Jumping Over the Obstacles of Life

2 Corinthians 5:20 (New International Version)

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

The fact that Jesse Williams is even on the U.S. Olympic team may seem like a fluke to some.

The U.S. high jumper finished fourth in the Olympic trials earlier this summer, and only the top three qualify for the Olympics. But third-place finisher Nick Ross didn't have the Olympic 'A' standard necessary, 7'7", so Williams squeaked in.

"For me, I feel like this is my opportunity that God has given me to get things done," Williams said of the Olympics. "But at the same time, I know that God has a plan for me. And I know that whatever happens is God's plan."

In order to advance to the Olympics, competitors must have jumped the "A" standard at some point in the season. While Williams finished fourth in the Olympic trials, he, and not Ross, had met the "A" standard earlier in the season.

Williams attributed his poor showing in the Olympic trials to an ankle injury he suffered the week before while playing basketball. Though the ankle was fine while he was jumping, he said the incident affected his mental preparation.

"I'm motivated more than ever to show that that performance is not the typical Jesse Williams jumping," he said. "I'm motivated to go out there and show everybody that I can do much better."

Williams certainly has done better in the past. Though he didn't medal in Beijing in 2008, he won gold at the 2011 World Outdoor Championships. He is considered one of the favorites to win the competition in London.

Jumping was an activity that always came easy for Williams, even as a child in North Carolina.

"No matter what sport I did, I could always out-leap anybody on whatever team it was," Williams said. "Any game that I played with other kids around the block growing up, I always tried to change it into a jumping game, because I knew I could win."

He set up obstacles to jump over to challenge himself and see what he could do. Sometimes he was successful. Sometimes he hurt himself with crazy stunts. Inspired by the athletes he saw as his family regularly watched the Olympics in his childhood, Williams knew he wanted to be an Olympian himself.

Jumping wasn't the only thing that has been with Williams since childhood. His faith in the Lord also blossomed at an early age. He grew up in a home with Christian parents, attended church regularly and listened every night at bedtime as his mother read him a Bible story.

Williams began asking his mother questions, and she told him how he could have eternity with Christ in heaven. He made a profession of faith as a young boy.

"It may be, in a sense -- compared to some people's stories about how they met Christ -– kind of boring, but I find it as a complete blessing to be in that situation," Williams said.

That trust in the Lord that Williams developed early has helped him throughout his life. As an athlete, especially an Olympian, that trust gives him a peace and a confidence. That's important for Williams, because the Games come only once every four years and bring with them tremendous pressure to succeed.

"I kind of look at that pressure and see it, but at the same time, I know in the back of my head that it doesn't matter," Williams said. "I'm going out there and competing for the Lord. No matter what happens, I'm not going to get flustered. I'm going to go out and have a good time and just represent Him."

Dear Lord we pray that no matter how high the pressure is that we would trust in You. We pray that in all we do we would represent you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Letting God and Volleyball Shape His life.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (New International Version)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

In one way, Reid Priddy hopes that the London Olympics won't be a repeat of what happened in Beijing.

Four years ago, tragedy struck the men's volleyball squad when Todd Bachman, the father-in-law of team coach Hugh McCutcheon, was stabbed and killed at the Drum Tower in Beijing shortly after the Opening Ceremony.

In another sense, however, Priddy would take the same result from the competition itself: the men's team won gold in 2008 and Priddy, now the team's captain, thinks he and his teammates can do it again.

"Gold is certainly possible," Priddy said. "I don't think the rest of the world thinks it's probable, and that's OK. They didn't think that before."

London marks Priddy's third Olympics experience, and at age 34, he knows he's in the latter years of his professional volleyball career. But regardless of when the end comes, Priddy knows that the Lord has guided his steps, deepened his faith and molded him along the way.

"I find that God has really used volleyball and the ups and downs and the learning aspects to shape my character, and it's a great arena for that," Priddy said. "It's a great arena to learn how to be a team player, how to put a team's goal above any personal agenda, how to work with other people."

The son of a minister, Priddy grew up in a Christian home, but it wasn't until college and the years shortly thereafter when he grew in his faith. While attending Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, a Jesuit Catholic university, Priddy was part of a campus ministry and "was able to see God do some cool things with a sort of ragtag group of believers," he said.

Immediately after college he spent two years in Europe, a time in which he said he developed a great fellowship with the Lord. Prior to his first Olympics experience in 2004, Priddy had a revelation.

"Right before the Athens Olympics, I really felt God giving me permission to be a fierce competitor," he said. "I love to compete, and I love to try to win."

He said that freedom that he felt from God to play fiercely and passionately set the stage for the rest of his career.

"I just try to be the best volleyball player I can be, and the best teammate I can be," Priddy said. "I think that falls in line with what I'm called to do."

Priddy thinks and hopes that London won't be his last Olympics. He's confident he can compete at a high level for another four years and perhaps make a return to the world's biggest athletic stage in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He admits that he's apprehensive about life after volleyball.

"My relationship with the Lord is so tied to my journey as an athlete," Priddy said. "It almost scares me to think of when that's not there, what is it going to look like?"

