Hello again folks. It's been a while. There has been snow and snow and some ice, sleet, and some more snow around here. I believe we're up to 9 snow days but that's o.k. according to the kiddos from school as they've heard that the law in Illinois states that you may make up 5 snow days; any beyond 5 is simply an act of God and you do not have to make those up...I guess time will tell on that one. Personally, I'm thinking we can go to school on Casmir Pulasky day and make up one there.
But to my point..."do your best and be a leader." I've been reading a new book and it is, of course, about sports. That is the theme in our house. This book is called "Playing with Purpose" and offers mini biographies of the big three quarterbacks drafted in 2010: Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Tim Tebow. The book is written by Mike Yorkey. The cover says, "inside the lives and faith of the NFL's top new quarterbacks."
Sam Bradford is an only child from Oklahoma who was the #1 draft pick in the first round of the NFL 2010 draft---this is big deal in case you are not a sports person. This is a super big deal and he has held is own as the starter for the Rams. He earned a guaranteed $51 million this year and in a recent interview he stated that he has not purchased any big items...unless you count his pool table. So, he's driving his college car, living in an apartment in St. Louis and probably has it furnished much like most of us did just out of college...except he has the pool table. His parents did not do sports on Sunday as that was the day to go to church and worship. He is a leader in his faith and was in college as well. Sam has been vocal about his faith in Jesus Christ and was a leader in the FCA on campus at Oklahoma. In college he began a pregame ritual in which he reads I Samuel 17; the story of David and Goliath. He was quoted as saying that it was not so much that he felt that he was always going up against giants, but that he knew God was with him, it gave him courage to be a leader on the field, too. It also taught him focus on God and not the battle at hand that might seem overwhelming. Great lesson there! Check out this link to "I am second" spots with both Sam and Colt. Sam is a Heisman Trophy winner...again, a big deal in the sports world.
Colt McCoy is the oldest of 3 boys and the son of a small town football coach. Sports go way back in his family and being one of three boys is probably why he hits a soft spot in my heart. His parents felt that small town was the atmosphere in which they wanted to raise their children. He graduated from the smallest bracket of schools which is very unusual because he was then recruited to a rather large and well known college to play as a Texas Longhorn. Check out his interview at his last game as a college QB at Texas where he was out of the game fairly early due to an injury. This did not make a dent in his dream to become an NFL QB. He, too, went on to be drafted first round in 2010. He, too, had some awesome parents. His dad would drop his boys off at school and say as they jumped out of the car, "do your best and be a leader." Their philosophy was that parents should aim high with their childrne. Think I Corinthians 9:24 here: "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? The McCoy's had 4 principles that they wanted to pass along to their children: 1. They would prepare their children for the path and not the path for their children, 2. They would prepare their children to do their best, 3. They would prepare their children to be leaders, and 4. They would prepare htier children for open and closed doors...great stuff there!
Then there's Tim...America's sweetheart. His parents were career missionaries in the Philippines. Tim is the youngest of 5 and born to his mother when she was 37 and in a foreign country. It wasn't an unexpected pregnancy and they had, in fact, prayed for "Timmy" before his conception. Wow! The problem is that just before the pregnancy, she contracted a disease from the drinking water. She was in a coma and consequently treated with some very aggressive antimicrobial drugs. These drugs, known to cause severe birth defects, were the reason the doctors there suggested they "discontinue" the pregnancy. This, was not an option. They returned from the Philippines where the family is still very involved in ministry. Their children were homeschooled through high school and due to a homeschool friendly law in Florida, most played sports at local Christian or public schools. Tim is also a Heisman Trophy winner and nominated a second time. The thing Tim is most widely known for is his evangelism under his eyes. Those little black things under a football player's eyes are actually smudges made of beeswax, paraffin, and carbon and their purpose is to reduce glare. Tim felt convicted that he needed to use that space as he knew that the camera would be on him as the QB. His first verse was PHL under one eye and 4:13 under the other. He continued this tradition throughout the remainder of his college career. What an awesome idea!
This has caused me to think a lot more about my kids, especially Colton and Brett who are now teenagers...what have I taught them about living real life? I think that being a leader is important; God needs leaders and not merely bench warmers. So, we've started adding the line, "do your best and be a leader." Where are you to be a leader? In school, with your friends whether they are Christians or not. If your Christian friends are making poor choices, lead them to make better ones. Be a leader in doing God's work--in Awana, as a camp counselor, helping people of all ages, be a leader, be a leader.
So, today as I ask myself, Lord, did I let You order my steps, I think He might say to me, "did you do your best and were you a leader?" Something to ponder.
Have an awesome day tomorrow; do your best and be a leader!
I am second with Sam and Colt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WcmW8egqwE
Colt McCoy's interview in Rose Bowl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHgEESzcGRA
Tim Tebow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozq00UCykK0
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