Devotional
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April 03, 2007
Set:
Back in 2006, the FCA staff in Florida suggested we do a story in STV magazine about the University of Florida Huddle President, Lee Humphrey. Lee was a starter on the Gators' basketball team, and apparently was just an all-around outstanding example of Christ. At the time we received the article idea, however, we were already finished with our college basketball stories for the spring and were unable to do the article.
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March 28, 2007
Set:
Gatorade has posed the question, "Is it in you?" in its famous ad campaign. Each ad emphasizes the ability of their product to quickly replenish an athlete's body with the nutrients lost during competition. To back it up, the company provides scientific evidence that it better rehydrates athletes than water.
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March 28, 2007
Set:
Why do we play sports? What is our priority? Whom are we playing for? These are questions we each struggle with as players and as coaches. If we search our souls, I believe that each of us will find that we all desire to win and that we each play for some personal reason beyond "the team," whether it be for personal glory, personal gratification, etc.
But when we gather together to play as a team, those who thrive have the ability to do two things: 1) put aside their personal goals and priorities, and 2) align themselves with team priorities. Great team victories have been achieved by groups of individuals who determined their priorities and submitted to their team goals.
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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."
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March 21, 2007
Set:
I recently read Rick Warren's book "Better Together" for a series our church was going through. In it he discussed how important it is to share our faith, be a witness and show the love of Christ. One of the analogies he gave was this: "If you knew the cure for cancer or aids, and you kept it a secret, telling no one while millions continued to die, would that be loving? Of course not. If you knew the key to extending human life by 50 years, would you want to share it with others? Of course you would. But as believers who've learned the way to eternal life, we have an even more important, longer lasting, and urgent message to share with the world, and love leaves no choice. Because love cares about the destiny of others."
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March 19, 2007
Set:
University of Iowa junior Mark Perry had wrestled Johny Hendricks many times in his life and had come up short every time. When Perry and Hendricks met for the fourth time in the 2006-07 season and the national championship was on the line, however, Perry pulled off the upset with a 4-3 victory. Iowa assistant and wrestling legend Dan Gable said of Perry, "He never acted like he could not beat him. He taught himself that no matter how many times he gets beat, he analyzes it and can beat anybody. And I think he proved that tonight."
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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.
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March 14, 2007
Set:
Every year, coaches will ask their teams what their goals are, what they hope to accomplish, how far they want to go, what their destiny is that season. The answers to these questions will help decide what is important to a particular team, but each player must fill in his or her own blanks as an individual and for the team. And not everyone will have the same answers or goals.
In life we face some similar questions that require us to fill in the blanks. In the book of Philippians, Paul challenges the people with four questions:
1. Who/What are you devoted to?
2. Who/What is your destiny?
3. Who/What is your desire?
4. Who/What is on display in your life?
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March 09, 2007
Set:
Injuries in sports happen, and players suffer. A common, human response is "Why me?" However, every once in awhile you will find an exception--an exceptional athlete who will not question why, but who will make the most of an experience to show his/her teammates that they can succeed even if they cannot compete. I was privileged to know a young man who did just that. Bryan was a promising walk-on player who earned a scholarship quickly. He was climbing up the depth chart rapidly and moved into the starting lineup. As his junior year approached, he was even predicted to be a pre-season All-Conference player. But then his career took a different turn.
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March 07, 2007
Set:
Inside the octagon, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title-holder Matt Hughes has compiled a 43-5 record using a tactic he is known for called "ground and pound." Outside the octagon Hughes is known for being a down-to-earth, loving family man. "I've already done more in this sport than I thought was possible 10 years ago," he said in an interview prior to his victory over Chris Lytle on March 3, 2007. "My body tells me I've got two years left. It's getting harder each time to go train. I just want to stay home with Audra, work on the farm and watch the kids grow up. Being remembered as a UFC champ is important, but it's more important to be remembered as a good husband and father."
