Ipoh B.U.G.

2010-07-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

we've moved, to our very own website.... go www.ipohbug.com

Run for the Nation 2009 (Ipoh)

2009-10-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

First team to go...

1 stretching, another one??? hehe...

Serius la sikit...

Eh, advert for deodorant?

This is how we run, ibu KETAM ajar anak KETAM

Ah kak, are we lost?

Praying...

See? we can do better than the American sprinters...

Eh... boy, you are suppose to run, or pray...

the final team reaching the last checkpoint, Elim Gospel Hall

Worship time

Prayer time

Football Plus 2010-2011

2009-10-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

IpohBUG in KL

2009-10-14T00:29:00.000-07:00

Our IpohBUG senior football team visited Kuala Lumpur on 3-4 October 2009 to play two friendly matches. Twenty players were chosen for the trip. Upon arrival on that Saturday afternoon, IpohBUG played against the team from Taman Megah. Our boys put up a superb performance and beat Taman Megah team 4 - 0.

After the match we were treated to a sumptuous dinner by bro. Peter Wong and family. In the evening the two Brazilian coaches, Romao and Fladimir came and shared with the boys about their playing career and also how they received Jesus Christ into their lives.

The boys got up early on Sunday morning and got ready for their second match against the boys from Brazil Football Centre. Our boys had a shaky start during the match and found ourselves trailing by 3 - 0 after fifteen minutes. However, our boys managed to control their nerves and played their normal game. After a much better performance in the later part of the game, we still ended up losing 4 - 1.

Our boys showed great sportsmanship and discipline during both the matches. The trip have definitely given them much experience within the playing field and beyond. We shall train harder and get ourselves more organized before we return to Kuala Lumpur again.

Well done, boys. We are really proud of you.

Team picture with the boys from Brazil Football Centre

after the match (IpohBUG 1 - BFC 4).

IpohBUG team having breakfast on Sunday morning @

4 Oct 2009 before the match with BFC.

The IpohBUG team in their new jerseys.

IpohBUG team captain, Darveen, in action against team
from Taman Megah (IpohBUG 4 - 0 Taman Megah).

Our boys from IpohBUG.

Sport & Christianity 3 - Just a tool for evangelism?

2009-10-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

How do we reconcile sport and Christianity? That's the question we've been looking at for the last two team talks. Having set out the issue in the first team talk, last week we answered the objection that Christians shouldn't be involved in sport because of how fallen the world of sport is. In answering this we said that our moral rebellion against God isn't something that we can locate in particular environments, contexts, or activities like ‘sport' or ‘nightclubs', instead its found much closer to home - in our hearts. Consequently sport is as fallen as the people who play it. However Jesus' call isn't so much to withdraw from the world and fallen people, instead he came into the world to redeem the world and now by His Spirit and word he calls His people to do likewise.

As human beings we're not very good at living balanced lives - we tend to extremes. So if one extreme is to think that ‘sport is bad and Christians have no place playing sport' then there's a parallel error that we can swing to on the other side. Let me explain. We understand that it's OK for Christians to be involved in sport, and we see that Christ came into the world to redeem the world so we now see our involvement in sport exclusively in terms of ‘being in it to win it'. We want to win many people for Christ, and so we get stuck in to the world of sport to reach the unreached with the good news of Jesus.

Of course there's nothing wrong with this per se; everyone needs to hear the gospel - it literally is an issue of life and death, but what I'm suggesting is that if we're not careful this view can become ‘unbalanced' in two ways.

1. We can make sport a ‘tool' for evangelism. As we see people's great need to hear the gospel, then all things seem to pale into insignificance and so we start to think that the only thing that matters is evangelism. The world rapidly becomes polarized into that which helps us evangelize and that which distracts us from evangelism. But we need to be clear that whilst sport may be a very effective tool for evangelism it is much more than just a tool for evangelism. God made the world and everything in it and he declared it to be good and sport is part of this original creation. More than this God is redeeming this world and making the ‘new creation'. As such God is affirming the dignity of what he has created and showing that sport is not just a ‘means to an end' but can be an end in itself - a good gift given and redeemed by a loving heavenly Father. We need to be heard loud and clear saying that sport isn't just a tool - sport is good and I'm born to play!

2. We can make evangelism into something that we think earns favor with God. Often when people grasp the significance of the gospel then they kind of start to see Jesus like a coach - on the side of the track, thumb on stopwatch, shouting at you the athlete to try harder and witness to people. So we try as hard as we can to ‘run' hoping that if we do enough then Jesus will be pleased with us. Now this puts us under enormous pressure to perform and ultimately starts to undermine the work of the cross. Nothing we can do can make God love us any more and nothing we can do will make Him love us any less. Someone has said that Jesus is not so much like the coach on the sideline, but he is more like the air in our lungs - as secure in his love for us he empowers us and equips us by His Spirit in us to do his will.

I wonder - how balanced is your outlook as a player living for Christ? Do you tend towards one of these extremes? Do you hear others making this mistake? Or by God's grace are you on a more even keel, living for Christ, loving sport and trying by the power He gives you to tell others this amazing news?

[This article was written by Pete for Christians in Sport dated 17 September 2009]

Sport & Christianity 2

2009-09-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

I wrote last week that given the present significance of sport in our culture this is a big issue, an important issue, and it's a relevant issue. Some claim that Christians shouldn't play sport because it's a morally compromised culture and the recent headlines make a pretty compelling case; blood capsules in rugby to make illegal substitutions, Jamaican sprinter's taking banned substances, diving in football to win penalties, and we could all list many more. How can Christians be involved in such an environment? Shouldn't they be distinctive to the world rather than complicit in the world's godless existence? Won't Christians themselves become morally compromised in this culture?

In answering this question it's important to say upfront that we're considering the issue ‘in general' but I'm not legislating for any individual and their own specific decision. Each person needs to inform his or her conscience and make their own decision before God. However, it is important to see that there's an error in thinking that ‘Christians shouldn't play sport because sport is bad' and primarily the error lies in where we locate the problem of sin.

To believe that Christians should stay separate to the world of sport is most often linked to believing that sin is a matter of environment. It's to divide the world up into immoral places like, sports pitches, bars and nightclubs and moral environments like churches, and the family home. However this is to grossly underestimate how deep rooted our problem before God really is. The problem with the world isn't that there are certain dark corners that need God's divine light, the problem is as Romans 1:21 puts it we have all rejected God and so our ‘foolish hearts are darkened'. That is why Jesus teaches that our moral rebellion against God is located in the very core of our being - our hearts; ‘For from within out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder , adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.' (Mark 7:21-22).

Sport may sometimes look worse than other areas of life, but a careful analysis reveals that it's no worse than what takes place behind the closed front door of our homes. Lying, cheating, hurt, anger, sexual perversion and unfaithfulness - in thought or deed, (to mention but a few), aren't caused by ‘wrong place, wrong time' but occur at all times and all places. If we really were to expect Christians to retreat from every area of life where we saw a failure to live up to God's standards then we'd face the impossible task of having to run away from ourselves.

This is not to say that there aren't some environments where following God's way isn't particularly difficult and so perhaps some contexts that it's wise for Christians to avoid. But we shouldn't forget that Christ was regularly found amongst ‘sinners' in the very context that the so called religious elite would never be seen in and so we must never draw lines between the apparent ‘clean' and ‘unclean'. Sport may be fallen but this is only because fallen people play it - not because there's anything inherently wrong with it.

Christ's call has often been said to be that those who follow him should be ‘in the world but not of the world'. This is tough, and to be honest it's a lot neater and easier to draw lines in the sand than it is to get stuck into the world in all its mess and falleness. But then again we could do a lot worse than ask ‘what did Jesus do'? Didn't he live right in the middle of this fallen world? Didn't he come to the world to tell the world about how it might be reconciled to him - the creator and redeemer? And isn't this now what he calls those who follow him to do as we remember that with this call there's also a promise... ‘and surely I'll be with you until the end of this age'.

[Note: This article was written by Pete for Christians in Sport dated 10 Sept 2009.]

Sport and Christianity!

2009-09-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

A number of years ago I remember chatting to a good friend about playing rugby, like me he was a Christian and he was perplexed that as a Christian I was still playing. "What's wrong with playing rugby?" I asked. "Well there's so much cheating and aggression in the game isn't there?" he responded. At the time I didn't know quite what to make of this. Perhaps he was right, perhaps I should give it up. But then God had created me with the gifts and a passion to play. So how should I reconcile this tension?

Many people face this dilemma, and at Christians in Sport we are asked this question in different forms hundreds of times each year. Equally the Christian community has ‘answered' this question in many different ways, sometimes it's a thought through response, and more often than not it's a response that has emerged ‘organically' over time. Over the next few weeks I want to work through some of the different responses to help us see some of their pitfalls, and ultimately to help us to understand better how the Bible would have us reconcile this apparent tension. Of course we may have to take a week's break every now and then if something significant happens in the world of sport but barring interruptions we'll try to work this question through in the next few issues of our ‘team talk'.

To start with though let's just notice a few things. First, this is a big issue. As a proportion of the population the number of people playing sport is big (globally and in the UK) and it's getting bigger. Current estimates are that about one third of all adults play sport formally or informally once a week and that number is increasing - particularly in the UK with increased investment around the ‘Golden Decade' of sport.

Secondly it's an important issue. Some people may think ‘look why bother trying to figure it out - aren't there more important issues to get caught up in?' Well, it's an important issue for many people worldwide who feel like they are ‘wired-up' to play sport and yet passionately want to faithfully serve Christ - they long for an answer. But also it's important because as C.S Lewis famously wrote; ‘There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.'

Thirdly it's a relevant issue. Of course it's relevant for Christians who are passionate about sport, but I'd suggest it's also relevant for everyone else: If we can't understand how sport and Christianity are reconciled then what it really exposes is that we don't understand how our Christian faith engages with the world around us. It means that we have a very limited view of our relationship with God. Of course we may say ‘Christianity's not just for Sunday' but in practice we don't know what difference if any it makes to Monday through Saturday.

Sport isn't more important than other activities we can engage with in God's creation - it just so happens that I love it and have the privilege of working in this specific culture and writing about it. But at least it is no less important than other activities in God's creation, and as such this tension needs to be engaged with.

[Note: This article was written by Pete for Christians in Sport - 3 September 2009.]

Usain Bolt - 9.58!

2009-08-21T07:57:00.001-07:00

When Usain Bolt crossed the line of the 100m men's World Championships and the clock showed a new world record of 9.58 there were many things that demonstrated how special his performance was. Most poignant of all was the reaction captured by the BBC of Michael Johnson; He stared at the studio monitor in disbelief, utterly speechless. That the man who left the world speechless in Atlanta should himself be speechless says all we need to know about Bolt's run. Quite simply it took the world's breath away.

In the ancient world, particularly in Greece, supreme athletes were so revered that some were worshipped as gods and Usain Bolt is rapidly being treated with similar adulation. Whilst it's important to say that such a response to a created human being is ludicrous, we do of course want to affirm that there is something profoundly ‘special' about this athlete. He takes only 40 steps to complete the 100 whilst all other athletes take about 45. He isn't the quickest out of the blocks but by 25m (at the end of the ‘drive phase') he is level with the field. And as everyone knows, once he's level at this stage then the race is already over.

In Psalm 8 it is written ‘you have made him (mankind) a little lower than the heavenly beings' (8:5) and it's at times of sporting brilliance like this that such a verse really gels with our experience, for there is something ‘other worldly' and ‘ethereal' about watching Usain Bolt run. But lest we get carried away with this man's greatness scripture has a wonderfully balanced outlook on things as it compares men and women to the creator God: ‘what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you care for him?' (8:4)

At the moment many are speculating about how fast Usain will run - will he break into 9.4, are we to expect another giant leap forward in the World record? But whatever his final achievement over this distance, and however spectacular it turns out to be, we all know that he has limits. He may be supreme among athletes but he is still a limited human being. But God, the creator who made Usain Bolt is limitless.

In sport we love debates about who is the best, and at the moment it's obvious that Usain Bolt is the fastest of all time. He's the best. Such comparative words though have no place with God. We should never speak of God being better, or even the best, when compared with anyone or anything else - he is ‘the only' - beyond compare, and a proper view of God should either leave us speechless or bursting forth with praise!

Note: This article was written by Pete for Christians in Sport @ 20/08/2009.

Watch out for this!

2009-08-19T08:16:00.001-07:00

IpohBUG Ultimate Frisbee

2009-08-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, youth from Elim and Cornerstone Sanctuary enjoyed a friendly Ultimate Frisbee competition. In a 3 games series, the score is currently tied at one game each. The deciding game is to be played this Sunday. Come and support the teams.

All the best guys and gals. May the better team wins!

Proclamation by Sports People

2009-07-20T05:19:00.000-07:00

One of the strategy of International Sports Coalition is the Proclamation by Sports People. In this strategy the coalition supports sports people as they proclaim their faith. One sports person who has been proclaiming his faith on and off the field is the Confederations Cup 2009 best player, Kaka.

At 25, Kaka is a unique character among global football icons: profoundly religious and he never followed the nightclubs-casual sex script that so many of his colleagues live by. Linked to the Brazilian Pentecostal church rebirth in Christ since his teenage years, Kaka thinks his religious views explain how he can reconcile in harmony the life of a sports icon with that of a family man, without getting distracted by the millions of dollars he has amassed in the course of his career.

Kaka said, "I have my Biblical values, and I set those above everything else. In my scale of values, money is not a priority. I get pleasure and joy from playing football, I feel love for the sport."

When Kaka was presented by Real Madrid to their supporters, 50,000 came to cheer him on. In view of his popularity and great following, when Kaka speaks of his faith in the Lord Jesus, people would stop to listen.

We pray that many more Christian sports personality will take on the challenge to propagate the gospel to their fellow professionals and faithful followers.

To God be the glory.

Confederations Cup 2009 - Jesus the ultimate Champion

2009-06-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Brazil and USA gave us a spectacular ending to the Confederations Cup 2009. USA showed the world that they are a team to be fancied in any competition by their 2-0 semi-final victory over Spain and almost taking down Brazil in the finals. With a 2-0 lead from the first half, USA were unable to hold out.

Goals from Luis Fabiano in the 46 min and 74 min plus a thunderous header from Lucio in the 84 min was enough to land Brazil the Confederations Cup. Brazil picked up the tempo in the second half and dominated the field. They were truly deserved winners.

However, the ultimate winner was not Brazil but the Lord Jesus when some of the Brazilian players were seen parading in their "I love Jesus" and "I belong to Jesus" t-shirts during the celebration. The most obvious was when Lucio was lifting the Confederations Cup surrounded by his fellow teammates and official while proudly displaying to the world looking on that he loves Jesus.

These Brazilian players have been propagating the Gospel to the world at large on many occasions. They have shared their testimonies at many Christian gatherings and are great living testimonies for Jesus. This is part of sports ministries' strategy of reaching the world through sports.

Golfing for Christ

2009-06-10T17:09:00.001-07:00

Golfer Kenny Perry has a message for fans or media who think he is still crushed or depressed by his recent Masters playoff loss: His faith in Jesus Christ is enough to take care of any professional distress." I wasn't disappointed, that's what people don't understand," Perry said after the first round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Thursday, where he is a two-time champion of the PGA Tour event." I have been so blessed, I could never be disappointed or upset with my life."

Perry, 48, capped the golf season of his life in 2008 with three PGA Tour victories and a spot on United States' victorious Ryder Cup team. In 2009 it even got better with a victory at the 2009 PGA Tour event in Phoenix and his strong showing at the Masters tournament. Playing in the major championship closest to his hometown of Franklin, Ky., Perry played steadily, if not brilliantly, in moving to the top of the leader board at Augusta National Golf Club. He was in the final group on the final day. In the crowd: PGA Tour chaplain Larry Moody, who had spoken to Perry about the international platform to give glory to God with a victory. But an 18th hole missed putt left Perry in a playoff with Angel Cabrera and Chad Campbell. A poor shot on the second playoff hole cost Perry his chance; Cabrera captured the victory, becoming the oldest champion in Masters history.

Even so, it didn't leave Perry with a crushed spirit or crushed faith." Jesus is No. 1 in my life. I hope that comes through in everything I do," he said. Perry already had spurned the conventional Tour wisdom by citing his faith in saying earlier in the year he didn't need a sports psychologist, a staple to many players on the tour. In the aftermath of his Masters loss, the outpouring of support for the kind, Christian way he handled defeat was enough to lift his spirits. "I got a lot of letters in the mail which said, 'You must be a Christian because of the way you reacted,'" Perry said. "That's what I want people to see in my life."

While he didn't take home the Green Jacket given to Masters champions, Perry did take home another chance to help others -- being able to give more money to a scholarship fund at Lipscomb University, a Christian college in Nashville, Tenn., that he and his wife have established for kids from the Franklin area to attend at a reduced rate. "We now have $1.5 million dollars in the trust fund endowment for kids and a Christian education. When I do well, it's just more money to God."

Perry said the idea to give back to God with each of his golfing successes came when he was broke and didn't even know if he would ever make it to the PGA Tour. A church member in Franklin loaned him the money to make it to tour qualifying school one last time in 1986, with Perry promising that if he ever achieved his golfing dream, he would find a way to give back to God." Our goal is that if a kid chooses a Christian education, they're not going to be held back for lack of money," Perry said in a 2005 story in The Links Letter. "It's a great story I love to tell, because it shows how God has used me week in and week out and the money goes to further His cause. It gives kids a chance to know the Lord."

