tim hudson
belief beyond doubt
A sports devotional written by Charlotte D. Smith, a former All-American and two-time All-ACC player who made the game-winning shot in the 1994 NCAA Championship that gave North Carolina its first and only title. Smith, who won an ESPN ESPY for Best Female College Basketball Player in 1995, also starred in the ABL and WNBA for 10 years and was an assistant coach at North Carolina for 9 seasons before taking the head women’s basketball coaching position in 2011 at Elon University, an NCAA Division I school in North Carolina. "I love to do Bible study on the road with my team," says Smith. "I just started accumulating a lot of writings, and just in my career as a coach, I really started to see the need for coaches to be empowered and coaches to be reminded of why we coach." Smith, who knows the struggles of players, coaches and people in general, shares stories on and off the court in a devotional format that will help coaches grow in their walk with Christ and also give coaches material to share with their team to help them grow, as well.
CONTENTS FEATURES
Doug Pensinger / Getty Images
NCAA Baseball Closeup: UCLA Baseball (p4); James White Tribute: James Deacon White (p6); Extreme Sports Cloesup: Nik Wallenda (p8)
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RUNNING THE RACE SET BEFORE HIM
John Gilbertson received a lot of attention after winning Photo provided by The Master’s College Athletics
CLOSEUP:
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TWO national titles in six months, but his desire was never to bring attention to himself BY MIKE CRAWFORD
Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
BELIEF BEYOND DOUBT
Experts thought Tim Hudson didn’t have the right build to make it in the majors, but 20 years later he is still proving them wrong BY BOB BELLONE
OPINION
OFFENDING THE FEW
The Saint Louis Cardinals had Christian symbols carved into the dirt on the pitching mound of Busch Stadium, and it shouldn’t have been a big deal BY BRETT HONEYCUTT
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Frank McKinney has conquered the toughest footrace on
SCARS AND SUBMISSION
Scarred up, dirty feet: A lesson of humility from Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith BY STEPHEN COPELAND
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the planet, but he’s more than an ultramarathoner BY CARL FOSTER
SS SPREADS TO RUSSIA, KENYA
Catch a glimpse of our new initiative, Sports Spectrum Global, and read the stories that are making an impact on the other side of the world FROM SPORTS SPECTRUM GLOBAL Ethan Miller / Getty Images
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Michael Steele / Getty Images
Stephen Copeland / Sports Spectrum magazine
SURVIVAL IN DEATH VALLEY Photo provided by Frank McKinney
Television screenshot
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AIRING IT OUT
OPINION
BY BRETT HONEYCUTT
b h o n e y c u t t @ s p o r t s s p e c t r u m . c o m | F o l l o w @ b re t t _ h o n e y c u t t
e are a hyper, oversensitive, society that cares about offending a few as opposed to offending the many. And we do it in the name of diversity, tolerance, and, in the case of St. Louis Cardinals fan Michael Vines, being neutral on religion (or, in essence, being proatheist). Vines, a St. Louis Cardinals fan and an atheist, said he was offended when he noticed that a cross and what he perceived to be a Christian fish symbol (it was a “6” according to Cardinals pitcher, and Christian, Adam Wainwright) had been drawn on the backside of the mound at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium. My response was: So what? When did offending Vines take precedence over offending Christians who are also fans of the St. Louis Cardinals and who liked having the symbol? Vines called Busch Stadium a “place of hallowed ground not just for Christians, but for Cardinal fans of all religious, including none at all.” Exactly. So, because Christians also follow the Cardinals, let the cross stay. And, because (apparently) atheists follow the team, let the rest of the places in Busch Stadium that don’t have a Christian symbol remain without a symbol. There. Issue solved. Christians could have a place on the mound (albeit in such a tiny place that Vines said he missed it numerous times before he spotted it) and atheists can have everywhere else. So, by having a symbol, faith is represented, and by not having a symbol, no faith is represented. But Mr. Vines (like most people who use faulty logic like his) has only a narrow view of right and wrong, tolerance and acceptance—in his world, everything in Busch Stadium has to be void of religious symbols, even though there are Christians on the team and groundskeepers (who drew the cross on the mound) who have the right (by God and by the U.S. Constitution) to exhibit that belief, too. Both groups (atheists and Christians) were offended. And if you read the comments on those stories (by people who also have a voice in our society), the majority (and it was overwhelming) of people were offended by Vines’ belief that there shouldn’t be any symbol. Someone on the Riverfront Times website posted simply that atheists “believe their religion of nothing should be enforced on everyone.” Someone else was more philosophical and direct (and more logical): “Has it ever occurred to you, Mr. Vines, that your desire to get rid of religious symbols offends me, and that, therefore, my offense and your offense cancel each other out and the symbols 2
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Television screenshot
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Offending the few
get to stay?” That same person went on to list the places or cities in the U.S. like Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) Sante Fe (Holy Faith), Corpus Christi (Body of Christ), Santa Cruz (Holy Cross), Las Cruces (the crosses), and even places like St. Paul, Minn., and, well, yes, St. Louis—where the Cardinals play—and asked, sarcastically, if we should rename them. Vines also wrote: “Out of respect to a devoted and diverse fan base who also has some skin in the game, not to mention a diverse group of players, (St. Louis Cardinals) ownership has a responsibility and obligation to prohibit religious symbols of any kind from being placed in the field.” Mr. Vines, no they don’t. Ownership has no obligation other than to do whatever they want. Ownership did use that right, but unfortunately they gave in to Vines repeated claims that he was offended (he wrote several letters complaining. I would have responded to him with letters asking him to stop and if he didn’t, I would let him know that I would be offended—which, would bring us to the crossroads, once again, of which offended person would we choose to give in to this time?). But it’s not a matter of being offended (it happens every day). It’s a matter of giving in every time an atheist has a problem with displays of Christianity. We do have a freedom to express it, Mr. Vines. And even though the Cardinals caved in this time, and offended others by trying not to offend one man, we’re hoping the next time someone in charge says this: “Thank you for your opinion. There are others who will be offended if we do that, so we, in exercising our right to do whatever Brett Honeycutt is we want, will do just that and not the managing editor cave in to your illogical and overly of Sports Spectrum sensitive demands. Because, well, magazine. Follow they offend us. him on Twitter: That is the type of boldness and @Brett_Honeycutt. backbone we need today.
