Remembering Coach Jim Myers

Coach Jim Myers passed away on July 17th at the age of 92. He worked with Tom Landry as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys and continued throughout the years to work with him on growing the ministry of FCA in DFW. In fact, 37 years ago, he helped Landry and other volunteers start the Tom Landry Open Golf Tournament, which continues to be our largest fundraiser. 

Coach Myers loved FCA. He once told me that as a parking lot attendant at his church, he would tell members that unless they purchased a raffle ticket for the Tom Landry Open, they couldn't park. :) Many tickets were sold! He served faithfully as a volunteer committee member until three years ago when his health began to fail.

I have plenty of fond memories of Coach. He invited our staff to his house on his birthday and would sing or share a poem he had written. Seeing all the memorabilia on his walls and shelves of his passion for football was so exciting for those of us who also shared his passion for sport.

Most importantly, Coach loved Jesus and in his "coach" way he left a mark on many who would listen. About a month ago I was privileged to go to his home and spend a few minutes with him. As I started to leave, I thanked him for all he had done for FCA.  At that moment, although he had been unable to talk during our visit, he lifted his head and spoke the last words I would ever hear him speak this side of heaven.

"Glad to do it."

Yes, Coach. And I was glad to know you and privileged to serve alongside you. We all were.

What Kind of Fan Are You?

Below is an article I wrote for the latest issue of VYPE Magazine. I hope you'll take a minute to read it and give me your feedback.

Has Athletic Performance in Your Student-Athlete Diminished?

Parents, have you noticed the athletic performance in your student-athlete diminishing lately? If so, there are numerous possibilities from lack of sleep to stress, as well as just being too busy.  But have you given thought to the possibility of drug and alcohol use? Over the last few months I’ve continued to hear more stories of how marijuana use is on the increase, so I decided to do a bit more research on the subject.  As you may know FCA has a program called One Way 2 Play - Drug Free, and steroid use has been the main focus for a number of years, along with underage drinking.

“Illicit drug use among teenagers has continued at high rates, largely due to the popularity of marijuana. In 2012, 6.5 percent of 8th graders, 17.0 percent of 10th graders, and 22.9 percent of 12th graders used marijuana in the past month—an increase among 10th and 12th graders from 14.2 percent, and 18.8 percent in 2007. Daily use has also increased; 6.5 percent of 12th graders now use marijuana every day, compared to 5.1 percent in the 2007.” (National Institute on Drug Abuse- December 2012)

 “Marijuana use poses the greatest threat to high school athletes’ future, say some coaches, who also indicate the use of pot has increased since it was legalized (in Colorado ) last year.” According to wrestling Coach Barrett Goyler of Poudre (Co.) High School, he has seen the impact of marijuana use.  “This kid was a good wrestler; he enjoyed wrestling.  He started using marijuana then started skipping classes. He got two F’s then became ineligible.  Then he starts skipping practice.  One thing leads to another.  Then he’s got problems at home; he’s running away from home.  You can see it, one thing leads to another, and then another.” (Coloradoan.com)

On most (college) campuses, the athletic training room is ‘rumor central,’ according to Charles Thompson, head athletic trainer at Princeton University. "When you talk to athletes, you hear the stories," says Thompson, chair of the National Athletic Trainers' Association's College/University Athletic Trainers' Committee. ‘There are a lot of athletic trainers who feel that marijuana use on campus has grown exponentially, even among the athletic population.’”

The issue has been smoldering for some time. In 2011, Sports Illustrated reported that nearly a dozen first-round prospects in the 2010 NFL draft were known to have marijuana use in their past, leading one team personnel official to term the situation an ‘epidemic.’ “ (Paul Steinbach, AthleticBusiness.com)

Life does get busy, especially with teenagers in the home, but there are some signs you can pay attention to if you sense some unusual changes in your student’s athletic performance.