On a warm Thursday (May 28), Perry's opening round 64 at Colonial Country Club put him near the top of the leader board. But he said the highlight of this week in Fort Worth, as it is most weeks on the PGA Tour, is the weekly Wednesday Bible study. Led by Moody or a local pastor, the one-hour study brings together more than 30 PGA players, caddies and officials to read and learn from God's Word and pray for each other. "I'm always inspired by the Bible study and inspired by the number of young guys who are there," Perry said. "Guys like Ben Crane and Aaron Baddeley and Justin Leonard. They are really the future of the tour."

[This article is taken from BP Sports.]

Tchoukball

2009-05-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tchoukball, a game where some of us have played at least once or even more, but for me, I never enjoyed the game and never really understood why all the rules were there to limit our freedom, and particularly why can’t we intercept opponent’s ball.

After attending the tchoukball training in Malacca, not only have I not dislike it, but fell in love with the game. The nature of this game is so well-designed that sportsmanship is upheld with the highest priority and not neglecting the level of competitiveness of the game. Before this, I really love playing ultimate Frisbee. The reason being, unlike other team sports where victory is everything, sportsmanship is the core value of the game. It is so well-disciplined that refereeing is not needed even in the official rule of the game. Now, I have found something a lot better than ultimate, it’s none other than tchoukball.

Why do I like tchoukball? Frankly speaking, for all sports that I have played, I am much disadvantaged due to my physical limitation. Many a times, I lose out because of my height and size. Tchoukball as in its purest form, doesn’t discriminate, regardless of tall, short, thin or fat people, this game is perfect for all. Size does not matter in this game. This game focuses on the tactical aspect and accurate judgment. No one is allowed to intercept opponent’s ball and so everyone in the team is responsible for every action that is done. With a limit of maximum three passes, the team will need to try to score by shooting the ball at the mini trampoline and ensuring that the opponent team fails to catch the ball when it bounces off the trampoline and outside the D-zone in the game field. The beauty of the game also lies in the 50-50 possibility of the goal. If at all the opponent team manages to save the goal by catching the attempt, it will be a different scenario altogether. Defense will turn to attack in a matter of seconds and it will give the team a chance to score against their opponent.

For those who have yet to learn the game or still disliking it, please give yourself a chance to learn the most beautiful team sport game on earth. Come to B.U.G. or even contact me (Vincent 013-5208898) if you want to learn the game. Steven or I will be most happy to share with you what we have learned in Malacca.

Barcelona vs. United – Who Pulled the Strings?

2009-05-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

That Barcelona more than merited the trophy - shouldn’t be questioned. That Messi emerged triumphant from his duel with Christiano Ronaldo for the unofficial title of ‘best player in the world’ - seems clear-cut. That Xavi and Iniesta dominated possession and showcased the beautiful and ruthless artistry of a passing game that cut United’s 5 man mid-field to shreds - is beyond doubt. But that 20 minutes into the game anyone would have known this would be the narrative of the Champions League Final – is shocking.

Things seemed to be heading to such a different conclusion. The early goal that United conceded seemed to knock them sideways. There was a tangible sense of shock, injustice even, having started the game so well. Until Eto’os goal, United looked every bit the champions elect, poised to make history in winning back to back Champions League Finals. United were full of verve and confidence, stretching the Catalan giant’s defence, out-working them in midfield. Ronaldo was consistently able to isolate defenders and had produced 4 shots in as many minutes. Pique looked hesitant, Anderson even managed to nutmeg Yaya Toure. It really did seem just a matter of time before United scored and continued their inevitable march towards the trophy. It seemed like that…

But then the goal changed everything. Suddenly the Barcelona passing engine clicked into gear. In a moment new confidence was breathed into the diminutive players of Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi. They found an extra yard of pace, an extra second of thinking time on the ball, and United seemed rocked to the core. Everyone waited for the impact of the famous hairdryer-treatment from Sir Alex Ferguson at half-time, but try as he might through motivation or substitutes he seemed as powerless on the sidelines as his team looked on the pitch.

It’s a curious quality of sport that something so important like the outcome of a game is so far beyond our control. Thankfully there were no controversial moments or dodgy refereeing decisions that turned the game, but even so; did the Barcelona players really think 20 minutes in that they were going to waltz away with the trophy? Could United have foreseen such a swift turnaround in their fortunes?

We may talk of Messi ‘pulling the strings’ of a game, or Pep Guardiola ‘master-minding’ victory, but the reality is that no matter how great any player or manager is – it’s an illusion to portray them as in control. There is only one person in control, God who reigns in heaven and does whatever he pleases. Great players may have incredible skill and drive, but do they have the great humility to acknowledge this reality about God. And if I can be so bold – do you?

[This article was written by Pete for Christians in Sport dated 28 May 2009]

Taking Sports Ministry into Timur Leste

2009-05-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

On the 19th April 2009, Sports Partnership Malaysia in partnership with Indonesia Sports Partnership was in East & West Timor for a sports mission. Throughout this trip, we were able to cast and share the vision about Sports Ministry and Partnership to the church leaders.

During our stint in Timor Leste, we did conduct 3 Kids Games and soccer training. Our first Kids Games was in Kupang where we had about 600 children. The following day, we divided into 2 groups. The first group was sent to Soeh and the other group was sent to Dilli.

Back in Dilli, we were there for 5 day. During our stay in Dilli we had the opportunity to share in the children church and to the young adults. We did share to two leaders from Atauro regarding Sports Ministry and how can we be a blessing to them.

As an individual, God did spoke to me in many ways. As a team, he did challenge us in many different areas. As a team we stood together to achieve what was supposed to be done.

Timor Leste is entering ‘Into a New Era of Fruitfulness’. There is much work that needs to be done in Timor Leste. I urge those who are under the ISC (International Sports Coalition) umbrella, to look forward in going into Timor Leste and to help and encourage our brother Jerry who is part of the ISC and the Squash Mini Region.

Note: This article was written by our Emmanuel.

Serving the poor a passion for Utah's Korver!

2009-04-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

[This article is taken from BP Sports dated April 25, 2009.]

Adam Bruckner knows poor. He runs a homeless program at the Helping Hand Rescue Mission in Philadelphia. He works with inner-city youth and can rattle off various poverty statistics for the City of Brotherly Love.

But Bruckner has never witnessed anything like the destitution he saw in Calcutta, India, last summer. “The depth of poverty in India, especially Calcutta, changed everything I thought about poverty – and not in a good way,” Bruckner said. “There are 500 street homeless in Philly. There are 70,000 in Calcutta. That’s unsheltered homeless. It was gross, compared to American side of things.”

This trip was not Bruckner’s doing. He was an invited guest of – you’d never guess this – an NBA star. Bruckner, 33, is good friends with Kyle Korver, 27, the sweet-shooting guard/forward for the Utah Jazz. If one were to list the perks that typically come with having a multimillionaire professional athlete as a buddy, working with the needy, crippled and dying in a third-world country would not be high on the list.

Yet in a league saturated with avarice and materialism, Korver isn’t typical. While many of his self-absorbed peers take long sips on the cocktails of their opulence during the offseason, he ardently looks for opportunities to serve others and fulfill Scripture’s mandate to help the poor. This passion stems from the model displayed by his remarkable family, whose legacy of Christian faith dates back generations. Korver’s grandfather, Harold, raised six boys, three of whom followed him into pastoral ministry, including Kyle’s father, Kevin.

In the late 1980s and early ’90s, the Korvers and their congregation in Southern California, Emmanuel Reformed Church, embarked on a massive civic restoration program in the city of Paramount. With the help of city officials, the Korvers transformed Paramount from a dangerous, crime-riddled area into a city that earned national awards and recognition from President George H.W. Bush.

Kyle would often accompany his father on cleanup days, which left an indelible mark on the youngster. “That’s where some of his multi-cultural, inner-city stuff cultivated,” said Kevin, who is now the senior pastor at Third Reformed Church in Pella, Iowa.

Despite the Christ-like examples of servanthood around him, Kyle’s faith remained on slow-burn early on. It was intimidating, frankly, to feel like he had to live up to the standards of his family. He was a good kid but his faith lacked substance, which led him to dabble in NBA nightlife during the early part of his rookie year (2003-04) with the Philadelphia 76ers.After reaching a spiritual breaking point later that season, he fully committed himself to the Lord and started using his unique platform as an NBA player to share the love of Christ. His new mission: to spread the gospel in the winsome ways he had observed during his childhood.

“They’ve all been great examples,” Korver said of his family. “Growing up, you’re not sure what you’re supposed to be doing. It takes you awhile to find yourself and until you do, you find yourself in somebody else’s shadow.” Korver wears altruism like a comfortable shirt. In 2006, he started the Kyle Korver Foundation to provide structure to all the charitable ideas floating in his head. Last summer, he crisscrossed the country to raise support, and he recently hired his younger brother, Klayton, to oversee some fundraising initiatives.

He and some buddies from Creighton University, where he enjoyed an All-American career, are involved in providing medical supplies to a South Africa orphanage. And his NBA-sponsored “Kyle’s Coat Drives” have collected more than 3,000 coats for underprivileged children. “It’s all a big work in progress,” Korver said of his foundation.

His compassion is best on display in the dark, unwanted places of the world. In 2005, he and Bruckner, a former player for the Philadelphia Kixx pro indoor soccer team whom he met through 76ers chaplain Kevin Harvey, started a Bible study at the Helping Hand Rescue Mission for young Christian adults who wanted to make a difference in downtown Philly. Before long, the two started meeting some local kids from the dangerous projects.

At first, some of the older teenagers were leery: Who were these two Caucasian adults intermingling with dozens of African-American kids? It quickly became evident that the 6-foot-7 white dude wasn’t an undercover cop; he was one of the NBA’s best young players, a long-range bomber who set the 76ers’ season record for three-point field goals made (226) during his second year.

But he sure didn’t act like a star. There was no pretension about him. He listened to the kids and joined them in pickup games at some of the 14 different hoops he had installed at five local inner-city schools. He bought them 76ers tickets. He gave some of them his cell phone number and invited them to his house. He ate Thanksgiving dinner at one family’s home. He provided tutors, computers and medical supplies to schools. In addition, he and Bruckner started a youth Bible study at the mission. “The kids are used to him now,” said Bruckner, who lives in Korver’s house in the Philly suburbs. “He’s just Kyle Korver.”

Because of his offseason home and love of the area, Korver remains tied to Philly even though the 76ers traded him last December to Utah where he is currently averaging 8.4 points a game as a reserve for the two-time defending Western Conference Northwest Division champions. “There are probably only a couple athletes in all the sports in the city as popular as Kyle is,” Harvey said.

Korver’s kindness isn’t confined to U.S. borders. Last summer marked his fourth overseas trip with the NBA’s humanitarian “Basketball Without Borders” program. Before arriving in New Delhi for the NBA’s structured agenda – camera-friendly basketball clinics, restaurant appearances and work with AIDS families – Korver took Bruckner and a missionary friend to Calcutta, far away from the publicity-conscious NBA representatives, where they visited the home and missions of the late Mother Teresa.

Not even the worst ghettos he has witnessed in Paramount and Philadelphia could have prepared Korver for the shocking images in Calcutta. The poverty was overwhelming. Naked children ran through the streets, many of which were filled with filth. Grown men stooped over to brush their teeth with sand and street water. And oh, the smell of the place.

But there, in the unlikeliest of destinations for an NBA star, is where Korver feels the greatest satisfaction, a fulfillment that no game-winning three-pointer can replicate. He thrives in places where hope is on life support. It makes him feel alive. It helps him understand why so many of his family members have devoted their lives to serving others. And it brings him closer to the Savior.

“The biggest thing is, I just want to feel him more,” Korver said. “I’m just learning how to pray better and be still with God – how to listen to what he’s saying and hear his voice.”

Run For The Nation 2009

2009-04-15T21:56:00.001-07:00

This writing is part of an e-mail written by Victor Chua to fellow Christians concerning RunNat 2009. Victor Chua is also a member of the Sports Partnership Malaysia (SPM) team. The Christian sports ministry body in Malaysia is now officially registered as Sports Partnership Malaysia of which IpohBUG is affiliated to.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In October 2007, FGA KL organised a prayer run called Run For The Nation, that covered 160 km of Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas including PJ and Subang. A total of 105 runners took part in this relay event with each team running 5 km. As we ran past houses, buildings, schools, religious sites, shops, government institutions and people on the streets, we prayed. We prayed for God's hands to be upon our city and our nation. We prayed for revival and transformation. Then when the last teams came in we gathered in a hall and prayed corporately.

A prayer run allows us to cover much more ground than a prayer walk. We literally claimed the entire city for God that day! Just like the story of the passover when Moses instructed the Israelites to paint the doors of their homes using the blood of lambs so that they could be protected from God's judgement, when we passed all these places, we asked for God's protection upon our city and our nation.

These individuals were not seasoned long distanced runners. Some did not even run casually before this. They took on the challenge of the event and trained for it. Many will tell you that as they ran and prayed, they experienced a tremendous breakthrough as they prayed through the tiredness in their bodies. Romans 12:1 which says, "offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him" took on a whole new meaning!

This October, we want to revisit the event by taking it to all the 13 states in the country. We are looking for Christians from different churches to help us organise the event in their capital town. So for Perak, we are looking to organise the run in Ipoh and for Johor, it will be held in Johor Bahru, etc. These runs will take place simultaneously on the 10th of October 2009. Run For The Nation 2009 is endorsed and supported by NECF Malaysia.

We hope that you are bold and excited enough to take on this challenge.

We look forward to hearing from you. God bless you richly!

In Him

Victor Chua
Run For The Nation 2009 Organising Committee Chairman

IpohBUG in Indonesia

2009-03-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

A group of IpohBUGgers were in Indonesia from 18-22 March 2009. During our stay in Jakarta, we had the privileged to assist GenB (ABBA Love's sports ministry arm) in running Kids Games and Teen Games for a Christian school in Cendrawasih.

We had a great time with the students that came. It was a great learning experience for the IpohBUG team. With the exposure, we are now considering launching our own Kids Games in Elim Gospel Hall.

The Watering Hole

2009-03-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

This article was written by Ron Brown for Sharing the Victory, March 2009.

Perhaps you remember Simba's question in the movie "The Lion King." His mother, Sarabi, suggested that the caretaker bird bring him to the watering hole. Simba's returning question was more of a complaint: "The watering hole?"

Sarabi understood that, while the watering hole might not be a fun place to hang out for lions, if they wanted to eat, survive and thrive, they needed to be hanging out there. Why? Because that's where the animals that lions ate gathered: zebras, giraffes, wildebeests and other such delicacies. These animals gravitated to the watering hole at different times for their own comfort and survival to wet their thirsty bodies. The hungry lions strategically and skillfully, through instincts and training, disciplined themselves to hunt their prey at the watering hole.

When you think about it, all people have a "watering hole" — a place where their gravitational pull continually takes them. Folks who don't follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord have places to which they are continually pulled to wet their empty, thirsty souls with water that does not quench. Places such as parties, bars, Web sites, golf courses, social groups, sporting events, health clubs, coffee shops, and even certain books, TV shows, ideologies and philosophies. These things are not bad in and of themselves, but they certainly don't satisfy.

The Apostle Paul cited a watering hole while doing missionary work in Athens (Acts 17:16-34). He observed the city and took note of the pull on the men toward an idolatry of philosophies, babbling and religion. He then used those observations and capitalized on that angle as he shared Jesus with them. Paul later went on to address the people of Corinth in another letter that explained how Christians should view watering holes on this earth.

"For although I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, in order to win more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law — though I myself am not under the law — to win those under the law. To those who are outside the law, like one outside the law — not being outside God's law, but under the law of Christ — to win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).

Paul learned that God wanted him to find the watering holes to which he was called as he observed people, their culture and their habits — their gravitational pull — so he could be strategic in being used by the Lord to win their souls. Paul's Holy Spirit-inspired letter to the Corinthians is God's Word to the Christians of today as well: Find the watering hole of the wilderness in which God has sovereignly placed you. Study them and train yourself with discipline to compete for thirsty souls and help them know the life-changing, thirst-quenching water of Jesus Christ.

A couple of my own watering holes as a Christian coach are actually situations. For instance, when an athlete gets replaced by another at his position or when a fellow coach gets fired, I can relate. I have been through both scenarios, so I have anguished before God many times in hurt, disbelief, jealousy and anger. As God has taken me through these processes I have learned and been both comforted and trained by the Scripture to identify the major problem. The problem is not the demotion; it's me. It's my having a self-centered paradigm instead of a God-centered paradigm.

Now when I see an athlete or coach in such a situation, I'm alerted to enter with an intimate, genuine presence with the transforming message of Jesus — a message that will launch that person into new life ... if he drinks from Christ's watering hole. Whether you realize it or not, you have watering holes all around you. Do you notice places, philosophies, paradigms and habits where people are pulled to a continual frequent pattern?

I'm convinced that any Christian who wants to be a "Lion King" for Christ must be seriously intentional at his local watering hole. The 1 Corinthians passage teaches us to go to that place with a passionate, gentle heart, being careful to never, never compromise our walk with Jesus. (i.e. We should never get drunk to win the drunk.) We prayerfully must enter into the lives of a thirsty, lost world with the Good News — the unpolluted water that will bring about a thirst-quenching that will save those in need.

So, let's go hang out at the watering hole! There are lost souls there longing to be pursued by Jesus through His followers.

What I experienced at ISLT Level 1

2009-03-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

The following contribution was written by Steven Chang, one of the participant at the ISLT Level 1 training at Harvest Haven, Perak @ 25-28 February 2009.

In this camp, we were taught on the topic sports ministry.