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SPORTS SPECTRUM ~ DIGIMAG 2013
NCAA BASEBALL CLOSEUP
UCLA Baseball
UCLA RECORDED THE LOWEST E.R.A. IN COLLEGE WORLD SERIES HISTORY, BUT MANY ON THE BRUINS PITCHING STAFF STAND FOR MORE THAN NUMBERS
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efore this season, UCLA had won 129 national team titles in athletics—the most by any school—from rarely followed sports like badminton, rowing, and water polo to the more popular sports of basketball, football and soccer. But despite being in baseball talent-rich California, the Bruins had never won a College World Series, although PAC 12 rivals Southern Cal (12 championships), and Cal (two) had, as well as smaller and non-BCS in-state schools Cal State Fullerton (four), Pepperdine (one) and Fresno State (one). That changed in June, when UCLA swept Mississippi State in Omaha, Neb., in the College World Series championship round, 3-1 and 8-0, clinching the title in front of a TD Ameritrade Park record crowd of 27,127 on June 25. The Bruins also became the first team in history to allow one run or less in every CWS game and only the third team to complete the postseason unbeaten (10-0), as they outscored opponents 44-14. Even more impressive was UCLA’s pitching staff, which recorded the lowest ERA (0.80) in the aluminum bat era of the College World Series. One member of that staff, middle reliever James Kaprielian, pitched in three of the five CWS games and didn’t allow a hit or run. He also earned freshman All-America honors, and he isn’t ashamed of his faith, stating on his Twitter bio: “God first// Pitcher #11 for the University of California, Los Angeles // Stay humble, stay hungry” Another member of the staff, freshman Cody Poteet is just as bold, stating on his Twitter bio: “Christ follower! UCLA baseball player #34 #Bruins @madbrooksie Phillippians 3:8-9 Los Angeles/San Diego” For UCLA baseball, the future looks bright.
- BRETT HONEYCUTT
Photo provided by UCLA Sports Information
Photos courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, NY.
ARENA JAMES FOOTBALL WHITE LEAGUE TRIBUTE CLOSEUP
James “Deacon” White OVERLOOKED BASEBALL LEGEND JAMES WHITE WILL JOIN OTHER GREATS IN BASEBALL’S HALL OF FAME THIS SUMMER
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n July 28, 19th-century standout James Laurie “Deacon” White (1847-1939) will be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Some 75 years after his passing, the man tough enough to catch hundreds of games barehanded, skilled enough to bat .312 in more than 1,500 major league contests and famous enough to be part of a celebrated “Big Four” on three teams, at last is honored in Cooperstown for his diamond exploits. Some, however, will look even deeper into the character of the man. How did he get the nickname “Deacon”? Beginning with the post-Civil War baseball boom, and playing into the 1890s, he exemplified Christian faith as a way of life and conduct. One of baseball’s first superstars, his career is well summarized by Joe Williams in Nineteenth Century Notes (Spring, 2010) published by SABR—the Society for American Baseball Research. His selection in that year as “19th Century Overlooked Legend” inspired efforts leading to “Deacon” entering the Hall of Fame. White debuted with Cleveland’s Forest City Baseball Club (1868) and was with them in the first National Association game (1871)—collecting the first “major league” hit. The initial catcher to move up behind the batter, playing without a glove, during that decade he caught more games (409) than anyone else. White won two batting titles (.367/1875 and .387/1877) and three RBI crowns (1873, 1876, 1877). A dedicated team player, his Boston Red Stockings won three championships, 1873-75. Then the noted “Big Four” (with Hall of Famer Al Spalding, et al) joined the newly formed National League’s Chicago White Stockings, winning the first National League pennant (1876). Returning to Boston (1877, at age 30 mainly at first base) brought another pennant—and a family dimension. Kid brother Will (first player to wear glasses on-field), pitched a few games—and together the “brother battery” moved to Cincinnati 1878-80. Then “Deacon” spent five years in Buffalo, forming a second “Big Four” (with Hall of Famer Dan Brouthers, et al). In 1884, he helped design a rubber chest and abdomen protector, forerunner of modern catcher’s gear. The Buffalo franchise was sold in 1886 to the Wolverines’ owner, bringing the “Four” to Detroit. The following season, with White hitting .303, Detroit won the National League pennant and defeated St. Louis of the American Association to become “world champs.” In his 40s, White was a part-time player in Detroit (1888) and Pittsburgh (1889, with Christian outfielder Billy Sunday). Opposed to baseball’s “reserve clause,” and an advocate of players’ rights, he backed this with 122 games as player (and part owner) on Buffalo’s 1890 team in the single-season Players League experiment. White’s career statistics: 1,560 games, 1,140 runs, 2,066 hits, 977 RBIs, a .312 lifetime average and just 221 strikeouts. Playing shorter 19th century seasons, his 162-game averages would be 215 hits, 118 runs and 103 RBIs. What of Deacon White, the Christian? Buffalo resident Joseph Overfield, SABR co-founder and historian, opened his Nineteenth Century Stars (1989) bio citing early baseball chronicler, Hall of Famer Henry Chadwick (1890): “There is one thing in which White stands preeminent, and that is the integrity of his character. Not even a whisper of suspicion has been heard about Jim White. Herein lies as much his value to his team as his great skills.” This carried into his later life, initially as lens grinder with brother Will and livery stable/ garage owner. Then, moving to Illinois with wife Alice, he was caretaker at Advent Christian schools—enjoying blessings with their daughter and extended family. A clean-living, Bible-carrying, church-going player in a rough era, his descendants (several active in Christian ministries) join fans worldwide this summer, celebrating a great life. As great-grandson Jerry Watkins believes, “The spiritual legacy of Deacon White does live on in our family.” Rev. James D. Smith III (Th.D., Harvard) is Professor of Church History at Bethel Seminary San Diego, and has lectured extensively at the University of San Diego. He has been a Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) member since 1982.
