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January 17, 2007
Set:
"I'm coming there to make a difference. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't believe in this project. This could create something that we've all never seen before," said England soccer superstar David Beckham after signing a five-year, $250 million contract with Major League Soccer's L.A. Galaxy. With Beckham's soccer career in what is likely its final few years, time will tell if this move will prove to be fruitful for the Galaxy and for MLS.
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January 12, 2007
Set:
To me, cheerleaders make games more exciting. They offer enthusiastic encouragement to the players and have a way of sensing when their teams needs an emotional lift. Cheerleaders also communicate with the fans and help keep the positive energy flowing in support of the team. The best cheerleaders cheer most fervently during the most pivotal moments of the game, when the outcome is in doubt or when the team is really struggling.
In life we have a cheerleader that is always there to uplift us and to inspire us during the times we need it most. Our cheerleader for life is the Holy Spirit, which becomes present in our life when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
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January 11, 2007
Set:
One of the greatest guards in basketball history was John Stockton, the NBA's all-time leader in assists. He knew his primary role wasn't to score, but to set up his teammates to score, and during his 17 seasons, no one in the league did that any better. The success of his teammates depended upon Stockton's willingness to put them first, to step aside and let them score.
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January 10, 2007
Set:
There are three essentials to the game of golf. Each parallels the meaning and purpose of the Christian life. . .
The first essential is the grip (how the golfer holds the club). If the starting point, the grip, is bad, the golfer's entire game will suffer. In life, the first step of getting a grip is to be born again through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).
The second is the stance. The way a golfer addresses the ball determines the success of his shots. If his stance is crooked, he will get into trouble. In the Christian life, the stance is likened to our daily walk. If we take the right stance, denying sin and committing ourselves to obeying Christ, we will know God's pleasure and blessing (Romans 12:1-2).
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January 09, 2007
Set:
It's a struggle--competing and living for the Lord. The world is constantly trying to buy our attention, and Satan is readily attacking us with temptation. He longs to see us fail in life and in sports. His alluring nature and tempting spirit are hard to fight off, unless we are properly equipped. In Ephesians it says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (6:10-12, NIV).
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January 09, 2007
Set:
Sean Payton's first head coaching job in the NFL didn't appear to be all that promising. After all, he inherited a New Orleans Saints team that went 3-13 in 2005 and that doesn't exactly have a rich tradition of being an NFL powerhouse. Regardless, Payton came in and implemented his system, and the players bought in to it, leading to an improbable 10-6 record in 2006 and a division title. "Players putting the team ahead of everything else," Payton said. "I think that's the biggest thing that we've been able to do to date. That's what's most important."
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January 05, 2007
Set:
Okay, here's a little peek at my life. . . It's 7:25 a.m. on Thursday, December 28, 2006, and it's "showtime" for the Alamo Bowl/Alamo Cafe FCA Breakfast. The head table is filled with head football coaches, athletes, bowl dignitaries and pastors. The bands are playing, and at 7:30, the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the University of Texas Longhorns enter the ballroom to the delighted cheers of 600 local student athletes, coaches and bowl fans.
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January 04, 2007
Set:
Have you ever had a coach who always seemed to pick on you or yell at you more than your other teammates? I felt like this about my high school baseball coach, and I eventually asked him why he always yelled at me. His reply: "I get on you more than some of the other players because I see the talent you have, and I expect more out of you. If I didn't think you could do better, I wouldn't expect you to be better." This gave me a whole different perspective on his actions, and I learned to take his criticism not as anger, but as motivation to become a better athlete. I've carried his response with me and have seen it come up in my own coaching. I really appreciate my athletes who take my criticism and use it to make themselves better.
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January 03, 2007
Set:
I'm sure you've seen the commercial that states, "Amateurs work until they get it right. Professionals work until they can't get it wrong." I admire athletes like Troy Polamalu, who stays on the practice field perfecting his defensive moves long after the rest of the team has hit the showers. Instead of being satisfied with being "good enough," he tries to practice until he can't get it wrong.
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January 02, 2007
Set:
Last week I felt as if there was nothing God was doing in my life. I had felt Him so strongly in the weeks before--He had been doing great things in my life. But then it felt like these blessings came to a screeching halt.