A very interesting one indeed. Sports is a beautiful thing. Just throw a ball into the field and you could have around 20 kids chasing for it. If we have 10 balls and 10 fields, then we could probably have 200 kids at least. You could find kids from different skin colour playing together. They will play together as a team and will never see each other differently. Even if they do not understand each other background or languages, they will still have a good time playing together. This is how strong sports ministry could be. Like what Uncle Philip said, " Not just that you think out of the box but get out of the box as well, get of the walls of the box... ". Don't just think of the number of people in your church, if you could minister to the people that play on the field, it would be even better and greater.

God is Love. Love is God. It is through your actions and not just by words that you could touch the hearts of the people on the field. Show that you care and show that you love not just your own teammates but your opponents as well. Play with good sportsmanship and show God's love during the game. Never curse, argue or get into a fight. Always be forgiving and be humble. We are all made in the image of God. So the way we play and the way we potray ourselves should be the way how a Christian play. When the other people sees the way you play, you would be a very good example of a Christian and they would just come forward and ask you more about God. And that's the time when you could share the gospel. It may sounds real tough doing it, but with God, everything is possible. Never you would know, the way you play on the field and the image that you potrayed might changes someone's life. You could be a living testimony to them.

I love this question that was discussed during the camp :

Is winning everything ?

A very tough question. No doubts in mind that everyone loves to win, so am I. But for me, playing the game is not just for the sake of winning the game. I would prefer to enjoy the process of the game and not the outcome. Sports is not like Physics. In Physics, there's a theory stating that when there is no changes, there's no work done. For example, no matter how hard you try to move a big giant stone, even if you tried pushing it for the whole day, but if the big giant stone didn't move even a centimetre, there is no work done. But in sports, it is different. Winning is not everything. Didn't win doesn't means that there's no work done. Like football, it is not just all about the 90 minutes. I believe that the process of getting into the game and playing the game would be far more important. The time spent together in training, the hardwork that everyone endures, and of course the never-say-die attitude on the field that made everyone to play their best on the field would be more important. The friendship and the bond among the players that was made would be more important than winning. Not winning would not mean the end of the day for the team. Every defeat could only make us stronger and every trial could only make us better. Everytime you fell, stand back up on your feet, and do better next time. Winning is not everything.

Matthew 28 : 19

" Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. "

Sports ministry is definitely one of the best ways to spread the gospel to the people from all the corners of the Earth. Again, with God, everything is possible. Never you would know, the way you play on the field and the image that you potrayed might changes someone's life. The action that you shown, a small act that does wonders.

And this is the reason why all of us came to this camp, to learn how to minister through sports and how sports ministry could share the gospel with the people !

I have been to a lot of camps before and this is my first time coming to camp where I could meet so many people from so many different countries. Different people, different culture and different background. Throughout the whole camp, all of us managed to share so much about our own respective countries. We had a wonderful time talking and asking each other about the cultures back home. 4 days 3 nights, never a day that we never share anything. The number of people in this camp is not huge and therefore, we managed to know each other very well. We had lots of fun and laughter together. A strong bond of friendship was built within us in this camp and hopefully it will last.

Till then, shall we see each other in ISLT Camp Level 2 ???

Heart of a Coach

2009-03-09T01:24:00.000-07:00

Kurtis Townsend
Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
University of Kansas

Chosen Attribute: Leadership

Dictionary definition: "An act or instance of leading; guidance; direction."

My definition: "Being a role model to the athletes and people I am around every day and just doing what I can where I am with what I have."

What has helped me develop leadership: "Become a Better You" by Joel Osteen – "It was a good book for me, encouraging me to be comfortable where I am right now with my life. I want to be a head coach one day, but if that never happens, I know I am able to touch a lot of people with the platform that I have right now."

Favorite Scripture that deals with leadership: Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) – "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Why I chose this passage: "I think that describes how important leadership is, not only with my own kids, but also with the kids I come in contact with either through recruiting, coaching or competing against them. It is important to train these kids because of the way the culture is. There is so much negative out there. And it is really important that they have people around them who see things another way and can open their eyes to a different way of life than what they see within their generation."

How I have shown leadership in my life: "Through my actions with my kids, my wife and my finances, and just trying to help the people I am around on a day-to-day basis. To me, leadership isn't just telling people what to do. I am the furthest thing from a perfect person. I make as many mistakes as anybody, and sometimes that is the best way I learn."

"But also, I apply the old saying of showing people how you want them to act as opposed to telling them. What you do has more of an impact on them than what you say."

How I have shown leadership in coaching: "Because of the influence I have on young people, I try to be a model with my actions every day. I try to listen and coach with integrity and let people know what I expect from them. And when people know you care about them as a person, and you listen to them, they are more likely to listen to what you have to say."

As a leader, I try to put other people ahead of myself and be more of a servant — serving my players the best way I can, whether it is listening or helping them deal with their problems. But ultimately, leadership is showing them integrity. I am going to tell them the right thing to do, even if it hurts. I want them to know how important integrity is, and that it is the biggest thing in leadership. And I honestly believe that is why God has put me in this situation: To be on a platform where people listen. And so, I just want to make sure I send the right message."

Amid the grieving, a rare act of sportsmanship

2009-02-19T15:48:00.000-08:00

Johntel Franklin

The coach never considered any other option. It didn't matter that his DeKalb, Ill., High School basketball team had ridden a bus two and a half hours to get to Milwaukee, then waited another hour past game time to play. Didn't matter that the game was close, or that this was a chance to beat a big city team. Something else was on Dave Rohlman's mind when he asked for a volunteer to shoot two free throws awarded his team on a technical foul in the second quarter. His senior captain raised his hand, ready to go to the line as he had many times before. Only this time it was different.

"You realize you're going to miss them, don't you?" Rohlman said.

Darius McNeal nodded his head. He understood what had to be done.

It was a Saturday night in February, and the Barbs were playing a non-conference game on the road against Milwaukee Madison. It was the third meeting between the two schools, who were developing a friendly rivalry that spanned two states. The teams planned to get together after the game and share some pizzas and soda.

But the game itself almost never took place. Hours earlier, the mother of Milwaukee Madison senior captain Johntel Franklin died at a local hospital. Carlitha Franklin had been in remission after a five-year fight with cervical cancer, but she began to hemorrhage that morning while Johntel was taking his college ACT exam. Her son and several of his teammates were at the hospital late that afternoon when the decision was made to turn off the life-support system. Carlitha Franklin was just 39.

"She was young and they were real close," said Milwaukee coach Aaron Womack Jr., who was at the hospital. "He was very distraught and it happened so suddenly he didn't have time to grieve." Womack was going to cancel the game, but Franklin told him he wanted the team to play. And play they did, even though the game started late and Milwaukee Madison dressed only eight players.

Early in the second quarter, Womack saw someone out of the corner of his eye. It was Franklin, who came there directly from the hospital to root his teammates on. The Knights had possession, so Womack called a time out. His players went over and hugged their grieving teammate. Fans came out of the stands to do the same.

"We got back to playing the game and I asked if he wanted to come and sit on the bench," Womack said during a telephone interview. "No," Franklin replied. "I want to play."
There was just one problem. Since Franklin wasn't on the pre-game roster, putting him in meant drawing a technical foul that would give DeKalb two free throws. Though it was a tight game, Womack was willing to give up the two points. It was more important to help his senior guard and co-captain deal with his grief by playing.

Over on the other bench, though, Rohlman wasn't so willing to take them. He told the referees to forget the technical and just let Franklin play. "I could hear them arguing for five to seven minutes, saying, `We're not taking it, we're not taking it," Womack said. "The refs told them, no, that's the rule. You have to take them."

That's when Rohlman asked for volunteers, and McNeal's hand went up.

He went alone to the free throw line, dribbled the ball a couple of times, and looked at the rim.
His first attempt went about two feet, bouncing a couple of times as it rolled toward the end line. The second barely left his hand. It didn't take long for the Milwaukee players to figure out what was going on.

They stood and turned toward the DeKalb bench and started applauding the gesture of sportsmanship. Soon, so did everybody in the stands. "I did it for the guy who lost his mom," McNeal told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It was the right thing to do."

Franklin would go on to score 10 points, and Milwaukee Madison broke open the game in the second half to win 62-47. Afterward, the teams went out for pizza, two players from each team sharing each pie. Franklin stopped by briefly, thankful that his team was there for him.
"I got kind of emotional but it helped a lot just to play," he said. "I felt like I had a lot of support out there."

Carlitha Franklin's funeral was last Friday, and the school turned out for her and her son. Cheerleaders came in uniform, and everyone from the principal and teachers to Johntel's classmates were there. "Even the cooks from school showed up," Womack said. "It lets you know what kind of kid he is."

Basketball is a second sport for the 18-year-old Franklin, who says he has had some scholarship nibbles and plans to play football in college. He just has a few games left for the Knights, who are 6-11 and got beat 71-36 Tuesday night by Milwaukee Hamilton. It hasn't been the greatest season for the team, but they have stuck together through a lot of adversity.

"We maybe don't have the best basketball players in the world but they go to class and take care of business," Womack said. "We have a losing record but there's life lessons going on, good ones." None so good, though, as the moment a team and a player decided there were more important things than winning and having good stats.

Yes, DeKalb would go home with a loss. But it was a trip they'll never forget.
"This is something our kids will hold for a lifetime," Rohlman said. "They may not remember our record 20 years from now, but they'll remember what happened in that gym that night."

Kingdomizing the Sports World

2009-02-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

This article was written by Ron Brown for Sharing the Victory website.

A couple of years ago I investigated the fan attendance of NFL games. I found that approximately one million people per week attended the games. That's a lot of people! Now, just think if I were to also count the number who attended college and high school football games. That total would be astronomical! With the number of people involved, imagine the amount of money Americans spend in the experience of attending football games every week. Tickets, food, gas... It would really add up.OK, now that's the financial investment. We then must look at the amount of time we invest traveling back and forth to games, not to mention the hours during the game.And, of course, our talents are either being used or ignored during that block of time. You're cheering or booing, watching and going through a lot of gestures as you root for your team.

So, I ask you this: Is it worth it for you, sports fans? I ask you, parents of athletes: Is it worth toting your children around to sporting events at all hours, missing church and family meals?

You, athletes and coaches, are spending enormous hours practicing, studying opponents and training. Think of all the broken dreams, unfulfilled promises, comparisons and rejections. Oh, there's some fun and glory in there for you, but most of us playing or coaching right now will eventually be asked to leave this game that we love — whatever the sport. It lends itself to replacements and impatience and new folks with new ideas. Period. How do you like them apples?

It's interesting to me that, when Jesus told the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16:1-13 (NASB), He reminded us that the things in which we invest regarding our time, treasure and talents will eventually fail us. So, are we too involved and invested in sports? If it's all going to fail us, then what's the use? Ah, but in verse 8, Jesus makes another intriguing statement: "…for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light." In other words, Jesus reminds us that the non-Christian has learned how to be shrewd in this world by using activities such as sports to build Satan's kingdom. Jesus also expresses an indictment to us as Christians for not using talents (like sports) to advance God's Kingdom. It's about kingdomizing the sports world with Christ.

So, let me ask you again: Is it worth it for Christians to heavily invest our time, talents and treasures in sports? Absolutely! Here's why…I once had a conversation with an athletic director who was not a Christian. He struggled with my using coaching as a platform to promote Jesus Christ. In other words, he thought that was a little on the "shrewd" side. I reminded him — respectfully, I hope — that I saw him on a TV commercial promoting a car dealership using his influence as an athletic director. What does an athletic director have to do with selling cars? Shrewdness! I further reminded him — respectfully, I hope — that our head football coach was using his influence on a TV commercial to promote a local pizza business. That was kind of a "shrewd" move by the pizza industry, don't you think? Whatever it took to advance the pizza kingdom, I suppose.

So, then I hit him — respectfully, I hope — with the punch line. Why can't, or better yet, why shouldn't I use my coaching influence to advance the Kingdom that I so believe in, that I long to continually invest in: the Kingdom of God.

I don't know what it looks like for you in your sports world, but whether you are a fan, parent, player, coach or administrator, you are using sports to advance one of two kingdoms: Satan's or God's. There is a godly "shrewdness" that is honest, gentle, loving, but very intensely strategic, moved only through the character of Christ. That is what Jesus is saying to every Christian involved in the sports world. Not only do we have the right to use sports as a tool to promote Christ, we have the responsibility to do it!

So, go before the Lord today and humbly submit your role in the sports world, and take on a Christ-centered, kingdomizing attitude that moves you into strategic action. There's nothing like stewarding sports for Jesus.Remember, there are two ways of doing sports: God's way or man's way. Which will you choose?

Kaka is saviour to millions

2009-01-18T08:29:00.000-08:00

This article was found in The Sun, UK dated January 17, 2009.

KAKA may be the man to fire Manchester City to glory but it will be nothing compared to the impact he has already had on millions of people. The AC Milan star has given the green light to a staggering £243million switch to Eastlands. But the Brazilian says football plays second fiddle in a life which has been devoted to Christianity.

Just weeks ago he became involved with the Billy Graham organisation in a TV campaign which had an astonishing effect in his homeland. It was nationally reported that:
Hundreds of people were freed from demonic possession.
Hardened criminals turned to Christianity in their thousands.
Many more were cured of booze and drug addictions.
A former voodoo princess turned to Christ.

As the campaign launched, Kaka told millions: “I truly cannot imagine my life without Christ.
“Everything I have accomplished, everything I have done in my life was because God has a plan and purpose for my life. The Bible says He will do more than we ever thought or imagined, and this is truly how it has been. If God wasn’t in my life, then my life certainly would not be like this.”

The Brazilian’s faith in God has been broadcast across the world via an iconic picture of him on his knees celebrating a goal and showing a T-shirt which proclaims, ‘I belong to Jesus.’ Kaka, 26, has won a World Cup and the Champions League as well as been named FIFA World Player of the Year. But he told 10 million fellow Brazilians that nothing compared with the peace of knowing and serving Christ.

He said: “I have been named best soccer player in the world. This for me was a great honour. But the greatest honour is serving Jesus Christ, because he gives me hope.” Such is the depth of the star’s faith he refused to have sex before his marriage to Caroline. He said: “I am a great example. The majority of people say after marriage, they don’t like jumping into bed with their partner because there is no desire. However, this is not true, my wife is the person I love and it was worth waiting. A lot of people were surprised and shocked with me but I think it’s the best decision. I am an evangelist and I believe in those values. I think people need to prevent themselves from making love before marriage. Everyone has their opinion but I think it was worth the wait.”

The Brazilian’s faith in the Almighty was strengthened immensely in 2000 when he fractured his neck after cracking his head on the bottom of a swimming pool. Kaka said: “That helped shape me, principally as a person, but as a player too. It was a time in which I learned you have to give your best every single day because the next day you might not be able. The doctors said I was very lucky, that I could have been paralysed. But I think it was God — He saved me from something worse. I had gone to visit my grandparents in Caldas Novas in Brazil and I slipped on a swimming pool slide. When I fell into the water I hit my head on the bottom of the pool and twisted my neck, which caused a fracture of a vertebra. All I knew was that anyone with a broken neck would be disabled for life. The doctor told me I would not be able to play for at least three months, then they would be able to tell if I was going to fully recover. But after two months the injury had healed and I was able to resume my football career. That was when I knew God was looking after me and that He was on my side.”

Kaka says one of the chief influences on his footballing life has been Chelsea boss Phil Scolari.
He said: “When I was just 20 he took me to the World Cup in 2002 and gave me the opportunity to be a champion which was very important.” And Kaka believes if he is to move to City, it will be thanks to a higher power. He said: “If things happen it’s because God has prepared me. God has great things for us. If it’s God’s will that I be there, there I will be."

Heart of an Athlete - Natalie Kirchhoff

2009-01-15T06:03:00.001-08:00

Natalie Kirchhoff

Swimmer - Rice University, USA

Selected Attribute: Perseverance (Dictionary definition: "Maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles or discouragement; continue steadfastly.")

My definition: "Getting knocked down, but getting back up."

What encourages me to persevere: "The book Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus. We are going through this book in our swim team Bible study, and it is rocking my life. It talks about making the most of every opportunity and seizing your 'divine moments.' This has fueled and motivated me during the times I've felt down and out."

Favorite Scripture that deals with perseverance: Psalm 119:71 (NASB): "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes."

Why I chose this passage: "I love that verse because it proves that good comes from hardship, setback and suffering. Although it really stinks, it is usually during the hard times that we truly lean on Jesus and dive into His Word. It is easy to become complacent in our faith and relationship with God when everything is going peachy."

"In this verse the psalmist admits it is good to go through the valley, because only then do we truly learn more about the character of God and who He created us to be. But we can't settle in the valley. God didn't intend for us to live there. He wants to take us higher. We must persevere to push through the setback. Then, on the other side, we, too, will be able to say, 'It was good for me that I was afflicted.'"

How I persevere in life: "Life isn't easy. School isn't easy. Sport isn't easy. Walking with God isn't easy. In my life, I have struggled with sports, relationships, disordered eating, self-esteem, depression and my relationship with Jesus. I have been knocked down and have had to make the decision whether to stay down or get back up. By the grace and power of God, I have chosen the latter. I believe we all get knocked down in one way or another. What matters is that we get back up and get back in the game."

"This summer, I found out I had been misdiagnosed with a thyroid disorder. For 18 months I had taken a medication that worked against my body. That was a huge blow to me. Then I had a friend challenge me to consider it a privilege to go through hardship instead of a curse. And, if I persevered, I would come out better for it on the other side. Although I am still recovering, I can say I have learned to lean on Jesus more than ever and accept the unconditional love He has for me."

How I persevere in sports: "Perseverance is synonymous with sport. I have not had a PR for over two years. Although I have continued to come in and train daily, the times have just not been there. It is frustrating when you put in the work and don't see the results you want. But I have to remind myself to keep on keeping on — to press on toward the true goal. I have to speak God's truth to myself on a daily basis, especially during those times when I feel down and out."

