentment, it’s freed me to enjoy and celebrate the dating, engaged, newly married and not-so-newly married friends around me. Case in point the Riegl and Ernster weddings were huge blessings to me, in ways that weddings haven’t been in the last 8 years or so. Just say NO, to bitter, single thirty somethings!

28. I’ve learned this year, that I need to fight for hope more than ever before and fight against the cynicism in my own heart! After all if the tomb is empty I have all the reasons in the world to be hopeful!
29. Every day I live here in Prague, this city and it’s people surprise me! These surprises are sometimes in good ways and sometimes in not-so-good ways! Nonetheless, Prague and the people of Prague keep me on my toes, and I’m constantly loving this city more and more. The surprises of shear beauty that jump out time and time again catch me off balance and keep me going! Thank you Prague!

30. I’m realizing that coming up with 30 reflections/highlights/insights/things is really hard, this might be the last time I do this here on zACHhARROD.com for my birthdays. To many years to come up with something! I will have to seriously rethink this! However, after writing this I’m amped for 30! Bring it on! Wait it’s already here! After all, I hear life really begins at 30 and now I really start to learn something! Here’s to a new decade and a bunch new adventures and highlights!

Thanks for stopping by, no matter if you’re in your 10s, 20s, 30s or 80s be a revolution today!

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” -Mark Twain

My players (I’m working with guys as young as 14), have asked me does it scare me, that I’ll be 30 soon. Again this is coming from a teenager, but they are serious. I have twenty something friends who have the same questions. It’s been comedic at times and it has made me ask, “What will it be like not be a twenty something?” But the quote from Mark Twain above seems to sum up how I feel, in that I really don’t mind it. It’s is also amazing, when I see this played out in the lives of many oldER people in my life, who really don’t care how old they are but continue to live in such a beautiful way! So I say to the big 3-0, that will roll into my life Sunday - “BRING IT!” So here’s to “mind over matter!” Have a great week and no matter how old you are BE A REVOLUTION & MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS WEEK!

I pray you have a great day and know that your kids one-third of the world away from you miss you and adore you so much!

Thanks for everything you have done for you us and will do for us!

As I was thinking about you this morning, I thought of many things about you that have insprired me (or us) in our lives, so I thought I shared them with you and the two readers of zACHhARROD.com! Mom, thank you for inspiring us to…
…put our whole hearts into anything we did!
…love.
…not be afraid of emotions. It’s okay to cry.
…be in touch with our roots, your roots.
…travel. My mom would take us kids with her to her midwifery conferences all over North America. I think this is where her kids’ travel bug came from. (So mom, I guess , in some ways, it’s kind of on you that we live overseas! Thank you for taking us with you!)
…work hard.
…never quit.
…be good citizens, even if we voted differently than you voted!
…never settle for mediocrity.
…dream.
…strive to excellence in all do!
…make the most of what we have.
…love learning.
…be more than the status-quo.
…and much, much more….

I love you so much Mom! Thank you for everything you are and more over thank you for being my friend! Happy Mom’s Day!

Hello! It has been quite some time since I’ve made an appearance around here. I’ve been saying that a lot in the past few months. It is the rare moment that Zach Harrod makes an appearance on his own blog! Something is wrong with that! I need to get around to finishing all these “drafts” I’ve started. Trust me my silence on my blog hasn’t been without reason. It’s been a crazy 2010 thus far, and 2010 that has left me grasping, sometimes helplessly, for something firm to hold on to. Most of this, if not all of this, has revolved around the team (the Prague Lions) that I’ve worked with since 2004. I won’t get into the details, but with all the craziness going on with my team this off-season, I wanted to create a video to motivate my guys (mostly the juniors, but the seniors as well) to work hard but also to drive home key values of our team. Core values that I’m working into a leadership program, that is similar to what Coach Jim Tressel, of The Ohio State, has done with what he calls the The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life. I hope to blog some more on this in the future, as right now I’m working hard to put it together, which also include translating stories and quotes from English to Czech, as part of my Czech homework! I believe deeply in this, because at the end of the day if football is only about x’s and o’s and doesn’t develop young men to be better teammates, students, workers, sons, brothers, fathers and overall better citizens, then what is the point?!?! So with that said, I put this quick highlight video together for my junior team.

A rough translation of the text is this, “When no one else believes, and all that is left is the faith of the team, what does this this create?”

odvaha - courage
bratrství - brotherhood
láska - love
vernost - loyalty
váše? - passion
sláva - glory

Enjoy and look back for more Lions videos, as I’m wearing the hate of marketing/PR guy/videographer for the Lions, as well as the roles of Offensive Coordinator for the Senior team and continue as the Head Coach for the Junior team. GO LIONS!

• instance of one moving object or person striking violently against another : a midair collision between two aircrafts.

• an instance of conflict between opposing ideas, interests, or factions : a collision between experience and theory | cultures in collision.

