The NHL isn’t full of Christians. It may be surprising, then, to hear me say that my years in pro hockey have been the most influential in my relationship with the Lord. I’ve met some incredible teammates and NHL staff who have encouraged and strengthened me in a proverbial “iron sharpens iron” kind of way.
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You owe me!
Set:
It appears that the sports world has been overtaken with the “somebody-owes-me-something-because-I-am-somebody” attitude. The big 10-dollar word for that attitude is “entitlement.” It is the belief that we deserve some reward or benefit because of who we are. Somehow we think everyone owes us, and that we owe nothing in return. If you watch SportsCenter, it sometimes sounds more like CrimeCenter. So many athletes think they can do anything they want—that they are above the law.
2004: A Year in Review
Set:
2004 was an interesting year in sports…
1. The BCS became the biggest college football screw-up of all time.
2. Hockey was shut down except for one night in Detroit.
3. Steroids became all too real.
4. Terrell Owens proved that he is a better football player than actor.
5. Coaches were hired, fired, hired, fired, hired, fired ... You get the idea.
6. The Olympics offered more medal controversy.
7. Shaq and Kobe split.
8. And Kobe had a little courtroom drama.
Pumped!
Every great moment in sports has its own soundtrack — a song that fuels the emotion of the moment. Would movie goers be half as moved if they watched Rocky Balboa train for a fight without hearing “Eye of the Tiger”? Imagine any college team taking the field without the band playing the school’s fight song. As an athlete, have you ever tried to prepare mentally for the game without using music? Would fans come to the games if they had to sit in silence?
Be Courageous
Set:
As an NHL player, I’ve never been quick to admit my fears, but I’ve definitely had them. When facing Edmonton in game seven of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, I was more nervous than I’d ever been in my athletic career. Leaning on God during that game helped me find strength to face my fears head on. We ended up winning the game and the Stanley Cup, a first for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Sacrifice, not privilege
Set:
Today’s culture breeds entitlement thinking—even in the church. Supposedly, if we have our daily devotions, go to church, help the old lady across the street, and pray before our games, then God should bless our lives. We think God owes us for all we do for Him. We think that God needs to hook us up because we have done our part.
If we look at the Apostle Paul, he addressed the fact that if anyone was entitled to privilege it was him. But despite his Hebrew heritage and incredible obedience to the Law, he wrote in Acts 20:23, “in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.”
The Year of the Capper
Southsiders of Chicago will never forget the summer of 2005. It was a season that brought glory to the Windy City as their beloved White Sox crushed the Houston Astros in a World Series sweep.
Fans cheered, brooms were raised, and confetti rained down on LaSalle Street in grand celebration.
Four hundred miles away in Pittsburgh, the silence was deafening.
Punting into the Wind
Set:
As a coach, my faith was wavering. I watched my unpredictable punter jog onto the field, doubt washed over me with every step. I never knew what to expect. It might go 40 yards in a tight spiral, or it could be a 10-yard shank off the side of his foot. Every kick was an unpredictable adventure.
It was late in the game and field position was critical as my team lined up in punt formation. As the punter waited for the snap from center, the unexpected happened. The gentle breeze that had been blowing all night suddenly transformed into a stiff wind. My punter handled the snap cleanly, took two steps and kicked the ball high into the air.
Performance
Set:
The big item of the week has been the surprise firing of Tyrone Willingham after completing only three seasons of his five-year contract as the head football coach at Notre Dame. Kirk Herbstreit, analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, said, "This firing is all about wins and losses … it's about failing to produce wins." The Notre Dame AD said Willingham was an "outstanding coach" with an "impeccable reputation." Indeed, it seems as if this decision all boiled down to one thing: performance.
Credit Due
Set:
It was in a post-game press conference that we saw the true Curt Schilling. Sure, he had pitched an unbelievable game in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, but in the first question of his press conference we quickly learned where the Boston Red Sox pitcher found the strength to complete his performance. Schilling explained that he has been a Christian for seven years and has learned over time that he cannot do anything under his own strength. He puts his hope and trust solely in God for the strength to do what is needed.
Becoming a Volunteer Chaplain
What does it take to be a successful volunteer chaplain? Doug Pollock, chaplain for the basketball teams at Bradley answers that question and much more as he walks you through the process.
Discouragement in Ministry
Join Dr. John Ed Mathison as he shares from his 45 years of ministry experience, "How to be an encourager even in discouraging times."
For more about John Ed Mathison, check out his website.
Fit 4 Ever: Put Your Health to the Test
“It makes me feel good that FCA cares about it’s people!”
That was a common statement after a week of clinical exercise testing at the FCA World Headquarters in November. This effort, led by the FCA Health & Fitness Ministry, was designed to help our FCA team improve its health so that everyone involved could have the strength and energy necessary to perform at the highest level. FCA President Les Steckel put it best: “We believe that our initiative to serve our people on the front-edge of ministry will define us as an organization that genuinely invests in the personal and professional development of its people.”
Fit4Ever: Food for Thought
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Almost every credible source links the foods we eat to our moods, our ability to focus, our energy levels, and our athletic and academic performance. It even affects how we think, which, in turn, affects almost every area of life from our relationship with God to our ability to perform under pressure and overcome challenges.
Fit 4 Ever: Stressed Out
It's almost impossible to find anyone who isn't feeling the pressure these days.
Stress doesn't care if you are young or old; it has the ability to weigh you down regardless of age, gender, race, political affiliation or socio-economic status. In fact, all studies confirm this.
Stress is something we all seem to have in common.
The Camp Experience
FCA Camps have a unique way of uniting people who would otherwise have very little in common. How else could you link a Super Bowl champion coach from Indiana to a college basketball player from Minnesota and a high school volleyball player from Tennessee? But that is the common denominator for Indianapolis Colts Assistant Coach Alan Williams, Southwest Minnesota State forward Kevin Andrews and Ooletwah High School libero Libby Peigen. All three have been spiritually impacted by attending FCA Camps and have come away with a deeper relationship with the Lord.
Hog Heaven
Zack Cox couldn’t take it anymore. Frustration was flying at him from all directions like 90-mph fastballs from a pitching machine gone berserk. The game he loved felt more and more like a prison sentence. So he did what any athlete would do. He found a bathroom and broke down.
Be a Caleb
Set:
This year, my son Caleb is playing freshman football at his school, and as he’s discovered, being one of 70 players is tough. He loves the game and enjoys certain drills in practice, but lately his teammates have been the bigger challenge for him. Two of the guys he considered to be his best friends have been verbally mocking him and putting him down. As a teenager, he expects that from some of the guys on the team but not his closest friends. All he wants to do is be his best and help his team in any way he can.
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