According to Dr. Gary Wadler, a New York University School of Medicine professor and lead author of the book “Drugs and the Athlete”, marijuana is stored in the body fat and its effects may be long lasting. “It has been shown that performance skills can be impaired for as long as 24 hours after usage.”  He states the effects of marijuana on performance:

·      Impairs skills requiring eye-hand coordination and a fast reaction time

·      Reduces motor coordination, tracking ability and perceptual accuracy

·      Impairs concentration, and time appears to move more slowly (from ESPN.com “Drug and Sports”)

Dr. Jeff Milroy interviewed a sophomore student-athlete (Division I institution) on drinking alcohol and this was her response:

“Why do I choose not to drink? Sure I know it is illegal at my age, but to be honest, that isn’t my number one reason for not drinking. See, I expect my teammates to perform at their highest ability, so why shouldn’t they expect the same from me? Drinking and using other drugs compromises my ability to perform at my best. If I chose to use alcohol or other drugs I would be letting them down. Everyone always seems to forget about practices during the week; athletes who choose to drink only think about game day. I don’t think they see the importance of practicing at their best. I know drinking on a Saturday night affects the way I feel and how I perform at practice on Monday and Tuesday. I had a coach once tell me – play as you practice and practice like you play – It really makes sense doesn’t it?” (From myplaybook.drugfreesport.com)

For more information on One Way 2 Play-Drug Free, visit dfwfca.org.

Youth Sports - How Much Is Too Much?

Did you know that there are more children/teens playing youth sports (club, leagues, non school sports) than those playing in the local school sports here in the United States?

This week in Dallas there will be over 15,000 young girls across the U.S. competing in the Volleyball Jr. Olympics (National Volleyball Finals). Many of those middle and high school aged girls have been playing competitive volleyball for 7-8 months in a row to get to this event this week. Parents have made financial sacrifices to support their child's love of volleyball throughout the many weekend trips and several days a week in practice during that time.

Some parents see this as an opportunity to improve their child’s skills to hopefully one day get a college scholarship and, with tuition prices these days, who can blame them. Some parents just want to support their child’s love of the sport and this may be the only competitive sports opportunity through high school.

I can't speak from experience but, as an outsider looking in, I can imagine the pressure that children and parents face when it comes to how much youth sports is too much. At what point does a parent step in when they see their child struggling with over-training? The following excerpt might be helpful:

Signs of Over-training

- Slower times in distance sports such as running, cycling, and swimming
- Deterioration in execution of sports plays or routines such as those performed in figure skating and gymnastics
- Decreased ability to achieve training goals
- Lack of motivation to practice
- Getting tired easily
- Irritability and unwillingness to cooperate with teammates

Unfortunately, the tendency parents and coaches have when confronted with signs of over-training is to push the child harder. But if over-training is the culprit, any increase in training will only worsen the situation.

Training too much may eventually lead to overuse injuries in which actual damage to the bones and soft tissues occurs because the body can't recover from the repetitive physical demands placed on it by sport activity. 

U.S. Youth Soccer Coaches Connection- to read the full article, go to: www.usyouthsoccer.org

For those of you who want your child to be able to balance youthful fun, competitive sports, education and spiritual growth, there are challenges to face. Because many Sundays are filled with tournaments, as a Christian parent, how do you put "Christ first" in your life and guide your children to do the same?

Last week we completed our 3rd Annual Sports Leadership Camp at DBU. 135 high school athletes from across DFW came together from all walks of life and sports. There were volleyball, basketball, golf, football, cross country, tennis, baseball, competitive cheer & softball athletes learning additional skills and competing alongside students not from their same team. They learned what true character and leadership was about. They discussed in small groups with college athletes the frustrations and joys of trying to get excellent grades, having fun with friends while at the same time trying to be the best athlete they can to make the team or compete at a higher level.

Spiritually these 135 athletes were challenged to be bold in sharing their faith, their desire to say no to the temptations that will drag them down and away from peace with God. 35 made a first time commitment to walk in faith with Christ and surrender their actions and soul to Him.

Is there such a thing as too much sports related activities for teens? Absolutely! Can there be a balance? Sure! It is not just the parents and coaches "job" to make it happen, but here at FCA we are finding out that even teenagers are learning for themselves what is too much.

Compete hard, strong and with excellence. Train and push the muscles to stretch and grow. But know when to say, today as a family or individual we/I will start my day putting God first. Today I will grow and stretch and strive to achieve spiritual/godly excellence. Today I will pursue balance in my life.

My Camp Story

Camp.  If you have ever experienced a week away from home, meeting new friends, creating new experiences, then you probably have pleasant memories of camp.  I have been blessed to participate in camp as a child, teenager and adult.  My very first camp experience, though, was not the best.  

I was 8 years old and very shy. The church camp had a tradition of allowing you to "find" a date to walk up the side of the mountain to three crosses at the top, have a short devotion then eat ice cream at the bottom of the excursion. In order to find a date, the girls got to pick who they wanted to walk up the mountain with by chasing the boys until one was "caught". 

