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The experts used to tell us that 3 days of exercise was enough to be healthy…is that true?
Many of us accept the fact that sin surrounds us. It’s no secret that the world is corrupted and distorted. Our responsibility, however, is not necessarily to ignore sin and ignore the way that it affects us, but rather to realize the way it affects us and our spiritual walk.
Look back on the last few days and examine your thoughts, your actions, the words you have spoken, the television shows you have watched, the music you have listened to, and the things you have purchased. For some of us, maybe these things aren’t considered all that bad—especially by the world’s standards—but are they pleasing to the Lord? Do they edify our flesh or our spirit?
Hockey Chat: When a player is called up to the big leagues of the NHL he has got the chance to make a name for himself and an impact on the hockey world. He knows it’s his big break. Years of training had lead up to this and now he’s been called upon to be the best player he can be. But if he uses that chance to be a puck-hog or run up the penalty minutes, he has not used his big opportunity wisely and he’ll be a big let down to the ones who believed in him.
When Jean Driscoll was a teenager, she had all of the same negative ideas about wheelchairs as everyone else. They were cumbersome and limiting, and using one meant the end of any shot at a normal life. And that’s exactly how she felt when, as a high school sophomore, she was forced to use one herself.
“I thought my life was over,” Driscoll candidly says.
King Saul and his son Jonathan faced a life-threatening crisis with the Philistines, but they handled the dilemma in very different ways. Jonathan responded in faith by trusting God in spite of the odds (1 Sm 14:1–14). God came to Jonathan’s aid by sending great confusion into the Philistine camp, and the Israelites were thus enabled to defeat the more powerful Philistine army without a casualty (1 Sm. 14:15–23).
Even as the words float off the end of my tongue, I realize that I have blown it. This kind of situation usually involves me saying negative words to my teammates or others. It’s so easy for me to become the “cut-down king.” It doesn’t take much, and it could involve something as simple as calling someone a name.
You know the routine: You cut one of your teammates down, and your other teammates laugh. You may try to justify your unkind remarks with the fact that everyone does it, but the truth is that those reckless words cut. They pierce like a sword and cause damage.
Coach Sleepy Thompson coached football at my high school for 32 years. His teams boasted 29 winning seasons, 12 conference titles and three undefeated seasons. Coach Thompson had a gift for taking whatever boys came through the door (including myself) and turning them into winners. He coached in such a way that took the entire team to a higher level of competition.
Personally, I’m fascinated by what makes a great coach like Sleepy Thompson. The word “coach” actually comes from the word “stagecoach,” implying that they take passengers from Point A to Point B. Coach Thompson knew where he wanted his teams to go, even though players like me didn’t have a clue. His Point B was very well-defined, and we had a clear destination.
We don’t often hear of Apelles or the Christians who lived in the household of Aristobulus. Most of us read quickly past these names and never give much thought to who they were or what their role was in the church at Rome. Yet, to Paul, they were important enough to be mentioned in his letter to the Romans. This tells us that in Christ’s service, the “little guys” are as important as the “all-stars.”
Hockey Chat: Have you ever listen to an interview with a hockey player when they are questioned about their opponent. It could be the last place team but they always find a way to say something nice and honorable about them. They give the respect to them even though they are the adversary. Then of course they add their strategy on how they are going to beat them. They are courteous but confident.
After inheriting a team that had won only four games the previous two years, Ron Zook set out on a course to turn the University of Illinois football program around. While the record didn't change as quickly as Coach Zook would have liked, winning just two games in each of his first two years, the 2007 Illini have won eight games including wins against No. 5 ranked Wisconsin and No. 1 Ohio State. "If you believe in something, and you know you're doing the right thing, you've just got to stay the course," Zook said.
FCA Camp was awesome again this year. If you’ve never been to one, I highly encourage you to check one out in the future!
What makes FCA Camp so great? What is it about camp that we miss when we leave? Why do we want camp to last longer than a week? Think about it: FCA Camp offers an environment in which we are encouraged to be in God’s Word, to freely Worship Him, to enjoy fellowship with His people and to spend time with Him in Prayer. For one short week it seems that we can push away the things of this world and focus entirely on Him. We are truly abiding in Him. And when we abide in Him the things of this world fade away. Relationships are sweeter, worship is more focused and prayer seems richer.
Hockey Chat: I watched a Chicago Wolves game on a Friday night, and saw a team in disarray. They did not play like the first place team they were. Instead they were walked on through the entire game, giving a whopping 50 shots to Peoria and 7 of those went in. After the game, their goalie who was one of the team leaders, Fred Brathwaite, gave the guys an earful on what went wrong. He told them what they needed to hear. The very next night they turned the tables and put up 47 shots and got 8 goals against Rockford. Back to the kind of hockey those guys were known for.
Hockey Chat: Oh the skates! A premium fitted boot with a sharp blade can have you moving across the ice with fancy footwork. Try a loose boot with a dull blade. You’re better off playing barefoot. Having a fitted skate gives you peace of mind knowing that you can get where you want to go confidently. If you tell your feet to move, you’ll dig in the ice and make the play.
Jeff Hart, a retired offensive tackle for the Baltimore Colts, knew that in order to be able to handle the opposing linemen, he needed to concentrate on every play. After breaking from the huddle, Jeff would look at the goalpost in the end zone, which symbolized for him the cross of Christ and reminded him of who he was really serving. He would then commit the next play to an audience of One. This focus and devotion allowed Jeff to play at his best and helped him to keep perspective. Whether professional or not, every athlete and coach faces a variety of challenges. Adversity comes to all of us at some point in life and requires that we focus on what is most important. Whether it’s a difficult situation with a player or a series of losses, we will have struggles.
We were in the regional finals of the Virginia high school golf tournament. I was a first year golf coach. My player, Gabe, was tied for the individual championship and was playing in the final round against the defending champion. He had just birdied the thirteenth hole to take a one shot lead with five holes to play.
I suddenly realized that I wasn’t sure what to say or do. Even though I had coached and officiated over a twenty-year period, I had never been a golf coach. Basketball and soccer were my forte. What strategy do you offer in a solitary sport like golf to a young man who must perform alone under pressure? Coaches are supposed to know everything and be ready in any situation. I felt I had little to offer.
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