The Sports Prayer

2009-01-07T16:42:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and fellow BUGgers,

Hope the year 2009 have kickoff in great ways for you. I am all excited to see how and where our good Lord will take us this year. We have many things install for the year. The Malaysia Sports Partnership people are gathering to see how they can continue to grow the ministry. As we do we shall keep you well inform of all the happenings within Malaysia as well as beyond.

Continue to come back for updates as well as to be encouraged by some of the happenings within the lives of GOD's sports people all over the world. There are many lessons we can take with us from the playing field.

I was given a bookmark by a couple from my church and I just love it. It is a Sports Prayer bookmark. Just want to share it with you and may this truly be our prayer as we press on and charge on in the year 2009.

O LORD, GRANT ME THE COURAGE TO TRY,
THE STRENGTH TO ENDURE,
THE HONOR TO EXCEL,
AND THE FAITH TO BELIEVE.

Broncos offensive tackle left lifestyle to follow God

2009-01-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

Matt Lepsis was having a blast - doing drugs, partying and even playing in NFL games while he was high. The Denver Broncos offensive lineman had established himself as one of the league's more underrated left tackles and was rolling in money, having signed a four-year, $25 million contract before the 2006 season. The last thing on his mind was God.

Every day when he woke, the first thing he did was get high. He enjoyed the effect drugs had on him. He was no longer painfully shy around his wife or at the parties they attended.
"For the first six games of the year, I was high," Lepsis said of the 2007 season.
By his choice, that season would be his last in the NFL. Lepsis left it all - the game, the drugs, the money - to follow God. "I was getting deeper and deeper into things I shouldn't have," Lepsis said. "I started to feel this presence. I felt the presence of God, which I never felt before."

Now, instead of helping push the Broncos toward the playoffs, he's pushing himself through Dallas Theological Seminary. Lepsis' spiritual journey is amazing and mystifying. He realizes some of it sounds far-fetched. He admits he can't explain everything. But he promises it all happened.

Lepsis had dabbled in recreational drugs since he was a tight end at the University of Colorado, but it never became a habit. Painkillers taken after a season-ending knee injury in 2006 led to daily use of recreational drugs. "The first thing I did when I woke up in the morning was get high, and I would try to stay that way all day long," said Lepsis, who won't say what drugs he used. The NFL's annual substance-abuse test didn't uncover Lepsis' hidden addiction. He said he practiced about 10-15 times last year while under the influence before trying it in a game.
"I look back on it, and it was really foolish of me," Lepsis said. "There were definitely times when I wasn't even really there. I was physically there, but I was in another place mentally."
Lepsis understands that he was being self-destructive, but he didn't feel that way at the time.
For most of his life, he hated his introverted personality. But the influence of drugs changed him. He joined the party crowd and was much more comfortable around people, including his wife.
But Shana Lepsis - despite enjoying the new lifestyle - wasn't so sure about the changes.
"He was turning into a person I wasn't really able to recognize," said Shana, who has been married to Matt for 8½ years. "Definitely not the person I married."

Even though his wife grew skeptical, Lepsis never hit rock bottom. But somehow he found religion anyway. "Usually this person was in the gutter or had no other place to go," Lepsis said. "For me, it was the total opposite. I was having a ball. I was playing in the NFL, making a lot of money and I found this thing that helped me. I was on top of the world."

Some odd signs began to get Lepsis' attention. The first came when his phone rang as he was playing with his kids. When he answered, a song was playing. Lepsis, a fan of the Dave Matthews Band, heard the lyric "The difficulty is coming" from the group's song titled "#41."
Days later, he heard music coming from headphones in his locker. Again he heard: "The difficulty is coming." But he didn't remember leaving on any music. Another phone call with the lyric followed that week. "I'm like, ‘I'm really getting scared,'" Lepsis said. Lepsis was terrified of flying so his initial interpretation of the message was he would die in a plane crash, maybe on his next flight for a game at Indianapolis. "I'm thinking, how am I going to break this to (Broncos coach Mike) Shanahan that I can't fly to Indy?" Lepsis said with a laugh.

At a birthday party before that trip, his mind started to wander. He told the birthday girl about his fear of dying in a plane crash. She replied that he shouldn't worry because God was in control.
"I was like, ‘What? God?'" Lepsis said. "It got the wheels turning a bit." He started to wonder about his drug habit and his "crazy thoughts." He started to think about his priorities, including whether the money he always had coveted was that important.

On the flight to Indianapolis, Lepsis approached Jason Elam, the team's kicker and a devout Catholic who had studied world religions at Liberty Theological Seminary before that season.
Elam listened to his teammate and suggested that he come to a chapel service the next day. The guest speaker's message was about fear. "He was at a place where I felt like God was trying to get a hold of him and talk to him," said Elam, who now kicks for Atlanta. Shortly after the trip to Indianapolis, Lepsis told Elam his story and asked if he could pursue religion while continuing to do drugs. "He was trying to rationalize what he was doing," Elam said. "Either you believe what you say, or you don't. And if you believe, you have to believe all of it."

At Elam's urging, Lepsis decided to ask God for help. He went in a closet at his home and closed the door. "It was the first time in my life I had said a meaningful prayer," Lepsis said. "I said, ‘This thing is out of my control. ... I can't stop. It's too powerful.'" He woke the next morning and, for the first time in many months, didn't get high. But he had a "horrible, miserable day" at practice and that evening told his wife that he "must have been a fool to think God would help me." She asked him to try again. With the closet door closed, Lepsis prayed once more.
He didn't get high the next day either. He told a couple of his teammates what he thought might be happening. Lepsis is practically apologetic that he can't adequately describe what happened to him, but he felt God answered his prayers.

"This overwhelming sense of peace and purpose came over me," Lepsis said. "It was like at that moment God was telling me, ‘This is what you're going to do for the rest of your life.'" In the middle of his 11th season with the Broncos, Lepsis' thoughts quickly shifted to religion and God. He quit drugs. His wife said she can't believe how they went from one lifestyle to another almost overnight.

"I don't think anybody was worried, but guys knew he went through this big change," guard Ben Hamilton said. "A lot of people noticed. I think he left a good example once he did this change."
One drawback to Lepsis' religious awakening was the timing - half of the season remained.
"From that moment on, I was completely consumed by how I was burned out with football," he said. "It was the toughest season, by far, I've played in. I had nothing left to give football."

Although he never had read books regularly, Lepsis began to go through three a week.
One book - "How Good is Good Enough?" - given to him by Elam focused his thoughts. He said he realized he had sinned and needed Jesus Christ as his savior. But Lepsis was having a tough time convincing his parents and some friends what was happening. So he prayed - asking God to help others understand what he was going through - for 20 minutes while taking a shower at the team hotel before a game in late October. When he opened the shower curtain, "Jesus" was written on the foggy mirror. Lepsis said he knows that a previous guest wrote it on the mirror. Or maybe it was a maid. He understands there's a rational explanation for it. But to him, it was another sign. "What are the odds the week after I've prayed to be saved, this is on my mirror?" Lepsis said.

One day after the 2007 season, Lepsis knew he was finished after 150 games. He went to Shanahan and told him he was retiring. He felt a relief he couldn't believe as he drove from team headquarters. With music blaring, he began pumping his fists. Then he heard his phone chime.
Before each season, Lepsis would write on his calendar or type in his phone an exclamation to mark the day after the last game. The chime alerted him to the postseason message that he had forgotten: "Freedom has arrived!" "I laughed and just said, ‘That's how God works,'" Lepsis said.

Lepsis doesn't know what he wants to do with the rest of his life. He might become a pastor or chaplain. Right now he is enjoying learning about religion with his wife, pregnant with their third child, by his side. Lepsis has told his story in five or six churches and about 15 times to smaller groups. He remains shy around people but feels at ease when telling his story. "They say ‘Here's a guy who was in the NFL and seemed to have it all, and he's telling us he wasn't fulfilled,'" Lepsis said.

Lepsis said that he misses hanging out with teammates, but that he misses nothing else about the NFL. The game and his destructive lifestyle are far behind him. "I'm glad I didn't stay on that path," Lepsis said. "I have a purpose now."

Merry Christmas & A Blessed New Year

2008-12-25T00:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and fellow BUGgers,

Want to take this opportunity to wish all of you Merry Christmas. As we come closer to the end of 2008, have you taken time to reflect on all the things happened this year. We know nothing happen by chance, GOD uses life circumstances to mold and fine tune us into the person that He wants us to be. There is still so much to learn. So lets prepare ourselves for the coming year and may we have another year of great adventure with GOD.

My sincere thanks to each one of you for your continuing support towards IpohBUG and the Malaysia Sports Partnership. May we love the young people even more in the coming year through the strength and unconditional love of Christ.

We have posted writing on Dwyane Wade previously on this blog. This Christmas Dwyane has another wonderful lesson for us.

May you have a wonderful holiday and a Blessed New Year too.

When Dwyane Wade heard the plight of a South Florida woman whose nephew accidentally burned down her home—and ruined all the family’s possessions—the Miami Heat star knew he had to do something. So he helped the family move into a new home, just in time for Christmas.

Wade presented Dawn Smith with the ultimate Christmas gift on Wednesday— the keys to a new house, along with some furnishings, clothing and gifts to make sure her family has a joyous holiday, something that didn’t seem likely just a few weeks ago. His Wade’s World foundation will make some payments on the home, while Smith and her family get back on their feet.

“That’s what I try to teach my kids,” said Wade, whose foundation has hosted several charity events this holiday season, mostly for needy children. “It’s not about what you’re going to receive—it’s what you can give to others from what you’ve received.”

Smith couldn’t hold back happy sobs when she saw the home for the first time.
“A big-time relief,” Smith said, clearly overcome by emotion. “Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Oh, God, thank you so much.” The NBA’s leading scorer this season had a simple message: “Hopefully, you’ll like it.”

Wade’s other holiday events this year included a party for 350 children on Monday, and hosting 100 kids at Tuesday night’s Heat game against the Golden State Warriors. He also donated $10,000 to each of three children’s organizations, but said he was particularly touched by being able to assist the Smith family. “We can help this family have a new beginning,” Wade said.

How to stay in the game when you’re off the pitch

2008-12-18T16:12:00.000-08:00

- This article is taken from Christians in Sport dated 5 December 2008 -

You want to stay among those you play with and be in the sport culture but you also want to be distinctive and different for Christ. But you know from painful past experience that sometimes when you’re in the thick of the fun and the banter off the pitch that you can say or do things that are not how Christ wants you to live. You feel torn. Should you just finish the game on the pitch and then go home – at least then you won’t be compromised but also you won’t be shining Christ’s light before men? Or should you stay stuck in but risk being no different to those you long to see in Christ? It’s a painful dilemma. How can you stay in the game when you’re off the pitch?

The reality is that Christ doesn’t want his people to come out of the world. He says in his great prayer in John 17: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one”. However equally he wants his people to be distinctive, only two verses later in the same prayer he asks God the Father to “Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth” (17:17). To sanctify something is to make it set-apart or distinctive. So Jesus understands the tension between being in the culture and being distinctive, but he prays for both!

How do we reconcile this tension? Is there really a way of being in the culture but not being compromised by the culture?

The key to seeing how this is possible is to see that with each part of Jesus’ prayer there is tangible help. First he prays “my prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one”. Jesus is praying that God the Father will protect each and every one of his people from the devil whose desire is to tempt us and coerce us into compromise. He must surely have in mind the great provision of God’s Spirit who not only helps us but actually lives inside us strengthening us when we feel weak, prompting us when we forget God’s standards, and picking us up when we stumble.

Second Jesus prays “sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth”. Jesus is pointing us to the second great help to stay distinctive; his word the Bible. In Ephesians 6 the Bible is described as ‘the sword of the Spirit the word of truth’. The word of God is like a sword in that it cuts through the confusion and temptations that swirl around us and shows us the clear and perfect way of following Christ. As we read the Bible it warns us to the challenges we’ll face, equips us to face them, and wonderfully shows us that even when we get it wrong Christ has died for us so that we’re forgiven.

Over the next few weeks we’re going to be taking particular issues that crop up in the sports culture off the pitch. Issues like drink, banter, sex, and money and we’ll be asking the question ‘how do you stay in the game when you’re off the pitch’; that is how do you stay in the culture to win the culture for Christ but equally how do you remain distinctively Christian? But underpinning all that we look at will be these two great helpers in the fight – the Spirit of God and the word of truth. So if you’re finding the fight difficult then make sure that you’re using God’s resources by reading his word and relying on His Spirit. And as we do that let’s stay in the game when we’re off the pitch, knowing that God’s given us everything we need to be distinctive for Him.

Alexander invests in lives of 'little brothers'

2008-12-02T04:58:00.000-08:00

It was a September day in 2002, and Shaun Alexander was dialed in. Then a running back for the Seattle Seahawks, Alexander scored his first touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings from 2 yards out on Seattle’s first drive of the game. On the Seahawks’ next possession, Alexander rumbled 20 yards for another touchdown. And he was just getting warmed up. Before the half was over, Alexander would score three more times to set an NFL record for most touchdowns in a half. Alexander calls the game the most memorable one he’s played since entering the NFL in 2001. Alexander went on to become one of the NFL’s elite running backs for a time. In 2005, he won the league’s Most Valuable Player award and set an NFL record with 28 touchdowns during the season (broken by LaDainian Tomlinson the following year).

But football is a fickle sport. As quickly as Alexander rose to stardom, he descended into mediocrity. The Seahawks cut him after the 2007 season, and he recently signed with the Washington Redskins as a backup. Despite his accomplishments on the field, however – and the disappointments -- football isn’t Alexander’s highest priority. Yes, he enjoys it, and yes, he works hard at it. But when it comes to the most important part of Alexander’s life, football can’t compare to the God he serves. “Football is what I do, but my passion is Jesus – to learn about Him and to act like Him,” Alexander says.

Alexander demonstrates that passion in a number of ways. He has tried to live an obedient life and has stayed away from alcohol and drugs. He honored the Lord in his dating relationships by keeping himself sexually pure until marriage. When he signs autographs, he always adds the biblical reference Psalm 37:4 – what Alexander calls his life’s verse -- under his name: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

But one of the most consequential ways in which he displays his devotion to Christ is how he takes young men under his wing, mentors them and teaches them God’s Word. All across the country, dozens of teenagers and young men consider themselves to be Alexander’s “little brothers.” Through his intimate ministry to them, Alexander is changing the world one life at a time. “Many young males today have not had good examples to show them how to become successful men,” Alexander wrote in his book, “Touchdown Alexander.” “They want – and need – role models, and they’re just not there. Their primary role models, of course, should have been their fathers, but too often the dads just didn’t fulfill their roles. I call that the Great Curse – the Fatherless Plague.”

Alexander keeps in touch with his little brothers through text messaging, e-mails and phone calls. He’ll give them passages of Scripture to study. He’ll talk to them about resisting temptation and being faithful men of God. “True faith is knowing the Word and being obedient,” Alexander says. “You’ve got to know the Word and agree with the Word, and then be obedient.”

To some, he is indeed like a big brother. Take Jordan Shimon, of Waukesha, Wis., for instance. Shimon, 21, works with a local church youth ministry, and says Alexander has played a tremendous role in his development as a Christian. “Realizing what a man of God’s walk is, is where he came through and helped out the most,” Shimon says. “I knew about Christianity. I just didn’t know how to be a Christian so much.” Through his relationship with Alexander, Shimon has grown in his faith and feels confident in defending it, even in a university environment that is often hostile to Christianity. “I make it a goal to become friends with sinners, because I’m so comfortable with my morals,” Shimon says. “I’m armed with the knowledge where I think I could put up a good fight with people who are nonbelievers and basically try to show Jesus’ love to people everyday.”

To others, like C.L. “Shep” Shepherd, Alexander is more like a father. Shepherd grew up in Apopka, Fla., with nine brothers, six sisters and no dad. His father was a well-known drug dealer and spent time in prison. Shepherd didn’t even meet him until he was 14 years old. Not long after that, the young Shepherd met Alexander during a summer Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp, shortly after Shepherd became a Christian. From the moment he met Shep, Alexander was vocal about his concern and care for the teenager. “I had never heard a man tell me he loved me before in my life,” says Shepherd, who now works full time for FCA in Atlanta, Ga. “I never had a man in my life except for Shaun. Shaun was the only one who ever tried to reach me in a positive way.”

Dozens of other young men have similar stories. Some of them are going to college because of scholarships Alexander provided. Some of them have led their parents to the Lord. All of them will quickly acknowledge how life-changing their relationship with Alexander has been. “I think that the greatest thing that God has used me for is to give people confidence to be strong in their walk,” Alexander says. “It’s great to know that just by one word or one connection you can change a whole generation.”

Evangelism in Action

2008-11-28T01:53:00.001-08:00

Not in 50 years had Friday night lights burned so brightly for East Prairie (Mo.) High School. When the East Prairie Eagles defeated archrival Charleston 46-21 on Oct. 17, it was their first victory in Charleston in a half-century.The first words East Prairie coach Jason Aycock heard were from his pastor, Jon Archie, who yelled, "This is exactly what happens when your coach gets saved."Aycock lifted his hands into the air and praised God for the win. The stadium grew quiet. Down on the field, players had dropped to their knees in prayer.Prayer was a hallmark of the 2008 football season in this southeast Missouri farming community.