So the boys lined up a few yards in front of the girls.  This was terrifying to me as an 8 year old kid who had no intention of holding any girls hand up and down a mountain!  So when the word "go" was announced, I ran like there was a mountain lion chasing me.  For 5 minutes, I zigged and zagged and stayed clear of any female coming close.  I did notice a young girl approaching me. She tried but could not get me. Then she huddled with her two older sisters and all three came at me.  I know I was sweating bullets, but for another 3 minutes I managed to escape them all.  With great relief I thought I had dodged the biggest trial of my 8 year old life.  Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the three sisters approach my camp counselor.  Oh no, now their evil plans included an adult!

Needless to say, within one minute he had grabbed me and held me until the menacing, younger sister touched my shoulder and yelled.."caught!"  Yes, I was forced to hold her hand up and down the mountain but the minute we were at the bottom, no amount of ice-cream would keep me hanging around to be seen in the "light" with my arch nemesis..my date.

Is there a moral to this story?  I've not been able to find a deeper meaning, but if I had not given camp another try two years later I would probably would not have darkened the door of a camp again.  (Yes I did skip a year for fear that she might be there, but by the time I was 10, girls didn't seem as scary.)

Other than my first year at camp I have some very wonderful memories.  As an adult who has seen camp impact teens and adults in so many positive and spiritual ways, I am excited that FCA provides young athletes an opportunity to experience a life-changing week. And you can bet, while I'm the leader, there will be no girls running down boys for a hike up a mountain!

Here is an example of the impact of camp from a Dad who sent this to me about his son's experience at our Sports Leadership Camp last year at Dallas Baptist University.

          “Brad had a great time at FCA’s Sports Leadership Camp last year.  It was a wonderful experience for him on several levels.  He got to spend some time with an FCA staff person and really enjoyed getting to know him.  He gave Brad some great spiritual and football encouragement and it definitely made an impression on Brad. Brad also had a good huddle group and he enjoyed getting to know some Christian athletes from other Dallas area schools.  Additionally, Brad said that the speakers, musicians and worship sessions were great.  And finally, he really enjoyed the athletic competitions.  Overall, I do not think it could have gone better.  Brad was challenged to “step up” in his faith and he was surrounded by a relatively small group of athletes who also personally experienced that same challenge during their time at camp.  I think the FCA Sports Leadership Camp is a great concept and it fulfilled its purpose with Brad." K.L.

   

Visit www.dfwfca.org for all the details on registering for this year's camp. 

 

Are You a Good Person?

Here's my latest VYPE article. Click on copy below to enlarge.
 

Good News

Below is my latest article for VYPE Magazine.

My Love/Hate Relationship With Sports

I thought I would post my latest article from VYPE magazine.  What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Character Does Matter

Today I spent some time out on the football field at Kincaid Stadium, home to Carter and Kimball High Schools. There were about 150 middle school football players participating in an FCA/DISD “In The Zone” partnership camp. Along with the students there were about 25 high school coaches volunteering their time to impact student-athletes.

The athletes and coaches gathered at center field to hear from chaplain, Jon Randles. All the athletes were sitting on the ground and as he began to speak he took a knee so that he could be eye level with them, face to face for them to see his emotion and vice-versa. He spoke boldly and truthfully about not quitting, keeping their commitment to football, striving to be the best athlete they can and how that will pay off when they get into “the real world”. But with great passion and compassion he lovingly told them that if they really wanted to make a difference, the other component is to be people of character. Sometimes people with less skills and less natural abilities can, with hard work and commitment, be more successful than the top athlete with all the skills who don’t care about being a young man or woman of character.

Coach Tom Landry once said, “Give me a choice between an outstanding athlete with poor character and a lesser athlete with good character and I’ll choose the latter every time.”

Here is what I love about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization. With the help of coaches, FCA teaches student athletes new skills about their sport of choice through clinics and camps, but most importantly we get to love on these kids, speak truth into them and encourage them. And our hope is that they will grow up to be adults who make a huge impact in their communities … for the good!

The Greater Dallas Fellowship of Christian Athletes serves 200 middle schools, high schools and college/universities in the Dallas metroplex. As a student or parent, if you would like learn more, please give me a call or send me an email so we can connect. Our website: www.fcadallas.org is a great source of information and inspiration as well. (rbowles@fca.org / 214-739-8003)

Don’t forget, our 2nd Annual Sports Leadership Camp for high school athletes is June 26-29 at Dallas Baptist University. Call us ASAP to see if there is still room.

