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December 23, 2009
Set:
Speed skater Kristen Talbot made headlines in 1992 when she gave up her Olympic dreams to donate bone marrow to her critically ill brother. Talbot proved that she wanted to keep her brother in her life and was committed to doing everything she could to support him during his physical illness, even at the expense of the hard work and practice she had put in on the ice over the years. She demonstrated extreme personal sacrifice to benefit someone she loved.
Often we take our brothers and sisters for granted. We do not carve out time from our schedule to spend with them. We don’t invite them to join us in activities. We don’t ask about their days or show interest in their lives.
July 23, 2007
Set:
Did you hear that?
I couldn't get to sleep last night. There were too many thoughts racing around in my mind, bumping into each other, forgetting where they were supposed to be, getting all jumbled and confused. Then one thought walked out of the nonsense and stood still, clear, fully complete: God is always listening.
July 26, 2010
Set:
One of the greatest things I have experienced as an athlete and now as a coach is the development of a team by the groups that have truly understood this concept. A true team does not happen simply because a group of players are organized into a unit. The true team consists of individuals who take ownership of their responsibility to work together and strive for the same goals. In this situation, individuals place the team above their individual aspirations.
August 13, 2010
Set:
Many people miss the heart of the promise in Jeremiah. Many of us forget that this promise is about God’s plans. It’s doesn’t say anything about our plans. As we develop and think about our mission and purpose on earth, we often create our own plans and then ask God to bless them. But a mission that makes a real difference, that makes the very most of our lives, comes from seeking and following God’s plans.
If we want a life-changing, earth-shattering mission—if we want real purpose in our lives—we need to empty ourselves of our ambition and our own plans for our lives. In exchange, God gives each of us a life of meaning, peace and fruitfulness.
July 19, 2007
Set:
One of the easiest things to do in sports is to make excuses for a bad performance. Usually, the officials get blamed for our poor performance or lack of execution. Making excuses is an easy way for us to not take responsibility for our actions.
In the same way, as Christians we sometimes make excuses for the sins we commit. It is easier for us to blame others instead of taking responsibility for our actions. Let's look at some common excuses Christians make and what we should do instead of making excuses.
(a) "I won't get caught."
December 27, 2006
Set:
It's two days after Christmas. What a day Monday was, full of wonderful gifts both given and received. But I learned a great lesson on Monday as I was getting ready for the day. That morning I looked into the mirror and took a good hard look at where I had been this past year. In sports, we all have to do the same thing. We have to look at what kind of athlete, coach or teammate we are becoming. For me, I realized, as I looked intently at my life, that I am celebrating two unique anniversaries this year. . .
November 28, 2006
Set:
After suffering a major upset at home to Oral Roberts University early in the season, the young Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team bounced back to knock off the No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Florida Gators 82-80 in overtime. "We showed a lot more maturity tonight than we have in our prior games," said KU coach Bill Self. Sophomore Julian Wright, who scored a career-high 21 points in the win, added, "We should welcome this tension to help us become better players."
June 18, 2010
Set:
No matter what the conditions, I love to get in a morning run. If I don’t do it early, it won’t happen, especially when I’m traveling.
August 30, 2006
Set:
"I worked very hard. I felt I could play the game. The only thing that could stop me was myself. . ." This kind of quote has been said by many athletes over the years. This one in particular was said by former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott.
Abbott was/is an incredible athlete. He played three sports in high school and went on to the University of Michigan to play baseball. He eventually ended up in the majors and even pitched a no-hitter. But what is truly amazing about Jim Abbott is that he did all of this with only one hand. He knew he had the ability, but his own weakness was the only thing holding him back.
April 11, 2006
Set:
As an athlete your job is fairly simple in some ways – just listen to the coach and do what he or she tells you to do. But this doesn’t guarantee success because the coach does make mistakes and will at times fall short in his or her instruction.
Of course a driven athlete would never be completely satisfied with what only one coach has to say. The driven athlete may go to a better coach and seek advice or read a book for additional input, or even watch a video to gain some direction.
May 03, 2010
Set:
Do you know the difference between a chicken and a pig? When it comes to a breakfast of ham and eggs, the chicken is a contributor but the pig is committed! The chicken only leaves a part of itself, while the pig has to die.
The difference between being an all-star and a benchwarmer usually has less to do with talent and more to do with the level of commitment you're willing to give to your sport. Those who succeed literally leave it all on the field because they're deeply committed to their sport and their team's success. Winners are usually found lifting weights or watching video of their opponents after the game. The rest go home to pursue meaningless activities.
November 03, 2010
Set:
It’s the time of the year when winter sports teams are taking shape and seasons are hitting full-swing. I can’t help but think back to my days as a hockey player looking forward to team tryouts. I was an eighth grader looking forward to playing hockey and basketball. I was so excited! But, as things unfolded, the first tryouts for hockey came and went, and I didn’t make the team. I was crushed, but I still had high hopes for basketball tryouts. Well, I was cut from that, too. It was tough for me to think that I wasn’t good enough to make either of the teams I wanted so desperately to play for.
August 02, 2010
Set:
Anger. It's something everyone deals with every day. It may be slight (i.e. being fouled in a basketball game) or significant (being robbed). There are various degrees of anger, but it all carries the same danger of sin.
