“I have learned that track doesn’t define me. My faith defines me. I’m running because I have been blessed with a gift,” said Olympic track star Allyson Felix.
Next week Felix, a 2012 Olympic Champion and 3 time world champion, will compete in Rio in the women’s 400M event. However, Felix, told the LA Times last week that “faith leads my life.” She said that there is a “bigger picture” and “a greater purpose” to life.” Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living, Discipleship
Do you know what these people have in common with Olympic Gold medalist Michael Phelps? Joe Clarke? Michael Jung? Rafaela Silva? Mack Horton? Sukanya Srisurat? And Hoang Xuan Vihn?
Now, if you said each won an Olympic gold medal in Rio you’d be right! But do you know where they are from and what sport they medaled in? Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
“My mom taught us as a Christian, your character, your integrity and how you honor God were so much more important than your job title,” shared coaching great Tony Dungy in his acceptance speech at Saturday’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.
Dungy is a class act. He lives in the North Tampa area close to where I preached for nine years. Over time I heard several stories from members who met Tony or happened to see him grocery shopping in Publix. He was always kind, cordial and thoughtful. I had one occasion to meet him at a leadership dinner sponsored by Florida College. He graciously signed an autographed program and took the time to engage in conversion. Continue reading
Filed under Great Bible Verses
President Calvin Coolidge was nicknamed “Silent Cal,” because of his dry wit and brevity of speech. He was the opposite of his vivacious wife, Grace, who was the life of the party. While she chatted, Coolidge remained quiet.
The story is told that the famous wit, Dorothy Parker, was once seated by President Coolidge at a dinner party. Miss Parker said to the president that she had bet a friend that during the course of the meal she could make him say more than five words. Continue reading
The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio are off and running. Literally. Soccer. Rowing. Archery. Shooting. Water Polo. Fencing. Beach Volleyball. And table tennis have all had events. Gold medals have been won. And world records have been set.
While I’m more interested in the track and field events and basketball, all of these sports have several things in common: Disciplined athletes. A desire to win. And fans that love and follow the sport. There’s also one more thing they all share. Continue reading
Filed under Word of the Week
“The heart is central,” wrote John Eldredge in his book The Ransomed Heart. “That I would even need to remind you of this only shows how far we have fallen from the life we were meant to live—or how powerful the spell has been.” Continue reading
Filed under Sunday Seed Thoughts
“I tackled my first English essay in college with enthusiasm, a thesaurus, and a naive disregard for page limits,” writes Carolyn Arends in an April 2014 article in Christianity Today. To her dismay the professor returned her paper with this comment: “Carolyn, you’ve made some fine points, but unfortunately they are lost in a sea of circumlocutious wordiness.”
While Carolyn admits she has always “loved words” and “a well turned phrase,” she confesses that she grew “troubled by a growing sense that (she) needed to pay more attention to wordless things.” She asks, ” Have I reduced the scope of what I can know to what I can articulate?” Continue reading
Reese Witherspoon, The “Legally Blonde” star, recently appeared on Chelsea Handler’s Netflix talk show, “Chelsea,” where the guests talked about faith and death. I didn’t see the show, but saw a news clip.
Witherspoon discussed the role of faith as she grew up in the South, her Episcopalian roots, and her disdain for using religion to promote hate. She commented that many people “use parts of the Bible in order to express their intolerance and their hate and they manipulate it.”
Chelsea then asked, “Is there any way you feel that religion has held you back?” Continue reading
Filed under God
Norman Cousins, who was the editor-in chief of the Saturday Review for over 35 years, was told in 1964 that he only had a few months to live. He had a rare disease of the connective tissues called Ankylosing Spondylitis. He was told to “get his affairs in order” since he had only 1 chance in 500 to live.
However, Cousins would not accept the diagnosis. He then did something unheard of and unprecedented. He fired his doctor. Left the hospital. Checked into a hotel. And began to research a solution to his problem. Continue reading
Filed under Great Bible Verses, Humor
eu·phe·mism
yoo-fuh-miz-uh m
“a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.”
Last week in Cleveland euphemisms abounded when it came to a discussion of the unpleasant topic of abortion. In an article from the Religious News Service, Trevin Wax noted the repeated use of these euphemisms instead of calling abortion what it is: the murder of unborn children. Continue reading
Filed under Abortion
ThePreachersWord 