Interview with a local FCA coach

Tim Tebow's 316 Yards Inspire: MyFoxDFW.com

Tebowing?

Recently I attended a Cowboys game and was given the opportunity to walk the sidelines before the game. As you can imagine, there were many sights and sounds to take in as the players warmed up, threw the football around and went through their normal rituals of getting ready to play a game they have loved most of their lives.

But there was one particular sight that grabbed my attention. One of the Cowboy’s coaches had gathered three of his players into a circle and they prayed together before heading into the locker room one last time before the game started.

Through the many years of professional sports, players and coaches have publicly shared their faith in ways that feel comfortable to them so this was not a new sight to behold. Many players kneel in a short prayer before a game while others point the index finger to the sky and look upwards after making a great play.

Since high school, through college and now in the professional ranks, Tim Tebow has gotten on one knee and said a quiet prayer before playing. Now what he does is described as “Tebowing”. Some say it with respect to him and his faith while others seem to make it a mockery. Why is this?

It seems to me that if Tim Tebow had not been so bold in his Christian faith, not as vocal about his missions trips to serve others, and if he hadn’t been as much of a strong leader, this all would not be the talk of sports radio or headlines in national sports newspapers.

You and I can debate all day on whether Tebow should be a starting quarterback in the NFL, but I would hope that whether you agree or not with his Christian faith you will acknowledge it is nice to hear about a young professional athlete who lets their character, leadership and integrity “ooze” out of them. As a friend of mine once said, character is what “oozes” out of you. Or, in other words, what you “do” is better than what you “say.”

Every day we see young men and women student-athletes do some amazing athletic feats. We also see these same teens and young adults walk the walk of faith. If anything is learned from “Tebowing” it should be that it’s ok to be bold for what you believe in. Bowing to God is better than bowing to peer pressure.

Been Offended Lately?

Word got back to me recently that a parent of one of the middle school students who attended our FCA Weekend of Champions retreat has forbidden her to attend anything religious in the future. Your question to me might be, what happened? Well, I don't know the student or parent's name or any specifics but this I do know - We encourage the student-athletes who attend our FCA camps and retreats to live out their faith and be bold with their convictions. At the same time, every parent has a right to lead their child in whatever direction they want, whether that is to God or away from God. God has given each of us a free-will. Kind of like the religious freedom we have in America.

But this got me to thinking back on the two weekends my staff and volunteers spent at the camp with 840 middle school students, 35 high school "All Stars", 90 coaches and 185 college athletes. On Sunday mornings, the last session of the camp, students are given the opportunity to share with their peers what they received over the weekend. We call it "open mic," where 75 or more students stand in front of hundreds and share their story of how God impacted their lives in just three days.

These 6th, 7th and 8th graders come from all walks of life: rich, poor, middle class, great parents, indifferent parents, bad parents, hurting and happy. They talk about struggling with things at that age that I wasn't confronted with until young adulthood. The temptations of drugs, alcohol, pre-marital sex are not new to any generation but, quite frankly, they seem to be running rampant these days. Children's lives are being destroyed and, unfortunately, it seems that some parents are too busy to take time to find out what incredible challenges these kids are facing.

Think about this. Several times during the weekend, these children would sit down in small groups with their counselor and talk about life, talk about spiritual issues, talk about deep wounds. They would also hear about how God has given life to their peers, helping them through the daily reading of His word and quiet times of prayer. Each middle schooler had an opportunity to discover or re-discover love from a heavenly perspective and leave there with the joy and peace that they might possibly have never had before.

Imagine going back home with a bubbly new perspective on life and sharing with a parent who is possibly struggling to keep their heads above water how great God is, encouraging them to believe that all is going to be okay. One young 8th grader went home and told his mom he wanted to go on a mission trip this summer. One child went back to school and took his Bible with him. One kid decided that suicide was not the answer while another one discovered there really is a God.

At the end of the day, no matter how you personally feel about God and Biblical spirituality, wouldn't you rather hear about 6th, 7th and 8th graders discovering peace in their lives and wanting to help others? There may be some who reject the idea, but I propose that we accept and encourage this type of "offensive" behavior in hopes of making the world a better place for the future.

Another lesson learned

Recently I had coffee with a former Dallas Cowboy. We first met at a breakfast event kicking off the Tom Landry Open golf tournament. He shared a story of how Coach Landry influenced his life as a player.

