Lately I’ve been having some “if I” moments in my life. I love the TV show “The Biggest Loser” and wonder how, if I lost some weight, my knee might not hurt as much. But then I don’t change how I eat or exercise. Then I hear my friends talking about playing hoops on Saturday mornings and think that, if I try to play, I could get back into shape again. But then I never make the effort to try. My intentions are good, but my heart is not changing. What’s the deal?

Hockey Chat:  There are some guys that have used the same gear for years.  They suit up in the same old outdated stuff, work hard, practice, and skate great.  Then there are others who buy the newest and the best only to struggle when they hit the ice. Even though they have the best gear, they lack the skills and knowledge to be a great hockey player.

Hockey Chat:  Martin Brodeur used it as a popcorn bowl when he took his wife and children to see the movie ''The Kid'' in Montreal.  Scott Gomez brought it into an Anchorage park on a dog sled.  Petr Sykora took it to an orphanage in Prague.  Scott Niedermayer flew it by helicopter to the top of the Rocky Mountains in Cranbrook, British Columbia.  It’s been used as a flowerpot, baptismal, and champagne glass.  Yet regardless of all the uses it has seen, the Stanley Cup is still a symbol of hockey greatness and the most prestigious trophy in all of sports.

Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Ben Zobrist wasn't drafted by Major League Baseball out of high school. In fact, he wasn't even offered a baseball scholarship to play in college. Yet, after attending a skills showcase the summer after his senior year, one college coach saw potential in Zobrist and offered him a position on the team.

Now one of the brightest young infielders in the game, Zobrist has experienced a divine path to success--both on the field and off. Just before the start of the 2010 season, Zobrist sat down with FCA's Sharing the Victory magazine to talk about that career, his family and, most importantly, his faith in Jesus Christ.

Hockey Chat:  “That’s how the Cup changes everything.”  This was the marketing message for 2008 year from the NHL, being repeated over and over about how everything in the game is elevated because of the quest for the Cup.  It’s gone from just playing hockey to playing for the Stanley Cup.

Hockey Chat: In 1896, George Merritt of the Winnipeg Victorias was the first goalie to sport ordinary crickett pads during the Stanley Cup playoffs to help him stop pucks. Soon after, crickett pads were used by all goalies.

Hockey Chat:  Since 1905 in playoff games between in the NHL, MLB, and NBA there have been well over 800 playoff series.  Within those series, over 230 teams have taken a 3 games to none lead.  Only twice in the NHL (less than 1%) has a team come from behind three games to win the series.  That means the team that gets ahead has a better than 99% chance of winning the series.

Hockey Chat:  Martian Broduer’s journey started with a small hope to stop pucks that first time he played goal in net.  Through the years it grew and grew and he inscribed his name as one of the greats to ever play in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup three times, and minding the net for the New Jersey Devils through numerous games. 

Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Ben Zobrist wasn’t drafted by Major League Baseball out of high school. In fact, he wasn’t even offered a baseball scholarship to play in college. Yet, after attending a skills showcase the summer after his senior year, one college coach saw potential in Zobrist and offered him a position on the team.

Now one of the brightest young infielders in the game, Zobrist has experienced a divine path to success—both on the field and off. Just before the start of the 2010 season, Zobrist sat down with FCA’s Sharing the Victory magazine to talk about that career, his family and, most importantly, his faith in Jesus Christ.

Recently I sat in on a home school history session with my wife and three kids.  The subject was Europe's transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance period of history, and focused on the huge impact that Gutenberg's movable type printing press had on civilization.  For those who are not aware of the history, Johannes Gutenberg created the first movable type printing press in 1456.  Prior to that, all books were painstakingly written by hand - one by one - including Bibles.