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Devotional
March 28, 2007
Set:
For the first time ever, NASCAR rolled out its "Car of Tomorrow" in a race, the 2007 Food City 500 in Bristol, Tenn. One of the biggest critics of the car, Kyle Busch, took home the checkered flag thanks to the courteous driving by second-place finisher, Jeff Burton. "My mother always told me to do unto other people the way you want them to do you," Burton said. "I could have used the bumper to move him out of the way and win the race, but I didn't want to. If you can't pass him without knocking him out of the way, do the best you can."
Devotional
August 01, 2008
Set:
When I was 9 years old, I got a new pair of shoes and immediately wanted to race everyone in my neighborhood because I thought they would help me run faster. On one particular day, I dusted everyone who dared to step to the starting line, except one person . . . my own mother! “On your marks…Get set…Go!” I ran as fast as I could, and I even had a small lead. But when I decided to turn back and smile at my friends, my mom blew right past me! Can you imagine how embarrassed I was to get beat in a foot race by my own mom? That was also the day I found out Mom had run track in college at the University of the Pacific. (I joke that she should’ve been disqualified for having an unfair advantage!)
Devotional
February 11, 2008
Set:
It’s been a while since I was in high school, but I still vividly recall one day during my junior year. It was the day my coach called me into his office and told me he was moving me from fullback to tackle. As a sophomore, I had weighed 200 pounds and was pretty fast. I gained 35 pounds over the summer and was a little slower at that weight. The coach told me I was too good of a player to sit on the bench, but that I was now too slow to be a running back. He asked me to make a personal sacrifice and move to a new position on the line so that I could help the team have a chance at the conference title.
Devotional
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: The game of hockey takes both aggressive work and smooth moves. To be too aggressive all the time will get you in the penalty box. Trying to be too smooth and passive all the time will just plain land you on your backside when you get into a battle. There are plays that call for the moves and plays that take extra hustle. It’s important to be ready for both.
Devotional
January 29, 2008
Set:
Team Hoyt has completed 216 triathlons, 65 marathons, 718.6 milers and 81 half marathons. The team consists of a father and a son, Rick and Dick Hoyt. For 25 years, Dick (age 65) has been racing with his son Rick (age 45). People do this stuff all the time though right? What makes their story so amazing?
Rick Hoyt was born with his umbilical cord caught around his neck, causing the oxygen supply to his brain to be blocked. At eight months, Rick was labeled as a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Doctors told Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt that their son would never live a normal life; but they were determined to prove them wrong.
Devotional
September 03, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: With each earnest effort on the ice, we get better. Skating gets you down the ice. Stick handling helps you get the puck down the ice. Shooting helps you get the puck in the goal. One builds on the other. A good work ethic in each area will build you up for the next skill to keep you playing good all around.
Devotional
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Knowing what to count on from your line mates also helps them to know what to count on from you. You’ve probably seen guys that work great together and always seem to be in the right place. That’s because the treat their linemate as an extension of themselves by being where they are needed and making the play happen knowing that others will be there too.
Devotional
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.
Devotional
November 19, 2007
Set:
Recently, a good friend of mine was stopped at church and asked by another church goer why I had attended a football game rather than going to the men's retreat at my church. This person knew I was involved with FCA and was the football chaplain at the school, but he was frustrated that I choose football over these men, and he expressed it to my buddy. My friend came to my aid quickly. He talked with this other man and quietly told him that ministry can take place in many places.
Devotional
March 23, 2010
Set:
Is it possible that one man could have changed Mike Tyson’s problem-filled boxing career? Tyson believes his former trainer, mentor, and legal guardian Cus D’Amato, who died before he won the title in 1986, would have changed things. Tyson said, “It would have been totally different. Cus once told me, ‘You’re the kind of person who has to get hurt to learn.’ I didn’t understand he was talking about life…in the fight of life I am a pug, a palooka [a second-rate prize fighter].”
Devotional
October 27, 2009
Set:
Most sports have a playbook or a set of rules to follow for their program. This book tells how things will be done on and off the field for success in the system. A player, if he or she follows these guidelines, should have success in the system. I recently heard one coach refer to his playbook as his “bible.” Obviously, he highly values the book.
Devotional
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Have you ever tried to skate with your hockey pants around your ankles. It doesn’t work. It’s happened before to Marc Savard when during a game in Calgary when his belt broke. When your belt fails, the essential protection in your hockey pants doesn’t do much good slipping down your legs will you’re trying to skate. Little strap of fabric has a very important purpose.
Devotional
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Have you ever seen a guy who looked like the puck glued was to his stick. It may have looked like it from his puck handling. Those guys frustrate every defenseman. They have such control of the puck that it’s nearly impossible to take away. A poor puck handler will leave the puck behind every time.
Devotional
December 23, 2010
Set:
There are mornings when we awaken with a heavy schedule bearing down upon us. When that happens, we are tempted to skip prayer and Bible reading and head right into our work. However, the very opposite response is really what we need. When we are feeling pressured by our schedules, that is the very time when we ought to pause and pray. The more we have going on in our lives, the more we need God to give us wisdom to accomplish one task at a time. It’s comforting to know that God cares about every aspect of our lives.