The setting was RFK Stadium in D.C. It was near the end of the game and the Redskins were about to kick a field goal. Coach Ditka, who as an assistant coach at the time, told my Dallas Cowboy friend to stop the kick no matter what. To him that meant do whatever he had to do and it resulted in a cheap shot on the kicker.

After the play, it got ugly with tempers flaring and a few punches thrown. He, however, came out unscathed and started walking to the bench. The look,though,that Coach Landry gave him was one he didn't ever want to see again.

The next morning he received a call from Coach Landry's assistant. "Coach wants you in his office ASAP." This Dallas Cowboy knew he was in trouble. Coach Landry proceeded to tell him that he had been drafted because of athletic skills, not his cheap shots on players. If he were to ever do it again, he would be "looking for another team to play on." He said there was just a split second where he wanted to blame it on Coach Ditka but he knew that would be the wrong response. The lesson learned has been with him the rest of his life.

There have been times I have tried to pass the blame onto others and discovered, as I'm sure you know, that it never pans out the way you think it will. Today, be the man, the woman, the husband, wife, son or daughter, brother or sister you know you should be. And, if you have done wrong, don't blame someone else. Take it to Christ first then boldly change your actions. And be grateful for the opportunity for a "do-over".

Oops, Wrong Golf Ball

Did you hear about the 14 year old who after winning the junior Wisconsin PGA tournament, disqualified himself and returned his medal because he mistakenly had one too many golf clubs in his bag?

“I knew right away I couldn’t live with myself if I kept this medal, so it was pretty instantaneous,” Zach Nash said during a phone interview on his first day of high school.

Then there’s the story of professional golfer J.P. Hayes who unwittingly used a golf ball that was not approved by the United States Golf Association during a PGA Tour qualifying tournament in Kingwood, Texas. It was a prototype and somehow managed to get in his golf bag.

Here’s the kicker, no one would have known that he used an unapproved golf ball but once he discovered it, he told the officials and was disqualified. He was playing for a full-time spot on the PGA Tour.

What made both the 14 year-old teenager and 43 year-old make these choices?Integrity.

Would you or I have made the same decisions? I hope so. But everyday people across the world choose to make wrong decisions that either come back to haunt them or hurt someone else, in some cases those they love.

One of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Key Values is Integrity. We strive to demonstrate Christ-likeness, privately and publicly. What does that really mean? We encourage coaches to treat student-athletes with respect, to teach them the difference between right and wrong decisions. We encourage student-athletes to be leaders on and off the field of play, to show character in all situations.

Somewhere along the journey of 14 year old Zach’s life, someone instilled in him the joy of being honest, to be a student athlete of integrity. We all have someone who looks up to us, watches us and wants to be like us. If your values are not what they should be maybe it is time to do a “gut check” and ask yourself what changes need to happen to bring joy back in your life.

We all make mistakes, but it is those who admit and learn from their mistakes that make a lasting impact on others.

I like what the late Coach John Wooden said, “Sports do not build Character…they reveal it.”

Spiritual studies triumph over NFL for ex-Cowboy Duke Preston

(Duke is on the Greater Dallas FCA staff. Thought you might want to read his story)

By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News

There is a light rain falling as Duke Preston stands near the front door of Turpin Library on the Dallas Theological Seminary campus just outside downtown Dallas.

Quietly, students walk to and from classes unaware that this giant of a man – 6-5, 320 pounds – played for the Cowboys. A Study of Theology 101 class starts in about an hour.

"The cool thing is that people don't really care," Preston said.

Almost exactly a year ago, Preston, a center, sat inside the Cowboys' Valley Ranch facility as players, one by one, were told their dreams of making an NFL roster were through. He was one of the lucky 53 told to keep his playbook, but he never played in a game last year.

In June, Preston turned 28. He and his wife, Lisa, had a daughter, Maya, three months ago. The Cowboys offered him about $1 million to re-sign in 2010, including a $200,000 signing bonus. The team kept the option of returning open and waited until June to rescind its offer.

The pull of God was stronger than the pull of football, so Preston, who had off-season ankle surgery, decided to walk away.

"A lot of people kind of don't get it, and I know it's a tough thing to understand," Preston said. "It doesn't make sense, but in my mind and knowing what I feel and the process of things that happened to lead me to that decision, I couldn't speak to anything but God being a part of it. It's been hard to explain to people, but it's the truth. I feel it, and you have to stay true to that."

