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“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I had a basketball coach named Darrell Walker when I was trying out for Everett Community College that was always talking. Whether he was playing, or when he was coaching, he was always talking.

During open gyms you always wanted him on you team. He wasn’t the best athlete in a gym that was filled with college basketball players, but he always ended up on the winning team. Very rarely did other teams beat him because he made all of the people on his team better with his communication. Telling people where to play, yelling where the ball is at, keeping people on their feet, he was always talking.

Communication is very important in basketball. It keeps people constantly thinking, keeps people on the same page and keeps people from making sloppy mistakes. Coach Walker always stressed the importance of communication. If we weren’t talking, we had to run sprints.

I remember when coach was telling us how he thought it was interesting how we can get in trouble during classes for talking to our classmates or how people can talk nonstop on cell phones, but once we step on the basketball court nobody says a word.

Communication with Christ is just as important. Just like communication in basketball helps you to constantly think, stay on the same page and keeps us from making sloppy mistakes, communicating with Christ keeps us thinking about Him and who He is and keeps us from some of life’s sloppy mistakes. Just like in my basketball practices, sometimes we only communicate when we have done something wrong. Once we had to do sprints, we made sure we were communicating with each other.

Many times we only communicate with God when we know we are in sin and are in need of his forgiveness or if a circumstance arises that we know we need Christ for.

In the verse above it talks about praying without ceasing. It doesn’t say to pray only when we have done wrong, but without ceasing. To me, that means that we need to be thinking about God and giving the glory and thanks to Him in everything that we do.

While communicating with Christ is one thing, He also calls us to be communicating amongst others and showing them the life and confidence that comes with being a Christ follower. How are people going to be saved from a life in hell if we aren’t communicating a life of forgiveness and an everlasting life in paradise to them?

Think about how much gossip we speak and others speak everyday. Think about how much time we spend on Facebook, or our cell phones. What if we spoke with Christ as much as we spoke on the telephone? What if we spent more time telling people that Jesus died on the cross so that we could be forgiven and less time telling people about the latest gossip?

I know for myself that I need to do a better job of praying, being thankful and speaking to others. Though I guess It’s a good thing God doesn’t make us run sprints when we mess up.

Posting Up

“You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of me.” John 5:39

I love the NBA Finals. This is the series where you usually see the most physical play down on the low block. This year's Finals featured two of the games best low post players battling it out on the block – Pau Gasol and Kevin Garnett.

Eventually I am going to explain why I think posting up on the block is a good way to think when reading the Bible, but I am going to need to explain a few things first. So please, bear with me.

It can't be by coincidence that championship teams almost always have a guy who is great at creating in the post. And since the internet gives me all the space in the world, I am going to prove this to you.

2010: Los Angeles Lakers – Pau Gasol
2009: Los Angeles Lakers – Pau Gasol
2008: Boston Celtics – Kevin Garnett
2007: San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan
2006: Miami Heat – Shaquille O'Neil
2005: San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan*
2004: Detroit Pistons – Rasheed Wallace
2003: San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan*
2002: Los Angeles Lakers – Shaquille O'Neil*
2001: Los Angeles Lakers – Shaquille O'Neil*
2000: Los Angeles Lakers – Shaquille O'Neil*
*– Finals MVP

Working the ball into a good post player can not only get your team easy shots around the basket, but once the defense collapses into the paint to stop the post player, easier shots are available for others. Kobe Bryant didn't win any championships after Shaq left the team … until he got Pau Gasol. The Pistons won the Finals after trading for Sheed midseason. D-Wade got a championship after they traded for Shaq. The Celtics won the Finals their first season with newly acquired Kevin Garnett. All these teams immediately became championship contenders after picking up their respected big men – Did I mention the greatest winner of all time is Celtics big man Bill Russell?

I found an online definition of posting up, which defined it as, “To take up a position against a defender.” I have always played the post position growing up, and I have learned that there are certain positions around the hoop that I feel I can perform better at than others. For one, I usually prefer the right block over the left block because I can spin to my right better than my left. I also know that posting up around the three point line isn't going to turn out very successful.

John 5:39 says, “You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of me.” We read the scriptures so we are in a better position testify of our faith. Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” How can we confess that Jesus is Lord if we don't know who He is or what He has done? How do we believe God raised Him from from the dead if we have never read the story?

