During the 2012 Summer Olympics, the world watched as US athlete Gabby Douglas claimed gold in the all-around portion of the gymnastics competition after anchoring the team’s run to a gold medal two nights before. When interviewed immediately after the competition, Douglas flashed her trademark smile, then displayed a depth of maturity rarely seen: "I give all the glory to God. It's kind of a win-win situation. The glory goes up to Him, and the blessings fall down on me."

Carly was a good basketball player. She was a tenacious defender, but she couldn't shoot the ball very well. But one thing I loved about Carly was that if the ball was available, she was going to get it. Carly understood the game quite well. Most of her shots weren't going in, so she learned what most players today do not — stop pouting about your miss and go get the ball! We had one drill in which Carly was the queen of the court. It was our 11 man break drill. In it, whoever got the rebound got to continue playing in the drill. Carly stayed in this drill one day for 11 trips up and down the floor. That's right. She got 11 straight rebounds to stay in the drill. She took great pride in knowing that when most of her shots were not going in she did what she did best: got the ball.

Have you ever found yourself “between a rock and a hard place,” “at the end of your rope,” “out on a limb,” with “your back against the wall,” or in “hot water?” These are just a few ways people describe life’s challenges. In football terminology, life can cause a “sudden change.” Changing our circumstances cannot always be avoided.Still, we can control how we respond to them. Life is 5 percent what happens to us and 95 percent how we respond.

Today is the birthday of Fernando Tatis. Fernando is the only player in Major league history to have hit two grand slams in one inning. On April 23, 1999, Tatis hit two grand slams while playing for the Cardinals in the second inning of a game against the LA Dodgers. Tatis, who had not hit a major league grand slam before, connected off Dodger pitcher Chan Ho Park. When asked what the key was for his success Tatis said, “Besides God, the key for me has been learning consistency. You have to be consistent and disciplined as a hitter and consistent and disciplined in your preparation to be successful in this game.”

It has been said that life is not a playground, but a battleground. Most battles happen in the unseen world and play out in the physical world. Knowing this, God gives us spiritual armor to be prepared for battle. Every piece of armor—the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit—protects from the front. None provide protection for our backs. In fact, we are instructed in Philippians 3 to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. God has our back. He gives us no armor for our backside because He has it covered. When we are right with God and confess our sins, we have nothing to fear. Proverbs 3 tells us that when we use good judgment, our sleep will be sweet.

Three weeks ago, the name Shaka Smart was not one most people would have recognized (outside of VCU nation, of course). However, Coach Smart—the head coach of NCAA men’s Final Four team Virginia Commonwealth University—is now a household name after their great run through the tournament. After the season, it’s a safe bet that Coach Smart will even be offered a number of coaching positions at larger schools. It’s just part of the situation for a once little-known coach who is now one of the hottest names in the sport today.

Former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow had arguably the greatest college football career of any player. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy, set a record for most touchdowns scored in a career, and he led the Gators to two BCS National Championships. Tebow’s trademark look during his college days was the eye-black strips (used by athletes to fight the sun's glare in their eyes) he wore with Bible Scripture references written on them. He was never ashamed to talk about his faith in God, which oddly caused many to question his mental toughness.