A new calling
Preston grew up in a football family. His father, Ray, played nine seasons for San Diego as a linebacker. He remembers running through the house, cutting around a corner and diving into a pile of footballs for a pretend fumble, lifting the ball to the sky as the fans roared loudly in his mind. He was a star at Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego and went on to be a three-year starter at Illinois.

Buffalo drafted him in the fourth round in 2005, and he started 20 games in four seasons. He joined the Cowboys on Aug. 27, 2009, two days after he was cut by Green Bay.

"You work your whole life for it, and [the] thing was for me, when I got there, it didn't feel like I thought it would feel," Preston said. "Not in a bad way or a negative way, but for some reason I thought making the NFL would be the end all be all."

The calling did not hit him all at once. Little things made him question whether he wanted to continue to play.

He never planned to return to school, but his mother told him about Dallas Theological Seminary's reputation.

He never planned to live anywhere but San Diego when his playing career was through, but he now calls Frisco home.

Not playing last year but staying on the roster did not make sense to him.

Talking helps
Preston realized he was not alone while listening to Dr. Tony Evans, the senior pastor at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, speak at weekly Bible study meetings at Valley Ranch. Evans discussed only now beginning to understand the bible after 15 years of college and 30 years of ministry.

Talking with Jon Kitna and other devout players on the team helped Preston forge a closer relationship with God.

"I asked him the pertinent questions about why he thought this was the route he wanted to take," said Evans, whose son, Jonathan, went to training camp with the Cowboys a few years ago. "His answers were basic and simple but solid: He feels compelled by God to do this, so therefore I would never discourage anyone who says God is compelling them to do something."

Preston said the discussions regarding religion among the Cowboys last year also pushed him in this direction.

"There were some bus rides down to Arlington, and the guys are talking God, Christian faith, is there a God?" Preston said. "I couldn't help but see things happening in front of my face. A lot of people have this conception that the NFL is full of guys who have it figured out, but we don't. Four out of five players end in divorce, bankrupt, unemployed or addicted when they're done. ... Even in NFL locker rooms there are guys searching and looking to make sense of it."

He still talks with Kitna, Stephen McGee, John Phillips and Kevin Ogletree, among others. When Kitna learned of Preston's decision to walk away, he was not surprised.

"People that aren't necessarily walking with the spirit don't understand the things of the spirit," Kitna said. "As a Christian, we are to be peculiar people. It should look weird. It should look different. I understand why people would be like that, but the great thing when you're walking with the Lord is there's no better place to be."

Not that the pangs to play have gone away completely. Preston has not been able to watch even preseason games. "It's like seeing an ex-girlfriend too soon," he said.

No comeback
Two teams, Oakland and Denver, have talked with his agent, Craig Domann, in recent months about possibly coming back to play.

Both times Domann gave the same answer: No thanks.

"This was my first August to myself," Preston said. "I looked around and was like, 'Man, this is the real world.' "

In addition to the nine hours of class, he's working 30 hours a week for the Dallas Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Film work has been replaced by homework and papers. Instead of getting ready to play Washington, he's learning about the history of Christian education and Bible exposition. Instead of lifting weights, he's preparing talks for local schools.

After making the decision, Preston wrote Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones a letter. He explained why he was retiring, how much he appreciated the chance last year and the hope of one day working with the players as a spiritual adviser.

"One thing I learned in the NFL and living my life as a Christian and following God is hold your plans lightly," Preston said. "You never know when He will show how powerful He can be."

What you can learn at a baseball game

Last Friday night I was able to persuade my wonderful wife to attend the Texas Rangers game. It was last minute (thanks Barry for the tickets) and it was HOT. My wife HATES the Texas heat so for her to be willing to drop everything, sit in the 100 plus heat so that I could watch my Rangers play is a testimony of a GREAT wife. Now she did bring her tiny battery-operated fan but did a great job of not embarrassing me.

We couldn't have picked a better game. It was the first game of a 3 game home stand against the Red Sox. It went into the 11th inning with the Rangers winning with a Nellie Cruz home run making it 10-9. The Rangers were losing at one point in the game 8-2.

Couple of things that stood out to me:

1. Winning brings fans to the ballpark. The Rangers are at the top of their division and unless there is a complete meltdown, they will be in the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Also they are the only MLB team that has yet to win a postseason series; their three playoff appearances (1996, 1998, and 1999) all resulted in losses to the New York Yankees. It was a near sold out game and people love winners.