We need to search the scriptures for these answers. It's just like posting up. Go back and read the definition of posting up again, this time thinking in a spiritual context. The defender could be worldly things or sin or many other things preventing you from getting into God's word. Just like we post up in basketball to get in a better position to create shots, we read the scriptures to get in a better position to testify of Jesus and combat worldly things. There are three things to know about posting up:

Fight for position: Create time in your busy day to read the Bible. Don't get so consumed by your daily activities that you stop creating time for you and God. Sometimes this can be a struggle, but your team needs you to get that position.

Call for the ball: After you have gotten position we should be praying and calling out to God to use us for His will. So God can pass you the ball knowing that you are confident and ready for the next step.

Create or Score: Use the post position to create open shots for your teammates or score. Or use what you have learned in the scriptures to testify of the Lord Jesus. Be encouraging, lead by example, let others see what God is doing through you so that they might want to seek what you are seeking.

Just like Pau Gasol, KG, Tim Duncan, and Shaq help their teams win championships, God wants us to help lead others to Christ and eternal life.

Are you in the best position to help God's team? Are you capable of creating or scoring once God passes you the ball, or are you likely to get stuffed? It is in the scriptures that we learn who Jesus really is. If you believe in Jesus and who He is then we are promised eternal life – See John 3:16 and Romans 10:9.

Throw it down big-man, throw it down.

The LeBacle: Part II

If you haven't read "The LeBacle: Part I" yet then click here to read that first

There have definitely been superstar players who have paired up (Shaquille O’Neil and Kobe Bryant . . . Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar) but never has it been the players to set it up. Shaq was already one of the top three players in the league and Kobe ascended to that rank in their time together. Wade and James are already two of the best three players in the game, and have discussed joining forces since playing together on the 2008 Olympic team (including Bosh). They got to play with each other again on the 2010 Eastern Conference All-Star team; which may have cleared up all of that “pie in the sky” Bosh was talking about (For).

So it happened. Wade, James, and Bosh are playing for the same team. What is next? Well first and foremost, they most certainly need a nickname. Some have dubbed them the “Big Three,” but that nickname has already been taken by Boston’s Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. Others have said “The Three Kings” because Bron Bron is known as King James and now possesses two great talents around him.

My personal favorite though: “The Nazgul.” The Nazgul were former kings in “The Lord of the Rings” series who were obsessed by the power of the ring. Eventually they were consumed by its power and became very evil dudes bent on dishing out evil (Please just bear with me, only a few more “Lord of the Rings” analogies left. Oh, and I'm out of Star Wars similarities).

Makes me think about creating a movie based on “The Decision.” Think about it, this could work.

Here is the plot: Things in the land of the NBA have been pretty good in the past few years. Two of the most storied kingdoms have risen back to power and stand for all that is good and right [played by the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics]. While all seemed well, three of the most powerful kings [played by LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh] have been secretly plotting to steal the one ring to rule them all [the championship ring] and take over the world. Word gets out that the three kings might join forces, but many remain skeptical. The three kings deny these plans and Bosh tells the people of the land that he “doesn’t see how it would work. Seems like pie in the sky” (For).

The lands of New Jersey [played by the Nets], New York [played by the Knicks], Los Angeles [played by the Clippers], Chicago [played by the Bulls] and James’ homeland in Cleveland [played by the Cavaliers] try to capture King James and do their best to fight and prevent James from joining forces with the other two kings where they would ultimately be too powerful to stop. King James then betrays his homeland and flees to the land of Mordor [shot in Miami] where him, King Wade, and King Bosh begin their quest for world domination.

Fortunately, there still remains a little hope. A group of heroes is assembled that includes Kobe Bryant, who once looked poor in the eyes of the people but they have started to renew hope in him. Then there are the four Celtics [played by Rajon Rondo, Garnett, Pierce, and Allen] who have proven themselves in the past but might not have enough to do so again. Finally, there is the Rockets from the land of Houston. These people are small and a very unlikely source of heroism but could prove that with enough heart and effort, anybody can be a hero.

People have hope in this newly assembled fellowship, but while the fellowship was being formed, the three evil kings had already begun to assemble their army in the “Heat” of Mordor and look to be way too powerful.

The good guys have a last-stand insurance plan to combat the evil kings, in case their fellowship fails. They discuss the possibility of bringing together three kings in the land of New York that could defeat the evil kings of Mordor. Kings Chris Paul of New Orleans and Carmelo Anthony of Denver would join King Amare Stoudemire in New York to create a power to combat the three evil kings.

These kings could save the land, but would be risky because they too could easily be consumed by the power of the ring. This would leave few kings in the land of the NBA, which would mean people would flee the land.

