Alphabetical
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February 08, 2005
Set:
One of my favorite childhood memories came on my eleventh birthday, March 15, 1972. I received a gift that would set me head and shoulders above everyone else in the neighborhood. It was something that would make me the envy of all my friends. I received the coolest bicycle in the world—a real “big boy” bike. I’m telling you, it was so shiny and bright. It had a white frame with a blue glitter banana seat, blue glitter handles and tassels. It did indeed make me the envy of all my friends. That bike made me the coolest kid in the neighborhood.
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June 25, 2007
Set:
Recently, San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds has been getting a lot of attention. In newspapers or on TV, Bonds is featured at least every other day, sometimes for no other reason than going hitless. But the reason Bonds is shown every day is because he continues to draw closer to Hank Aaron's record of 755 career home runs.
Because of this pending record, fans of Bonds are boasting about him. At the San Francisco Giants' ballpark, Bonds has his own sign in left field that says "a Giant among legends." He also has his own personal home run target, McCovey Cove, in right field, which was specifically made for Bonds.
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November 22, 2010
Set:
Have you ever wondered why we are so competitive as athletes and coaches? Why when we get onto the playing field we take on a whole new persona? The competitive nature to win comes out in us all. We sacrifice for the team! We lay down that bunt or make the block so that the rest of the team can rejoice in the victory.
Our flesh is competitive, but so is our Spirit. In Galatians 5, Paul talks about this very thing. Our flesh and our Spirit are at war with each other. The things of God are always and will always be completely different from the things of the flesh.
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April 07, 2008
Set:
To achieve any kind of success in life takes a certain measure of courage and boldness. This is especially true for the athlete who must believe in his or her talents and abilities enough to chase after a lofty set of goals.
Jon Kitna is certainly no exception to that rule. As the Detroit Lions’ starting quarterback, he has come a long way, thanks mostly to an uncanny confidence in his ability—even when most others failed to recognize what the scrappy athlete had to offer. And it’s that same confidence—a confidence that he developed growing up on the unsavory east side of Tacoma, Washington—that Kitna believes has allowed him the opportunity to be a unifying force in every locker room he’s ever occupied.
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August 24, 2012
Set:
Most people don’t figure out their purpose until adulthood. But for me, everything happened when I was four years old. That’s when I started playing hockey and that’s when I began to follow Jesus. Both of my passions kicked in right away. I’m still working on my game and I’m still working on my relationship with God, but because I discovered my passions at an early age, being bold in my pursuit of those things has come naturally for me. Most importantly, however, is my passion for Jesus. That passion gives me the strength to be totally unashamed of Christ. I never want to hide my love for him. Whether it’s something I say or how I act, I have to reflect Christ. I’m not going to be afraid to say something or be afraid of people criticizing me or putting me down for my faith.
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April 02, 2014
Set:
Many times as athletes we get caught up in the competition and forget the reason as to why we are actually competing. Many of the role models today are looked up too because they are full of pride and want to exalt themselves. However, God calls us to a higher standard and demands that we exalt Him and humble ourselves. Just as talked about in John 3:30, “He must become greater; I must become less.”
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May 08, 2013
Set:
Every team sets goals before the season. They work, strive, and stretch to reach those goals, but the reality is only one team wins it all in the end. Does that mean all the other teams were failures in their seasons? Not by any means. Most teams reach their goals each season. The key is to be focused on the established team goals as players pursue each game and contest. In this way each team is bound to end their season in glory.
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November 30, 2004
Set:
The unruly brawl between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons made so many headlines. You know the story, so I'll spare you the details Yet, in response to the uproar, commissioner David Stern commented, "We have to make the point that there are boundaries in our games. One of our boundaries that has always been immutable is the boundary that separates the fans from the court. Players cannot lose control and move into the stands."
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January 28, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Brain Buckets. The 79-80 season was when the NHL made new comers wear the head gear. Prior to that it wasn’t thought of to be a need. But ask anyone whose taken a wack without it how much it is needed. It’s one of those things that we don’t really use in the game (head-butting a puck into the goal is not very effective). But when a stick comes up to high, or our skate slips out from under us, those hockey helmets are what saves us from a potentially deadly injury.
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February 20, 2013
Set:
An imprint is a permanent mark—engraved, etched, impressed, or inscribed. As an 8 year old, I once had an opportunity to ride my brother’s motorcycle. Wanting to show how “big” I was, I took off recklessly. About 100 yards down the road, my front tire hit a hole. I flew through the air and landed in a ditch with the motorcycle on my back. Thankfully, as a result of being in the ditch, the muffler was the only part touching me. As the muffler burned through my shirt and my flesh, I experienced a world of hurt. I was branded! My brother rescued me, and I was banned from riding his bike. Even though that event happened 28 years ago, I still have a burn mark on my back. The muffler left its mark.
