Hockey Chat: One on one isn’t much of a scoring threat.  Two on one creates a bit of worry for the goalie knowing that the odds are against him and the shot may come from either player.  Three on one is a nightmare for the goal tender and almost guaranteed to beat him. 

Hockey Chat:  Goalie Andrew Raycroft was picked up by the Boston Bruins 135th overall in the 1998 Entry Draft.  Although he didn’t get drafted onto the team in the top picks, the coaching staff had faith in him and worked with him through the early years as he played in the minor leagues in order to get him ready for the NHL.  He was brought up in the fall of 2003 and won the 2004 Calder Trophy (Most Valuable Rookie of the NHL).

Have you ever met someone who feels they have all the gifts God gives to people? They are exhausted—spread so thin they are no earthly good to anyone. At times, we all try to do too much. Sometimes we are asked to go beyond our gifts and talents, but God’s desire is for us to serve Him with how He has gifted us.

Paul’s concern for the Roman people was that each person’s gift would be identified and he or she would strive to use it appropriately. However, some people looked at others and grumbled over why they did not have that gift or if that person truly was gifted in that manner. It was exhausting. Paul encouraged them to work together to build God’s kingdom.

I had the privilege of working with Texas high school football coach GaryGaines, best known as the former head coach of State Football Champion Odessa Permian High School as spotlighted in both the book and movie, Friday Night Lights. Gary would often muse, “Coaching would be the perfect profession if only it did not involve the massive highs of winning or the bottomless depths that come about from losing. The extremes are too huge.”

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As the son of an Air Force chaplain, Danny Wuerffel had lots of neighbors growing up. He had neighbors in South Carolina, Nebraska, Colorado and even Spain. Eventually Wuerffel’s family settled in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where he developed into one of the state’s outstanding quarterbacks. And while most kids in his shoes might have fallen prey to becoming typical military brats, Wuerffel had a much different understanding of his circumstances.

“The Scriptures say to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself,” Wuerffel says. “But we are unfortunately caught up with focusing most of our passions not on loving our neighbor but loving and caring and serving ourselves.”

Mike was a great athlete. He could play almost any sport with ease. He was popular, and everyone wanted to follow his example. Mike had given his heart to Christ and had begun following God's plan, but his old friends and old ways resurfaced often. So, when he was approached recently by his friends who were going out to party and wanted him to attend, Mike had to make a choice.

If you want to know how much an athlete loves his or her particular sport, find out about that athlete’s daily routine. The basketball player might shoot hundreds of jump shots and free throws. The baseball or softball player will likely spend an entire afternoon in the batting cage. The weightlifter can probably be found doing reps in the gym before and after class. The cross-country runner can usually be spotted jogging along the city’s sidewalks.

Why do these athletes discipline themselves to such regimented and demanding workouts? They put in the time because they are driven to succeed. They are driven to be the best. And, ultimately, it’s this simple: They have a passion for athletic competition.

This summer I was helping out a summer program with a series of outdoor trips.  On one of the trips, we went whitewater rafting in the morning and then whitewater kayaking in the afternoon.  Oh, and the river was a scorching 52 degrees.  One of the other leaders and I wanted to go down the major rapid at the end while holding a sign in hopes of getting our picture on the display board.

David was new to his school and a great athlete. Jonathan was the first teammate David connected with and they became instant friends. For three years David and Jonathan grew very close. In the first game his senior year, David had an accident while driving. Many of his friends didn’t stick by his side, but Jonathan didn’t leave.

Proverbs 17:17 tells us that a friend is loyal—always loyal. We must ask ourselves, What kind of friend am I? Do I stick closer than a brother or take off when it gets tough? Can my friends count on me in times of need or just when things are good? When we find a friend who is loyal, we need to keep him or her around, because they are hard to come by.