Hockey Chat:  Have you ever tried to skate on dull skates.  No edge means no go.  When you have a nice blade you can stand firm, be sure of your turns, and move quick.

To humble ourselves under God means to be subject to Him. Because we can’t see Him, we forget He is watching. Sometimes we can’t hear Him, so we forget He is speaking. We can’t always feel Him, so we forget He never leaves or forsakes us. Just because we can’t always see, hear, or touch God doesn’t mean He isn’t mighty. He is able to destroy entire nations if He desires, as is often illustrated in the Old Testament. God is all-powerful. When we live in accordance to His will, we will experience His abundant blessings. As 1 Peter 5:6 states, He will exalt us in due time if we remain humble to Him.

How can we humble ourselves under God? We can start by listening to His advice, searching His Word, and spending time with Him.

Last month I was in San Antonio with one of my board members working the FCA ministry events at the men’s Final Four. One night after the great FCA meeting, we were heading back to our hotel and decided to get a bite to eat at the street fair. Once we received our food and had started making our way through the crowd, we realized we were suddenly fighting a mob moving in the opposite direction. As we fought our way through, we heard a band start to play and suddenly realized why we were fighting the crowd. Rock star Kid Rock was taking the stage nearby. Everyone around us—young and old—was rushing to see and hear him, hoping he would acknowledge them. My friend Dave and I struggled to get through the crowd back to our hotel.  

Hockey Chat:  When a player gets double teamed up against the boards they know their in trouble.  As they battle for the puck, they’ll often hear a familiar voice of someone on their team calling out instructions on a safe place to pass it.  They would stay in trouble and lose the puck if someone didn’t call out to them.

It happens all the time: As an athlete or coach, you are confronted with a situation in which your attitude will dictate your altitude. Someone does you wrong; a promise is broken; a ref makes a horrible call in a game; you are treated poorly. Whatever the circumstances, does your attitude show that God is in your life?

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul urged the believers to stand firm in their faith in Christ. Paul wanted everyone to stay focused on Christ and the glory of the cross, no matter what happened. In every situation we are under the authority of God, and we should act and react accordingly. Though we may be wronged, mistreated or severely tortured, we must stand firm, knowing that God will provide the victory.

Hockey Chat:  For many folks, the greatest hockey player they know was Wayne Gretzky.  Even his old coach knew that.  While playing for the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA in the 1978-79 season he was sold to Peter Pocklington owner of the Edmonton Oilers for a painting and a million dollars.  He went on to win the scoring title 10 times in his career and blasted through the goal scoring record like he blasted pucks into the net.  Nine Hart Tropheys, 4 Stanley Cups, 2 Con Smythes.  He made the highlight clips nightly but the one clip that has not been talked about as a great feat was a great blunder (I just happen to still have it on VHS tape).  As he was racing back to get in between a 2-on-1 break on his own goal, he stuck his stick out to block the p

When you think of undying, unwavering commitment, who comes to your mind? I have always been inspired by athletes and coaches who have that type of “over-the-top” commitment. It gets my competitive juices flowing. When I see players with tenacity, it makes me ready to strap on the pads and lace up the shoes!

Many athletes get distracted easily. The crowd, the faces and the noise all are factors that distract the athlete today. Even small gyms with just a few people in the stands can produce a loud noise. This can present a problem for a team, especially the coach. The coach needs the attention of his team at all times to work the game plan. One mark of a great player is his or her ability to hear the voice of the coach. Staying tuned in to the bench during a contest is essential for success. Players who have the ability to eliminate distractions and hear their coaches' voice will more than likely come out on top in the end.

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. 

Sometimes athletes believe that rules are a part of the game in order to make sure that nobody cheats. Other times athletes think rules are against them, preventing them from doing what is seemingly necessary. They see officials as being out to get them. Neither of these is true.

What would sports be like if there were no rules? What would a basketball game be like if we didn’t have to dribble? What if there were no fouls? What would football look like if there were no out-of-bounds lines? What if runners did not have to stay in their lanes? It would be utter chaos.