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What are athletes without goals? Goals are obstacles that help us reach higher levels of ability. In Philippians 3:14, Paul says we should keep running for the goal God has for us. In doing this, we all have to lean on the Lord to know where we are going.
In just his fourth full season in the Major Leagues, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has already become a household name. After winning the 2011 NL Cy Young Award, the then 23-year-old joined the ranks of all-time Dodger greats Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser, and he recently became just the fifth pitcher in franchise history to strike out more than 200 batters in three consecutive seasons.
The reality that I’m a senior in college is finally starting to hit me. It’s a clear reminder that, in life, God takes us through times of transition. We all go through seasons that are no different than those we see in nature.
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us that there is a time for everything. This includes transitions. And, while it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and fearful about an unknown future, we can have peace in knowing that God is in control. Thank God! I know I wouldn’t be able to handle this all on my own.
Often, before those transitions take place, God prepares us through times when we think we’re just “sitting the bench” or not “doing anything for God.” In those still times, He is changing and molding our hearts for what is to come.
“Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24
Without professional sports in their state, the citizens of Nebraska have elevated their Cornhusker football team to pro status—living for each Saturday in the fall. This fact isn’t lost on senior running back Rex Burkhead, who has used his four years in front of Big Red Nation to spread the saving message of his Savior, Jesus Christ.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
MidAmerica Nazarene University volleyball coach Kristin Steele’s favorite verse from Scripture is Jeremiah 29:11, in which the Lord declares, “For I know the plans I have for you…” She’s living proof, as she followed His guiding, not her own, from standout collegiate volleyball player to collegiate volleyball coach years ago. Now in her third season at MNU, Steele is pushing her Pioneers to new levels of success on the court and deeper relationships with the Lord away from it.
“…Take your everyday, ordinary life... And place it before God as an offering... Don't become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out…” – Romans 12:1-2 (MSG)
For the three Witten brothers, family life was once enjoyable. Growing up in Vienna, Va., a bustling suburb of Washington, D.C., their childhoods were filled with rambunctiousness and athletics. Their father, Ed, was a huge sports fan, so he signed up Ryan, Shawn and Jason for two football leagues — a city league in Vienna and a Fairfax County league. He put them in two basketball leagues, too. He taught the boys to run, throw, catch and dribble. It was a warm slice of Americana. But, over time, the Hallmark moments were less and less frequent. Ed and his wife, Kim, hit financial straits. Alcohol and drugs added to a charged atmosphere.
The city of Los Angeles is where my faith story began years ago and where it continues to this day. As the youngest of three kids, I remember going to several different private elementary and middle schools, and in each I was exposed to different denominational beliefs that all helped develop my ideas of God and faith. Through my exposure to different belief systems at school, I was able to understand what truth was and who Jesus truly was in my life.
Hang around the Syracuse campus long enough, and you’ll likely run into a young lady in Orange athletic gear hanging up fliers, chatting it up with fellow athletes and, if around a big crowd, letting out an occasional shout. “FCA tonight!” A year earlier, Jenna Rickan would have cringed at the thought of sharing her faith so visibly. Back then, the Syracuse soccer player was living out the beginning stages of her Christian walk.
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