David was known as "A man after God's own heart". He made plenty of mistakes in his life, however, he always searched for truth and the truth was in the Lord. He was known as a man of integrity.

This past week, my integrity was put to test. I grew up playing baseball and continued to play into my college years. Ever since I was in high school I have wanted to become a head baseball coach at either the high school or college level. Many years later, that continuous prayer has not been answered. It is all about God's time not mine.

Hockey Chat:  Part of being on a NHL team is meeting up to high standards of play.  Those who do not perform up to that level are separated from the major league team and sent away.  Part of being a great team is maintaining a great group of players.  Those that are not, are gone.

Staleness is the first sign of decay. Avoiding getting stuck in a rut is key to any training schedule. All training regimes get old unless changes are made. The body plateaus and needs a new stimulus or it won’t improve. All exercise routines need variety. No matter how hard we work, we need change.

Spiritually we also need to be challenged, or we go stale. There is nothing spiritual about sitting in the same pew for 30 years. Recently I asked a man who ran a retreat center if he had seen any other retreat centers lately? He replied with an air of conceit that he had been too busy ministering and had not seen any other center in 10 years. His center had that sad stale smell.

As student-athletes we are pressed from all sides; to be a better at our sport, to get better grades, to get the best paying job after graduation, and even to look a certain way in order to be attractive to this world. We challenge ourselves physically, academically, and socially, but how often do we challenge ourselves spiritually? How often do we step out of our comfort zone to please God and not men? In the moment it seems as if playing time, grades, and our social life means everything. But the short-term happiness that comes from our worldly accomplishments is fleeting and of no comparison with the everlasting joy we will receive when we please our Father in heaven.

Hockey Chat:  Passing is a key in the game.  Have you ever seen someone try to go end-to-end around 5 attackers only to get stripped before he’s able to get a shot off.  Players that try to do it all to get the glory usually lose it all and are left empty.  What’s all that hard work for if it gained nothing?

Hockey Chat:  Have you ever seen a guy who looked like the puck glued was to his stick.  It may have looked like it from his puck handling.  Those guys frustrate every defenseman.  They have such control of the puck that it’s nearly impossible to take away.  A poor puck handler will leave the puck behind every time.

Hockey Chat:  There are treasured skaters out there on the ice.  We can play for ourselves and have a great game and still walk away losers.  Or we can share our treasured skills with the team and win every time.  One of my favorite teams was the Florida Panthers when they first made it to the playoffs years ago.  Although they had some great players, not a single one of their players were in the top 20 of the NHL goal scorers. They all stored their treasures in the team not themselves and made it to the finals.  Where they stored their treasure, they made it while all the great individuals were eliminated.

Hockey Chat:  Wood, aluminum, carbon composite, fiberglass.  Hockey sticks are made up of all kinds of different materials.  It takes time and practice, but once you find YOUR stick, you know it and use it with confidence. You puck handle and shoot the best you can with your stick.  Have you ever broke a stick and had to grab a different one quickly.  Right off the bat you know it’s not going to work well.  Your not use to it.  It’s not yours.  You have to play with it before you get comfortable using it regularly.

When we avail ourselves to God, He manifests more of His character in us, making the extraordinary become the ordinary, as in the story of Daniel. Success often follows obedience and trust in God. As a result of Daniel’s obedience, he prospered in his position and caused the hearts of the people to be turned toward God.

Available hands reflect an available heart. When we are prepared to let God use us, He is prepared to do remarkable things through us. God’s presence and help is available to us every moment and everywhere. He is always with us, listens to us, and pursues us with His love.

All-star quarterback Jack Kemp and his teammates boycotted the 1965 AFL All-Star game in New Orleans “as a statement against the racial climate in the city.” Jack’s black teammates were not treated with the same respect as he and his white teammates, and because they were a “team united,” they did something about it. As a result,the game was moved to another city.

In a pro basketball game in South Africa, I drove the baseline and dunked on the guy guarding me. I then stole the inbounds pass and dunked it again. After that, I received a pass from a teammate who stole the ball on the next ossession and yet dunked again. I had three dunks in a span of about 60 seconds. However, in that same game I also was dunked on and fouled the guy on the play. As it was my fifth and disqualifying foul, I went to the bench to watch my team lose the game.