2. There were way too many Red Sox fans in the crowd. Where is this Texas pride everyone talks about? Just goes to show that when a team has that many losing seasons, fans tend to waiver in their allegiance. When they stood and cheered, it actually made me a bit tense. How dare they do that at a Rangers home game! Who let them in anyway? But then, when my team made a great play, I was standing, cheering and actually looking around to see the pitiful look on the Sox fan's face. I guess I deep down inside wanted them to suffer (at least for a few seconds).

3. Josh Hamilton is that good. He made a catch at the top of the center field fence that saved at least one run and, if not successful, probably would have set the Rangers back enough that they wouldn't be able to overcome. If you want to read more about Josh's great story of how he got to where he is today visit this link.

4. My wife is a hoot! Now don't tell her I am writing this but just as we sat down in our seats she was spying out the vendor for some water. She sees him, takes a $20 bill and comes back with what could have been perceived as a bottle of gold. Remember she gets hot easily and being in this summer heat is not her favorite thing. But she is a trooper for me and satisfied with her bottle of water. Now here is the fun part.

As she is drinking her water she sees another vendor who has a badge on his shirt saying water is $3.50. She looks at me and says "That can't be. I just paid the other guy $4.50 for my water." Several water vendors pass by and sure enough they are selling water for $3.50. She can't believe she was taken advantage of like that. As the evening goes on I start thinking about it and I get frustrated. "How dare he rip us off $1." I'm even conjuring up thoughts of mentioning this to management on the way out.

Then all of a sudden it hit me. I gave her a $20 bill, she kept 50 cents and gave me $16 in change. I pull it out of my pocket, count it in front of her and we both laugh and once again acknowledge that she is not and probably never will be good at math!

Influence..alive and well

What happens when a football coach goes beyond the "call of duty" and helps a young man turn his whole world around? Recently I heard the testimony of a young football coach in the Dallas area.

Up until his early teens he thought his life was pretty normal. His parents were his stability until they divorced and his world fell apart. With no spiritual guidance from either parent he stumbled, went after whatever made him feel good and was miserable inside no matter what he tried. He was on a self-destructive path. At one point his path led him to being stabbed at a local bar and even that didn't change his ways because that was all he knew.

He was pretty good at sports and made his way to a small college to play football. It was there that a coach decided to not only challenge him to be a better athlete but he made a point to share Christ with him. Even though he was not interested in "being preached to", the young man soon saw that his coach cared about him beyond the playing field. He was concerned about his spiritual condition. And this college age football player allowed God's word to change his life.

Now fast forward 15 or so years and this young athlete is now a coach himself. While volunteering with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as a huddle coach, he is introduced to a young football player we'll call "Jacob".

Jacob had recently moved to the area from New Orleans. His childhood was nothing but normal. His father kicked him out on the streets when he was in middle school and he went to live with a cousin who was involved in drugs. Jacob also started selling drugs and eventually wound up in Dallas living with an aunt and uncle who pretty much made it clear they were providing room and board and that was it.

No love was given to Jacob who, over the span of a couple of years, lost his cousin and grandmother to drug gangs. Jacob grew up with no one showing him love and was hugely "messed up".

About a year or so ago, someone invited Jacob to the FCA huddle group that our young coach was a part of. There, Jacob heard about Jesus for the first time. He grew up with Buddhism and had no idea who Jesus was. Eventually, Jacob was drawn to the Bible and with limited knowlege asked Christ into his heart. However, his commitment level was immature and he wavered in his Christian walk.

Last year his coach invited him to an FCA sports camp where he made a serious commitment to Christ and the Christian lifestyle. He surrendered everything to Christ and asked God to use him however He saw fit. Jacob started a Bible study for his football team and is beginning to make a huge impact on campus.

I don't know what Jacob's demeanor or personality was like prior to hearing him share his testimony but, today, you can see life and peace radiating from him.

Here's my point to this long story. Years ago a coach decided to teach a young college football player more than just football. He shared the truth about God's love. That young player eventually accepted Christ and years later, as a coach himself, he influenced another young boy, someone who didn't know what love was, to turn to the God who IS love. on earth. Now this young high school player is passing that love on to his friends and who knows what will happen next.

Be encouraged that you can make a difference. Pass love along. It is worth it.

All for a way over priced cupcake!