Could this work? You bet it would work! This has everything needed to become a successful hollywood blockbuster hit. It has loads of drama, the battle of good versus evil, and is all based on a true story; even the part about New York.

I am going to get to work on this ASAP. You laugh now, but just wait.

It seems that ever since the Celtics picked up Garnett and Allen to play alongside Paul Pierce, a trend of bringing stars to your team in three’s has begun. Of course there is the Celtics, the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol midseason to play alongside Kobe and Lamar Odom, now we have the Heat, and Chris Paul mentioned the possibility of a big three in New York in the future. At Carmelo Anthony’s wedding, Chris Paul apparently made a toast alluding to the combination of him, Anthony, and Amare Stoudemire in New York saying, “We’ll form our own big three” (Berman).

So that is the direction the NBA is headed towards. Stack your team with stars and win championships that way. Certainly this would sell a surplus of tickets for those teams (the Miami Heat fired their ticket sales staff because they had sold all of their season tickets already and had nothing left for them to do) (Douglas). But what happens to other teams around the league left without a star player to provide to fans. There are already teams out there facing financial problems and the possibility of moving. Downtown businesses in Cleveland are expected to be out $48 million next year just because LeBron James is no longer playing for their team.

Every fan in the world is gonna find a way to watch whenever the Heat play the Lakers, but who is going to care about the Memphis Grizzlies, or the Charlotte Bobcats? Maybe these teams end up shutting down because nobody gives a hoot about them. If I had the opportunity to watch either Gerald Wallace or LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh you bet I’m going to choose he latter.

It could very well turn out to be the best thing that could happen to the NBA. This could create the hollywood type of excitement that the NBA needs in order to bring in more fans and have existing fans more interested than ever. Only time will tell.

I can only hope the good guys will come out on top.

(Oh and if any of you Cleveland fans stuck through this; I apologize. It could definitely be worse though. You lost a player, I lost a team).




Works Cited

Berman, Marc. "Paul Toasts Knicks' Future Dream Team with Stoudemire, Anthony." Nypost.com. New York Post, 12 July 2010. Web. 1 Aug. 2010. .

Marc Berman writes from the New York Post about Carmelo Anthony's wedding in which Chris Paul is quoted saying, “We'll form our own Big Three,” referring to Amare Stoudemire, Anthony, and himself possibly playing in New York next season. This was following the news of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade joining forces for the Miami Heat. The article discusses the options the Knicks have in the coming years and how they might build their roster by either trading for Paul or Tony Parker. It also mentions the pieces the Knicks have already put into place around Stoudemire, including four players received from Golden State in a deal for David Lee, and the top free agent point guard Raymond Felton. Anthony's current contract negotiations with Denver were mentioned at the end and how he could opt out of his contract and become a free agent next summer.

Folsom, Jim. "The Ultimate Sports Curse: The City of Cleveland." Bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report, 15 May 2010. Web. 1 Aug. 2010. .

Bleacher Report columnist Jim Folsom describes curses in sports and how Cleveland tops the list of cursed sports towns. The cities of Chicago and Boston are most associated with curses for their baseball teams, but each have excelled in other sports. Chicago won seven championships while getting to watch the greatest player of all-time Michael Jordan play, and while the Boston Red Sox had the curse of the Bambino, the Celtics have won 17 championships. He says that Cleveland has had to endure the most overall turmoil and goes on to list the 20 most disappointing moments in Cleveland sports history.

"For Bosh, the Sole Priority Is Wins." ESPN.com. ESPN, 30 June 2010. Web. 1 Aug. 2010. .

This article from ESPN news services talks about the upcoming free agency period for Chris Bosh. Bosh has played for the Toronto Raptors the past seven seasons, but clearly wanted to be in a situation that would give him a better opportunity to win a championship. The author interviewed his former college coach Paul Hewit who said Bosh has never been a guy about the numbers and personal stats. He said that the only times Bosh got upset was when he lost. The only time Bosh has been a part of a championship team was his senior year in high school where his team went undefeated and won a state championship. When asked about the possibility of him going to the Miami Heat to play alongside Dwayne Wade and LeBron James, he said that he didn't think it could work saying that it's “pie in the sky.”


Hanks, Douglas. "Miami Heat Fires Sales Team after Season Tickets Sell out." MiamiHerald.com - Miami & Ft. Lauderdale News, Weather, Miami Dolphins & More. 31 July 2010. Web. 1 Aug. 2010. .