In September, evangelist Rick Gage had held a campaign in which 27 of the team's 37 players surrendered their lives to Christ. That came on the heels of a revival at Elm Street Baptist Church led by Oklahoma evangelist Clint Sinclair in which 43 made professions of faith.Aycock has read Gage's book, "More Than A Game," and agreed when Gage event coordinator Kerrie Stokes asked if the evangelist could speak to Aycock's team."What I figured is that he would talk about character, making right choices and how to make it to the next level," Aycock said. "I didn't have a clue that he was going to the heart of the Gospel. I got very nervous. I almost grabbed Kerrie's arm and said, 'You are going to have to stop this man because of the environment we are in.' "But I looked throughout the room and the kids were so engaged to Rick that I felt something come over me," Aycock added. "I decided, 'We've come this far, you go for it. I hope every kid here gets saved today.'

"Then another thought struck Aycock."Surely he is not going to ask kids to come up and kneel and pray," Aycock said to himself. "Surely he is just telling them about the Gospel."But Gage did lead students to pray for salvation and when he asked how many had prayed along with him, 27 young men raised their hands."Tears came to my eyes. I was stunned," Aycock said. "We had a doggone revival in the football locker room."

A LOST COACH

Aycock said he was a "lost duck" up until a year ago."All I cared about was winning and football," he said. "I cared about my family but God was never in the picture with me. I felt like football was my god."As a youth, he had been dragged to Free Will Baptist Church in East Prairie by his mother, Jane Aycock, he said. His brother, Billy, already had accepted Christ. "He always had something I wanted ... that happiness and peace in his life," Aycock said. "I knew it was Christ. I couldn't bring myself to do it."

An all-state defensive back in high school who went on to play college football, Aycock coached with a win-at-all-costs mentality. He would scream at his players and use foul language. He was not a players' coach. In September 2007, however, Aycock hit an all-time low. "It was about me, me, me. I was depressed," he said. "I was not only making it bad on myself but making it bad on my wife, Mandy, and our kids." He didn't coach in 2007 because of personal reasons. Then, one Saturday night in his workshop at home, Aycock asked Christ to be his Savior." I don't know where I am going. I need some direction," he prayed. "I want to ask you to forgive me of my sins. Please come into my life and let me live through you." That night everything changed." After I had done that all my tears were gone. I felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off my shoulder," he said. "I felt an immediate happiness come over me. I didn't care anymore what I had done wrong or what people were thinking about me. All I cared about was I've got Jesus now."

In October 2007, Jon Archie baptized Aycock at Elm Street Baptist Church, where Archie has been pastor since 1999. "When things are good, a lot of folks don't have time for God and end up in the valley of life," Archie said. "God gets our attention. Jason was at a low place. [Now] he is a new person, a new creature in Christ."

BIG CHANGES

Players making decisions for Christ brought big changes. Young men gave up bad habits, counseled others about Christ and prayed for unbelieving classmates. The use of curse words fell off. Most importantly, students took the initiative to pray before and after games."They would be the ones to say, 'Let's pray,'" Aycock said. "They would be the ones in the middle of the football field, taking a knee and praising God no matter if we won or lost. They would bow their heads and thank Him." After the Eagles lost the district championship game to finish the season 6-4, players waited until Aycock finished media interviews to pray with him. They told him what he had been telling them: "We praise God, no matter if we win or lose." "That totally floored me," Aycock said. "I knew right then there was a change in our team, maybe not all of them but a majority of them." The change in the players reflected the transformation in their coach's life. "They definitely saw a change in me," Aycock said. "All of a sudden, I am calm and collected. I didn't go crazy at halftime in the locker room. I would say, 'This is what we've got to do to correct this.' They were waiting for me to explode on them. I never did.' "Christ has won the victory when he saved my life. One of the biggest blessings was the day my wife walked down the aisle and gave her life to Christ," Aycock adds. "Another thing this has given me is a Christian home. My two sons talk about Christ. They want to know Him. I pray every day that one day they receive Christ when they realize what it really means."

Aycock now coaches with the philosophy of Colossians 3:23 -- working for the Lord, not for men."I coach for the Lord. Now when I prepare for a game, I prepare because I want to represent the Lord," he said. "Whether we win or lose, we praise God for giving us the chance to play on Friday night. It's bigger than Friday night lights because Christ is in it."

A Display of Integrity

2008-11-28T01:34:00.000-08:00

I have been following the Professional Golf Association (PGA) tournaments for many years but have never taken note of J.P. Hayes until I read about this recent incident.

- This article was written by Tom Parsons for Baptist Press Sports (24 Nov 2008) -

Hayes was playing in a qualifying tournament in Texas a few days ago. He hadn’t won a tournament in six years and needed to finish well in order to continue to make a living playing golf in 2009. During the tournament, he realized on one hole he had played two shots with the wrong ball. He immediately notified the officials and took the two-stroke penalty prescribed by the rule book.

But later that evening, he realized that his error was far worse than he first thought. Not only had he played the wrong ball, but the ball he had used was a prototype that was not approved by the USGA for use in tournament play. No one else had to know that he made the mistake. He could have completed play in the tournament and nobody would have been the wiser. Given where he finished the round, he was in good shape to advance to the next stage of qualifying and secure his future in professional golf.

Instead, he did the only honorable thing: he turned himself in and was disqualified from the tournament. As a result, he lost his ability to compete on the PGA Tour next year. Those who do not play golf sometimes do not understand the game’s seemingly archaic rules about honor and integrity. In fact, the official rule book explains why this is an integral part of the game.

Here’s what it says:“Golf is played, for the most part, without the supervision of a referee or umpire. The game relies on the integrity of the individual to show consideration for other players and to abide by the Rules. All players should conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times, irrespective of how competitive they may be. This is the spirit of the game of golf.”

By calling this penalty on himself, Hayes has demonstrated his integrity as a player and as an individual. At a time when others might have been tempted to cheat, he abided by the rules and paid the appropriate price.

In the same way, Christians are called to live life with integrity (see Ephesians 4:1). If we live our lives according to God’s Word, we reflect glory upon Him. Each day we face countless decisions. Often such decisions are made without anyone around us knowing what we are struggling with. Often we are given the opportunity to behave in a less than honorable fashion. But we are to live our lives to please God and although no one else may know we have cheated, He will know. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we are convicted to live our lives according to His standards. James says that we are not supposed to merely hear the Word but to do what it says (James 1:22-25). If we follow through and are faithful to God’s Word, then He will be glorified. That is living life in a manner worthy of the calling we have received.

Starting Over

2008-11-28T01:07:00.000-08:00

-This article was written for Christians in Sport -

It really seems ridiculous when you think about it. Six years ago Tiger Woods was already being almost unanimously declared as the greatest golfer ever with ‘the perfect game’ from tee to green and yet in 2003 with his coach’s help he started to overhaul his swing. Not just a few tweaks mind you, not even a few significant adjustments, but a complete overhaul. He started over. He completely rebuilt the swing from first principles as if he’d never played golf before. However Tiger Woods was insistent after the changes that his swing now was better than ever and he was a more complete player in 2005 than previously.

Over the last few weeks we’ve been looking at the core truths of the ‘good news’ that Jesus taught in his ministry on earth and still teaches through his word the Bible today, and the last thing that we need to consider is how we should respond. Often when people start to understand something of Christianity they wrongly conclude from talk of their moral failure before God that they need to respond by ‘trying harder’ or trying to be a bit better. However Jesus’ teaching is crystal clear that the response he’s looking for is something much more radical. He says we have to start over.

One of the most controversial phrases that Jesus used to describe what it means to start over is to be ‘born again’. In an incident in John chapter 3 where he is talking to a religious leader called Nicodemus he tells him that ‘no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again’. Nicodemus doesn’t grasp what Jesus is teaching because like so many of us he hasn’t really accepted what a radical conversion is required to follow Christ.

To make the point let’s pause to consider what Jesus means by being born again. Imagine I went along to an athletics club full of the desire to win the 2012 Olympic High Jump. Any coach worth his salt would take one look at my 5 foot 11 stature and limited vertical jump and conclude that I would have no chance. I could train as hard as I like and try to perfect the ‘Frosbury flop’ but no matter how hard I try I’m never going to win the Olympics – I just lack the physical attributes. What I need isn’t a good coach, an improvement in technique, nor a brilliant training program, what I need is a new body – preferably one that is close to 7 foot tall and leaps like a salmon heading upstream!

Similarly when Jesus tells us that the response he is looking for from us is to realize that we need to be born again he is telling us to stop trying to do it ourselves and to admit that we need to start over. Of course when we think about this we realize that it’s beyond our capabilities, and that’s Jesus’ point because if we can’t do it ourselves then we must ask him to do it for us. This is what the Bible means by ‘faith’, it’s a mindset change where you say ‘I can’t do it myself, and I have to trust in you Jesus to do it for me’. And of course that’s why Jesus died and rose to new life, because he was doing what we are unable to do – making us right with God by appeasing his wrath and giving us a completely new start.

So today Jesus’ command to you in the light of his good news is that the only way to enjoy the forgiveness of your moral failure and peace with God is to admit that you can’t do anything about it yourself and to trust him to give you a new start. And if you’ve never done that before – then his call on you is to do that today.

Beyond Greatness

2008-11-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

- This article was written for Christians in Sport. -

Writing on the Olympic Games in Beijing the Times journalist Simon Barnes commented, ‘Greatness. Sport can bring us such a thing and do it more vividly than anything else on earth’. He wrote on the wonderful way that sport can redefine our understanding of the possible, citing Olympic champion and World record holder Yelena Isinbayeva; ‘a beautiful woman, a superb athlete, flying into the night sky, soaring like the human spirit, a perfect symbol of the hope we have for ourselves and for the world. Isinbayeva told us that all things are possible, that we can leave the base earth behind and soar to unimaginable levels of greatness.’

This is one of the most incredible gifts of sport isn’t it and surely why throughout human history (and long before 2500 years ago when the Greeks started to write on the virtues of sport) ‘sport’ was igniting the imagination of the populus? It stretches our imaginations, challenges our preconceptions of ‘limits’, pushes back our boundaries of how great life can be. Little wonder then that sports writers like Simon Barnes grasp at the metaphors of religious language to describe sport at its best.

Given that many resort to religious language of ‘soaring like a human spirit’ to describe sport at it’s best, it is strange that so many today are so disaffected and unenthusiastic about the Christian religion. We describe our best football managers as ‘Messiah’s’ and yet are bored by talk of a real Messiah and we compare the best moments of sport to ‘heaven on earth’ and yet find talk of heaven itself a dull conversation stopper. Why is this? Shouldn’t the claim at the heart of Christianity that the doors of heaven have been flung open-wide through Jesus’ death and resurrection at least capture our imagination?

Perhaps it’s because as some comment that eternal life isn’t very appealing, ‘when your life is hard and mundane then why would you want it to go on for eternity?’ Good point, if that’s what eternal life is supposed to be like, but fortunately it’s not. The Bible speaks about heaven or eternal life in two ways; through comparison and metaphor.

In comparison it takes the best things in life and then has the audacity to say that they are as nothing when considered alongside heaven: Jesus says that ‘the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he has and bought it’ (Matthew 13:45-46) and another time he asks us ‘what good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul (the real you that lives for eternity)’ (Mark 8:36). The point is clear – heaven is so wonderful that anything in this world no matter how great it is pails into insignificance when compared to heaven, in fact all the best things in this world taken together when compared with heaven don’t stack up.

By metaphor the Bible makes a similar point; it takes the best things we can think of and extends them in metaphor to try and stretch our understanding of how good life can be. Often people say things like ‘I don’t want to sit on a cloud in a nighty’ but this is to completely misunderstand what the metaphors are doing. We’re told that heaven is like the greatest party the universe could ever host (Luke 14:15-16), it’s an experience of incredible intimacy with the God who made you where God himself will wipe away your tears (Revelation 21:4) and it’s as if the whole universe were to join together in one song filling every heart with unspeakable joy (Revelation 15:2-4).

Some of those comparisons may grab you and some may not. Some of the metaphors may capture your imagination and some may not. But please don’t let your limited horizons squeeze your understanding of heaven and trick you into disinterest. Instead like those great moments of sport (but oh in such a greater way!) realize that heaven should push back your boundaries and redefine your concept of greatness. For if heaven’s that important that the Son of God was prepared to die to make it available to you – don’t you think you should be excited about it?!

"Long John" Daly

2008-11-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

John Daly started playing golf at the age of 4 and has since risen to become a true legend. His long list of achievements include being named the 1990 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and becoming the youngest active player on PGA Tour with two major Championship titles. Daly is known for his driving distance off the tee (earning him the nickname "Long John") and his rough-and-tumble personal life.

Many saw great potential in him. However, he chooses to go on a path that he knew was very dangerous but fun. His off-course life took a beating on his playing career.

Alcoholism - Daly claimed that he drank a fifth of Jack Daniel's (liquor) every day during the year he was 23 years of age. He has entered into various alcohol addiction programs. The latest on 26 October 2008, he was taken into custody by Winston-Salem police after he was found drunk outside an area Hooters restaurant.

Gambling - In 2006, he claimed to have lost between US$60 million over the past 15 years in gambling. He has been able to pay his gambling debts mostly through making more paid public appearances and through sponsorships opportunities.

John Daly....."Granted, I could go out and lose everything by gambling and drinking, but there is no sense in denying it. It's in my blood."

Daly, who used to make his money off the PGA Tour plus from big-time equipment manufacturers such as Callaway and Taylor-Made, is seen making money through selling his autographs on caps, t-shirts and golf-balls. As his game is no longer in decent shape, he struggles to make a cut.

John Daly is one of those guys who has thrown his career and life away. There were so much in it for him but yet because of his indiscipline lifestyle, he choose again and again to walk on the wrong paths. There are still many people who longed to see him make a come back. It is possible but first he needs to recognise he has got problems and get help. Put his off-course lifestyle back into order which will then allow him to concentrate on doing what he has been gifted to do - playing great golf.

International Sports Coalition

2008-11-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

Sport is one of the few activities that brings people together no matter where you are on the globe. Color, race, language, religion, age and gender are all forgotten on the sporting field, in the pool or on the court.

Many sports organizations, agencies and local churches have long known of the benefit of being involved in sport and serving sports people as a way to build a bridge to connect with their cultures. The sports of basketball and volleyball both were created for this purpose.

In 1985, the International Sports Coalition (ISC) was formed as a partnering body to help the different spheres of sports interests to interact with each other. By doing this each part benefits from the strengths of the other and in turn is built up. The main purposes of the ISC are to:
Model
Train
Network & Establish Partnerships

In 2003 the ISC partners saw the benefit in describing different strategic programs that had emerged out of this sports movement. Some of these programs are:

ACE Strategies Conference (ASC)
Church Sports (CS)
International Sports Leadership Training (ISLT)
Major Sports Events Host Partnership (MSEHP)
Major Sports Event Partnership (MSEP)
Proclamation by Sports People (PSP)
Serving the People of Sport (SPS)
Strategic Regional Coalitions (SRC)
Strategic Sports Partnerships (SSP)

The ISC is an international relational network that is only as strong as the partnerships in the network. The ISC has neither full time staff nor an office. A Facilitation Team provides oversight and is made up of men and women from approximately 20 countries who serve three-year rotating terms.

IpohBUG is affiliated to the International Sports Coalition. In Malaysia the sports partnership among churches and Christian groups are under the umbrella of Malaysia Sports Partnership which is part of the International Sports Coalition. We are doing lots of vision casting among churches and Christian sports people, to encourage them to join us in our endeavour.

Should you know of anyone who would like to know more, feel free to contact us. We would be happy to share more with them.

My kind of HEROES!

2008-10-08T08:21:00.001-07:00

Millions of people watched the grand opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic. Many more were busy tracking the daily events right from the opening ceremony till the closing. However, worldwide TV coverage failed to show us something just as spectacular in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic. If it were only given enough coverage, I am sure it would have won over many new followers. I have always been a big fan of the paralympic. Many people viewed it as just a bunch of disables competing among themselves. I see sportsmen and sportswomen of the highest calebre performing professionally and with great proficiency in the sports they are known for. Many when watching the events would shed tears out of pity for them. I shed tears seeing their great courage and true grit.

A paralympians commented after winning a Gold Medal, "I don't want anyone's pity. Don't cheer me for overcoming my disability, just cheer me for my ability."

This was very much the tone of this Beijing Paralympics, started by the President of the International Paralympic Movement Sir Philip Craven, a no nonsense 58 year old former wheelchair basketball player from Bolton who declared a sort of war on the word 'disability.' He told the world to focus on the ability of the athletes, admire their skills and ingenuity to compensate for the difficulties they face.

And so it was that as the swimmers first stripped off their tracksuits to reveal the plain truth about their bodies that often end at the shoulder or the knee. We were equally confronted with the plain truth that here are people who don't need pity because they are really gifted at what they do. And so the sport took over and the disabilities started to fade into the background as each athlete pitted their skill and strength against one another.

And perhaps this is the greatest gift to the world of the Paralympics, that they inspire us. For perhaps what really grips us about any great sport is that little glimpse where we see the glory of GOD shining through as athletes express themselves with their talents. And it helps us to be a bit more grateful to GOD for what He has given us and makes us want to get out there and use it as an act of worship to Him. So let's get playing and to GOD be the glory.

Wawan Hendrawan

2008-09-30T05:41:00.001-07:00

One man who has contributed to Indonesia's dominance in world badminton during the last 15 years was Wawan Hendrawan. Born in a small town in East Java into a badminton-loving family, he started playing at the age of seven with his father as his first coach. He remembers watching the first Olympic badminton competition on TV in 1992 and being inspired. Hendrawan says, "I was 20. I was so excited to see Alan Budi Kusuma and Susi Susanti win the gold medals. My dream was to win an Olympic medal myself."

