Devotional
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December 12, 2006
Set:
In week 14 of the 2006 NFL season the Miami Dolphins defense harassed quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots offense to the tune of four sacks, three lost fumbles -- two by Brady -- zero points and 187 yards. It was the worst offensive showing for the Patriots all year. "We just couldn't do anything right," Brady said after the 21-0 loss.
I'm sure we've all had competitions where we've wound up feeling like Tom Brady, like we just couldn't seem to do two right things in a row. Fortunately, there are also those performances where we feel like we are unstoppable, and those balance out the bad ones.
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December 11, 2006
Set:
Championships, money, grades, trophies, recognition. These are all things we are pursuing these days. On the surface, these things are not inherently bad, but are we consumed by these pursuits? I see nothing wrong with wanting good grades, to be good in sports and ultimately to win a championship, but those should not be our end-all pursuits.
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December 05, 2006
Set:
"I know that he's a competitor. I know that he does it the right way, and I have respect for him to that degree. But I'm not going to sit here and pretend like this isn't personal between us. There's a lot at stake." That is head wrestling coach Tom Brands from Iowa referring to his counterpart from Iowa State, Cael Sanderson, prior to their December 3, 2006, duel meet. Both coaches are in their first year at schools where they each became wrestling legends and won multiple NCAA championships. This was no ordinary duel meet, and it lived up to the hype with Iowa winning 24-6 with seven matches decided by two-points or less.
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December 04, 2006
Set:
It takes heart to play sports. Coaches fire up their teams by saying, "Go out there and play with all your heart. Leave it all on the field!" Skills and talents are important, but playing with heart separates the great athletes from the good ones. When my daughter looks at me while she is playing her basketball games, I pound my hand on my heart. It is my "secret" sign to encourage her to play with heart. Playing with heart is all about drive, passion and desire.
The Bible talks about the heart all the time -- more than 540 times! The Lord even told Samuel that He looks at the heart, not the external stuff. God looks at the internal -- the heart.
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December 01, 2006
Set:
On Tuesday, November 20, five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe retired from competitive swimming at the age of 24. He said that breaking records "wasn't as inspiring as it should have been." As a teenager, Thorpe splashed into the swimming scene and swam to 13 world records between 1999 and 2002, and he became an international star after dominating at the Sydney Olympics.
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November 29, 2006
Set:
The word "awesome" is used to describe so much in sports today. "Did you see that awesome catch?" "Did you see his awesome dunk?" "That home run was awesome!" And let's not forget the words of the modern-day philosopher Tommy Boy, "That was awesome." I looked this word up in the Urban Dictionary. It defines awesome as being "totally cool." It is what is called a "sticking plaster" word, which is something used by Americans to cover over the huge gaps in our vocabulary. It is one of the three words that make up most American sentences. And in sports today, that is definitely the case. Everything great is awesome.
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November 28, 2006
Set:
After suffering a major upset at home to Oral Roberts University early in the season, the young Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team bounced back to knock off the No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Florida Gators 82-80 in overtime. "We showed a lot more maturity tonight than we have in our prior games," said KU coach Bill Self. Sophomore Julian Wright, who scored a career-high 21 points in the win, added, "We should welcome this tension to help us become better players."
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November 14, 2006
Set:
All competitors face pressure-packed situations, but often the difference between the good and the great is displayed in how one handles the pressure. University of Tennessee women's basketball star Candace Parker was voted the ESPN.com preseason player of the year partly because of her ability to thrive under pressure. "What impresses me is how well Parker handles pressure, seems unfazed by what's happening around her and wants the ball in key situations," said ESPN analyst Beth Mowins. Adds Parker's coach, the great Pat Summitt, "Candace Parker has a chance to be the best to ever play this game. And if she isn't, I'll be very disappointed." How's that for pressure?
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November 09, 2006
Set:
I had the pleasure of meeting the legendary Buck O'Neil earlier this year. It was on his 94th birthday on a Saturday morning at the FCA headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. Ashamedly, I did not know who he was when he walked straight up to me to give me hug. After learning that I had just met a legend of the American Negro Baseball League, I remember feeling like I had embraced an angel overflowing with the love of Christ.
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November 07, 2006
Set:
Offensive lineman Olin Kreutz began his career with the Chicago Bears and now, thanks to a contract extension through 2010, will end it with them. Kreutz turned down an opportunity to make more money with the Miami Dolphins in 2002 to stay with the Bears. "Not only has he been a good football player, he's been a very loyal player, and I also told Olin this: 'Loyalty is a two-way street.' I wanted to make sure he saw that first hand from our perspective," said Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo.
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