-JAMES D. SMITH III SPORTS SPECTRUM
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Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
Tim Boyles / Getty Images
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EXTREME SPORTS CLOSEUP
Nik Wallenda TIGHT ROPE EXTRAORDINAIRE NIK WALLENDA SHOCKED THE WATCHING WORLD WHEN HE CROSSED THE GRAND CANYON ON JUNE 23
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CLICK HERE
to watch Nik Wallenda cross the Grand Canyon
ik Wallenda, who walked across Niagara Falls in 2012, recently became the first person to walk across the Little Colorado River Gorge on the Navajo Nation near the Grand Canyon on a tight rope. Wallenda, who began tight-rope walking when he was 2 years old and trains five to six hours each day, traversed a 2-inch cable that was 1,400 feet across and 1,500 feet above the twisting Little Colorado River on June 23. The historic walk, which took 22 minutes, 54 seconds, and was done without a tether or safety net, was shown live on Discovery Channel and viewed in 217 countries. “I believe God has given me a gift and a talent that can be used to bring glory to His name,” Wallenda told the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association last year. “I don’t go up there unprepared or untrained and say it’s up to God whether I make it or not. Not in any way.” Wallenda, is a 7th generation tight-rope walker from the famous Flying Wallenda family, which spans more than 200 years. He equated his art with the Christian life. “I think that in our walk with Christ, there’s so many distractions in this world, trying to pull us left and right, trying to distract you,” he told the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. “It’s about focusing on the other side—staying focused on our Lord.” Wallenda, 34, lives in Sarasota, Fla. He trained in 52 mph winds and rain during Tropical Storm Andrea in early June, and he also used wind machines that created gusts up to 55 mph. His purpose, though, doesn’t come from what some would consider “death-defying” feats. “That’s really where I get my peace,” he said in his new book, Balance. “I have confidence that if something were to happen to me, I know where I’m going.”
- BRETT HONEYCUTT
G N I N N U R THE RACE SET BEFORE HIM
SPORTS SPECTRUM ~ DIGIMAG 2013
Photo provided by The Master’s College Sports Information
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JOHN GILBERTSON RECEIVED A LOT OF ATTENTION AFTER WINNING TWO NATIONAL TITLES IN SIX MONTHS, BUT HIS DESIRE WAS NEVER TO BRING ATTENTION TO HIMSELF BY MIKE CRAWFORD 5:00 a.m. – Grab a snack, do devotions, leave for practice. 6:00 a.m. – Morning practice.* 7:30 a.m. – Eat breakfast. 8:00 a.m. – Make it to class. 9:10 a.m. – Chapel (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Class and study. 4:00 p.m. – Afternoon practice.* 5:00 p.m. – End practice/stretch. 6:00 p.m. – Eat dinner. 7:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. – Do homework. 9:00 p.m. – Go to bed. *70-105 miles a week 48 weeks of the year or the average college kid, a weekly schedule like the one listed above is a far cry from being considered “normal”. But, for the above-average Mustang cross country and track athlete John Gilbertson, that is the life he lives, and the life he loves. In fact, to him, that schedule is “normal.” “John Gilbertson is the type of guy who practices excellence in every area of life,” said eighth-year Mustang track and field head coach Zach Schroeder. “To be an athlete that produces school record after school record, multiple NAIA All-American honors, an individual national championship title, and a world-leading time in the 10k, you have to be extremely disciplined. I’ve never seen a collegiate athlete like John prepare to compete the way he does.” On a surface level, Gilbertson is obviously an above-average athlete. Holding six school records, an individual cross country and track national championship, being named an NAIA All-American multiple times, becoming TMC’s first ever duel-event track All-American athlete, and achieving 2013’s world-fastest time on March 29 in the 10,000 meter event, easily backs that up. But what makes him one of the top athletes The Master’s College has ever produced runs deeper than that. Much deeper. “I only have one tradition on race day,” Gilbertson said. “The last song I play before each race is Hillsong’s ‘I Will Exalt You.’ That song focuses my attention, because that’s what I want to do. I want to exalt the Lord in my actions, and praise Him no matter the outcome. Every time I go to race, I go to win for the Lord.” The classic movie, “Chariots of Fire” popularized the legendary Olympic sprinter and missionary Eric Liddell, and reminded the athletic world of I Samuel 2:30, in which God states, “For those who honor me, I will honor”. Reminiscent of Liddell, the Lord has blessed Gilbertson, and it shows. In the fall of 2012, Gilbertson won seven consecutive races that ultimately produced an undefeated personal season. Gilbertson capped off his season on Nov. 17 when he won the men’s 8K in 23 minutes and 56 seconds at the 2012 NAIA National Championship in Vancouver, Wash.
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“It sounds selfish, but I kind of knew I was going to win it,” commented Gilbertson on the national championship race. “I knew I was ready, and I knew the Lord was with me. I felt prepared and empowered. I honestly wanted to win so that no other runner would take the glory for himself. I wanted to give all the glory to the Lord and exalt Him.” Gilbertson has a proven track record of applying that same attitude towards every other race he has competed in. Schroeder can affirm that. “John has a consistent testimony in his commitment to the sport, but more importantly, in his commitment to the Lord,” Schroder said. “He’s setting the standard of the ideal athlete that we look for at The Master’s College.” It’s accurate to say that Gilbertson’s testimony is what The Master’s College is looking for in its students, whether they are athletes or not. As seen on the college’s website, “The mission of The Master’s College is to empower students for a life of enduring commitment to Christ, biblical fidelity, moral integrity, intellectual growth and lasting contribution to the Kingdom of God.” One of the most important ways the college’s administration attempts to accomplish that in lives of TMC students is through the first point: “The Commitment to Christ through unreserved worship of God.” “Worship.” The word derives from the Old English word “worthscipe,” meaning worthiness or worth-ship. Simply put, it means to offer extravagant respect, admiration and devotion. Worship characterizes Gilbertson’s approach to his sport. In an interview dating back to his sophomore year, Gilbertston once said “I feel like each race day is a sacred day, and it shouldn’t be defiled by any kind of distractions. Race days are when I get to go out and worship God and exalt him, and that’s all I think about really when I’m racing and before the race also.” It’s fair to say that John Gilbertson’s success can be linked to worship. According to him, that’s all that running is. “How we worship is seen in our running. It’s how we rely on God in the moment. It’s our legs, but not our strength. You need the Lord working with you. You need to push through the pain and work harder, because that’s what the Lord asks of us. We want to do that through the way we compete. The way we compete is how we worship. That’s all it is.”
“I only have one tradition on race day. The last song I play before each race is Hillsong’s ‘I Will Exalt You.’”