Regardless, Priddy knows that God is faithful and will work in His life, whatever he may be doing and wherever he may end up.

"I'm extremely thankful and grateful for that," Priddy said, "that I've never been in this alone."

When things look down remember that God is always there to guide us.

Dear Lord we pray that we would take the ups and downs of life and let You teach us the lessons You have for us. We pray that we would always do our best. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Are You Running Ahead of God?

Psalm 32:8 (New American Standard Bible)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;

I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

With wings on her feet and Christ in her heart, Francena McCorory is ready for the 2012 Olympics in London.

The 23-year-old graduate of Hampton University will compete in the 400-meter dash and the 4 x 400-meter relay.

The 400-meter is a grueling race, a near all-out sprint one lap around the track.

"It's a tough race, but if you have faith in God and faith in yourself and just faith in your training and what you've been working towards, it can be fun "It's all about your mindset."

McCorory is definitely focused. She currently holds the American indoor 400-meter record.

She puts in the work on the track and in the weight room. That training paid off in June, when she placed third at the U.S. Olympic trials to earn a spot on Team U.S.A.

"It was just great to see my dream unfold before my eyes," she recalled.

McCorory already has one gold medal on her resume. She anchored Team U.S.A. to victory in the 4 x 400-meter relay at the 2011 World Championships in South Korea.

"I can't even describe the feeling. Last year, at World Championships I got the opportunity, and it was so much emotion," McCorory said. "At first I thought, 'I'm just going to stand up here and get a medal,' but you just feel so proud to see them raise your flag the highest."

Still, there's something special about an Olympic gold medal. She said hearing the U.S. national anthem at the London Olympics would be a dream come true.

But ultimately, McCorory wants to win for Jesus Christ.

"I tell my friends and family all the time, 'Jesus is the one who gave me this ability,'" the young athlete explained.

"I can't get out here and run on the track by myself. It's all Him," she said. "He blessed me with this talent, and I just want to use it to glorify Him."

McCorory added that no matter how fast she runs, it's important to not get ahead of God. She said she makes sure He is leading the way on and off the track.

Dear Lord we thank You for the talents that You give each of us. We pray that we will give you the credit. Help us to not go in front of You but let You lead us all the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Staying True to the Target and God's Word

Hebrews 10:23 (New American Standard Bible)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

American Sarah Scherer sat in the crowd during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, cheering on her brother Stephen in the air rifle competition. She was thrilled to see him reap the fruits of countless hours of training and practice.

Shooting had been a bonding activity for the Scherer siblings for eight years at that point. When Stephen picked up the sport, his little 9-year-old sister Sarah wanted to join him. They were practically inseparable, both inside and outside of the shooting range. Such was life for the Scherers as they grew up in a single-parent home, with their mother Sue doing the best she could to provide for her family.

This year, 21-year-old Sarah will be the one grabbing the air rifle to compete in London. She'll suit up in the heavy leather outfit that helps support her physically as she aims and fires at 40 quarter-sized targets from 10 meters away. She'll make every effort to control, relax and steady her body -- even her beating heart.

The roles will not be reversed from 2008, when she watched her brother compete. Stephen will be noticeably absent. Two years after his 2008 Olympic competition, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The heart that Sarah Scherer will try so hard to still during her Olympic competition -- the heart whose untimely beat can be the difference between pinpoint precision and catastrophic error in her sport -- was practically torn from her body when her brother died. She contemplated giving up shooting entirely. Too many haunting reminders.

But through God's grace and the love and support of family and friends, Sarah has found the strength to continue her own shooting career. She does it with a heart full of hope and confidence that she and her brother will one day be reunited.

"Knowing that my brother had a faith in Christ and lived for Him, that's the biggest thing for me," Scherer said. "Because of that decision and that choice my brother made, and that trust that I have, I'm 100 percent sure of where my brother is. I know that he's in a much better place, and that I'll see him again in heaven. That's the number one comfort that I've really experienced coming from my brother's faith."

In the months that followed Stephen's death, Sarah found encouragement from Scripture. Her church family at Southcliff Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, surrounded her and her mother with prayers. Sarah's collegiate small group was especially helpful as she grieved her brother's loss and wrestled with the difficult questions. Why, God?

"Sarah's small group was kind of an anchor that continually brought her back to what she knew to be true from God's Word, even when she was at her lowest points," said Spencer Plumlee, one of Southcliff's pastors who was the college minister at the time.

Friends emailed or texted her with encouragement, often at just the time Sarah needed it the most. Her small group leader talked with her and listened to Sarah's questions. Through all these things, Sarah saw the hand of God upholding her. She heard the voice of God telling her, "I'm here for you. Yes, this is a tough time, but I have a plan, and I'm in control."

"Leaning on Christ through this time has been the only way that I've gotten through it," she said.

Scherer continued to practice and develop her shooting skills on the Texas Christian University shooting team. The times she felt like quitting, she got confirmation from God that He still had work for her to do among that community.

So she kept at it, and her diligence paid off. As she prepares to compete in London, Scherer knows the Olympics may resurrect painful memories of her brother. This was their dream, not just hers, and now he's no longer there to share it with her.

