Most of you have probably heard the greatly catchy, but annoying Britney Spears song "Oops I did it Again". The lyrics of this song go something like "Oops I did it again, I played with your heart". The song stresses the idea of not only making the same mistakes over and over, but leading someone into thinking we like them more than we actually do. Unfortunately our lives as Christians look much the same.

Last year, I was on the junior varsity basketball team. Our record was 23-4. It was the best record our coach had ever had. However, he was not pleased with us all of the time. He continually told us that even though we were winning games, we had not played to our full potential. He told us we had yet to play a full four quarters at our hardest. Just because we beat other teams the coach believed we were not living up to the standards he had for us on the court.

If a person tried to build or repair something without the proper tools, it would not take long until he became tired and gave up in frustration. In this passage a group of men were building a place to live and cutting trees for lumber. As one of them was chopping, the ax head flew off the handle and fell into deep water. He could have gone on and beat the tree with the handle alone, but his time would have been futile without the ax head to do the work. A sharp ax is what is needed to chop down a tree.

Hockey Chat: There is only one true Stanley Cup.  It is authenticated by the seal of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the bottom of the Cup which can be seen when winning players lift the Cup over their heads.

Hockey Chat:  After winning the Stanley Cup in 1924, Montreal Canadiens players on their way to a victory party stashed the trophy in the trunk of their car. Part way to the festivities, the vehicle had a flat. The players removed the Cup to get at the spare, changed the tire and drove away leaving the Stanley Cup perched on a snow bank. Only when it came time to drink champagne from the Cup did they realize they didn't have it Cup with them. They drove back to where they'd changed the tire, found the Cup sitting there patiently waiting for them, and hastily reclaimed it.

Hockey Chat:  There are the guys on the team that wear the “C” on their sweater representing that they are the Captain.  They’ve given their best at putting forth the qualities of a leader.  The management of the team sees those actions and gives this prestigious reward to the top man who has earned it.  It’s an honor given to them because of what they gave to the team.

Hockey Chat:  Martian Broduer’s journey started with a small hope to stop pucks that first time he played goal in net.  Through the years it grew and grew and he inscribed his name as one of the greats to ever play in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup three times, and minding the net for the New Jersey Devils through numerous games. 

Moses warned the Israelites against failing to serve God. We should take this warning to heart. Jesus tells us, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me” (Matthew 25:40b). When serving God, we cannot help but serve others; and in serving others, we serve God.

Sports like tennis and volleyball require serving the ball. In an article, “Six Steps to a Better Serve,” the author wrote, “Serving is a skill that takes years of practice to master, and something that you can always improve upon. . . . Keep at it, take your time, and practice lots.” This applies to serving others as well.

As a coach, I used to love preseason practice. (As a player I could have done without it.) I loved working with the players and coaches, the camaraderie of being part of a team, and the anticipation of opening night. Preseason was always electrifying.

Then came the first game. The scoreboard was turned on, and a new element was added—the element of stress.

Athletes spend hours each week training their bodies. Whether it is with a team, a community group or all by yourself, we all have to practice in order to achieve our athletic goals. Our commitment to training changes the pace of our daily lives. Consider this, how many times have you said “As soon as I’m done with my workout I’ll….” See what I mean? As a distance runner, some workouts have me out on the road for almost 2 hours. With stretching, cool down jogs and cross training, my day can easily become defined by my workout.