Hendrawan began playing internationally in the early 1990s but at first was overshadowed by a number of his countrymen who rated among the world's elite players. His results gradually improved, peaking at the end of the century with a silver medal in men's singles at the 2000 summer Olympics and the gold medal at the 2001 IBF World Championships.

“When I won the silver medal in Sydney, that was seen as a failure,” Hendrawan says. “Winning is all that matters. I too felt disappointed as my target had been gold. Because the Olympics is only once in 4 years, you do not get another chance for four years. “Yet looking back he takes positives out of that defeat. “My Olympic ‘failure’ spurred me on to go one better in the world championship the next year,” says Hendrawan, who won the world title in Seville in 2001. “If I had been successful in the Olympics, perhaps I would not have won the world championship.”

Hendrawan is a follower of Jesus Christ. With fame and success in life, why does he need Jesus? “I believe that career and fame will end some time,” he says. “Just like a river that dries up. Jesus taught that there is more than this life—an eternal life. That is what I looking for—not fame as a player or being recognized by people. Because I know Jesus Christ, I am certain that I have eternal life.

“In Jesus Christ there is the answer to everything and that answer is Jesus Christ,” he says. “When faced with problems—losing, sadness or disappointment—there is only one who can comfort me—Jesus Christ. He is my Savior and my guide.”

Hendrawan retired in 2003 but never left the game unlike his more famous teammates as he joined the national team as a coach. One thought helps him keep life in perspective, the certainly that his existence will not end with death. “Dying will be the greatest moment,” Hendrawan adds. “I want to be in heaven. That will be the fulfilment of my life on earth. I already feel that I have accomplished all my targets and challenges but I want to be in heaven and meet Jesus Christ.”

Sports and Faith

2008-09-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

Mary bought her boyfriend, Bob, a video game to show her love for him. Bob really liked the game. He started breaking dates with Mary to play the game. Soon he spent more time playing the game than with her. He started to love the video game more than Mary. Eventually they drifted apart and broke up. What was a gift as an expression of love eventually destroyed the relationship.

Just as Mary gave Bob a gift, God has given you a gift of athletic ability.
God wants a relationship with us. He gives athletic ability out of His love. God wants us not to ignore Him with the athletic ability He has given us, but to honor Him with it. In a survey of over 120 high school students in Christian youth groups, it asked what hurt their relationship with God the most. By far the most common answer was sports.

If God gives us athletic ability as a gift, why does using it hurt our relationship with Him? If God has given you athletic ability there is a good chance He wants you to use it. But it is God’s will that you grow closer to Him. You should be able to do both at the same time. It is obvious in our culture that sports are too important. But also most people do not know how to play sports for God. Here are some pointers on playing sports the right way. Here are 11 practical ways to honor God in sports:

1- Show respect to your coaches and obey all rules. In Romans 13, the Bible tells us to obey our leaders and rules. Be on time to practice, don’t talk bad about your coaches, and do what they ask. God places authority over our lives to help shape us and mold us. Pray for your coaches each day. It is a hard, stressful job. Realize they make mistakes and have bad days.

2- Be a good influence on your teammates. Sport is more about relationships and influence than winning. The relationships you build will last a lot longer than the wins and losses. God has chosen you to be a positive influence in this world even before you were born (Eph. 2:10). God has placed people on your team that you have a divine appointment with to have an influence. You will have 2-3 special teammates whose lives you could impact. When I was in college even though I sat on the bench on the football team I was able to build relationships with a few guys and we ended up having a weekly Bible Study with about 20 guys on the team. I always felt if you haven’t made an impact on some people on the team, you have really wasted your season. You should try to lead as many people on your team to Christ as possible. You are on the team for a purpose and so are your teammates. And it is a lot more than winning and losing.

3- Make your motivation to please God and give 100% because Jesus did that in everything. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as for the Lord rather than men.” Notice the verse says to do it with all your heart. God wants you to do everything 100%: sprints, warm ups, drills, games, school work, chores. Notice the 2nd part of the verse says, “for the Lord.” Not for the coach, parents, friends, or personal recognition. The most common motive in sports is for personal recognition. People want self-glory. This creates a selfish, competitive spirit on the team, plus leads to an unsatisfied life. James 3:13 says that selfish ambition leads to disorder and every evil thing. The desire for personal recognition is a selfish ambition.

When we run sprints and have pain, focus on what Jesus did on the cross and the pain He had, yet didn’t quit. This will help you overcome pain in sports.

4- Change the environment and culture of your team. Your team is a sub culture that you live in. It will change you or you will change it. You will spend so much time in your sport that it will impact your life for good or bad. I played football in college for a Christian coach who ran his football program on Christian principles. He created the most positive, life-changing environment I’ve ever been in. Even though I sat on the bench it had a tremendous influence on my life. I’ve seen many kids enter a sports season and come out a worse person, developing habits of swearing, drinking, and drugs. I’ve seen some Christians enter a sports environment and die spiritually and never recover.

Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt of the world.” Back then salt was used to preserve food. It kept it from going corrupt. The more people on the team who live out a relationship with God, the more it will make the team less corrupt and make a more positive environment. God has called you to make your team’s culture and environment a better place. At the end of the season players should be better people because you were on the team.

5- Be an example of Christ on the team. Sports are a great opportunity to be an example for Christ. Be humble when you win, be a good sport, don’t lose your temper, be unselfish with your teammates, have the attitude of a servant, be honest, be on time, work hard, encourage others not to drink, do drugs, or swear, give 100%, don’t gossip. The opportunity to demonstrate the character of Christ is more important than winning and losing.

6-Winning is not determined by the scoreboard but by doing your best. Winning is reaching your full potential. Christians aren’t supposed to live by the world’s values and standards. The world value system defines winning as beating our opponent. God defines winning as doing things with all your heart. If you do your best, and represent Christ in your actions and lose on the scoreboard, you are a winner. If you win on the scoreboard, but don’t play to your best ability and don’t represent Christ, then you aren’t a winner in God’s eyes.

7- Use your position of popularity to influence others for Christ. Athletics is a platform that God has given you. People look up to athletes. This should be used for good to be a role model and set an example. Kurt Warner, David Robinson, Dwight Howard, Chad Penington, and Shawn Alexander a few of the many pro athletes who choose to be role models and use their athletic success to lead others to Christ. Being a high school athlete is one of the best opportunities in your life to influence others as the under classmen look up to the upper class- men.

8- Keep winning and losing in perspective. Winning and losing are only temporary. Ron Brown, an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska, after winning two national championships in football said, “Winning is like chewing gum. It tastes great but loses its flavor really fast.” Winning is a great feeling but the high won’t last. Losing is painful but the pain won’t last. In view of eternity it is very temporary. What we do for God is eternal.

9- Be careful not to build your identity or self worth in sports. My identity in high school was that I was a football player. When I got to college, I was on the football team but not very good. My identity and self esteem was destroyed. I became very depressed. Building your identity in sports is a sinking ship. It is just a matter of time before it is over. Since then I have found my identity in being a child of God, an ambassador of Christ, a light for Christ. This is something that will never leave me and is much more satisfying and gives me more security and confidence. You should be proud of your athletic identity, but you should be more proud that you are a child of the King, and a representative of Him.

10- We all have a need to belong. Having team unity is important. But belonging and having unity with God’s family is more important. God wants us to have unity with teammates, but our primary need to belong needs to be in a Christian peer group. My first three years of high school my main need to belong was met in the jock crowd. It was ok. But I never recall ever having a meaningful conversation. By my senior year my need to belong was met in a Christian peer group through Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Our relationships were so much more meaningful and caring. In the jock group when we weren’t playing sports we were just killing time. With the Christian group we were making a difference in our lives and the school.

11- God wants to be first in your life. Matthew 6:33 says to put God first your life. Mark 12:30 says, to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. God wants us to love Him more than sports, and to put Him first before sports. This is hard to do with the busyness of sports. If you don’t make Christ a priority you will not have the strength to make a difference on your team and your teammates will change you. Some ways we can do this is by making a few Christian events a priority. Here are a few events:

1-Each day spend time with God in prayer and Bible reading. If you were to divide a day into 10-minute segments, there would be 144 of them in one day. If we give God two of those 10-minute segment each day for Bible reading and prayer, then the other 142 will go better. The reason we exist is for a relationship with God. We should make it the highest priority every day. God blesses us when we put Him first. Without a daily quiet time you wouldn’t have the strength and to impact your team and will just go with the flow and not make a difference.

2-Make it the highest priority to be involved in a weekly Christian meeting. The most exciting thing in a teenager’s life should be their youth group. There are 168 hours in a week; we should at least give one of them for a Christian meeting. Most athletes give 20 to 30 hours a week to sports. We should be able to give an hour to God. If you are too busy for God, then you have things in your life that aren’t necessary. Attending a weekly Christian group helps keeps you strong and stay focused. I’ve seen many people take off 3 months from youth group for sports and literally die spiritually and never come back. It changed the whole direction of their life.

3- Take at least 2 to 3 weekends a year for a retreat. There are 52 weekends in a year. Many athletes give 30 to 40 weekends to sports. Following Christ is like driving a car. People need spiritual gasoline during the year. Retreats are a great way to get filled up.

4-Go to a camp in the summer. There are 12 weeks or 80 days in the summer. You should give one week to go to a Christian camp or on mission trip. You need to get strong spiritually in the summer to get ready for the pressures of the school year. Most athletes give at least a week in the summer to a sports camp. You should also budget time and money for a Christian camp.

You will change your sports team or your team will change you! Any time a Christian enters a sports season there is a chance they might come out alive spiritually. Especially if they are around a lot of older athletes who are not good role models. But by following these 11 principals you can stay strong and impact your team in a positive way. God gave you athletic ability to honor Him not to ignore Him.

God wants to be first in our lives. He will bless us when we make Him a priority. There will always be conflicts but we must make God a priority. One of the themes in the Bible is that when we make sacrifices it leads to blessing. When we have conflicts with sports and choose God first, He will bless us for it. You shouldn’t miss a game; but if you have an open gym, team dinner, or optional summer sports activity, you should pray about it rather than automatically choosing the sport activity.

The "Saint" among the "Red Devils"

2008-09-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled when my favorite football club, Manchester United, paid a huge fee for hitman Dimitar Berbatov. I had even greater joy when I read this testimony of him.

Berbatov said "I have done many stupid things because of my stubbornness, only because I didn't want to listen to my parents' advice. And then it always turned out that they were right......Besides, I am religious and I take the Bible everywhere with me. There are many good pieces of advice for those like me in the Bible."

Swearing has been as much a part of football as the goalposts. Yet Berbatov claims he would never swear at anyone. He said "This is a matter of good upbringing. I don't swear in my daily life. I try to do everything in style - not only in football. If I manage to give any positive examples for young people, then that is great."

So from all the Manchester United diehard supporters from all over, welcome aboard and hope you will score as many goals as Ronaldo did last season.

Success hasn't changed Paula Creamer

2008-09-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

Paula Creamer started playing golf at the age of ten. She is among a group of young talented golfers playing in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in the United States. She joined the LPGA in 2005 and was nominated as the Rookie Player of the Year. Since then she has set a number of records - one being the 'fastest' career earnings marks. Her earning past the USD3 million mark within 2 years 2 months and 19 days playing professionally.

However, the early success has not changed her. Instead she has started giving back to young kids the same kind of break she had received. She has established "Paula 4 Kids" - where she uses golf to teach youngsters core values such as honesty, sportsmanship, responsibility and confidence. She has also offered scholarships to local junior golfers.

Paula says "I have been given so many opportunities to try and achieve my dreams. One thing you truly can't have enough of is support, and hopefully we can give other boys and girls the same chances I have had."

I am sure she has brought pleasure to the heart of God who is on the side of little kids. We often gauge how religious we are as to how many meetings we attend, how many church committees/ministries we are on or how well we behave on Sunday morning. A true follower of Christ cares for others and live by God's standard in a corrupt and evil world.

Let us take time to evaluate our own Christian lives.

How to share your faith using Michael Phelps!

2008-08-29T23:20:00.000-07:00

Riddle: Who do you get when you combine renowned success, confidence, consistent hard work, eight gold medals, an average annual income of six million dollars, broad shoulders, goggles, and water?

Answer: The legendary swimmer Michael Phelps.

This year, in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 23-year-old Michael Phelps made history. Out of the 16 Olympic medals that Phelps has won in his lifetime, eight of those were awarded in this year's Olympics, making him the number one record holder for the number of medals won in a single Olympics and for the total number of gold medals ever won by a single Olympian, period.

Since age fifteen, Phelps has been consistently training under the professional coaching of Bob Bowman. When Bob was interviewed on Michael Phelps' phenomenal success in the sport of swimming, he fervently speaks about Phelps's intense commitment to his training. Bob remarked that in five years of training, Phelps probably didn't miss even one workout. Now that's commitment!

Can you even fathom never missing a workout in five years? That's 260 weeks, or 1820 days! And in order to become an Olympian, an individual would most likely need to train six days out of the week, if not seven. What an inspirational life to live...

Do you personally know of someone in your life is that committed to...well...anything? I know of one prominent historical figure that was even more committed to a cause than Michael Phelps.

Who, you ask? Jesus Christ.

Check it out:
This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. (John 3:16 - The Message).

God had a lofty goal (to span the chasm of sin). So he came to earth as a baby born of a woman, fully human yet fully God, walked the very earth we walk every day, was tempted in every way, loved those around him, experienced pain and sorrow, was beaten bloody, died hanging on a cross crafted by those He loved, and then three days later rose again. Death could not hold him because he was so perfect! Christ believed in our cause-in mankind's cause-so deeply that He chose to die so that we all might come to know him personally and spend eternity with Him.
As Christians, we should be choosing to live our lives in the shadow and power of Christ's inspirational and empowering life here on earth. Like people take notice of Michael Phelps, others will take notice of Christ in us and desire to pursue excellence in their lives by Christ's authority and example as well. We are all part of something much bigger than us and that is God's mission - to train us to be more like Christ.

Use Michael Phelps' amazing success to help you launch a conversation about Christ and his commitment to each of us. Here are some questions to help you get started:
*Ask your friends if they have been following Michael Phelps or any of the other Olympians this season.
*Ask your friends if they have ever been or desired to be as committed to the pursuit of excellence in any area of life the way Phelps has been committed to his goals in swimming?
*Ask your friends if they would consider Jesus Christ an inspiration and why. Listen, and then tell them why you feel that His life was a life of excellence. Use the passage of John 3:16 (above).
Tell about your commitment to Christ because of His commitment to you. Ask if they would like to be a part of something great, something bigger than them. Would they like to commit to Christ today?

It seems so rare now-a-days to come across individuals with such passion, consistency, focus, and commitment as Michael Phelps. Take note, take heart and go out and make a difference in this hurting world by proclaiming Christ's love with as much fervor and dedication as Phelps has shown the world in these past few weeks!

(Extracted from Dare2Share - Written by Jeannae Flageolle)

Former All-American basketball player rebounds in prison

2008-08-20T23:53:00.000-07:00

Regi Harris has experienced the highs and lows of life. Raised in a Christian home, Regi learned values, morals and a biblical faith. Though he grew up in the church, it wasn’t enough to keep him from the luring temptations common to most college campuses.

Regi was a standout athlete at North Marion High School in Ocala, Florida, where he earned a basketball scholarship to Sam Houston State University in Texas. Going from his small Florida town to the big city of Houston was an enormous culture shock to the young athlete. Though he had never touched drugs or alcohol before his college days, the peer pressure to experiment with them became a powerful enticement. Deeming it a harmless social drug, Regi started smoking marijuana at college parties and other get-togethers. But his quest for an occasional “high” didn’t stop there.

While at Sam Houston, Regi earned All-Conference and All-America honors his sophomore year. His aspirations of playing professional basketball took a sharp turn when he injured his knee during a pick-up game. Having staked his entire future on his athletic abilities, his sudden setbacks led him into a state of depression. It was during this time that Regi turned to cocaine which eventually progressed into a deadly crack addiction. On a path to self-destruction, the hardwood superstar found himself on the wrong side of the law trying to support his habit. This ultimately landed him in a Florida state prison.

In his brokenness, Regi began to understand that his “biggest problem wasn’t a drug problem, it was a sin problem.” Being an avid church member growing up with perfect Sunday School attendance, he could see where his rebellion began long before his experimentation with drugs in college, it started as a kid when he made basketball his god, describing it as a form of idolatry.

During his prison term, Regi dedicated his life to Christ and made his priorities twofold; cultivating an intimate relationship with God and contributing to the advancement of His kingdom.

After leaving prison in 1997, Regi got involved with Breakaway Outreach, volunteering to share his testimony in juvenile detention centers, schools, and community-wide youth events. Today, Regi spends much of his volunteer time sharing the platform during Breakaway Xperience events, an extreme sports outreach hosted by Breakaway in juvenile centers all over the country. He is also a counselor for a summer adventure camp that Breakaway coordinates for children of inmates.

Ten years after being released from prison, Regi says his life-mission is all about showing kids a way out of a troubled past and into a relationship with Christ.

Change of Dates!

2008-08-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

BUG1

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Dear fellow BUG-gers,

Kindly take note that due to some unforeseen circumstances, we have to shift the Sept 1 "One Day Special Event" to Sept 28. We will still be having it at Harvest Haven. We are checking out the place to see what games can be played there.

We are planning to print T-shirts to give away to everyone on that day. Our dear bro. Matthew LaBrooy have provided us with a few designs to choose from. Kindly assist us by letting us know your preferred design.

-the saint-

The Love of the Father

2008-08-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

Barcelona Olympics 1992 - Derek Redmond of Great Britain is in agony as he is helped to the finish line by his father, Jim, after tearing his hamstring muscle in the semi-finals of the men's 400 meter run. Redmond collapsed about half way through the race with the injury, but got up, determined to finish despite the pain.