Photo provided by The Master’s College Sports Information
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Gilbertson embodies the approach to competing shared by all The Master’s College cross country and track athletes. Under the leadership of coach Schroeder, TMC’s distance running program has carved a unique niche in the running world as the team boldly seeks first and foremost to use the gifts that God has endowed them with to glorify and worship His name. Gilbertson, a captain for the Mustangs, further explained that “We view running as a gift from God, and fully want to invest in what He’s given us-not only running with excellence, but in all the little things that add up to it. We ‘run in such a way that we may win’ (1 Cor. 9:24), not only in running, but also in life. We strive to worship God through our running and in everything by being ‘All In.’” And as Gilbertson graduates from The Master’s College in May with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, he’s already preparing for life that matches his daily schedule: disciplined and abnormal. While most college kids are applying for jobs that will adequately pay off outstanding student loans, support themselves or a spouse, and launch them into the trajectory of a long-term career, Gilbertson has once again set his goals
Photos provided by The Master’s College Sports Information
higher than the normal standard. Much higher. “My post-collegiate plans are to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games.” Knowing that this isn’t something one can decide to do on a whim, Gilbertson has begun the process of achieving his goal. Already in communication with a number of professional coaches, Gilbertson hopes to earn a spot on an elite team. And while his end-goal is to compete on the professional level, Gilbertson is still focusing just as much energy on his commitment to the Lord as he would be focusing on his training. “It’s all about keeping your own life in an eternal perspective. I want to be a testimony in the Santa Clarita Valley and throughout the world, and speak into other’s lives. People see me and say that I’m fast and it is all done by my own athleticism. It’s not. I think of myself as someone being used by God. That’s who I am. A follower of Christ wanting to do his will.” Hebrews 12:1-3 states: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” John Gilbertson stands as a testament to the fact that the lives of a Bible-believing Christian and a long-distance runner have one thing in common: In order to achieve the goal, it takes discipline, faith, and perseverance…one step at a time. Mike Crawford is the Sports Information Director at The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, Calif. This article originally ran in The Master’s Current.
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EXPERTS THOUGHT TIM HUDSON DIDN’T HAVE THE RIGHT BUILD TO MAKE IT IN THE MAJORS, BUT 20 YEARS LATER HE IS STILL BOB BELLONE PROVING THEM WRONG
Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
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im Hudson was too preoccupied with his prep baseball career to take in many Braves games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. But there he was in the stands two decades ago when it hit him—he just might have a future working off a major league mound. “I was a junior at the time,” he told Sports Spectrum during spring training. “I found myself actually thinking that I could play at that level one day. It seemed so much harder on TV. It’s so much faster on TV. When you watch it in person, it’s just like the game I played in my back yard. It was fun to imagine that. I just never realized it would happen.” When it did, Hudson understood his ability to pitch in the big leagues, and later his opportunity to do so for the team he loved growing up, were heaven sent. “It was God’s plan to bring me here, and here I am,” the sinkerball artist said this spring. “I have been here for eight years, going on nine years, and hopefully it won’t be my last.” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez doesn’t think the end is near for Hudson, who turned 38 July 14. “I’m sure he’s not the same Tim that he was 10 years ago, but his experience is better. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out,” Gonzalez said. “He knows how to pitch a little bit more than he did 10 years ago. As far as stuff goes, his ball still sinks tremendously.
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His slider and his secondary pitches are great. He won 16 games last year, and we didn’t start him until May.” Gonzalez also withheld the ball from Hudson in a do-or-die showdown with the St. Louis Cardinals for a wild card berth last year. The assignment was awarded to former relief pitcher Kris Medlen, who was practically unhittable after his escape from the bullpen in late July and finished the regular season with a 10-1 record and 1.57 ERA overall. Moreover, Atlanta was riding a majorleague record string of 23 consecutive victories in games started by Medlen dating to 2010, but St. Louis foiled the plan and deprived Hudson of a seventh year of playoff experience. This season, Gonzalez rewarded the team-oriented veteran with the honor of his sixth Opening Day start. The rest of the pitching staff was content in the shadow of a teammate with a long history of nothing but winning records at the highest level and a willingness to share his expertise. “He’s better than a coach because with the coaching staff and the players there’s a little bit of separation with personal relationships on and off the field,” Medlen said. “He talks to the rookies, talks to the guys on the other side of the clubhouse. It’s really cool to see. He always treats you how he wants to be treated. He realizes he was in the same spot at one time in his career. He’s very accepting of the younger guys, and he likes to set an example. He’s a perfect
veteran guy for that job.” Atlanta pitching coach Roger McDowell completely agrees. “He’s down in the bullpens all the time, not only if he’s throwing a bullpen, but he’ll stay down and watch some of the younger pitchers throw bullpens and offer some advice,” McDowell said. “Usually that’s when I walk away, because I know that they’re getting the right information.” Sound advice was lacking from major college and professional scouts, who dwelled more on Hudson’s slight build as a Glenwood School senior than his 12-1
“It’s been very gratifying for me and my family to be able to (help children in need.)” “I’ve been blessed with an unbelievable platform. I’ve been able to accomplish things through baseball that I know is not my doing...” record and 1.78 ERA that helped produce a 1993 Alabama state title. Undaunted, he stayed home in Phenix City and continued his development at Chattahoochee Valley Community College. By twice achieving All-America status as a team leader in key pitching and hitting categories, Hudson was awarded a scholarship to Auburn University. The right-hander became equally dominant in two seasons there, aided by a lower arm angle on his delivery and the addition a split-finger fastball to his repertoire. Hudson peaked as a senior en route to the College World Series. His 15-2 record and 2.97 ERA, combined with a .396 batting average, 18 homers and 95 runs batted in, resulted in unprecedented dual First Team All-SEC honors as a pitcher and an outfielder. The Oakland A’s took notice of Hudson, win-
Aaron May / Sports Spectrum
ner of the Rotary Smith Award as the nation’s top collegian, and selected him in the sixth round of the 1997 amateur draft. Two years later, he fulfilled his big-league dream and posted an 11-2 record, 3.23 ERA and team-leading 132 strikeouts despite toiling in the minors until early June. In his second season, Hudson produced a career-high 20 victories, the first of his four high finishes in Cy Young Award balloting, and the first of his three All-Star Game appearances, fittingly, in Atlanta. By the winter of 2004, the Braves wanted to see him in town on a regular basis and essentially stole him from the A’s in a trade for Juan Cruz, Dan Meyer and Charles Thomas. Turner Field was the site of another career highlight for Hudson on April 30, when he limited the Washington Nationals to three hits over seven innings for his 200th victory. And reminiscent of his early days in baseball, he chipped in offensively with a double and a home run. Hudson would have reached the milestone sooner, but he was shut down four months into the 2008 season to undergo Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow and didn’t resurface for more than a year. The Braves remained so confident in Hudson, they signed him to a three-year extension. He immediately rewarded them with a season worthy of National League Comeback Player of the Year honors. During one stretch of 15 years in charge of the Atlanta dugout, retired manager Bobby Cox produced 14 division champions, five National League pennants and a World Series crown. Behind that success were such elite pitchers as John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and their great admirer – Hudson. “He’s right in the mix with all those guys,” Cox said. “He’s been a winner ever since he signed on with us. He’s had a tremendous career, and he’s still on top of his game. Tim is the world’s greatest competitor, and that goes a long way.” Hudson also works tirelessly away from the game. A devoted Christian, he and his wife Kim operate the Hudson Family Foundation, which is committed to helping children in need of physical, emotional or financial support. “It’s been very gratifying for me and my family to be able to do that,” he said. “I’ve been blessed with an unbelievable platform. I’ve been able to accomplish things through baseball that I know is not my doing. You have to take advantage of the things that you’re blessed with, and the opportunities and the platforms that you’re blessed with, and try to do right with them.” Bob Bellone is a freelance writer based near Tampa, Fla.
Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
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SURVIVAL IN DEATH VALLEY CARL FOSTER
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he Badwater Ultramarathon has been recognized as the toughest footrace on the planet according to National Geographic magazine. From the starting line in the bowels of Death Valley, athletes traverse 135 miles with temperatures at 130 degrees or higher on scorching, 200-degree pavement with several elevation changes from sea level to the finish line high on Mt. Whitney. Frank McKinney, real estate mogul, a 5-time, bestselling author, including the faith-based book, The Tap, a philanthropist and an extreme ultra-marathoner, has made this trek and journey of faith, sacrifice and survival eight times for one large purpose—the Caring House Project Foundation. “Suffering a little voluntarily, which I choose to do for those suffering a lot more involuntarily in Haiti, is why I headed back to the Badwater and Death Valley for an eighth time in 2013,” says McKinney. Frank uses his Badwater challenge to live out his mantra, “Compassion without action is a wasted emotion.” More than 20 self-sufficient villages in Haiti have been developed through the Caring House Project Foundation.
Photo provided by Frank McKinney
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Photo provided by Frank McKinney
Frank McKinney recently added“actor”to his list of titles, as he played the lead role in the movie“Infidel.”Learn more at InfidelTheMovie.net.
There are only 300 athletes in the world who have finished this grueling, madman march through the summer, where temperatures are closing in on the 1913 all-time world record of 134 degrees this year. One hundred runners, by invitation only, are accepted each year, and 2013 featured 20 countries and at least two dozen states represented, with men and women of all ages like veteran Frank McKinney (8-times) and 45-50 rookies. The time limit to finish is now 48 hours; it was 60 in Frank’s rookie year of 2004. What’s the grand reward? It’s a custom, Badwater belt buckle that Frank describes for sports fans as the equivalent of trophies given by the NFL (Lombardi), Major League Baseball (World Series), NBA (Larry O’Brien), or the NHL (Stanley Cup). “When you walk into a room with runners wearing a Badwater belt buckle, you get the ultimate respect. People even get down on their knees,” laughs Frank.
Photo provided by Frank McKinney
FINDING BADWATER
His passion for Haiti is a main reason Frank McKinney participates in Badwater.
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If you never heard of Badwater and ultramarathons before, Frank never had either before his summer vacation to Death Valley with wife Nilsa in 2004. Being a casual jogger in Delray Beach, Fla., Frank decided to go out for a short, six-mile jaunt in the desert. He would run three miles from their hotel and three miles back to check out the beauty of Death Valley. He barely made it back to the hotel, running out of water halfway out and suffering from heat exhaustion. He had a purple glaze when Nilsa opened the door of his hotel on his return; she knew something wasn’t right. After an ice bath, they rushed down to a general store to get some electrolytes in Frank’s body and more water. A grizzly, desert-beaten-looking, old prospector at the counter started yelling at Frank to get back out there, because, he thought, Frank was in the Badwater race and was in dead last and wouldn’t finish. Frank was confused because he had never heard of Badwater at that time. As fate would have it, he stumbled into what would become an integral part of his families’ life and mission from God during the next decade. He immediately researched the race, watched a video documentary, “Running in the Sun,” more than 50 times, and became infatuated with the challenge for the human body and human spirit to complete this grueling race. He had to give it a try. One year to the date of that Death Valley vacation, Frank finished his first Badwater race in 48 hours, 49 minutes, after working with a veteran, Badwater trainer for a year. His wife, Nilsa, also went into research mode, learning all the aspects of being a crew chief while building a team of five to figure out the needs to help Frank get to the finish line. “Badwater has become a special place for our family, making many lifelong friends and seeing how God has blessed us with the privilege to do this race over and over to benefit those less fortunate with our Caring House Foundation initiative of building selfsufficient villages in Haiti,” adds Nilsa.
Photo provided by Frank McKinney
Nick Laham / Getty Images
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Photo provided by Frank McKinney
TURNING BAD TO GOOD
Photo provided by Frank McKinney
Frank, armed with his rock star looks and his willingness to attempt things others only dream about, has raced dirt bikes on a track in his back yard and performed illusions, unveiling his million-dollar, masterpiece houses that he has built and sold. In the real estate world, he is known as a daredevil developer and real estate, rock czar. He has published several best-selling, real estate books and is called on to speak nationwide on how he has applied his Badwater lessons of life. He uses the metaphor of Badwater as challenges to help people overcome fear and failures in their business or personal lives. He shares that everyone has their own Badwater and tells people how to overcome the obstacles that often get in the way. One might think that surviving one Badwater Ultramarathon would suffice for the “bucket list” of accomplishments, but that wasn’t the reason Frank has returned to the desert year after year. The first event was selfish, he admits, as he wanted the macho bragging rights of being in that select few in the world who finish the world’s toughest race. “Usually five or so runners actually go to win the race, a small percentage want to improve on their personal best times, but most of us just want to survive,” continues McKinney. When he missed getting the belt buckle in year one, by just 49 minutes, it didn’t take long for Nilsa and Frank to sit down and start planning a return to Badwater to break the 48-hour mark. God had also “tapped” Frank to open his heart to serve. The Caring House Project Foundation kicked into high gear to start building self-sufficient villages all over Haiti. After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Frank deployed a team of medics and support personnel, chartered a cargo plane to Haiti and led a team of the first Americans on the scene that pulled people out of the ruins and devastation. Team McKinney was up for the challenge in 2006, and Frank reduced his finish time by six full hours, to 43, earning him his first Badwater belt buckle.
