When David wrote this instructive psalm, he was in trouble. He was most likely cowering in a hole dug deeply into a hill, hiding from enemies that were pursuing him. He was lonely, desperate and in need of help. As he hid from his adversaries, he felt out of control and uncertain of the future. So David implored the Lord for guidance, acknowledging in this time of distress that his trust and confidence had to come from God.

Hockey Chat:  Goalie Andrew Raycroft was picked up by the Boston Bruins 135th overall in the 1998 Entry Draft.  Although he didn’t get drafted onto the team in the top picks, the coaching staff had faith in him and worked with him through the early years as he played in the minor leagues in order to get him ready for the NHL.  He was brought up in the fall of 2003 and won the 2004 Calder Trophy (Most Valuable Rookie of the NHL).

Hockey Chat:  With the NHL expansion in the late 1960s and the emergence of skilled players like Wayne Gretzky, enforcers became more common.  Their role was to try to knock those skilled guys on the other team off of their game.  The enforcers were poor at nearly everything else because their main role was to hunt down the good guy and get ‘em and they spent their ice time doing just that.

Glory – it is such a simple word. It is what all of us play the game for. We want the glory associated with being an athlete. We want to be recognized for our skill. Who doesn’t want to win a championship this year? How many times have you put your goals for the season down and listed “To NOT be remembered”?

At first glance, we have it all messed up. We should not want to get the entire spotlight. We should want to be a team player. We should not want to be so focused that we “win at all costs.” It’s in the nature of a competitor to “go for it.” Shouldn’t we want to be that focused?

My oldest daughter, Stephanie, graduated from Millard North High School in May 2004. Just a few weeks later, on June 16, 2004, she was a passenger in a car that ran into a tree, and instantly she was taken to be with the Lord. Stephanie was never interested in sports like our other two children, Jacob and Abby, but she did understand that to have a team, you need at least two. She wrote the following poem, "A Team Needs at Least Two,” about a year before she died.

Football players at Virginia Tech carry on a meaningful tradition. Each offensive player carries a chain link that symbolizes the teamwork they exhibit both on and off the field, as well as the responsibility each player has to work toward the success of the team.

I have adopted this tradition at the high school at which I now coach football; however, our chain link is symbolic of several biblical principles rather than simply inspiration for team victory. We carry our chain link to every practice and game as a reminder that each player is significant, valuable, important, and dependent upon the others not only for success on the football field but in our walk with Jesus Christ.

I don’t know about your neighborhood, but when I was younger we had the “do over.” Remember? You took a swing and your foot went out from under you. You mis-kicked the ball in a kickball game because you slipped on some wet grass. What were the first words to come out of your mouth? “Do over!!”

Did you know that God gave us a “do over”? Paul wrote the church in Corinth that when they accepted Christ they became a new creation. Well, thousands of years later, the same is still true for us. When we accept Christ as Savior and Lord, we become a new creation.

Have you ever met someone who feels they have all the gifts God gives to people? They are exhausted—spread so thin they are no earthly good to anyone. At times, we all try to do too much. Sometimes we are asked to go beyond our gifts and talents, but God’s desire is for us to serve Him with how He has gifted us.

Paul’s concern for the Roman people was that each person’s gift would be identified and he or she would strive to use it appropriately. However, some people looked at others and grumbled over why they did not have that gift or if that person truly was gifted in that manner. It was exhausting. Paul encouraged them to work together to build God’s kingdom.

Hockey Chat:  The Sabers and Fylers had been battling in a 2-2 tie in overtime. RJ Umberger (Philly) had been taking some hits from heavy man Brian Campbell (Buffalo).  RJ had shrugged off getting roughed up before and didn’t think much as he grabbed the puck headed up ice with 8 minutes left.  But just as he got to the blue line, with thoughts of skating up ice and scoring on his mind, Campbell met him hard in what RJ thought was open ice, and laid him out.  Always, always keep your head up when skating up.  You can watch the video here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_99e7zFlo0