I grew up in east Texas. Texarkana, to be precise. If I were to sum up my east Texas experience for someone unfamiliar with its culture and people, I would simply tell them about Gary Mills. He was a man who worked for my dad. Sort of. Gary worked when Gary wasn’t in jail.

Gary Mills owned a van that he’d bought at a pawn shop. Now, only in the piney woods of eastern Texas and portions of rural West Virginia can vehicles be acquired from pawnshops, for like two dollars. These are my people.

In this passage, Jacob wrestles with God in the person of Jesus. We know this because the man says, “I have seen God face to face” (Gn 32:30). It could not have been God the Father because John 1:18 states, “No man has ever seen God.” Therefore, we know that Jacob wrestled with God the Son, Jesus.

As they wrestled, Jesus dislocated Jacob’s hip. Every coach knows that athletes need strong legs to compete, especially in wrestling. Without his legs an athlete cannot wrestle; he can only  hold on. That is exactly what Jacob did. He gripped God!

Before we dive in with the message of today’s devotion, I have to tell you a little secret. Ever want to know why runners often run on streets instead of using the perfectly good sidewalks that are just a few feet away? Great question! It’s actually because we know that paved surface is better for our joints than concrete sidewalks. We run on the roads because we know our bodies will appreciate the surface of the road more than the surface of the sidewalk.

If you had to guess, what would you say is the hardest thing to do in sports? Win a national championship? Go undefeated for a season? Maybe just winning your conference if the competition is tough. Or, you could say it is an individual action like sinking a hole-in-one or hitting a 90-mph fastball. To be honest, though, I would have to say that none of these is the hardest thing to do in sports. I personally think the toughest thing we can do is to play and coach like Jesus.

Now, hopefully we all understand that competing for and like Christ doesn’t involve being a doormat. The Bible I read doesn’t tell me to be a pushover for the competition. If we look at the verses from Philippians 2:1-4, we see a description of how we are to compete for His glory.

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?

Hockey Chat:  There are some guys that have used the same gear for years.  They suit up in the same old outdated stuff, work hard, practice, and skate great.  Then there are others who buy the newest and the best only to struggle when they hit the ice. Even though they have the best gear, they lack the skills and knowledge to be a great hockey player.

Hockey Chat:  Martin Brodeur used it as a popcorn bowl when he took his wife and children to see the movie ''The Kid'' in Montreal.  Scott Gomez brought it into an Anchorage park on a dog sled.  Petr Sykora took it to an orphanage in Prague.  Scott Niedermayer flew it by helicopter to the top of the Rocky Mountains in Cranbrook, British Columbia.  It’s been used as a flowerpot, baptismal, and champagne glass.  Yet regardless of all the uses it has seen, the Stanley Cup is still a symbol of hockey greatness and the most prestigious trophy in all of sports.

Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Ben Zobrist wasn't drafted by Major League Baseball out of high school. In fact, he wasn't even offered a baseball scholarship to play in college. Yet, after attending a skills showcase the summer after his senior year, one college coach saw potential in Zobrist and offered him a position on the team.

Now one of the brightest young infielders in the game, Zobrist has experienced a divine path to success--both on the field and off. Just before the start of the 2010 season, Zobrist sat down with FCA's Sharing the Victory magazine to talk about that career, his family and, most importantly, his faith in Jesus Christ.

Hockey Chat:  “That’s how the Cup changes everything.”  This was the marketing message for 2008 year from the NHL, being repeated over and over about how everything in the game is elevated because of the quest for the Cup.  It’s gone from just playing hockey to playing for the Stanley Cup.