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Just how much do faith, Bible verses and a relationship with Jesus work into the survival of the mountains, the wind, the extreme heat, the various elevations all together in one race? “If you’re a true Christian, we get tested all the time and sometimes the faith just isn’t where it should be,” Frank says. “I look at Badwater as a microcosm of life and what our faith can go through. What I’ve learned is a three-word mantra, ‘Relentless, Forward, Motion.’ So in life, with our faith, we must always be moving forward with Christ, regardless of setbacks, challenges, doubts, anger and disappointments. We have to relentlessly be moving forward for that eternal prize.” “While reading the Bible cover to cover, I realized why so much was written about the desert, as there is a spiritual cleansing that takes place in that Death Valley race across the desert. It’s like running on the moon at times, and although stunningly beautiful, I do have so much time to be alone with my thoughts and Christ. “The perfect verse for Badwater that is prominently displayed on the side of our crew vehicle is Psalm 121:5-6; I rely on these words year after year after coming across them training for my first Badwater in 2004. “The Lord is your guardian, the Lord is your shade, He is beside you at your right hand. The sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night.” I reach out my right hand many times on that 200-degree blacktop for the Lord to strengthen me and protect me from the sun. The moon by night I relate to the sleep deprivation I encounter over the 48 hours.
GROWING UP WITH BADWATER
Photo provided by Frank McKinney
Frank’s daughter, Laura, who turned 14 years old on July 15 during this year’s Badwater race, has had a chance to grow up watching her dad persevere and traverse across Death Valley the past eight years. It’s been special for her because her birthday always falls during Badwater. Her best memory of the race was a few years back when it actually rained for the first time in the desert during the race. “It was a fun time being part of the joy and laughter splashing
on the streets with my dad,” she says. “It’s also always a special, happy time celebrating with him at the finish line. He’s my hero.” Badwater 2013 was extra special for Frank, Nilsa and Laura McKinney because his daughter, for the first time, was certified to be an official crew member for the 48-hour endurance run. Crew chief and wife, Nilsa, takes charge every step of the way as she always has to make sure Frank crosses the finish line one more time. “His goal is my goal. His happiness is my happiness, and as a wife that’s what I feel marriage is all about,” she says. “Support your spouse in what’s important to him and now that’s also important to me.” As we anticipated Frank returning to Badwater to attempt to do the “undone” of not finishing in 2012, God had another plan, and the desert’s heat literally took the feet out from under him at mile 91. Frank posted to his fans and followers on his website from Death Valley, “I have some heartbreaking news regarding my Death Valley Badwater 135-mile Ultramarathon. I developed severe blisters covering the bottom of both feet and all ten toes beginning at mile 35. After having my feet tended to by Denise Jones the ‘Blister Queen,’ by mile 91 I was only able to move forward downhill at 2 mph. Each passing hour I was slowing more. It became clear that I would not make the 48-hour cutoff, and I made the agonizing decision to drop out just after mile 91. I want to thank all of you for your support and well wishes. Today was a very tough day, but I accept His will...” Is there another Badwater race in Frank’s and his family’s future? The final chapter may not be written yet.
“Suffering a little voluntarily, which I choose to do for those suffering a lot more involuntarily in Haiti, is why I headed back to the Badwater and Death Valley for an eighth time in 2013.”
Carl Foster is a veteran sportswriter/sportscaster who has interviewed Frank McKinney numerous times for his Good Sports Magazine Radio Show over the past eight years. Carl also traveled to Haiti with Frank’s Caring House Foundation and ran through the streets of Port-au-Prince with Frank visiting several of the 20 self-sufficient villages he’s built. To listen to Carl’s weekly Good Sports Magazine Radio Show, go to www.gracenetradio.com. Fla.
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Оleg Maskaev World Boxing Champion
О
leg, share your impressions about the last fight against Jason Gaverni. Even though I won this fight, but in fact was not an easy fight. I must say that I was not properly prepared for it. My manager, Fred Hash, who was involved in the preparation of this fight, died suddenly just before the fight. Therefore, the fact of death, Thanks to your help, Sports Spectrum Global recently as well as produced the first ever Christian sports magazine different organizational in Russia. Our friends in Russia are distributing the issues premagazine through our digital platform, social media, vented me to go up to the highest street evangelism through trading cards, and through form of combat. But I thank God the local church. Click the Sports Spectrum Russia that He gave me the victory. He cover below to flip through the magazine, or read the saw my hard work and diligence, as well as all the problems that translated cover story to the left.To join our global do not depend on me, and gave cause, visit sportsspectrum.com to donate. me the strength to not only survive against Gaverni and win, to which I have been so long...And I’m very grateful that there were many close people who supported me. There was also a friend of mine who throughout the fight prayed for God to give me strength. And of course, the situation has changed in the ring in my favor, and the result—a victory. The media talked a lot about how you had left professional boxing. But at the end of 2012 you came back and won. Is it really true? If so, what have you been doing all this time? In fact, this is false information. I never left the box and do not plan to in the near future. I keep practicing. Of course, I had a period of several unsuccessful battles, but I never claimed that I was leaving the box. There was a time when it took a very long time to find the
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Ethan Miller / Getty Images
Ethan Miller / Getty Images
Ethan Miller / Getty Images
Ctoliwatchck HOlegereMaskaev (Russia) face Jason Gaverni (USA)