His father came out of the stands and onto the track to help his son. Redmond initially tried to push him away, not realizing who he was, but then heard a familiar voice. "Derek, it's me" his father said. Redmond told his father "I've got to finish this race." His father said "If you're gonna finish the race, we'll finish it together."

With his father's help, Redmond made it to the finish line.

Luke 11: 11-13

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

808 China Blessing

2008-08-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

Please pray these prayer for China on August 8th 2008 especially from 8:00-8:08pm.

Government
1. Blessed with good health
2. Lead with wisdom
3. Uphold justice
4. Put citizens' well-being as top priority

Social/Community
1. Grow as a harmonious community
2. Celebrate the uniqueness of the various ethnic groups
3. Develop a nurturing response to those who suffer
4. Create opportunities for all to experience a healthy, positive and purposeful life

Marketplace
1. Lead globally in environmental consciousness and best business practices
2. Champion ethical business standards
3. Steward their wealth wisely
4. Maximise education & technical advances to help build a better world

Olympics
1. Every athlete and official to feel fulfilled through giving of their best efforts
2. Every athlete and official will enjoy the Games through fair-play and mutual respect.
3. Every athlete and official will be blessed with well-facilitated Games
4. All will experience a touch of world peace and unity of purpose

Then we would like to encourage you to pray with millions all over the world on 8 August, 8:08pm this prayer.

"May the blessed glory of God fill China"

God bless!

Some updates!

2008-08-05T02:32:00.000-07:00

This is BUG's very own football team. We have a wide range of players made up from primary to secondary to college right up to working age. The senior players would play matches among themselves for match fitness and team work. While the junior players would be put through some training and drill before playing. Though some of these young ones lack skills and football acumen but seeing them laugh and having so much fun makes it all worth while working with them.

Our Ultimate Frisbee gang. These group of young people have mastered the game. You can tell of their confidence from their pose. We shall be having our first friendly game on August 17 2008 playing the visiting team from Inti College, Nilai. We are looking forward to that day.

We take our game very seriously. Those who fool around during training or game time were severely dealt with.

People, please take note that we will be introducing a new game at BUG very soon. The game is called TCHOUKBALL. Yup, not easy to pronounce - it goes something like this (choke ball). With all you computer savvy people, just go on the net and key in "Tchoukball" and you will find all the information you need. Go read and see how the game is played. We have someone coming to show us how to play the game on August 24 2008. So make sure you turn up for BUG on that day!

Finally, we are at the last stage of planning for the September 1 one day event. We shall be posting more information soon. Please keep yourself free and remind your friends too of the special one day event. All we can say is that there will be lots of fun!!!!!!

-the saint-

Racing for Jesus

2008-08-04T23:38:00.001-07:00

Here are the pictures to go with the earlier article Racing for Jesus. Could not upload earlier.

Racing for Jesus

2008-08-04T17:19:00.001-07:00

NASCAR The faith of NASCAR drivers comes in all horsepowers. Yet few competitors can match the level of public Christian commitment geared toward a love for motorsports shown by redheaded sparkplug Morgan Shepherd. He has started more than 500 Sprint Cup events, and has at times even changed his own tires and filled his own gas tank to stay in the race. He unashamedly called his truck team "Victory in Jesus Racing."

The cops never caught up with Shepherd, son of a successful moonshiner, while he was growing up in 1940s-era North Carolina. By 1970, Shepherd had swapped the family still for racing. But the alcohol that launched his NASCAR career was killing his liver and his marriage. He came home from the 1975 Daytona 500 to find that his fed-up wife had stomped out. After a drunken, live-it-up bender with a girlfriend, Shepherd took an honest look at himself. He prayed for God to turn his life around. Over time, he determined that NASCAR would become both his mission field and a platform for ministry to the church.

In 1980, Shepherd won what today is the Nationwide championship (the sport's second-tier series). In NASCAR's top Sprint Cup Series (formerly Winston Cup), Shepherd won four races. Up until the mid-1990s, he perennially landed in the top-10 end-of-year standings. At age 51, he became the second-oldest winner of a Sprint Cup race.
Then, in 1998, hard times set in. A sponsorship deal went south, which, alongside other financial difficulties, wiped out Shepherd's fortune. He wondered: Without that weekly appointment on tracks across the country, who would listen to his testimony? Shepherd persevered, and today on the lower profile Nationwide circuit, he drives NASCAR's ultimate branded vehicle: the candy-apple green Racing with Jesus #89 Dodge.
Back in 2002, NASCAR was not as friendly to such religious endorsements. That
year, Shepherd showed up at a truck race with a brightly colored Jesus logo on his hood. NASCAR officials got complaints and ordered him to remove it—which put many fans, religious or otherwise, in an uproar. A few races later, officials told Shepherd he could put it back.

Some criticize NASCAR management for allowing chaplains to pray over loudspeakers in the name of Jesus at official races, which critics contend will make Jews and Muslims feel unwelcome. And many Christians themselves are ill at ease with NASCAR's family-and-faith marketing campaigns when the goal seems to be big profits, and when many NASCAR advertisers come from the alcoholic beverage industry. "[NASCAR] is just like America: open for business. You can't put them down for that," Shepherd tells me in the lounge of his car hauler. Even so, Shepherd observes, "There are things in it I don't like—the alcohol and such."

Shepherd decided long ago to refuse sponsorships from producers of harmful products. Shepherd, at 66 by far the oldest driver, found that getting angry or refusing sponsorships was not accomplishing enough.
Since 2001, Shepherd has created the racing teams Victory in Jesus Racing and Victory Motorsports, and today co-owns Faith Motorsports. Shepherd has had a handful of investors support these teams. He believes Christians in business have real power to change NASCAR by sponsoring cars. "We don't have enough people to stand up and put our cars on [NASCAR] locations," says Shepherd.

Funding a champion team takes millions. In the last decade, Shepherd's funding has come primarily through small sponsorships, fan donations, and prize money. For years, the necessary $10,000 for tires to finish a race fell well outside his budget. Shepherd did well just showing up on race day.

But in April in Talladega at a Nationwide event, the first race he completed since 2004, he led one lap and finished 13th. After the race, Shepherd congratulated Talladega winner Tony Stewart, who later featured Shepherd on a radio broadcast. "You had an awesome run this weekend," Stewart said to Shepherd, who replied, "I know—you looked in the mirror and saw [my] big ole yellow Jesus logo and said, 'Jesus is after me!'"

On NASCAR.com, Stewart said fans should appreciate Shepherd. "They don't understand that years ago he used to be one of the top guys in the Cup Series."
Earlier this year, driver Kevin Harvick, who won the 2007 Daytona 500, built Shepherd a car and gave it to him. The Hot Lap fan website started a "chip in" fund for Shepherd's tires. Stewart is also supplying tires.

The enthusiasm Shepherd generates is having an influence up and down the NASCAR food chain. They have made Shepherd a true competitor again—and Shepherd is grateful. "I get to have fun serving the Lord with what I love to do," he says. "I really love racing. But I love the Lord, and that's the reason his name is on the car."

The Burning Flame in China

2008-07-29T18:10:00.001-07:00

All of us have running lanes that God has marked out for our lives and we are encouraged to run in these lanes with perseverance. Sometimes the race is difficult but the more we train, and with our perseverance resting in God, the race we are called to run becomes more achievable.

As the runners pass the baton of the Olympic torch to one another this year, the Olympic flame in Beijing comes closer to being lit. There in the stadium when the Olympic torch is lit, a beacon of light will be seen by many throughout the world. However, today in many places throughout China, there is a light already burning. It burns so brightly that no Olympic flame can match its glow.

It is the light of the gospel burning in the hearts of many believers in the underground church. This flame is their passion to love Christ, a flame that cannot be extinguished. We are inspired by their examples and honoured to run with them and pass the baton of truth to those who will follow.

(Contributed by John Wilson, Executive Director of The Voice of the Martyrs)

Dear fellow runners in God's team, as we watch the Beijing Olympics, let us not be so caught up with the intensity of the events and results that we fail to participate in the Olympics ourselves. Let us join our hearts and prayers with the thousands of Christians out there whom will be praying for the people of China. Each time as you click towards the Olympic games' channels be prepared to say a short prayer for the lost souls in China. We are targetting not only the local chinese but also the foreign tourists watching the games. We want to ask the Lord for a bountiful harvest this summer in China.

To God be the glory.

-the saint-

Eric Henry Liddell

2008-07-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

As the Beijing Olympic games is fast approaching , many are gaining the Olympic's spirit. Each time when I think of the Olympic games I can't help but think of the movie Chariots of Fire. The movie tells us of Eric Henry Liddell's radical obedience to Jesus Christ.

In 1924 a world which idolised its sports stars reflected on Eric Liddell's radical obedience to Jesus Christ. Chosen for the 100 metres sprint at the Paris Olympic Games, he stunned everyone by refusing to run in the heats on a Sunday - the Lord's Day. He went on to run in the 400 metres race which was not his favorite event. As he went to the starting blocks for the race, an American masseur slipped a piece of paper in his hand with a quotation from 1 Samuel 2:30,

"Those who honour Me, I will honour." Liddell ran with that piece of paper in his hand and not only won the race but broke the existing world record with a time of 47.6 seconds.

Born to Scottish missionary parents in Tianjin, northern China in 1902, Eric Liddell became a completely dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ, and a man who could rest short of nothing but the introduction of those brought under his influence to the Saviour and Master who had come to mean so much to him.

At the core of his life Eric believed that God was his Saviour, friend and companion and that everything he did should give God pleasure. As a runner he was the fastest and had achieved the highest glory, and as a Christian he found that his greatest strength came from God.

Eric Liddell famous quote

"God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast and when I run, I feel His pleasure."

-the saint-

The "Big Heart" of Dwyane Wade

2008-07-23T03:16:00.000-07:00

Dwyane Wade

Dwyane accompanying his mother, Jolinda Wade,

at the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Temple of Praise Church

Dwyane Wade play as shooting guard with Miami Heat in the NBA. Read the amazing story of how God touched this whole family.

Dwyane Wade sat in the first pew Sunday afternoon, looked at his mother, and simply couldn't hide his emotions. She had made him cry often before. This time, it was different.
"This is tears of joy," he said, beaming. "Tears of joy for my mother."

Before she was known as the mother of the Marquette University star, Miami Heat superstar and 2006 NBA Finals MVP, Jolinda Wade was known as an inmate, a fugitive, a drug user and drug seller. Her life turned around seven years ago when, after years of urging by her children, she got help and got clean. Along the way, she devoted her life to spreading the word of God, starting her first ministry while doing time in state prison. Now, that ministry has a new home, called the Temple of Praise. Jolinda Wade's very own church.

Her son bought it, and her children and her congregation gathered to dedicate it Sunday.
"I respect my mother so much, from the life that she used to live and to see her today in the life that she lives. I'm so proud of her," Dwyane Wade told the Associated Press before the service. "Everybody thinks I'm the miraculous story in the family. I think she is. I think what I've done means I've been very blessed, but she's been more than blessed. She's been anointed."
A few years ago, no one saw anything like this coming.

"Today is one of the highest of the highest moments in my life," Jolinda Wade said.
For so long, Jolinda's life was a waste, marred by abuse of alcohol and drugs. Whenever Tragil Wade, one of Jolinda's three daughters and the person who essentially raised her brother, would get word that someone died in one of their Chicago-area neighborhood's many abandoned buildings, she feared it was her mother — and even thought about saving for what she assumed would be a fast-arriving funeral.

"I can't even tell you what it was like," Tragil Wade said, choking up. "It's beyond words."
One day, in a teary tirade, Tragil Wade talked her mother into accompanying her to church. That moment, they say, is the one that convinced Jolinda Wade to make some radical changes.
She got sober, turned herself into Illinois authorities to serve a prison term that she skipped out on under auspices of joining a work-release program, and repaid her debt to society.
"My mother is a miracle to me and to our family, to see from where she came to where she's at now," said Tragil Wade, who at 30 is only four years older than the brother she has looked over for virtually his entire life. "I can't even describe it. It's like, if you didn't believe in God, this right here would make the belief strong."

Today, Jolinda Wade turns those tragic times into a powerful message.
"I feel reborn," said Jolinda Wade, who arrived for Sunday's service head-to-toe in purple, matching the newly redesigned decor of the sanctuary of the church that bears her name on the streetside sign. "Matter of fact, I feel reborn every day. There's always something new every day. I just thank God for the experience."

This is how she shows her thanks, preaching to people filling row after row of pews and hanging on her every word. They danced in the aisles and threw their hands in the air, shouting "Amen!" over and over, so many people turning out that the parking lot was overflowing and some latecomers had to park up to three blocks away.
"It's a blessing," Jolinda Wade said.

Her church, which was formed in October with just 47 original members, welcomed hundreds to Sunday's service, including the mothers of Shaquille O'Neal and Magic Johnson.
"All I can say: Hallelujah!" Tragil Wade said.
Since becoming a Baptist pastor, Jolinda Wade's following — she shares the title of pastor with LaDell Jones, whom she befriended when they began minister training together in 2004 — had to meet in a small rented room, one that didn't even give the NBA star's mother space to move around while delivering her testimony. But the new facility has plenty of room for dance and rejoicing — a move from "a space to a place," as Tragil Wade put it. "Today is the crossover," Jolinda Wade said. "We're in here today because of God's goodness and God chose to use the heart of my son to do this for us ... and he trusts the heart of his mama. Ain't that something?"
Somehow, he's always trusted that heart.

Wade never turned his back on his mother, not even when she was bouncing between jail and prison and she was at rock bottom. Since joining the NBA and amassing a small fortune, he hasn't been shy about showering his mother in lavish gifts, including a car and a house. Of course, he never planned to give her a church. Turns out, Jolinda Wade was trying to get loans for a church when she drove past the building that would eventually become her congregation's home. It was Jan. 21, when she noticed the run-down facility was for sale. Three months later, without ever asking her son for the money — he decided on his own to make the gift — they signed the ownership papers. Another month filled with work and renovation later, they were giving praise.
"My mother is not the kind of person who will come to me and ask me for this kind of favor. She's so thankful for even the little things I've done for her," Dwyane Wade said. "But it's the dream of every man, every boy, to be able to give their mother everything they want. So that was my dream and this is her dream. To me, that makes this perfect."

Christian in Sports: Cat Reddick (USA Women Soccer)

2008-07-15T03:30:00.000-07:00

Cat Reddick won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and now plays in the United Soccer League. Ever since then she has been playing regularly for the national team. However, the US Women's team preparing for the Beijing Olympics suffered a great blow when Reddick suffered an injury which was later diagnosed as a torn ACL. This injury will prevent her from heading to China in an attempt to win back-to-back gold medal.

Fans of Cat Reddick will know that this current setback will not dampen her spirit. Because to Cat Reddick, playing soccer out there is more than just kicking a ball and winning a game. Her testimony says it all, "Many people think church is the only place to worship God. But you can worship God no matter where you are or what you’re doing. A soccer field is one of my favorite places to worship. Before the national anthem, I pray my performance will bring glory to God. Then the field becomes my church, and playing to the best of my ability, a form of praise."

Cat Reddick, we wish you a speedy recovery.

The "Fastest Thing On No Legs"

2008-07-11T04:25:00.000-07:00

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius was born without the fibula in both legs. When he was only 11 months old, his parents made the decision to have his limbs amputated below the knee.

As he was growing up, he started running with carbon fibre prosthetic racing blades. He got better at it and started running competitively. Today he is the world record holder in his category for the 100, 200 and 400 meters sprints. Even more remarkably, he took the silver medal for the 400 meters in the 2007 South African National Championship competing against able-bodied runners.

Recently the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a decision by IAAF that Pistorius' carbon fibre prosthetic racing blades gave him an unfair advantage and that he should be banned from the Olympics and any other able-bodied race.

Now that he has received the go-ahead to compete against able-bodied runners, he is bidding to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. He needs to meet an Olympic qualifying time of 45.55 seconds in the 400 meters race to make the South Africa's relay team.

Athletics South Africa has given him extra time to qualify for the team. Should he succeed, he will make the history books as the first athlete ever to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics in the same year.

What sheer courage. Many facing similar physical position would have taken a backseat in life but not Oscar Pistorius. Many have written and commentted on Oscar Pistorius. Regardless of what others may say, he is still one heck of a guy to me. If he make it to the Beijing Olympics, he can be assured of a fan here cheering him on.

- The Saint -

Christian in Sports: Lee Young-Pyo (Tottenham & South Korea)

2008-07-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

When Lee Young-Pyo was growing up in Korea, he was heavily influenced by Buddhism. To him believing in God is like a fairy tale and for strange people. Until some of his friends told him about God.

He was struggling whether to believe God existed. He needed God to reveal Himself to him. Then one day God did revealed Himself to Lee exactly as he had requested. He became a Christian in the year 2001.

Lee said, "Since then, everything in my life changed, especially the way I think. Questions such as where I came from, where I’m going, what to do about my sins, and everything else I worried about as a high school student have been answered by God. One of the biggest fear anyone faces is the fear of death. That was certainly true for me. But now that I know where I’m going after I die, I am free not only of the fear of death but from death itself! In this way, God has dramatically changed all of my thoughts—my entire life!"

Sara Tucholsky

2008-07-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Loving your Neighbor in Sports

2008-07-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

When I first read this article and thereafter saw the video, it brought tears to my eyes. What a magnificent act of true sportsmanship.

This is sports at its very best. You must read and watch the video.

Romans 13: 10
"Love does no harm to its neighbor."

