God At Work At Final Four

God is at work in the lives of college basketball coaches around the country. The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has stepped up its ministry to coaches under the leadership of Executive Director Jim Haney. Each year at the NABC Coaches Convention during the Final Four, ministries such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action, Champions for Christ and America's Family Coaches unite to encourage coaches spiritually.

At this year's Final Four in Atlanta, Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar shared his testimony during the FCA Luncheon on Saturday and gave the 800+ people in attendance an opportunity to accept Christ. Lorenzo is an exceptional communicator and story teller.

A Coaches Forum on Friday was moderated by TNT's Ernie Johnson, who had a opportunity to share about his faith during his recent battle with cancer. This year's forum guests included National Coach of the Year Tony Bennett (Washington State), Jim Kessler (Grace College), Dave Leitao (Virginia) and Mike Jarvis.

Saturday morning's Legends of the Hardwood Breakfast featured Ernie Johnson and Clark Kellogg of CBS, who shared his testimony.

John Maxwell, a former pastor who is now a best-selling author and speaker to Fortune 500 companies, shared on Saturday morning that Talent Is Never Enough, and gave 13 crucial things you can do to maximize your natural talents and become a "Talent-plus" person.

Sunday morning we had the privelege of worshipping together in an inter-denominational service with a great message by Brett Fuller, pastor at Morningstar Church in Washington, D.C., and NABC Chaplain.

Free Eric Volz

Please pray for Eric. Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YChhOHrFA4

Carl Cartee Blog Entry

My good buddy Carl Cartee, who happens to be one of the greatest singers, guitarists, worship leaders, in the country, recently posted the following on his blog. We all need friends who challenge us like this.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Challenge
Cracker Barrel. What a place. Good pancakes, of course, but since yesterday it will hold a different meaning for me. It will now be a reminder of something quite bigger than gift shops and pinto bean plates. It’s now the place where I was challenged to a fight. Called right out and asked to put up my dukes.While having dinner with a friend, he told me that God had given him some words for me. He wanted to ask me about some things. This guy is one of my closest friends in the world and I trust him completely. If he has something to say to me, I listen. I invited him to speak freely, so he began. Challenging me, he asked questions that were hard to hear and even harder to answer. He asked questions about my life and where it was heading. How I planned to live the next few years and what were my God sized visions? Did I have objectives inspired by pure and uncorrupted faith, was I willing to stop making excuses and do what ever it takes to see them realized? Was I going to remain the same, or stretch toward greatness for the glory of God?Boom...right upside the head. I won’t ever forget that moment. It’s one of the first times in my life someone has asked permission to say something to me and then deconstructed everything that I have been feeling for the last 10 months. It was unexpected, threatening, but so refreshing. “Don’t waste your life. Your anointing is too great and your ministry to valuable for you to rest on talent and personality alone. Get help and equip yourself to win. Fight against mediocrity. Fight against apathy, laziness and insincerity. Push yourself in faith, passion and purity. God is worthy of your best!” Hebrews encourages us to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Have you ever been spurred? It’s not meant to tickle. It hurts. It cuts. It’s uncomfortable. It sends a message that makes you want to jump into action so you don’t have to get it twice. But thank God for someone who obeys the Spirit and says the hard things to a dear friend. Thank God for one who sees potential greatness and calls it out of you.Needless to say, I am accepting the challenge. I have let disappointment and fear hit me enough. I throw my hat in the ring. Bring on the destiny. Best shots welcome. Please pray for me. Cheer for me. I’m all inIf I see you at Cracker Barrel, watch out. I’ll be in a mood to fight. More to come.(Thanks buddy...)

Miles Changes At Halftime

In a recent game versus the Clippers, Blazers' forward Darius Miles, who had not played in the first half, decided to change out of his uniform and put on a suit. When the team came back to the court for the second half, you could imagine the surprise of Coach Nate McMillian.

What is happening in the world today? Whether you want to argue that pro basketball is sports or entertainment, it is still business. I can't imagine many businesses where an employee is able to tell the employer that he is only going to work for half the day. And then just sit and watch his fellow employees work the remainder of the day.

We have pampered these guys for way too long. They make astronomical salaries, are locked in to guaranteed contracts, yet show no respect for their employers. If most of us do that in our jobs, we'd be looking for another job the next day.

Here's hoping that the NBA, the Player's Association, and owners step out of the pro sports box and begin to levy serious consequences for detrimental actions.

Character Is What Counts For McMillan

Nate McMillan doesn’t commit to doing many speeches, especially during an NBA season. But the first-year Trail Blazer coach was intrigued by the offer to talk last week at Concordia University’s annual Champions of Character athletics award banquet.

For several years, McMillan has been a member of Athletes for a Better World, a national group promoting the use of sports to develop character, teamwork and citizenship through commitment to an athlete’s code of living. “The organization is what sports should be about instead of what some parents and fans make them,” McMillan says. “This was a chance for me to deliver an unscripted message about keeping things in perspective.”

McMillan’s talk was motivational and inspirational. He spoke about Jeannette Tyson, his late mother and role model, and the influence she held as a single parent of six children, not to mention a bunch of foster children. His words were heartfelt and he received a standing ovation afterward. It was a perfect fit — a man of character speaking about character.

War on Poverty

Maury Davis of Nashville wrote a great article about the war on poverty. Although his views may seem counter to what most people in the U.S. would subscribe, if you look into the facts, he's on to something.

The Dancin' Shoes Fit

Belmont and Lipscomb had waged many epic basketball battles, but the 113th installment of their storied rivalry had the largest stakes imaginable. With an Atlantic Sun Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth on the table, the Bruins used courageous defense and the determined scoring of an unflappable sophomore to claim the tastiest pot in school history. Justin Hare’s career-high 32 points spearheaded the Bruins’ come-from-behind, 74-69 overtime victory over Lipscomb and cemented Belmont’s place in March Madness.

Are Fans Going Too Far?

In Saturday's game versus Duke, Temple Coach John Chaney confronted a fan about the profanity directed at the Duke team. Is this just another Chaney over-reaction, or are fans going too far?

From what I've seen at high school and college games, Chaney has hit the nail on the head.

Forde Article On Redick

Pat Forde did an interesting piece on Duke's JJ Redick. What are your thoughts about JJ's claims of where his strength lies?

A New Trent Strickland

Athletes in Action has been shaping the lives of athletes for years. Trent Strickland, a member of the Wake Forest basketball team, commented about his AIA experience following a recent game.

Rebel With A Cause

Ole Miss Coach Rod Barnes has built his basketball program around a cornerstone principle of discipline. So it comes as no surprise that he has built his life around spiritual disciplines. Rod and one of his players, Todd Abernathy, were featured in Sharing the Victory magazine.

Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts

I have long admired the Indianapolis Colts' Tony Dungy for being a coach who stands strong in his faith in Christ. Check out this read from Sports Spectrum magazine.

Josh Goodwin Has Huge Night

Josh Goodwin had a phenomenal night versus East Tennessee State, hitting 11 3-point shots on his way to 39 points. ESPN.com did a piece on Josh and the Belmont Bruins' amazing comeback.