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right fight, and maybe this is the reason of such rumors. But I kept practicing, kept their shape and waited for opportunities to re-enter the ring. Tell us a bit about your life and how you believed in God. I was born in Karaganda, a city with a reputation as a hooligan (Republic of Kazakhstan). Born into a family of people far from God, where problems are solved, relying only on human strength, without God. My father once advised me: “Oleg, do boxing, you have to be healthy and strong man to protect themselves.” At that time, boxing was very developed sports in my hometown. On the advice of my father I started boxing, but never wanted to go to a professional level. I was an amateur boxer won the Championship of the Armed Forces of the USSR, the Championship of friendly armies of the Warsaw Treaty, the Cup of the Soviet Union, was the champion of Asia, and repeated, as well as a silver medal in the world championship in 1992. April 17, 1993 in the town of Jambul (Kazakhstan) I had my first professional fight. Then, still an inexperienced boxer, I spent the fight against Alexander Miroshnichenko, USSR champion, multiple European champion and Olympic medalist. To the surprise of all, I’m an aspiring boxer who knocked out a defending champion held in the third round, and after that I signed the contract in the U.S.. At 22, I began to realize that in life there is something much bigger than my battles, victories and glory. Situations occurred in my life that I could not even tell the people close to me, forcing me to seek God. Over time, my mind became fully aware that a strong boxer needs the support of the Lord. God came to meet me. I heard about Jesus Christ from my mother in law, and every time I came to visit her, I liked to read a small children’s Bible. From the pages of this book, the Holy Spirit touched my heart. I
began to realize that God is out there somewhere. After a while I got to watch the film “Jesus”, organized in one of the theaters of Moscow. It is through the stories the film, set on the basis of the Gospel of Luke, I realized how much Jesus had done for me. That night in prayer to Jesus, I asked forgiveness for their sins and ask for support for each day. On that day, everything changed. God and I began to move together towards the accomplishment of spiritual victories. The Lord sustained me through the most difficult and dangerous periods of life. It is a step by step, stage by stage strengthened me as a future world champion, helping me to grow spiritually. The obvious result of a living relationship with God are the blessings of God, namely, success in my boxing career. After a series of landslide victory in the summer of 2004, I stepped into the ring against the silver medalist in 1996 (Atlanta) Defiagbona David, who had no injuries before that time. I confidently won on points. Despite these victories, for me the main thing was that I was walking down a new path, the path of knowledge word of truth. All this strengthened me and helped start the witness of faith in Jesus. One example: my father, a staunch atheist who always spoke and taught us that we have to rely only on ourselves, on our own strength, our health and our courage. After I shared with him by his faith in God, he said to me: “Oleg, you got up on the wrong path. Believers are weak people. “ He was present at my December fight in Moscow in 2007 and witnessed his son defeat Peter Ohello and win the world title. For my father it was proof that Christians that have a right relationship with our Savior Christ can be strong, not only by faith and spirit, but also physically.
work on in the future. And this applies not only to sports injuries, but also the circumstances of life. So for me, defeat provides an incentive to work on my mistakes. About victories, I will say that this is not just my victory. This is the victory of my family, my friends and my church. Because we are all very pleased about this. Victory—they are always pleasant. But all these wins and losses—it’s just a way of testing and purification, which I’m going with God. The biggest victory yet to come—a meeting with my Lord. Your wishes to the readers ... The most important thing that you can believe is God, that you understand His importance in your life. And, of course, that when you believe in Him, your business always agrees with your faith. For myself I know that we often talk a lot, but the most important thing is that we’re not just saying the right things, but that we live righteously.
Why is the Bible such an important book to you and your family? When we buy something, almost every thing has instructions attached for use. It teaches on the one hand and on the other—cautions. God wrote the Bible for a person, as an instruction to his life. In it we find the essential truths of life and relationships both with God and with people. But other than that, the Bible—the Word of God Himself to man, which gives us hope and leads to faith in Him and eternal life. After completion of your boxing career, how will you use your experience of the Christian life, as well as their athletic experience and achievements? Frankly, I live for today. And when I box, I try to achieve maximum results. For each athlete, it is hard to think about retirement. But I know that no matter how developed my future life, God always gives me hope through faith in Jesus Christ. Of course, we do some business, and our success depends on who we glorify with our own affairs—ourselves or God, who gives us all. Of course, I’d like to fight a couple more fights, if it be God’s will. Whatever happens, I know my God will always support and be there with me, and my family is also always there and supporting me. Tell us how your family supports you in the process of training and matches. For me, their support is very important. My family, it’s only women, but they are known to always love, regret and worry. Constant running, self-training, sparring partners, etc., and all this I always feel their care and support. What have you learned about winning and losing? As an athlete, I do not like lessons, because it is always difficult. The first thing I ask myself the question: Why did this happen? Often defeat says that I made a lot of mistakes that I need to
Ethan Miller / Getty Images
JAPHET KORIR YOUNG KORIR EYEING GLORY IN 5000M BY MICHEZO AFRIKA 30
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Michael Steele / Getty Images
Sports Spectrum Global is happy to present to you our most recent global project: Sports Spectrum Kenya, a Christian sports magazine to share throughout Kenya to encourage, challenge and inspire believers and non-believers alike. Read our story on runner Japhet Korir in the following pages, or click the cover to the right to flip through the magazine yourself. To join our global cause, visit sportsspectrum.com to donate.