April 2008

Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky had never hit a home run in her career. Central Washington senior Mallory Holtman was already her school's career leader in them. But when a twist of fate and a torn knee ligament brought them face to face with each other and face to face with the end of their playing days, they combined on a home run trot that celebrated the collective human spirit far more than individual athletic achievement.

Both schools compete as Division II softball programs in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Neither has ever reached the NCAA tournament at the Division II level. But when they arrived for Saturday's conference doubleheader at Central Washington's 300-seat stadium in Ellensburg, a small town 100 miles and a mountain range removed from Seattle, the hosts resided one game behind the visitors at the top of the conference standings.

As was the case at dozens of other diamonds across the map, two largely anonymous groups prepared to play the most meaningful games of their seasons.
It was a typical Saturday of softball in April, right down to a few overzealous fans heckling an easy target, the diminutive Tucholsky, when she came to the plate in the top of the second inning of the second game with two runners on base and the game still scoreless after Western Oregon's 8-1 win in the first game of the afternoon.
"I just remember trying to block them out," Tucholsky said of the hecklers. "The first pitch I took, it was a strike. And then I really don't remember where the home run pitch was at all; [I] just remember hitting it, and I knew it was out."
A part-time starter in the outfield throughout her four years, Tucholsky had been caught in a numbers game this season on a deep roster that entered the weekend hitting better than .280 and having won nine games in a row. Prior to the pitch she sent over the center-field fence, she had just three hits in 34 at-bats this season. And in that respect, her hitting heroics would have made for a pleasing, if familiar, story line on their own: an unsung player steps up in one of her final games and lifts her team's postseason chances.

But it was what happened after an overly excited Tucholsky missed first base on her home run trot and reversed direction to tag the bag that proved unforgettable.
"Sara is small -- she's like 5-2, really tiny," Western Oregon coach Pam Knox said. "So you would never think that she would hit a home run. The score was 0-0, and Sara hit a shot over center field. And I'm coaching third and I'm high-fiving the other two runners that came by -- then all of a sudden, I look up, and I'm like, 'Where's Sara?' And I look over, and she's in a heap beyond first base."
While she was doubling back to tag first base, Tucholsky's right knee gave out. The two runners who had been on base already had crossed home plate, leaving her the only offensive player on the field of play, even as she lay crumpled in the dirt a few feet from first base and a long way from home plate. First-base coach Shannon Prochaska -- Tucholsky's teammate for three seasons and the only voice she later remembered hearing in the ensuing conversation -- checked to see whether she could crawl back to the base under her own power.

Rule clarification
As one of the umpires involved in the game between Central Washington and Western Oregon confirmed in an e-mail to ESPN.com, the rule in question was misinterpreted on the field after Tucholsky's injury and later clarified by the NCAA.
According to page 105, rule 8.5.3.2 of the NCAA softball rule book, "If an injury to a batter-runner or runner prevents her from proceeding to an awarded base, the ball is dead and the substitution can be made. The substitute must legally touch all awarded or missed bases not previously touched."

As Knox explained, "It went through my mind, I thought, 'If I touch her, she's going to kill me.' It's her only home run in four years. I didn't want to take that from her, but at the same time, I was worried about her."
Umpires confirmed that the only option available under the rules was to replace Tucholsky at first base with a pinch runner and have the hit recorded as a two-run single instead of a three-run home run. Any assistance from coaches or trainers while she was an active runner would result in an out. So without any choice, Knox prepared to make the substitution, taking both the run and the memory from Tucholsky.

"And right then," Knox said, "I heard, 'Excuse me, would it be OK if we carried her around and she touched each bag?'"

The voice belonged to Holtman, a four-year starter who owns just about every major offensive record there is to claim in Central Washington's record book. She also is staring down a pair of knee surgeries as soon as the season ends. Her knees ache after every game, but having already used a redshirt season earlier in her career, and ready to move on to graduate school and coaching at Central, she put the operations on hold so as to avoid missing any of her final season. Now, with her own opportunity for a first postseason appearance very much hinging on the outcome of the game -- her final game at home -- she stepped up to help a player she knew only as an opponent for four years.

"Honestly, it's one of those things that I hope anyone would do it for me," Holtman said. "She hit the ball over her fence. She's a senior; it's her last year. … I don't know, it's just one of those things I guess that maybe because compared to everyone on the field at the time, I had been playing longer and knew we could touch her, it was my idea first. But I think anyone who knew that we could touch her would have offered to do it, just because it's the right thing to do. She was obviously in agony."

Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace lifted Tucholsky off the ground and supported her weight between them as they began a slow trip around the bases, stopping at each one so Tucholsky's left foot could secure her passage onward. Even with Tucholsky feeling the pain of what trainers subsequently came to believe was a torn ACL (she was scheduled for tests to confirm the injury on Monday), the surreal quality of perhaps the longest and most crowded home run trot in the game's history hit all three players.

"We all started to laugh at one point, I think when we touched the first base," Holtman said. "I don't know what it looked like to observers, but it was kind of funny because Liz and I were carrying her on both sides and we'd get to a base and gently, barely tap her left foot, and we'd all of a sudden start to get the giggles a little bit."

Accompanied by a standing ovation from the fans, they finally reached home plate and passed the home run hitter into the arms of her own teammates.
Then Holtman and Wallace returned to their positions and tried to win the game.

Hollywood would have a difficult time deciding how such a script should end, whether to leave Tucholsky's home run as the decisive blow or reward the selfless actions of her opponents. Reality has less room for such philosophical quandaries. Central Washington did rally for two runs in the bottom of the second -- runs that might have tied the game had Knox been forced to replace Tucholsky -- but Western Oregon held on for a 4-2 win.

But unlike a movie, the credits didn't roll after the final out, and the story that continues has little to do with those final scores.
"It kept everything in perspective and the fact that we're never bigger than the game," Knox said of the experience. "It was such a lesson that we learned -- that it's not all about winning. And we forget that, because as coaches, we're always trying to get to the top. We forget that. But I will never, ever forget this moment. It's changed me, and I'm sure it's changed my players."

For her part, Holtman seems not altogether sure what all the fuss is about. She seems to genuinely believe that any player in her position on any field on any day would have done the same thing. Which helps explains why it did happen on that day and on that field.

And she appreciates the knowledge that while the results of Saturday's game and her senior season soon will fade into the dust and depth of old media guides and Internet archives, the story of what happened in her final game at home will live on far longer.

"I think that happening on Senior Day, it showed the character of our team," Holtman said. "Because granted I thought of it, but everyone else would have done it. It's something people will talk about for Senior Day. They won't talk about who got hits and what happened and who won; they'll talk about that. And it's kind of a nice way to go out, because it shows what our program is about and the kind of people we have here."

Christian in Sports: Allyson Felix (USA)

2008-06-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Allyson Felix is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for the United States. Felix sees her running ability as a gift from God, "My faith is the reason I run - it calms my heart and makes everything feel like a lift. My speed is definitely a gift from Him, and I run for His glory. Whatever I do, He allows me to do it."

In 2007, she became only the second female athlete to win 3 gold medals at a single IAAF World Championships in Athletics. Her major goal this summer is to win four medals at the Beijing Olympics.

She says, "In the season of my life that I am in now, I feel so blessed that God has given me the talent of running. My running is an amazing gift from God and I want to use it to the best of my ability to glorify Him. You have to have this passion and you have to have a reason for doing what you’re doing. And there really has to be a purpose there, I think that’s what drives success. I know my talent is from God. And that’s my purpose: to run to glorify Him."

Watch out for Allyson Felix at the Beijing Olympics.

How do we look at the other team?

2008-06-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Whether you are watching Manchester United play Chelsea or playing against the other team at BUG, how do you view the other team?

Are they your "enemy" "opponent" or "arch-rival"?

We know sports live by comparison. To be better than someone else is a basic thought in sport. So we need competition in order to gauge our performance level. What's the point of having 22 guys in a field kicking a ball if no one bother to take score!

However, when we look at the other team as our "enemies", we would have little love for them. Look at them as "opponents" and we would just want to beat them. If they are our "arch-rivals" then nothing but a win is acceptable. These attitudes may cause us to be very un-Christ like whether we are playing the game or simply watching from the grandstand.

Let us learn a new way in looking at the other team. They should be our "CO-COMPETITORS."

"In sport we need each other to maximize our potential and we need competition in order to maximize our gifts and perform to the best of our ability. Christian competition is about striving with all our might but within the rules and etiquette of the game. It is striving to maximize the gifts God has given us in a competitive environment. Will not the God who promised us in John 10: 10 (I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full) rejoice when we compete and reach our full potential?" - extracted from Stuart Weir book: What the book says about sports [page 69].

When we began to understand that we need them (our fellow co-competitors) to draw out the best that is within us, we would appreciate their competitiveness. With this paradigm shift, surely any competition would become more fun.

-The Saint-

Christian in Sports - Lucio (Brazil national team)

2008-06-21T02:09:00.000-07:00

Lucio played with Internacional de Portalegre in his native Brazil before moving to Germany to play for Bayer Leverkusken and then Bayern Munich. He is now a regular player in the current Brazilian national team. When he gained his first international cap, he expressed that was one of his biggest dreams.

The Brazil team consists of numeral Christians, who are known for regularly praying on the field, and have also been seen displaying shirts with slogans such as, "Jesus Loves You" after scoring a goal, or winning a game. Before many matches were played, the group would gather to pray "....not for victory but rather that our team praises God as is His due."

Before Lucio became a footballer, his mother took him to a church and immediately he felt belonged there. As he grew in the church, he realized a need of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and he committed his life to Him.

Lucio said, "Becoming a Christian brought about a total change in my life. Before I knew Jesus I did not have a disciplined life. I had low self-esteem. I did not have confidence in the things that I did day by day. Today I don't only want to walk with the Lord, but also, be more disciplined and persevere towards my objectives. Anyone who thinks that he has everything and doesn't have Jesus has nothing. The one who has Jesus has happiness and peace. With Jesus in your heart you need have no fear."

It's CONFIRMED.............

2008-06-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

The search for BUG's Ultimate Champion will be on Sept 1 2008. It will be a special one day competition for all the bug-gers to be held at Harvest Haven.

Keep yourself free, go tell others and start practising.

There'll be other SURPRISES coming. Check back for further information and updates.

- The Saint -

2008-06-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

What advice do you have for parents about kids and sports?

Sport offer kids a release from schoolwork and lets them go back to their studies with a fresher state of mind.

Lets not take away the FUN from our kids' growing years.

We shall be starting a series called "Christian in Sports". We will be looking into the lives of these Christians who are very competitive in their respective field and yet able to remain as strong living testimonies for Christ. We shall see how Christ inspired them to achieve some of their lives' greatest moments.

Coming Soon...

2008-06-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in Lawan Kuda, isolated, quiet, surrounded only by palm oil trees, and cows, when a group of youths, gather at a camp, battling out in various arena, to find out who is the Ultimate Champ... Stay tuned for more updates...

The Areana is somewhere in the map, in the midst of greens....
(map courtesy of Google Earth, map of Lawan Kuda)

Friendly Football match Pic

2008-04-11T01:29:00.001-07:00

Final Score: 8- 2

Kena whacked again, but this time we could see improvements in the team, yup, first and foremost, we did score 2, (could even afford to miss a penalty, aduh!!), our goalie made 2 saves, compared to nil in the previous game in Chemoh.

Man Of The Match: William CCK. (IpohBug CD)
Referee

Match Stats
	IpohBug	VineYard
Shots (on Goal)	8(4)	12(7)
Fouls	10	10
Corner Kicks	4	8
Offsides	0	7
Time of Possession	35%	65%
Yellow Cards	0	0
Red Cards	0	0
Saves	2	3

A word about KAKA - Part Two

2008-03-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

The answer is : We All Belong To Jesus!!!

IpohBug Last week

2008-03-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm very sorry for the lack of videos, but I don't have my own camera, see. And I hate lugging a 3-tonne SLR all over the place so I am just uploading everything I have... Here:

That's all the video for now.

A word about Kaka -Part one.

2008-03-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

What does the world's best soccer player have in common with us?

His dribbling skill?

His heading ability??

His footwear???

To find out, check out this space next week for part two....

New Pics!!!

2008-03-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, check out this link for some of the newest latest pictures from IpohBUG.

That's all for today, will update the site with more info and posts tomorrow!!

Last Week at IpohBUG

2008-03-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! sorry for keeping y'all waiting, but the latest pics and videos are finally in!!

I am putting them all in one video for easy viewing.

* Sorry if the video is a bit short, I didn't have much footage because of the rain!!
Sorry, Captain's ball People!!

Music: Analyse By the Cranberries

We had fun!!!!!

2008-03-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

People,
A big sorry for this much delayed post, kinda busy, besides I onli got the photos about 1 hour ago. regarding the last sunday, I can only say, WE HAD FUN!!! very much... about 100-110 youths came, "best-er" we had also the grandmaster of Ultimate Frisbee (the guy who brought this game to Malaysia), Mr Douglas, with us, to teach us the basic skills.... in football, we had the honor of having the service of our former Perak state football player and coach, Mr Rajasegaran to handle the football session... and not to forget, captain's ball, hehe, we have the trophy winning coach, Adrin... the whole evening was such a blessed evening... it did drizzled a bit, but we enjoyed playing in the wet, didn't we? no heavy rain, attendance was great, high profile coaches, and plenty of fun... i shall speak no more, let the photos tell more, ya.... to those who missed it last sunday, do join us this coming sunday....seeya..

Help...I'm hit... (left) I'm the eagle, and you're the chic....heheh... (right)

3 football coaches and 1 passerby, who's who? (left) Football kids in action... (right)

Mr Philip and Mr Rajasegaran giving pointers... (left) More football action.... (right)

All eyes...who'll get the ball? (left) 1 point scored...look at the dejected
defenders' reaction... (right)

Before we left... but this is only 1/3 of the crowd... do join us in the coming Sundays to find out yourselves...

We BUG-ged Ipoh....

2008-02-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

Who are we?
We are a bunch of fellas who truly believe that kids, and youngsters today should spend more time, having fun, outdoor, in the field or courts, at the same time get to know more friends, than just spending time to attend boring, sleep inducing-tuition classes or piano classes or ballet classes and etc…

And we call ourselves the B.U.G. team…

What do we do?
We organize games. This coming Big Ultimate Games is our 3^rd project, after the Inter-Church Games (futsal and captain ball) and the wet, wet, wet Water Themed Telematch.

Our water themed Telematch 2007

What is B.U.G.?
In full, it is called the Big Ultimate Games, this time, we are having 3 games which will run simultaneously, namely the Ultimate Frisbee (yeah, the doggy disc), Captain’s ball and football.

· Venue: YMCA field.

· Date/ day: every Sunday. (2^nd March 2008 onwards)

· Time: 5-7pm

Why B.U.G.?
We teach and introduce new games, like Ultimate Frisbee, which is totally a hit now in Klang Valley, among the college students, and youth groups. Also, we do all the hard work to organize the games, all u guys need to do, is to change, come and have FUN!!! Other games, include captain’s ball and football. Apart from good times in games, is there a better place to get to know other youths in Ipoh, other than joining the coolest games here, in our beloved Ipoh city?

Pssstt....it’s FREE!!! No charges.F.O.C. oh...

Who can join?
ANYONE, dude…anyone who wants to have a good time, playing games, getting to know new friends in the process, etc…

Who to contact?
Contact your respective church youth leader/ pastor/ person-in-charge for more details. Or contact zanpaktouslasher@gmail.com.

Ultimate !!!!!!!!

2008-02-26T08:08:00.001-08:00

We all hate history right? So I will just keep it really short, it was started in 1968 in New Jersey, USA, but I could not find anything on the history of the game in Malaysia, so that's all for the history part. hehe... And it is now the most popular flying disc game in world. In Malaysia, it is already a hit with the college students in Klang Valley, but here in Ipoh, it is relatively a new thing. There, in Klang Valley, it's so popular that now, there is a dedicated website for it, do check it out... UltimateMalaysia... check out also the international ultimate site, What Is Ultimate? or Ultimate Players Association

Ok, without further ado, allow me to introduce the ULTIMATE FRISBEE, but I guess there’s no better way to introduce the game, than letting you guys and girls watch the video clip yourselves. But before watching them, do remember some of general facts about the game:

Objective of the game: to catch the frisbee (disc) in the end (goal) zone.
No body contact.
No running with the disc/ frisbee.
If the attacking team drops the disc, TURNOVER, the opponent team will take control of the disc and attack.

The spirit of the Game...

General rules...

How to throw...

How to catch...

About BUG Ipoh

2008-02-25T03:48:00.000-08:00

Bonjour. The official launching of Ipoh's very own Big Ultimate Games (or BUG in short) is this Sunday, 2nd March at YMCA Ipoh, 5p.m. We will be having 3 games, Ultimate Frisbee, Football and Captain's Ball, which will all run at the same time.

Below is some information about BUG.

BUG Ipoh meets every Sunday at YMCA Ipoh from 5 to 7 p.m.

Games: Football, Ultimate Frisbee & Captain's Ball (All games will be played simultaneously)

BUG Mission: Channeling Youth to Christ Jesus Team through Sports

The BUG Team
1.Edwin Khoo - Ipoh Wesley Methodist
2. Anthony Chelliah - Word of Life
3. Tan Kian Aun - Elim Gospel Hall
4. Adrin Yeap - Elim Gospel Hall
5. Eric Yeoh - Elim Gospel Hall
6. William Chang - Elim Gospel Hall

Fellow TEAM Players
1. Ipoh Wesley Methodist
2. Word of Life
3.Tamil Methodist Church
4. Kledang Community Chapel
5. Full Gospel Assembly
6. Assembly of God
7. Canning Garden Baptist Church
8. Song YMCA
9. Elim Gospel Hall

Hope to see you all there this Sunday!!!