As I begin writing this, I’m currently 35,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and I’m preparing mentally, emotionally and spiritually for something I have yet to experience in my short 29 years of existence, that being - a collision of my world! As I sit here writing this, Kachna is watching the Michael Jackson tribute, Martin is over my left shoulder laughing at a movie and Matej is sawing logs in a deep sleep. This three guys are about to experience a whole new world in about 4 hours, but I’m also about to experience this collision. I can’t wait!

The levels of collision will be interesting. Yes there will be the collision of Czech and American cultures, which are “two of my worlds.” But there will also be the world that I work in and my family, that world as well with those who support me through prayer and financially. Then on top of that there will be this collision of the skeptic, I’m-an-atheist Czech world with American Christianity in the form of meeting my ministry partners (a.k.a. supporters) and also meeting Christian college students. I’m sure there are some more worlds that will collide over the next two weeks, but those are the ones that come to mind right now.

Collisions indeed can be deadly and even ugly (which I’m hoping and praying won’t be the coming collision for us), but I like to see beautiful collisions and also think of collisions as beautiful things. See when things collide there are marks, their are results from a collision, these results can either be deadly or beautiful. Or even both deadly and beautiful. I think back on my freshman year of college and the collision that it was. My world of cultural Christianity and I’m-a-Christian-because-I-go-to-church-every-now-and-then attitude colliding with the true God. In that collision there was both death and life. It was indeed beautiful. I’m praying that the coming collisions will bring the death that is necessary for life, and thus beauty. Would you pray with me for beautiful collisions and also I encourage you to go out today, stir things up, be a revolution and be part of some beautiful collisions!

February 10 – Southern WI/Northern IL - Simple Cafe (525 Broad St. Lake Geneva, WI)
February 11 – Oshkosh Area at RiverValley Church (1331 High Ave, Oshkosh, WI)
February 17 – Xenia, OH at AIA Headquarters (Staff Dining Room, 1197 S. Detroit St.)

We hope to see you!

• Feeling connected with friends that are an ocean away.

• Being able to pray for those friends as they are doing life and ministry. I know I can do this without Twitter, but it’s a good reminder.

• People standing with me in prayer. It’s cool knowing that when I tweet there are people that will read it and lift me or that request up in that moment.

• Being challenged theologically, biblically and so much more. I love that I have such a difference people, whom I follow, that are constantly challenging me through their short 140 character messages.

• It’s taught me to be brief, well briefer, or should I say getting to the point, if that’s possible! Those of you that know me, know that I’m not one who is lost for words ofter, and I struggle with being concise. Well 140 characters, let’s say, is a bit of challenge for me.

• It’s entertaining. I follow some people that just make me laugh. Living in Prague and the challenges that it can present, I find myself needing to laugh more. Twitter brings laughs through some hilarious people.

Those are some great things, yeah? But I’ve also seen negatives of the world of tweeting and those are why I did my short week plus tweet detox. Here are the negatives for me:

• It consumes my life. I find myself not wanting to miss a tweet and in not wanting to miss a tweet, I can live on on twitter (actually my iPhone). This is the main reason I said, “I need a tweet detox.”

• With it being time consuming, I don’t want to look at a screen more than the faces of people in front of me! So it can rob me of relational time. I want to engage the person, who is actually in front of me, in conversation, with my heart and not stare as some well-picked profile pic.

• Tweeting can lead me from my identity in Christ and who I actually am. I can fine, or have found myself, worried about being some of other guy - who will wow people, make me people roll laughing, make people ponder the deepest of thoughts and so on. I have found myself trying to reinvent who I am, because of others, instead of simply being me, Zach Harrod.

There is why I did my detox. Some of you out there, might think I’m needing some professional help. No worries, I don’t think I am addicted and I think where I am is actually very healthy. However, needless to say, I needed to step away. I needed to see, what life was like without twitter. If I could do it in a healthy and redemptive manner. I was led to asking this, because recently I’ve had good friends hang up there tweeting (or fb) cleats and have called it quits because social networking was consuming them. I give these friends credit that they acknowledged it was affecting them in negative ways. With that said, I think my week plus, was enough to strip me of the negatives of my tweeting, enough to me, to still do relationship with those around me and live in a way that is healthy, while still tweeting. It’s actually been more refreshing since the detox, I don’t feel the pressure to tweet or to read every tweet. I also can actually enjoy twitter redemptively now! Who knew that was possible?!?! No if I could only get back on the blog train and write regularly! We shall see… Thanks for stopping by!

Tomorrow morning I’m heading out of town on a jet plane to Nerja, Spain! And I can’t wait! Every year Campus Crusade for Christ has a Midyear conference for STINTers (Short Term International Interns) and long-term staff members who are serving throughout Europe. I haven’t attended this in the past, but this year it couldn’t come at a better time. I’ve been going hard for some time now and I need some space to catch my breath, to pray and to process much going on in ministry and also in life. It will also be great, being around those who are serving throughout Europe. Would you please pray that the Lord would meet me in a special way over this next week! Thanks for the prayers and thank you for being you!