This story from the Miami Herald written by Douglas Hanks informs the reader on the firing of the Miami Heat's ticket sales staff. Apparently, the entire sales staff was fired after all of the season tickets had been sold. This article explains why the staff was dismissed and the work the employees put in before the firing. Phones were being answered around the clock as season tickets quickly sold out. The Miami Heat's signing of Forwards Chris Bosh and LeBron James to play alongside Guard Dwayne Wade started the flurry of calls for season tickets. The main reason for the firing of the 30 employees was mostly because there was nothing left for them to do.

"Jordan Wouldn't Have Called Magic, Bird." ESPN.com. ESPN, 19 July 2010. Web. 1 Aug. 2010. .

This news story from ESPN.com news services features quotes from NBA all-time great Michael Jordan and former NBA player Charles Barkley talking about LeBron James and his decision to leave Cleveland for Miami. Jordan says that there is no way we would have called up Larry Bird and Magic Johnson when he was playing and said they should play on the same team. He mentions later that it is a different game today than it was when he played. Jordan says this because James will be joining superstars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, forming a title contender in the process. Many have compared James to Jordan throughout his career, but Barkley says that James will never be like Jordan because of his decision to leave Cleveland. He also says that the more honorable choice would have been Cleveland and one championship there would have meant more than any championships won with Miami.

Simmons, William J. "Welcome to the All-LeBron Sound-off." ESPN.com. ESPN, 9 July 2010. Web. 10 July 2010. .

ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons gives his take on LeBron James' announcement that he is leaving Cleveland to play for Miami. At first he compared the moment to a horrible sports memory of his where Roger Clemons says he is going to play for the New York Yankees. He even refers to Clemons as the antichrist and later says the decision by James is much worse. The second half of the column is dedicated to fan emails and what they had to say about “The LeBacle.” One of the fans even goes as far as to say that “my wife could sleep with my father and I wouldn't feel this betrayed.” Most of the emails seemed to come from Cleveland fans, but some supporters of James were mixed in as well.

The LeBacle: Part I

Cleveland sports is cursed. It's official.

I live in a state where the professional baseball and football teams have never won a World Series or Super Bowl. Where those teams have been to a combined one championship. Where the thing that our area seems to love the most, Starbucks, betrays its own people—selling the one team that wins us a championship to the most evil person on the face of the Earth. Yep, what was once 41 years of Seattle Sonics basketball is now playing in Oklahoma City as the Zombie Sonics (Breathe TJ, breathe . . . try to think happy thoughts).

I think I have a pretty good understanding of sports atrocity.

It can be difficult being a Seattle sports fan like myself, but lets take a look at the experiences of a Cleveland sports fan. (Note: if you are a Cleveland sports fan you may want to look away).

• 1954: The Cleveland Indians win 111 games only to get swept in the World Series by the San Francisco Giants. The fans have to be reminded of this sweep constantly through Willie Mays’ famous over the shoulder catch in center field, which is seen on highlight reels regularly even decades later. It's known as “The Catch” (Folsom).

• 1987: John Elway’s fourth quarter march down the field and score for the Denver Broncos against the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Championship game. The score capped off a huge come-from-behind victory in the final seconds to win the game; ending Cleveland's Super Bowl hopes. It's known as “The Drive” (Folsom).

• 1988: Earnest Byner’s “But he never fumbles!” play on the two yard line during the AFC Championship . . . facing the Broncos again. The score would have tied the game with 1:12 left, but instead prevented the Browns from reaching the Super Bowl yet again. It's known as “The Fumble” (Folsom).

• 1989: Series tied at 2-2, the Cleveland Cavaliers are on the verge of beating Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. Up by one, with three seconds remaining, Jordan drains his famous, fadeaway jumper at the buzzer; winning the game and the series. It's known as “The Shot” (Folsom)

• 1995: Art Modell moves the Cleveland Browns, once the NFL's signature franchise, to Baltimore (Dear Cleveland fans: I feel for you, I really feel for you. Signed, Seattle fan) (Folsom).

Things can't be so bad for Cleveland fans now though, right? Sure the Indians gave up on their season before the All-Star break . . . dishing out talent and adding prospects and hoping they can be good in five years. Sure the Browns have tried and failed to win the past two seasons; alternating between two starting quarterbacks (because name a country that doesn't have two presidents, or what kind of ship sets sail without two captains, and where would the catholics be without the popes?).

But Cleveland fans got LeBron. King James himself; born and raised in Ohio. The man who the Cavaliers pick up after winning the number one overall pick in the lottery and makes Cleveland sports relevant again. The man who has been compared to Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson even in High School. The savior of Cleveland sports who vows to bring you an NBA championship.

