Alphabetical
-
March 15, 2007
Set:
When I played high school basketball there was always one girl from another team that I hated to guard. Not because I was scared of getting beat or scared of doing my best, but because I knew she would push me to my limits. I would be asked to give everything I had in order to help my team win. I had to be sharp.
We need people in our lives to push us to make us better. If we surround ourselves with people who don't require us to give our best, we are being cheated. Going one-on-one with the worst player on the team won't help you get ready for the big game, and it's the same in life. Surround yourself with people who will challenge you and who will require you to be honest, trustworthy and faithful. Do the same for them.
-
October 17, 2012
Set:
I have been coaching for more than 20 years. After spending 17 of those coaching at the collegiate level, I decided to step down and enter the “slower paced” high school environment. To my surprise, I found out quickly that teaching and coaching at the high school level was just as challenging, time-consuming and hectic as coaching in college. In some ways, it is even more stressful, as I found myself running ragged trying to get everything done.
-
September 28, 2012
Set:
The Israelites had just lost their leader Moses. It had fallen to his second-in-command to take over. Joshua had led before, but never had he been THE man. And on top of that, he was replacing a legendary figure. The expectations would be enormous. Joshua had to have been terrified.
Sometimes we find ourselves in over our heads. Fresh out of seminary, I applied for my first campus ministry position expecting to be an associate campus minister. Well into the interviewing process, I was informed that I had been misinformed. If I were hired, I would be THE campus minister. With no real experience and no other offers looming, I accepted the position. I was terrified. Yet, I remained in that position for over 20 years.
-
May 13, 2009
Set:
Following a sports legend is tough. Who could ever fill the shoes of Walter Payton, Magic Johnson, Nolan Ryan or Mia Hamm? Someone always has to. Who were the men and women who stepped in after the great ones were gone? I’m sure some of you sports buffs our there could tell us, but the point is that someone did take their place. Not without a little fear, though, I would imagine.
-
January 20, 2011
Set:
In today’s world many people seem to have forgotten about this wonderful word "thankful." Some of us are thankful when times are good, but as soon as anything bad creeps into our lives, this word tends to be thrown to the curb.
There are many things in life that just do not go the way we think they will, but we must remember that this is God’s path for us. I know that when the going gets tough it’s hard to be thankful, but God says to give thanks in all circumstances.
-
December 07, 2012
Set:
Legendary coach John Wooden coined a phrase “competitive greatness,” striving to be the best we can, not trying to be the best.
Five-time All-Pro Green Bay Packers lineman Jerry Kramer played from 1958 to 1968. In 1959, Jerry wanted to quit until one day Coach Vince Lombardi told Jerry he could become the greatest lineman in the NFL. Jerry decided to give 100 percent and became one of the greatest. He understood competitive greatness.
Coach Wooden defined competitive greatness as a real love for hard battle, knowing it offers the opportunity to be at our best when our best is required. These three concepts help me grasp competitive greatness:
-
February 09, 2012
Set:
Imagine fielding a ground ball, throwing it to first base, and no one is there. Imagine running the bases, coming into third wondering whether to keep running, and no base coach is around. We depend on our teammates and coaches to be there. When we commit to a team, we commit to be there—win or lose, good or bad. We depend on our teams, and they depend on us.
Off the field, life is similar. When times are tough, we expect our friends to be there. When we arrive home—needing a meal, support, and love—we expect our parents to be there. When I come home at the end of the day, I expect my wife to be there. More importantly, when life is good or bad, I expect God to be there.
-
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.
-
April 06, 2004
Set:
As athletes, we train to become faster and stronger. We try to bring as much power to our sport as we can. We may engage in a weight-training program. We may go out and run. We may attend a sports camp. But even more important than our physical training, is our spiritual training.
Consider a plain, ordinary light bulb. How much power does it put out? On its own, it puts out absolutely none. It has to be hooked to a power source.
-
February 23, 2011
Set:
One thing I've learned is that there are many ways of handling tough situations. I've gone the route of "putting off" in hopes that the Lord would miraculously take a tough situation away. But since that usually doesn't work, here's what I've learned: God expects us to take the first step in the right direction--the step of faith.
