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My brother Judd stopped by to visit the other night. It’s always great to see him. He is in the process of transforming his life and is now a triathlete. So far, he’s competed in two triathlons, and I’m so proud of him. While this kind of competition is not uncommon for many former athletes, Judd’s situation is a little different.
I went to three high schools in four years, so you'd think I'd enjoy three homecomings. Truth is, having gone to so many schools, I never really got to know anyone all that well, and now—years later—I really don't feel like I have a high school to come home to.
Homecoming and Halloween often coincide. My favorite costumed-kiddos are the aliens. Whether it's Roswell-green or tin-canned space beings... they all remind me that—as a follower of Jesus—that's what I am: an alien... this isn't my home. Christians are here for a season... learning to love and calling out to other aliens to get ready for the home-coming.
Most would agree that character is vital for success in any organization, team, or family, yet today’s news is filled with examples of bad character. Nehemiah was in the process of building a wall, but he recognized that if some character issues were not addressed, the completion of the wall would be insignificant. Rebuilding a physical wall was not all that God had called Nehemiah to do. God called Nehemiah to a much greater ministry—a ministry to the heart.
Hockey Chat: Being a great hockey player takes a great amount of work. To reach to a level worthy of playing in the big leagues, guys persistently work at their skills. Things that were once difficult become easier with practice.
As a coach have you ever had a bad day, bad week, or bad year? Many of us would answer “yes.” At one point, Moses could have said he was having a “bad life.” Most of his life had been a lie. He committed murder, Pharaoh tried to kill him, and, in fear, he ran from his problems to the desert. Then came his defining moment in life—the burning bush.
When I was 17, I was a young, brash, three-sport athlete who took any challenge that came my way. My aggressive personality allowed me to “hang with the big-dogs” on the court, in the field and on the track. That personality, however, also caused many setbacks.
There seems to be a lot going on in our society today that makes people question God. From the simple, “My game is a wreck,” to the more complex, “I thought God was a God of love, so why would He allow this to happen in Haiti?” Everywhere we look, people are hurting and looking for answers. Sometimes friends try to comfort us and explain why God does what He does, but rarely does it pacify our pain and struggle.
After a season of high school football and a season of coaching my oldest son’s YMCA basketball team, I now find myself coaching my two sons’ 10-13 year-old PAL football team. Our first game was Saturday, and we were winning 13-7, but we were looking at third and 18 from midfield. I looked at my 10-year-old quarterback, David, and told him “Bunch Left, Bootleg.”
The days leading up to my first Ironman triathlon were filled with excitement. Of course, there were other, less positive thoughts, too. What if I got kicked in the face during the swim? What if I crashed on my bike? What if I wasn't strong enough to make it through the run and couldn't finish? As my husband and I were walking to check my bike in the day before the race, I saw a penny on the ground and picked it up. It was then that I remembered a story that I had heard. . .
Lately I’ve been having some “if I” moments in my life. I love the TV show “The Biggest Loser” and wonder how, if I lost some weight, my knee might not hurt as much. But then I don’t change how I eat or exercise. Then I hear my friends talking about playing hoops on Saturday mornings and think that, if I try to play, I could get back into shape again. But then I never make the effort to try. My intentions are good, but my heart is not changing. What’s the deal?
Almost every week this summer, I have been working with junior high boys trying to help them improve their basketball skills. The range of ability between sixth and eighth graders is pretty wide, and their physical size can be an even bigger gap. But we have one boy, Max, who doesn’t let his size bother him at all. In every drill and scrimmage, he uses what the Lord has given him to the best of his ability and tries to improve. It is such a joy to watch him play because he wears out his opponents with his speed and quickness. As an athlete, Max refuses to let what he can’t do get in the way of what he can do.
Hockey Chat: When a goalie is said to “Stand on his head” that means he’s making great saves for the team. This may have been derived after NHL President Frank Calder, referencing the 1918 rules change that allowed goalies to fall down to make a save, remarked, "They could stand on their head, if they wanted to." Basically it means they are giving their all to stop pucks.
Wendy Ward doesn’t know how it happened. All that matters is that she knows it did. She didn’t see her golf ball move, but when she realized that her putt no longer lined up, it was clear that the ball had rotated a mere “dimple or two.” Ward had already grounded her putter, and she immediately knew that the sometimes unforgiving rules of the game were about to cost her a stroke.
But this wasn’t just another average day at an average LPGA tournament. Ward was in the final group playing in the fourth and final round of the 2000 McDonald’s LPGA Championship at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware. She had entered the day in a tie for the lead with legendary golfer Juli Inkster.
Hockey Chat: The Stanley Cup is not an award of chance. It’s not just an award of hard work either (many top goal scorers of the year have ended the year empty handed). The players give their abilities to the coach of the team who has the earned the title of being the leader. In 1995, the eight time Stanley Cup winner, Jacques Lemaire, led the New Jersey Devils, and their sophmore goalie Martin Brodeur, to the first NHL finals victory in franchise history.
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