Oh wait . . . I forgot.

2010: LeBron James announces in an hour long national television segment through ESPN that he would not be resigning with his hometown franchise after playing there for seven years, with one NBA finals appearance to show for it, (in which you got swept in four games by the San Antonio Spurs) back-hand slapping his former team in the face and breaking their hearts in the way he sets up the announcement, telling the world “I have decided I am going to take my talents to South Beach” so you can join your two proclaimed best friends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, even though the three of you shied away from announcing this earlier so you could build up drama for your reality TV show (New York executives said that Bosh seemed more interested in having his cameramen ready than meeting with the Knicks) and in doing so, breaking the hearts of every Cleveland fan in one moment, causing riots, fights and the burning of James' Cavaliers jerseys in the streets and showing how low you really are because you realize the only way you can get past Orlando and Boston in the East and maybe having a shot at facing Kobe Bryant in the finals is by stacking your team with superstars, which you have secretly planned on doing since the 2008 Olympics.

(Whew. Sorry about that . . . just had to get all that out. Please take a break and breathe in some air before you move on).

Oh and by the way; James' announcement is known as “The Decision.” If you have been keeping score, Cleveland has been on the losing end of “The Catch,” “The Drive,” “The Fumble,” “The Shot” and “The Decision.”

Ouch.

Since words can't fully describe James' betrayal of his hometown, I will have to use an analogy. Remember in “Star Wars: Episode III” where Anakin Skywalker is torn between siding with the Jedi or join the dark side and save the Sith Lord? I had seen the next three episodes so I knew that Anakin would turn to the dark side, but I was still shocked that he would kill Samuel L. Jackson and betray the Republic. For the last two years people have been talking about the 2010 free agency and said James could leave. People have been saying that a team with a lot of cap space could sign multiple big name free agents, but I was still shocked to see it actually happen. As soon as Anakin sided with the Sith Lord and betrayed his own people, the whole Jedi order fell to pieces. Well the Jedi is the Cavaliers and they might have to wait 20 years and hope they get a top draft choice somewhere along the road. Then the'll have to pick up a Luke Skywalker before they ever win another championship.

(Sorry Dan Gilbert, I just don't see it happening. I agree with most of the things you said in your letter, but calling out James like that isn't going to attract many free agents. But again, I can see why you said it).

James should have given the team that gave him his first shot in the NBA, and the team that gave into his every demand during his seven years there, the common decency of telling them he was leaving. He should have called up Gilbert and the Cavs the day before the decision to let them in on what was about to happen. Those fans should not have had to find out through an hour long television special on ESPN.

This is why Cleveland fans were cited burning their James Cavaliers jerseys, turning them in to local bars (and receiving free drinks for doing so), and name-calling, picking a fight with, and ultimately forcing one man to be escorted out of a Cleveland Indians game by security because he idiotically chose to sport a James Miami Heat jersey.

Should sports matter this much? Of course not, but they do anyway. People form emotional bonds with their sports teams. The bond between Cleveland fans and the savior of their team was ripped out of place. That is why this happened.

This experience was like somehow getting the girl that you have had a crush on since the second grade to be your girlfriend in middle school. Things were going great, you two were the talk of the school and every other guy was wondering how you had hooked up with her. She wins homecoming queen your freshman year in high school. Then during halftime of the homecoming game, she announces to everybody that she will no longer be dating you but will now be going out with the stud quarterback for the football team. Feeling betrayed and embarrassed you run home and burn that picture of you and her on your nightstand. And you have already made sure to sign up for all the same classes with her so you are stuck having to see her . . . everyday.

That might even be an understatement considering one Cleveland fan emailed ESPN.com sports columnist Bill Simmons writing, “My wife could have slept with my father and I wouldn’t feel this betrayed” (Simmons).

So now James will play for the Miami Heat. Have I mentioned this is the same team that resigned superstar Dwayne Wade and signed all-star Chris Bosh? That is two superstars and one all-star playing for the same team; a super-team formed overnight. Not only did James slap his home-state with his back-hand to the face, but he violated one of the unwritten rules of basketball: You don’t stack the teams.

I have played a lot of pickup games in my life. Everybody knows that if the teams are uneven, you split them up to make them better games. The two best players in the gym don’t play on the same team, nor would they want to. Each of those guys would want to prove that they are better than the other, if they possessed any dignity. What is the point of even playing if they are just going to run the court every game.

The following are a few of the unwritten rules that have been broken during the 2010 free agency period.

• Unwritten rule 1: You don’t stack the teams.