Devotional
January 22, 2010
Set:
I was blessed to play one season of basketball with my hero, two-time Olympic Captain, Naismith Award Winner, first female Globetrotter…Lynette Woodard. The first day I practiced with her, I tried to do everything like she did. I stayed after practice with her and as she touched the rim ten times and made ten free throws in a row, I touched the backboard ten times and made five free throws in a row (It was a start!). I even went so far as to get my hair permed into a curly white-girl’s afro … anything to be like Lynette.
Devotional
September 04, 2010
Set:
It’s the start of practice. Everyone has high hopes, goals, and expectations for the upcoming season. As Christians, the biggest goals are the ones God has for us as coaches and the athletes He has entrusted to our care.
God has created each one of our team members, the coaching staff, parents, and all those connected with our programs. Twice in the verses above we are reminded of Jesus’ work in creating all things. In fact, today’s passage tells us that all things were created not only by Him, but also for Him. He also promises to hold thing—all things—together. This may not mean victory, or lack of challenges, but things will be held together to accomplish His perfect plan and will in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
Devotional
March 01, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: “He was yelling pretty urgently. There’s different pitches of yell and he was screaming.” - Jarome Iginla on Sidney Crosby calling for the puck prior to scoring the game-winner in OT of the gold medal game on February 28th 2010.
Devotional
March 13, 2009
Set:
When you are playing a sport, teammates are the most important people with you on the court or field. Sometimes it’s hard to love them, and it can be even harder to stand up for what you believe in when you are around them. The devil is always around, wearing a disguise, making it harder for you to stand up for your beliefs. He can even be wearing the same jersey as you.
I learned this lesson during my basketball season. I was the newbie, the one no one knew. On the day of tryouts I only knew one other girl. Yes, I saw the others in the hall, but I didn’t talk to them. It was hard to start a new season with only a couple real friends.
Devotional
November 03, 2007
Set:
Baseball is a game that can be dominated by a pitcher. It seems that no matter how well a hitter prepares for a game, if a pitcher is “on” and executes his pitches, there is really nothing a hitter can do. Many times a hitter will try to “step out” in order to disrupt the rhythm of the pitcher. Or, in other situations where a pitcher is dominant, the hitter may try bunting in order to get on base.
Devotional
June 22, 2009
Set:
When you see a glass half-filled with water, what do you think? Is it half empty, or is it half full? It all depends on your perspective. So many different circumstances and situations happen in life. Uncertainties and challenges make life difficult, but attitude or perspective can make a positive difference. If you have the right perspective you can experience God's presence, power, promises and peace.
In Philippians 4:9, Paul said to learn from him, to put into practice the right perspective of faith in God no matter what your situation. There are three things we can learn from Paul when it comes to proper perspective.
Devotional
December 31, 2009
Set:
Eight years ago, I started the simple discipline of picking a one-word theme for the upcoming year. That’s right—one word—not a phrase or statement, just a single word. And to this point, it has been nothing short of life changing. Through this exercise, God has stretched me spiritually, physically, and emotionally. This exercise cannot be approached alfheartedly. Satan will come out in full force. This is truly a discipline for those who want to press in and see God do great things through them.
It’s for those who want to live life to the fullest—no retreat, no regrets. It’s also a process of teaching, correcting, and molding, for when we are soft in the Creator’s hands, He can form us into His vessel!
Devotional
April 16, 2009
Set:
I fell in love with my wife in 1993. In 1999, I fell in love with our first child, Jaycee. Then, in 2002, a new love entered my life when I was tricked into running a marathon. And I have been addicted to long-distance running ever since. I have completed the Oklahoma City Marathon and the Gardens of the Gods 10-Miler. What is significant about this addiction is that I had absolutely no running history before 2002. In college I was an All-Conference, 305-pound offensive lineman. I once told a running back that if he ran more than 40 yards, he better have some sort of moves because I was done blocking after 40 yards. But, oddly, the running addiction has gotten a hold of me.
Devotional
April 21, 2008
Set:
April 13, 2008, was a day that marked a historic change for one man. Trevor Immelman walked up the 18th fairway and, with one final putt, forever altered his life. Before he hit that putt he was known as Trevor Immelman, PGA Tour player. After the putt, he earned the title Trevor Immelman, Masters Champion. That is a worthy goal to which all golfers aspire. Only a few days prior, Immelman had been a virtual unknown, but now he is a household name all over country.
Devotional
February 12, 2008
Set:
As coaches, we have a rule on our hockey team. If you get hurt during play, you must do your utmost to stay involved in the play or get yourself to the bench. We expect this not because we are hard-nosed or don’t care about the well-being of our players, but because we expect our athletes to persevere and work through adversity.
Devotional
May 11, 2007
Set:
Famous actor and director Peter Ustinov once said, "Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit."
As athletes and coaches in today's athletic scene, we have a love and passion for sports. That love drives us to try to become the best we can possibly be. And, as Christians, that means that we demonstrate love to our teammates, coaches, officials and even opposing players.
