In the 24th mile of the 2009 New York City Marathon, as the lead pack entered Central Park, Meb Keflezighi pulled away from four-time Boston Marathon champion Robert Cheruiyot. He floated over the final two miles, and, as he neared the finish, the crowd roared in approval. Meb pointed to the U.S.A. on his singlet, crossed the line, crossed his chest, kissed the ground and pointed to the sky. His time was a personal best 2:09:15, and he became the first American to win the race since Alberto Salazar in 1982. The next night, Meb appeared on Letterman and delivered “The Late Show’s” Top Ten.

The majestic beauty of Niagara Falls is no secret to the world. Millions of tourists visit the falls every year to take in its resplendent sights and experience the grandeur of the 170-foot waterfalls that separate the United States and Canada. What few people know, however, is that the water cascading over the falls was first harnessed in 1759 as a way of supplying power to a small sawmill. Now, more than two centuries later, Niagara Falls still provides electricity, but on a much larger scale, serving as the largest power source for the entire state of New York.

I absolutely love the Christmas season! There’s nothing better than celebrating the birth of our Lord in the presence of family and friends.

For many of us, however, this time of year means we abandon our healthy routines, throw off our restraint, and overindulge in huge quantities of food. There is just something about a huge turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls and green bean casserole. Finish that with a slice or two of pecan pie, and it’s time for an afternoon nap!

My story begins in Kingston, Jamaica. That's where I was born and where my dad served as a pastor and the dean of students at the Jamaican Theological Seminary. We lived there for two years until we moved to Indiana.

Growing up as a pastor's son was a huge blessing. It helped me understand from an early age what it meant to have a relationship with God. That relationship has been so important to me in my baseball career as I have worked my way up through the Boston Red Sox farm system, and it is evident in the way I play every day.

It all started in the fall of 2000 when Todd Knutson began to settle into his new role as an FCA area representative in Sioux Falls, S.D. Like most new staff, Knutson sought means to raise funds for his ministry through the usual support letters and individual visits. But he knew there had to be another way.

One Sunday afternoon he attended an open house where he picked up the brochure of Dan Lemme, owner of C-Lemme Custom Homes, LLC. What he read surprised him.

Through the eyes of the world, athletic success is easily defined. It’s a simple pass-fail test that asks only one question: did you win it all? But the University of  Nebraska volleyball team sees things differently. Despite its tremendous on-court success, the Cornhuskers remain a team that has learned to go deeper than wins and losses in order to define greatness. But the lesson didn’t come at an easy price.

Standing tall at 6’ 7”, Adam Wainwright is an intimidating figure — something that certainly plays to his advantage as a Major League pitcher. But get him talking about his daughter, and you’d never know that the 25-year-old makes a living paralyzing big-league sluggers with his breaking curveball. In fact, when talking about little Baylie Grace, Wainwright barely resembles the man who struck out Detroit’s Brandon Inge for the final out of the 2006 World Series, giving the St. Louis Cardinals their first World Championship since 1982.

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.

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?

What's more impressive than Trinity University's 15-lateral play? The story of faith behind it.

One of the most popular movements in health and wellness today is the concept of “detox.” In fact, this spring, Oprah Winfrey completed her own 21-day detoxification program in an effort to rid her body of accumulated toxins and harmful substances, and in the process, she brought renewed national interest to the idea.

During her 21 days of physical cleansing, she completely avoided all animal products, caffeine, alcohol, bread (and gluten) and refined sugar. At first-glance, this may not seem like that big of a deal. However, the program that Oprah followed was based on a book called Quantum Wellness by author and new age spiritual counselor Kathy Freston.