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t 19 years old, Kenya’s Japhet Korir became the youngest senior men’s champion in the history of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships when he won the event this past March in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The humble Korir, who turned 20 on June 30, was not aware he was the youngest to have won the race. On the finish line, Korir showed his excitement with the news, “Ah okay!! I didn’t know I have the record.” Minutes before, he had floored defending champion Imane Merga of Ethiopia in spectacular style. Korir, who announced his desire to compete in the 5000m event for the World Athletics Championships, will have to be at his best when Kenya holds her national championships and trials in June and July. In the past, Kenya has produced even greater athletes in that distance. In order for Korir to make it on the Kenyan team for Moscow, he will have to beat 2012 Olympians Thomas Longosiwa (5000m bronze medalist), Edwin Soi, and Isaiah Koech. The youngster, who hails from Kericho, says it was incredible to prove his critics wrong since taking him to Poland was considered a big gamble. Months before during the national trials this past February, Korir finished sixth and was not considered a threat to
CLICK HERE to watch Japhet Korir win the 2013 World Cross Country Championship
be on the podium at the world championships. As he reminisces, “I was unaware I became the youngest winner in the senior men’s race until a reporter mentioned it to me after the race. It was indeed a great achievement to me, given the fact that I was racing with the best athletes in the world. I give praise to the almighty Lord for raising me higher.” Korir’s running days date back to when he was a pupil at Kiplelgutik Primary School in Kericho County, where he took part in several running competitions in school. Going to school in the
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morning, to lunch, and back home always involved running; little did he know it would take him this far. Korir’s credentials were noticed while still a high school student in Kiptere Secondary School. While there, he won the African Cross Country Championships in Cape Town, South Africa, at the age of 17, and won the silver medal in the same race a year later. “On the track my achievements have been less. The best time to my credit is of 13:11.44 in the 5000m in Dusseldorf, Germany, in 2012. I want to major more in the 5000m race, and with the world championships coming in August, an opportunity couldn’t have
Michael Steele / Getty Images
come at a better time,” he says. The first born in a family of five wants to serve as a role model to his juniors who have always seen him to be a future top star. “Nobody was really a runner in our family. My uncle, who used to train and encourage me to take running seriously, never even made it to the track.” he adds. Korir also reminisces how he ran the IAAF World Challenge in Melbourne, Australia, in the 5000m in April. “I won the race in a time of 13:31.94. This was yet another milestone, for I couldn’t have done it alone without God’s guidance,” he adds. “The year started on the bad note to me having
been nursing ankle injury going to the national cross country trials. I must admit I feared for the worst, but I pulled through.” This summer, Korir looks forward to the world championships with a lot of expectations, saying this can be an ideal time to finally win hardware on the track at the world stage. “We have the national trials coming in July where the best in the country will be selected. I have faith that the Almighty Lord will guide me and keep me fit for the big task.” “God has always been with me guiding and leading me even in strange paths and making me victorious. I trust and believe that He will be with me always.” SPORTS SPECTRUM ~ DIGIMAG 2013
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ANOTHER ANGLE
BY STEPHEN COPELAND
OPINION
stephen.copeland@sportsspectrum.com | Follow @steve_copeland
“
Scars and submission
I have a strange question,” I said. “Okay,” replied Carolina Panther wide receiver Steve Smith, leaning back into the cushions of his living room sofa. Smith had just finished telling me about his visit to the Dominican Republic the week before, where he led a shoe distribution trip through Samaritan’s Feet, an organization that helps provide shoes to millions around the world who don’t have them. The unique thing about Samaritan’s Feet, I found, is that it takes a hands-on approach to their ministry, washing the feet of each person who receives a pair of shoes. Which led me to my question… “What’s it like to wash the feet of a homeless man?” I asked. Entering the interview, I knew Samaritan’s Feet was a passion of Smith’s. And I found his love for Samaritan’s Feet woven into the artistry of his house, where the Good Samaritan is painted on the ceiling of his office, and a foot-washing drawing is stenciled into the wooden frame of his office door. But for whatever reason, the question that came out of my mouth had nothing to do with Samaritan’s Feet, the organization—but rather the feet we walk on, run on, jump on, where dirt builds beneath our nails and fungus festers between our toes (if you’re podophobic, sorry). And just as Smith wasn’t expecting the question, I wasn’t expecting his answer. “For me,” Smith said, pausing for three or four seconds, “When I do a shoe distribution, it’s a great opportunity for me to spend time with God. And this is what I mean,” he said, sitting up and leaning in. “When I take their socks off, you can see everything. And when I see the dirt and the filth underneath those toenails, I look at it like this: Those people are just like me. “When you have your clothes, you look like you have everything together. But just like when we take off our shoes and our socks and someone washes our feet, they get to see all the muck and the mire. All the imperfections. All the things your feet show.” As I write this in my office just outside Charlotte, N.C., I have my bare feet propped on my desk. I see a total of eight scars and a gap big enough next to my big toes to rest a baseball bat. Stare at my feet long enough, and you’ll think I’m from another planet. Or perhaps reside in a pond. That’s because my feet face inward too much, like a duck. It required two separate foot surgeries as a toddler. My mother would push me around the mall or grocery in a wheel chair, and people would come up and pet me like I was the runt of the litter. Cute, sure, but only because it’s pathetic. As I got older, they continued to grow inward again. To this day, it looks like I could have six toes because of the gap next to my big toe. I look at my feet right now, crossed on my desk, hoping my editor doesn’t walk in, and I’m reminded that my heart is just as my feet: scarred and broken. “But all it shows to me is the dirt and the sin that is underneath the toenails of a homeless person is the same thing as the sin and the dirt in our hearts,” Smith continued. “So when I see that, it’s a great reminder that I’m no different than them. Because I’m jacked up. Filthy. Toe-up. Deceiving. Untrustworthy, at times. No matter how many organizations I’m involved with, no matter how
many showers I take, you can’t wash that away—only the blood of Jesus.” The thing I love about what Smith said is that washing feet reminds him of one thing: his humble submission to the Father because of his own scars, dirt and fungus. While photographers snap photos and journalists write stories about Steve Smith’s involvement with Samaritan’s Feet, centered around his passion and generosity, his heart and mind are elsewhere—perhaps at the Last Supper, where Smith envisions Jesus washing Smith’s own battered feet that have journeyed places they shouldn’t, or perhaps in the shadow of the cross, where Jesus is dying to save a murky soul that has been trapped places it shouldn’t. Like all of us. The other day, I found myself standing next to nine groomsmen on a porch in Louisville, Ky., for my best friend’s wedding. It was at a historical site, and there was once a Civil War battle there or something. It had rained for three days straight, but it stopped for two hours, and it felt like God was breathing life into everything around us. At one point in the wedding there was a foot-washing ceremony for the bride and groom. The worship leader was playing “To The Very End” by Will Reagan on the acoustic. The bride was crying. Time seemed to move in slow motion, flawless like a living, breathing Nicholas Sparks film. Also, the flower girl was rolling around in the grass, and I found it unfair she got to roll around while I had to stand and focus on not locking my knees. I noticed the groom’s shoes resting on the boards of the porch, and believed it to be a perfect snapshot of humility. Throughout their marriage, I knew they would mistreat one another. There would be scars, dirt and fungus. But their humility before God would allow them to wash one another’s feet for the rest of their lives. Time after time. To the very end. I’m currently reading a book called “Humility” by Andrew Murray (an 1800’s South African theologian, not the 2013 Wimbledon champion). He says this: “And because Christ had thus humbled himself before God, and God was ever before Him, He found it possible to humble Himself before men too, and to be the Servant of all.” So I picture myself in that room, a magnificent supper in progress, sitting in a chair, my Savior Stephen Copeland crouching down and removing my is a writer at Sports shoes, His hands holding my feet, Spectrum. Follow His thumbs caressing my scars. him on Twitter And telling me I should do the @steve_copeland. same.
“...when we take off our shoes and our socks and someone washes our feet, they get to see all the muck and the mire. All the imperfections.”
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