Here is the visual for you. My wife loves cupcakes (and so do I but maybe not as much as she does) and she heard about

a place in Dallas called Sprinkles of Beverly Hills (now open in Dallas). We decided to drive from our home which is about 25 miles east of their location to see what all the commotion was about. It is a very hot Saturday and we decided to take her car which is a bit older and has no tinting on the windows. She doesn't drive it a lot so the gas tank is never full or half-full for that matter. Actually it usually has less than a quarter of a tank which helps make this story interesting.

When we arrive there is an unbelievable amount of people in line to get a "cupcake". Normally I would have taken one look at the line and said, "we are outta here". But we had made the journey, she wanted to try the precious cupcake (and I guess so did I) and here we stood. Now I don't know about you but I don't spend a lot of time researching the cost of a single cupcake. Here we stand and my wife turns to me and says the price of one cupcake. Once again, do I turn in run or be the sweet supporting husband and open my wallet? Yes, I am the sweet supporting husband (and yes I want a cupcake).

After scouring all the many options, we make our purchase and jump in the car to head back 25 miles to home with our two, yes I said two Sprinkles of Beverly Hills (now open in Dallas) cupcakes. Besides the fact that we only bought two cupcakes, now here is where the fun begins. Remember the above mentioned car? Picture it being very hot, my wife holding a precious box of two expensive cupcakes (yes this is the actual photo) and realizing after getting on the interstate with a slight log jam of vehicles, realizing the gas tank was on empty. This car takes a long time for the AC to cool so here we are burning up, on empty, on the freeway, no gas station in sight and my wife anxiously holding the two precious cupcakes (which we were saving for later after dinner) up to the air vent to keep them from melting. First of all she hates the Dallas heat, she loves her cupcakes and yes is very concerned they will melt because we are stranded on the hot asphalt of a Dallas freeway with no gas.

Well here is the end to our cupcake adventure. We find a gas station just in time, the AC finally cools, the log jam clears and we make it back to the house with cupcakes intact! Yes, I save the day!

Now what about the cupcakes you ask? Those cupcakes...............were okay. Were they the most incredulous, unbelievable tasting cupcakes I had ever eaten? No. But were they tasty? Yes. Here is my point. Were they as great as the hype? Not in my opinion. But someone, the media, the co-worker, the marketer said "you have to try a Sprinkles cupcake". We did and would I do it again? You know drive across town, in the heat, almost stuck on the interstate with no gas, pay twice the price for a cupcake than what they were really worth? Yes! And why you say? It was all worth it to see my wife sit down with her Sprinkles cupcake and coffee in my favorite chair and see the satisfaction on her face as she ate the long awaited "you've got to try the Sprinkles cupcake".

Besides, I wouldn't have this fun story to tell you about and after all, isn't it the fun, silly adventures in life that make it all worth while?

David, Goliath and Golf

David and Goliath. A familiar and popular story from the Bible that many people, including myself, turn to when facing the "giants" of life.

When I picture the mighty giant Goliath looking down at little David, standing there with what appeared to be nothing more than a sling and a prayer, I have to admit it didn't look good. But Goliath wasn't counting on Almighty God stepping in to give David the victory over his opponent.

It really is quite a lesson in faith. When we face battles in our own lives; when we feel small or weak or completely overwhelmed, we can be sure that our Heavenly Father will help us overcome the giants that stand in our way. A truth, as it turns out, that is not lost on PGA player Zach Johnson.

You can read more about Zach and his David and Goliath story here:
Mastering the Game

Salt Burgers Are Not For Me

Recently I purchased a burger at one of my favorite fast food restaurants. You know how the story goes....go to the drive-thru, get home and realize the food is bad or they forgot something you paid for. This time, to my frustration, the hamburger meat was over salted. Not just a little bit. Every bite seemed to get worse. My last bite (half-way through the burger) it was so bad I had to throw it out.

After I got through my "rant" I got to thinking about Mark 9:50,"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." To me a person that has "salt in themselves" is one that being enjoy being around, someone who cares about others before themselves, someone who brings out the best in others.

I can eat food with little or no salt but extreme salt makes me throw it out. It is hard to take salt out of food but you can always add it. This got me thinking. Can it be possible where someone can be too "salty"?

Have you been around someone who literally turns you off, makes you want run out of the room because they are so into themselves, always talking about their lives, their needs......literally sucking the air out of the room? Next time you are having a meaningful conversation with someone, ask them questions about their world, find out what their needs are before you engage them in your world. You won't be too salty and you will have just the right salt in yourselves and will be bring peace to those around you.

And, before you drive away from the "drive-thru", check your bag and take a bite of your food. It will save you a lot of frustration later.