“When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to get well?’” – John 5:6

I have to be honest. As Americans, most of us are like stagnant ponds: We don’t move very much, and our health stinks.

It’s sad, but true, and it’s a lifestyle that goes against the one God intended for us. Instead of putrid ponds, I believe He created us to resemble lively, running rivers.

He can still feel it when it storms. The occasional tingling in the right side of his face whenever the thunder rolls through Atlanta. That’s where the 95 mph fastball smashed into his cheekbone as he was squaring around to bunt in what should have been his final at-bat for the Class-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Jeff Francoeur won’t forget that day.

Anyone who has ever sat in the painfully uncomfortable job applicant’s seat knows there are a few simple rules that accompany a successful interview: be on time, dress the part, research the employer, ask questions and avoid taking a combative approach.

When Jill McCormick found herself interviewing at Santa Rosa Junior College (Calif.) for a job that included the head coaching position of the women’s water polo team and both the men’s and women’s swimming teams, she followed all of the typical interview protocols to a tee—except maybe that last one.

Chosen Attribute: Courage

Dictionary definition: “The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger or pain without fear.”

My definition: “Confidence in the sovereignty of God in seemingly impossible or unachievable circumstances, coupled with the awareness that He is engaged in the process and ultimately responsible for the outcome.”
 

Go to any random Facebook profile, and in less than a minute you can draw multiple conclusions about a person. Without even scrolling down, you can get their political views, relationship status and their feelings at that exact moment. If you do choose to look over the entire page, there’s almost no end to the information you will find: their favorite drink, the places they’ve been, their favorite quotes ... Really anything they’ve chosen to make public, which, for some, leaves little to the imagination.

They don't call it the Evil Empire for nothing. You either love 'em, or you hate 'em.

For nearly a century, the New York Yankees have been establishing their status as the dominant franchise in Major League Baseball. The club is rich in both tradition and dollars and has a track record of success that makes small-market teams both sigh in exasperation and raise their fists in what is usually described as righteous anger.

Retracing the steps of Tre’ Kelley’s childhood is a sobering, sometimes harrowing, task.

To start, you must visit the areas of Washington, D.C., that aren’t in any travel brochures. You must go into the neighborhoods of the Northeast where vice is readily available — where the sounds of “Pop! Pop! Pop!” and the ensuing drone of police sirens, like banshees wailing in the night, are a familiar dirge. Only a short drive from the city’s majestic monuments and stately halls of legislature, it is worlds apart. No one goes sightseeing in this part of town.

When Scott Drew took over as the head men’s basketball coach at Baylor in 2003, the program was mired in controversy. But Drew didn’t shy away from the rebuilding process. Instead, he put into action the basketball and spiritual lessons he’d learned from his father, respected Valparaiso University Head Coach, Homer Drew. Now eight seasons into the job and the turmoil a distant memory, the oldest of the Drew children is looking to lead the Bears to another NCAA Tournament run and develop excellent men of faith in the process.

There is a general rule in coaching circles that states, "There are two kinds of coaches in the world: those who have been fired, and those who will be fired."

If you are a coach, are related to a coach or simply know a coach, this article is for you. Coaching isn't easy, and sooner or later, if the rule rings true, you're going to have to face an uncertain professional future. In order to help you handle this situation, we asked several coaches to share some tips they picked up from their own unemployment experiences. Let their words help you or someone you know find God in the middle of one of life's most difficult situations.

For Auburn Offensive Line Coach Jeff Grimes, coaching wasn’t part of the immediate plan when he graduated from the University of Texas-El Paso in 1990 and finished a successful football playing career. But when a nudge from the Holy Spirit led him into the profession, Grimes embarked on what has now turned in to a high-impact coaching career filled with bowl games, All-Americans and recently, a BCS National Title. For Grimes, though, no gridiron achievements can outweigh the spiritual impact he makes as a man of God.

Like many young kids, I had dreams of playing professional baseball. As I grew up, I began to realize that wasn’t going to happen overnight and that I’d have to work hard to get there.

“Love.” What a commonly used word with so many meanings. It can express how we feel about almost anything. We love our jobs, our hobbies, our favorite foods, our colleges. We love our friends, our family and our significant others. Personally, I didn’t understand the real meaning of love until a few years ago. That was when I first experienced the redeeming love of my heavenly Father and learned what it truly was by His ultimate definition.