• Unwritten rule 2: Superstars bring players to their teams, they don’t go to other teams.

• Unwritten rule 3: You don’t slap your team in the face. *Especially if you are of superstar status.

• Unwritten rule 4: Superstars get it done where they started. (Note: See Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Wade).

James deciding to break these rules shows why he can never be compared to guys like Jordan, Johnson, or Russell. These guys were loyal to their teams and won the right way. Jordan’s reaction to James’ decision was exactly like I thought it would be. He said, “There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team'" (Jordan).

Jordan wouldn’t have done it because he is a killer; LeBron is not. LeBron is a kid who wants to have fun. So that is what LeBron is going to get. He is going to be playing in one of the most fun cities in the world, alongside two of his best buddies. More power to him; there is nothing wrong with that. All that it means is he will never be considered as great as Jordan; no matter how many championships he wins.

Charles Barkley also pointed out that “there would have been something honorable about staying in Cleveland.” That is because winning one championship in Cleveland would have meant more than winning three championships with Miami. For all the disappointment and heart-ache that Cleveland has experienced, James would have solidified himself as one of the all-time greats if he had committed to Cleveland and lived up to his vow to bring them a championship (Jordan).

Cleveland didn’t offer the best team to put around James, or the greatest chance to bring a better name to his brand; but they offered the biggest challenge and the best opportunity to build on his legacy. It offered him the chance to prove he deserves to be talked about in the same sentence as Jordan. It would have been a great thing for the NBA if he chose Cleveland instead either Chicago or Miami's intriguing rosters or even the bright lights of New York. If he instead would have just said, “I'm staying in Cleveland because I'm going to show that I am the best player to ever play this game and I can win anywhere.”

Instead James took the easy way out, and every championship he wins will be overshadowed by the fact he had to go to Wade county for help.

Click here to read "The LeBacle: Part II"

Making a three-pointer

Now that school is out and summer has begun, I have been trying to get into a routine of going to the YMCA in the morning; getting a workout and shooting some hoops.

I went yesterday and my normal workout partner didn’t show up, so I figured I would just shoot around instead. I feel pretty comfortable shooting inside the three-point arch, but beyond that is bad news bears. However, I have this dream that someday I will be able to make a couple of those.

While shooting around I was working on my three-point shot, making sure I had my feet square, a good release, and getting legs under my shot. Just about every one of my attempts sailed off the rim, most going off the front of it. I kept running after my ball, going back to the three-point line, and going through my routine all over again; but time and again I kept missing. I thought I was doing everything right, but my shot wouldn’t go through the hoop.

Psalm 105:4 says, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek His face always.” Peter is a good example of this when he was commanded by Jesus to walk out on the water. When Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk, but when he started to look at the wind and the waves he began to sink.

So after missing countless shots, I realized that I wasn’t focusing on the hoop when I shot. I focused on making sure my form was right, but my eyes were not on what I was aiming for. So I made sure that I kept my eyes focused on the hoop when I shot, “Swish.” I tried again, “Swish.” I was thinking, ‘wow all I have to do is look at where I am shooting, why didn’t I figure this out before?’ I think I made five in a row, and then I started forgetting about keeping my form right. I thought all I had to do was keep my eyes focused on the hoop. A few shots were still going in, but most began to sail off the rim.

I was confident in my new approach to my shot, but I had forgotten to put in all the work to make sure my form was right.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast” (bold added). Then if you read James 2:20 it says, “faith without works is dead” (bold added).

This reminds me of my three-point shot. Even though I put in the work to get my form right, and put up a lot of shots, none were going in. All were landing short of the hoop. I wasn’t looking at the hoop, I was relying on my own form. Just as I had my eyes set on the hoop, but because I wasn’t putting in the work to get my form right, the ball again landed short of the hoop.

Only when my eyes were focused on the hoop and I worked to make sure my form was right did I have the highest percentage of making the basket.

Is your sight set on the Lord? Are you allowing God to use your faith to work in the lives of others? Will your good deeds alone save you when it comes time to be judged?

This is one of my FCA devotionals that I get that I really wanted to share. God loves us no matter how many times we fall into sin, as long as we are willing to accept his forgiveness. This is exactly what I needed to read, I hope this can encourage you as well.

READY:
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
-Psalm 103:12

SET:
God gives second chances. Actually, God gives us more than just second chances; He gives us millions of chances, because despite our endless mistakes and sins God still loves us. I don’t know about you, but I mess up a lot. Whether it is by having pride, judging others, denying God’s will in my life or giving into temptation, I just cannot seem to stop feeling like I am failing God. After seeming to let God down so many times it is hard to understand that God still has a plan to use me to do His will. But, boy, does He have a plan.