April 07, 2008
Set:
Ask anyone associated with the American Basketball Association (ABA) or National Basketball Association (NBA) throughout the mid to late ’70s and the early ’80s about the hardest-working players in professional hoops and inevitably one name will come up time and again: Bobby Jones.
Legends such as Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Larry Brown and Dean Smith—men who all played alongside or coached Jones—all give the same glowing praise of his blue-collar work ethic, his respect for the game and its rules, and his virtuous life of integrity.
September 17, 2010
Set:
When I first moved to North Carolina a number of years ago, I was blessed with a fine home. It sat on a beautiful river and was surrounded by mountains. It was idyllic in many ways, but I didn’t own it. I enjoyed its many amenities, but it wasn’t mine. And that made a big difference.
Prior to moving to Boone, I had owned my own home for many years. Renting is much different. Instead of spending a lot of time working on home improvements, as I had before, the closest thing I did to home improvement was mowing the lawn. Why? Because I wasn’t going to invest in something that was not mine. Look at any rental district, and you will see I am not alone. Rental properties are well known for the lack of care shown to them by their tenants.
November 01, 2008
Set:
As a member of the sports media, I hear quite a few stories about athletes who build their entire lives around their sport. They eat, sleep, breathe and live specifically to achieve their personal athletic goals. It consumes so much of their mind that they don’t focus on anything else.
But then something unexpected happens. It could be a variety of things: injury, illness, or whatever. Suddenly, they are stripped of the sport that had occupied so much of their time and energy. And when it’s gone, they’re left with nothing. Complete emptiness.
It is at this point that many athletes realize they need something more—something that can’t be found in trophies or medals, something that is eternal. And this is exactly where God wants them.
July 02, 2007
Set:
Last week, my mighty Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim got swept by the lowly Kansas City Royals, a team of young, no-name players who came in and shut down one of the hottest teams in baseball (at least they were before last Monday). When the Royals arrived they were 30-46 and owners of the second worst record in the majors; and at 49-27, the Angels held the second best record in the majors. To top it off, the Angels hadn't been swept at home since 2005. But it happened. It's history. It's in the record book. David slew Goliath.
June 22, 2007
Set:
As a recent high school graduate, I realize that sports are over for me. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't still stay in shape. I have to continue to workout in order to maintain my physical fitness.
The same is also true for our spiritual lives. We must continue to workout our faith, even after we leave church and are no longer in fellowship with believers. We must exercise spiritual fruits in order to gain spiritual strength.
June 28, 2006
Set:
How many of us today are aware of somebody who just doesn't like us? We all have people in our lives who try to put us down. As athletes, we encounter others who seek to break our confidence. Even more so, as Christians, we face individuals who do not understand our faith or our love for Christ and who, therefore, fear what they do not know.
February 09, 2010
Set:
Watching the Super Bowl is always an exciting event, and, with the whole world looking on, this year’s game was one of the highest-rated programs in history. With that many people watching, players are really put under a microscope. Millions of people are watching their every move, and opinions can be formed about the players in the blink of an eye.
This year, something pretty special caught my eye during, and it definitely left an impression on me. Early in the fourth quarter the Colts stalled and were forced to attempt a pretty long field goal that would have added to their lead. There was a great snap, a good hold and what looked like a good kick from Matt Stover. Unfortunately for Stover and the Colts, the kick ended up just left of the upright.
April 06, 2009
Set:
This weekend Michigan State University’s men’s basketball team pulled off an upset of the UCONN Huskies to advance to tonight’s NCAA national championship game against North Carolina. Now, I don’t know if you saw the game or not, but it certainly seemed to me that there was a lot of green in the stands in support of the Spartans. With the Final Four being held in Detroit, which is only about 90 miles from MSU’s campus, it would be safe to say that the Spartans were at a great advantage. And I have no doubt that it helped them keep momentum as they went on to victory on Saturday night.
June 09, 2010
Set:
This weekend I ran my first 25k. It was a great experience, one that I will definitely try again. It was easy to find inspiration all around. There were athletes in wheelchairs competing, a father pushing his disabled son through the race, and people wearing shirts bearing the name of a sick loved one.
May 12, 2011
Set:
It’s finally over. I just completed my first tax season as an accountant. It was a huge transition for me as last year at this time I was competing in a baseball season. This year, it was tax season.
In baseball we all look forward to opening day. We can’t wait for the day when we finally get to quit scrimmaging our own teammates and suit up against another team. As opening day draws nearer, we all get those pre-game jitters. We know are ready to play, but the fact that it’s something new causes us to be a little bit nervous and anxious.
September 28, 2006
Set:
After a meeting, my co-worker and I stopped at one of our favorite wings places to enjoy one of God's greatest snacks. As we munched on our wings we watched the press conference about Terrell Owens and his recent pain-killer overdose, or whatever it was. Whether or not it was a suicide attempt is unclear -- T.O. denies it -- but the situation still brought up a great discussion.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Some players try to cheat by making it look like they were fouled. Maybe they got bumped but they make it look like they’ve been hit by a truck. The technical term for this is “Diving” and it is a penalty that will cost the guy trying to twist the system two minutes in the penalty box and possibly up to $1000 fine.
