Paul gave great instruction on how to live with the peace of God. It’s easy to get caught up in everything going on around us and lose sight of our true purpose on earth, which is to serve God. He has blessed me with the opportunity to play football. It’s my responsibility to give everything I’ve got and use my ability to the fullest while praying for His direction. Anything beyond that is out of my control. If I’ve truly given my best, then I can have peace no matter what happens in a game, during the season, or throughout my career. This is true in every area of our lives. An eternal perspective is important. We are only here for a short time compared to the scope of eternity.

I don’t usually watch the show “The Biggest Loser,” but when I get a chance to see it, I always love it. There’s always something to learn about our human nature through that show, and I usually come away from it inspired in some way.

Last night, I caught part of the show and was struck by a particular comment from trainer Jillian Michaels. One of the participants had been giving her particular trouble through his poor attitude, and she commented on how it was affecting not only him, but also his entire team. I might botch the quote, but Michaels said something like, “The problem with teams is that the actions of individuals don’t just affect individuals, they affect the other people on their teams.”

It broke my heart a little that it wasn’t a bigger deal in the media. It was almost unnoticed as the third bullet point listed on the side of ESPN’s homepage on Monday. Barely a blip on the radar screen when compared to the Manning Bowl. But there it was in bright blue hyperlink text: “Denver Broncos WR Kenny McKinley found dead at his home.”

Reports stated that McKinley, who was on the team’s injured reserve after having knee surgery in August, made comments after his surgery about killing himself. The investigation details later stated that, “McKinley didn’t know what to do other than football” (ESPN.com).

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."

Each December, I look forward to joining my fellow track and cross country coaches from all over the state at our annual coaches’ clinic. It’s sort of a kick-start to the upcoming track season. One of the highlights is the Hall of Fame luncheon, which honors several people who have achieved great success in Missouri Track and XC over the years.

Early in my career, I felt a sense of awe as I listened to the introductions of these inductees and wonder if I’d ever be able to achieve the things they had. The funny thing was, though, that I’d never heard of most of the recipients until I attended those luncheons. As a result, their accomplishments (however impressive) didn’t mean much to me, either.

In 2001, golfer Annika Sorenstam dominated the women’s professional tour, winning eight tournaments and topping two million dollars in earnings. After that phenomenal year, Annika’s chief rival, Karrie Webb, commented that she’d eat her hat if Annika won eight tournaments in the coming year. The following season, Annika won eleven tournaments and earned nearly three million dollars in prize money.

I will go on record and say I am not a big Terrell Owens fan. However, what he did in the Super Bowl was quite impressive and worthy of acknowledgement. Though he was hurt and his doctors discouraged him from playing, he knew he had to step up and play to help his team. He did a great job, and I am sure he played through a lot of pain. But he knew he was needed and did what he knew was the right thing for his team.