In the Gospels we read a lot about Simon-Peter, one of Jesus’ most steadfast disciples, who promises never to leave Jesus and then fails miserably by denying Jesus three times. Once the rooster crows and Peter realizes his broken promise to Jesus, he buries his face in his hands and weeps.

We all have been in Peter’s shoes. As if messing up wasn’t bad enough on its own, we also have to deal with the fact that we swore to God that we wouldn’t mess up again the last time we gave into temptation. Sorrow hits us square in the face, and we are left feeling hopeless and far from God. Fortunately there is hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! In times like these, God wants us to admit our sins, accept His forgiveness and grow closer to Him so that He can use us to do His will.

Let’s go back to Peter. After Christ rose from the grave, He appears to Peter and asks him three times if Peter loves Him. Peters answers with passion, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus then builds Peter’s confidence and prepares him to go out into the world by giving him the task to take care for God’s children. Peter denied God, but God did not give up on him. Nor does God give up on us when we deny Him with our sin.

Today, when temptation gets the best of you and you feel as though you have messed up so many times that God cannot use you, think again. Confess your sin, accept His forgiveness, and listen for God’s voice to guide you to do His will. God has great plans for your life, so don’t give up on yourself or on God.

GO:
1. Have you given up on yourself or on God because of your sin?
2. Is there something you are ashamed of that you need to admit to God and hand over to Him?
3. Are you listening to hear God's will for your life?

WORKOUT:
John 21:15-17
Philippians 1:6
Ephesians 2:22

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Christa Larson

Now it's your Turn. Write your own FCA Devotional... Go to www.FCAResources.com, create an account and "submit your own FCA devo!".

How many things?

I love the game of basketball.

I have played basketball for as long as I can remember, and I play it whenever I get the chance. I go to open gyms whenever I get the chance and wherever they may be, and if I am on my way home and I am not loaded with homework, I will stop at the YMCA to work on my jump-shot.

I played basketball all four years of my high school career, but that didn’t mean I necessarily “played.” My first three years in high school I was a very chubby, slow kid. My freshman season I maybe played a minute a game on the junior varsity team--but I went to most of the open gyms and would always say to myself after each year, “this is the summer that I’m going to change.”

My junior year I was called up to the varsity team late in the season and got the opportunity to suit up for varsity the rest of the season--sitting on the bench. I was so proud of myself for making the varsity team, and felt I had a great shot to be a starter the next season. Then, the summer before my senior year, my coach told me, “I see you as the eighth` man next year.”

A verse in the Bible that I discovered in high school was Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Notice this verse does not say “a few things” or “some things,” but it says “all things.”

A standard for making the varsity team in try-outs each year is that you have to be able to run a 6:30 mile before the first game. All my years in the basketball program I had believed this to be impossible. My sophomore year I ran a 10:30 mile and followed that up my junior year with a 9:45 mile. There was no way I could run a 6:30 mile.

The summer before my senior year I worked harder than I ever had before. No longer was I just going to open gyms, but I was going to go to the weight room too, even if I had to go by myself. Just about every day that summer I went to the weight room or hit the track to do some running. By the start of my senior year I had felt different than I ever had before -- but I still had to put my work to the test.

During the first mile times, I felt confident I could run a record mile time, but I finished with a time of 6:45. I only had two more days to run a 6:30 mile. I decided to rest my legs the next day, giving myself one more mile run before the first game.

I went out to the track, giving my brother the stopwatch -- I had so much adrenaline and could feel myself running faster than I ever had before. As I sprinted across the end of the mile, my brother showed me my time--I had just run a 6:18 mile ... I ended up starting every game my senior year.

Nothing is impossible for my God!

I am not trying to say that God is going to give you a billion dollars because I have learned that ultimately He has a plan--but I know that finishing that mile was not me, that was all God.

For me it was making the varsity basketball team, for many people in the Bible it was the blind getting the chance to see, or the lame being pulled up to their feet. For someone else it may be surviving and beating cancer.

What things could Christ do for you?

Confidence in Christ

Ever since my freshman year in high school I have wanted to be an NBA analyst for ESPN -- after I realized I might not ever make it to the NBA. My plan is to become a sports journalist for a newspaper, and then work my way into sports broadcasting. Here at EvCC I have taken just about every journalism class offered, including being a part of The Clipper’s newspaper staff for what will be five quarters after this quarter.

