I don’t mean to get personal or be nosy, but how are your investments and where are they held? Most things we invest in are temporary and sometimes risky. That’s why God wants us to make wise, lasting investments in things of eternal significance. “God did not create us for time; He created us for eternity.”1 Therefore, let’s invest in relationships. At the end of our lives, our wins and losses, our bank accounts, stocks, retirement account, and social security income won’t mean much. Our relationships, however, will be the crown jewel of our lives. Relationships with our families, friends, and most importantly with Jesus Christ will be the true measure of our wealth.

“Thank you, sir.” Square feet and shoulders . . . dribble, dribble . . . spin . . . dribble . . . spin . . . bend knees . . . shoot. That is my routine for shooting a free throw. Early in my career my coaches instilled a need for routine whenever our team stood at the line. A routine mentally prepares us for the task ahead. Free throws can come at any point in a game with varying degrees of pressure. I can still feel the pressure after missing a shot—people either let out a sigh of relief or disappointment.

I’ve been blessed to accomplish some amazing feats that only a handful of female basketball players have achieved. During my career, I’ve been honored to play on an NCAA National Championship team, a WNBA Championship team and an Olympic gold medal team. At Notre Dame, I hit the game-winning shot and was voted the 2001 Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. With the Detroit Shock, I was named the 2003 WNBA Finals MVP.

Why is it that we must test and prove everything we hear? It’s hard to live by faith because we want to feel in control of life. When we speculate on how many stars there are, we establish space programs to go prove it. If someone tells us that the paint is still wet, we must touch it to see for ourselves.

In today’s world men and women are bombarded with choices, and the decisions they make will deeply impact the rest of their lives. In order to make wise and life-producing decisions, people need truth. Instead, what they see all around then is cynicism and hypocrisy. What’s missing in our society is honesty, fairness, faithfulness, and humility.

Everything in me wanted to be the fast marathoner that my bib number said I was. The big “B” on my bib, which indicated that I had qualified for a fast start corral, got tons of comments from other runners and made me feel pretty special. I even started to believe that my month off from running wouldn’t matter and that I’d be blessed with a 3:30 marathon simply because I’d done it before. Let me explain…

Many of us struggle with the constant pressure to be perfect within athletics. We get caught up seeking unreliable affirmation through our performance, so when things don't go our way many times we feel discouraged.

Tryouts are a great example. We work day in and day out to prove we ARE worthy of a spot. Summers we run sprints in the heat, nights we lift in the weight room and it feels like every second is spent honing our skills.

All that work leads to the moment tryouts finish and we run to the gym door to see if our name is one of the few listed on the final roster. Usually making the cut is a long process that requires hard work, focus and countless hours of training. To win a spot on the roster YOU have to earn it.

Coaches work hard in preparing their players to do their best and avoid mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes in football is dropping the ball. Typically the team that fumbles the most in a game will lose.

Recently I experienced a back problem that caused me to be in bed for days. A little voice crept in and said, “Why, God? Where are You?” My brother has been diagnosed with cancer. A friend of mine recently lost his sister to cancer. That little voice crept in and said, “Why, God? Where are You?”

I find myself sinning again and that little voice of doubt creeps in, “God doesn’t like sin-you are separated from Him.”

As athletes, we play with the abilities God has given us. But what really drives us to play the game? For some it’s the praise of parents, coaches, and friends, or awards and medals. Often our self-worth and dedication to the game is driven purely on the thoughts, praises, and criticisms of others.

We love to be the best. As competitors, we want to be the best in everything. Being good is good, but being best is better. We want to go from good to great in every aspect of life. We have to be #1—on and off the field! Nobody remembers the loser. Second place? Seriously? We engage in the relentless pursuit of excellence!

“I Must Be the Best Me” is a principle I believe and live daily. In Luke 12:48 we are told, “to whom much is entrusted, much is required.” No matter what gifts you’ve been given, we must have a desire to be faithful and maximize them. It is essential that we are life-learners who desire to grow and develop. But it doesn’t stop there!

God knows and directs all that happens in our lives. How foolish it is for us to contend with our Creator.

Jeremiah illustrates how God, at times, allows His children to experience brokenness in order to renew their original purpose. Jeremiah 18:3-7 states, “I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, working away at the wheel. But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter’s hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do. The word of the Lord came to me: ‘House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?’—this is the Lord’s declaration. ‘Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.’ ”

Former Dallas Cowboys fullback Ron Springs, who played from 1979 to 1985, had suffered from Type 2 diabetes for 16 years and had spent three on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. To say the least, things were not looking very good until teammate Everson Walls decided to donate one of his kidneys to Springs. After a successful transplant, Springs no longer needed dialysis for the first time in many years.

The atmosphere was filled with tension. Players from both teams had been encouraged to protest the game. An outside source was trying to convince players that they were being exploited by big-time college sports. Everyone—including the 74,000 fans watching—was anticipating a conflict, but what people didn’t expect was some risky prayer.