My first two quarters with The Clipper I was the lone sports writer, a position I cherished because that is what I want to become in the future. I was able to focus on just writing about sports and not worry about what else made the paper -- as long as my stories were in. I had developed a comfort zone in the paper and I worked really hard to show why my work deserved to fill the sports pages.

Last year, my advisor asked me if I wanted to be an Editor-in-Chief of the paper for the next quarters to come. At first I didn’t think I would be good enough to be a leader of the paper because I just focused on sports and knew little of everything else in the paper. I wasn’t confident in my leadership abilities.

1 John 2:28 says, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” If I am not confident before a group of striving journalists, how can I expect to be confident when Jesus returns?

Moses was also a man who didn’t feel like he could be a good leader. When God called Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, speaking through the burning bush, Moses’ initial response was, who was he to go down and bring the children of Israel out from their Egyptian bondage?

God told Moses to have confidence in Him and that He would be with Moses the whole way. Moses eventually went on to lead the Israelites safely out of Egypt and out of reach of Pharaoh.

After taking a week to think about my advisor’s offer, I accepted the position and have been Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Clipper ever since. I have learned so much in the experience that I know I couldn’t have learned if I would have remained in my comfort zone. What if Moses had turned down God’s offer and remained a shepherd in the desert?

While I am in no way near the level of Moses, I hope to learn from Moses and his decision to trust in God’s plan, that if God opens a door for me I would be confident in His plan and that He will always be there if I trust Him.

Racing to Win

Pardon my interruption but welcome to my blog, my name is TJ Cotterill. With my blogs I am going to try to tell a story that can relate in some way to illustrations in the Bible. I got my idea for this blog from a daily devotional I get from “Fellowship of Christian Athletes” [FCA]. I have always wanted to submit a devotional of my own, but then got the idea to instead start my own using a blog. So I hope you enjoy what two cents I have to give and hopefully God will use me to impact your life.

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This weekend marked the second weekend of my internship at the Evergreen Speedway at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA.

My internship is actually really awesome because I get to help announce the races and -- because of my journalism background -- I also get to write up the race recaps for evergreenspeedway.com.

This last weekend I got my first opportunity to announce a race after one of the announcers gave up his microphone so I could take over during the Renegade Main. Luckily for me, it only ended up being an exhibition because only two of the renegade cars showed up. I was lucky because most of the people took the opportunity to head to the beer garden and weren’t there to watch me stumble over my words and struggle to find the name of the drivers. After the race, I turned to my co-announcer and held out my hand towards him and showed him how furiously my hand was shaking.

After the race I gave the microphone back to the other announcer and went back to my notebook to take notes on the next race. The next race was the Stinger Main, and little did I know those little cars would end up being the most memorable of the night.

I am currently trying to read through the New Testament of the Bible two chapters at a time, and after I am done with my reading I pray that I would find a way to apply what I read to my everyday life. The Stinger main from that night reminded me of 1 Corinthians 9:24: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

Steve Peters was driving the number 30 car known as “The Battlewagon,” a car he has driven for many years. Peters started the race in the back of the field -- tenth out of 14 cars -- but by lap nine he had worked his way up to third place. The interesting part about Peters’ position was that one spot in front of him was “Battlewagon Junior” driven by Peters’ son Sean Peters.

Over the next four laps, the top three spots would remain the same with the father-son combo of Steve and Sean in second and third, and it appeared Sean’s car had the definite speed advantage over his father Steve. With just ten laps to go, Sean bumped into the first place car, spinning both of them out and allowing Steve to take the lead, which he would hold on to the rest of the way, winning the Stinger Main.

Even though Steve Peters started in the back of the field, even though it looked like his son had the faster car, Peters was racing to win the race. I know that in my life it seems so easy to just give up when things aren’t going my way, when I am in the back of the pack.

The Apostle Paul, like Steve Peters, was also a person who was in “the back of the pack.” Paul was Pharisee who persecuted those who stood up for Jesus Christ, but when Paul made a decision to live for Christ, he went all out. Paul is now known for writing nearly half of the New Testament, even though he could have quit when people didn’t trust him because of his past. He could have quit when he was himself persecuted and thrown in jail numerous times for preaching God’s word; instead Paul knew what Jesus had done for him and what God was calling him to do. Paul ran the race to win.

Hopefully I can learn from Paul and Steve Peters in that even though I was rough in my first announcing stint, I shouldn’t give up. Even though there are times in my life where I appear to be in “the back of the pack,” nothing should stop me from living my life to win the prize -- a prize I pray would be a lifetime in heaven.