But she's also fully aware of the work God has done in her life, bringing her through trials and tragedy and preparing her for the biggest athletic event of her life. Whatever the outcome, Scherer continues to cling to her Lord.

"My performance in the athletic world doesn't define who I am," she said. "My definition is from Christ."

Are you letting Christ define your life?

Dear Lord as we go through this day we pray that we wouldn’t let the things around us define who we are but that we would let You define us. Help us to always put Your ways first. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gabby Douglas Claims Gold, Then Thanks God

Colossians 3:17 (New International Version)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

American Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Gabby Douglas has praised God following her amazing win in the Women's Gymnastics All-Around event in London on Thursday.

A score of 62.232 was enough to give Douglas victory and hold off tough competition from her Russian competitors.

Gabby's victory in the Women's Gymnastics All-Around, leaves her mark in U.S. Olympic history.

Following her emotional win the 16-year-old gave an interview with NBC and celebrated the moment by praising God and offering her thanks for an amazing blessing.

"It is everything I thought it would be; being the Olympic champion, it definitely is an amazing feeling.

 And I give all the glory to God. It's kind of a win-win situation. The glory goes up to him and the blessings fall down on me," Douglas testified in the interview.

Later she also took to social networking site Twitter to continue her praise. She tweeted: "Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me."

Gabby also stated on her Twitter account that she loves "my family, dogs & most importantly God :)"

Gabby, a Virginia native, earned her spot on the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team after she defied expectations at the American Cup in March. She initially only competed in the cup as an alternate, but she outscored the favorite in the U.S. Gymnastic team, Jordyn Wieber.

In London earlier this week she also beat out Wieber again to gain the qualifying spot for the All-Around final, where she went on to defeat Viktoria Komova of Russia for the gold medal. Through all of her journey she has given God the glory.

We may not win a gold medal and have millions of people watching us as we give God the glory. As we read in today’s verse, whatever you do give God the thanks. There are always those around us watching and listening, let today be the day they hear you give the credit to God.

Dear Lord we thank You for the strengths that you have given to each of us. As we use those strengths and accomplish the things before us help us to remember to give you the praise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Is God Guiding Your Hands?

Proverbs 21:31 (New International Version)

The horse is made ready for the day of battle,

    but victory rests with the Lord.

U.S. men's archers Brady Ellison and Jacob Wukie, speaking at a post-event press conference, made up two-thirds of the trio who won silver in the men's team competition July 28.

Brady Ellison, Jacob Wukie and Jake Kaminski became the first Americans to capture a medal in the London Olympics, winning silver in the men's archery team competition July 28.

The U.S. trio scored a big win over South Korea in the semifinals before falling to Italy 219-218 in a gold medal match that came down to the last arrow. The Italians needed a perfect 10 on the last shot and got it.

During the match, Ellison wore the Scripture reference Proverbs 21:31 on his right hand: "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord."

He described why the verse is meaningful to him in a press conference following the match, noting that it's important to work hard and to be as prepared as possible.

"But when it comes down to it, victory is in the Lord's hands," Ellison said. "He gives out the medals at these Games, or at least, that's my opinion."

Wukie, who narrowly made the U.S. team, echoed Ellison's sentiments. Throughout the trials process and the Olympic competition, Wukie said it was important for him to keep his focus on the Lord whether he made the team or not.

"I work hard and do my best to the best of my ability, and I trust God with the results," Wukie said. "He said that all things work together for good for those who are in Christ Jesus, and so that's really my focus.

"I can't necessarily always say how people are going to view me or view that, but I can trust the Lord that He'll allow the truth to be shown to other people."

Ellison said he and his teammates "all decided that the team event is where we wanted to spend the most time, because it was going to be the most memorable. We could share it with each other, and that would mean so much more to us to go out there and win a medal together than individually. So we put a lot of work into practicing team rounds."

"It's a huge blessing to have been here and to have gotten a medal," he said, "and we couldn't be more excited about it. We all tend to be pretty humble about our accomplishments and don't like to brag about it too much."

In the archery women's team competition, the U.S. team of Jennifer Nichols, Khatuna Lorig and Miranda Leek lost to a lower-ranked Chinese team 218-213 in the quarterfinals July 30, leaving the Americans without a medal in the event.

"We came out and had high hopes," Nichols said. "We felt really good. We were shooting really well all this week and especially in practice right before we came out. However, it just wasn't our day.

"When our arrows didn't go in, China's did. It happens sometimes. China shot really well, and I'm really happy for them."

From a personal standpoint, Nichols said she gave the results, her expectations and how she felt to the Lord.

"I kept praying, even the whole time during that match, 'Lord, just guide our hands. Help us to shoot well, and you be glorified,'" Nichols said. "I'm still praying that He's glorified, even in our loss as much as in our wins."

As you go through the day are you asking God to guide your hands and that He is glorified?

Dear Lord today as we think about the archers we pray the same words  “Lord, just guide our hands and may You be glorified ”  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Is Your life Synchronized With Christ?

Galatians 2:20 (New International Version)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

When U.S. diver David Boudia looks at the bronze medal he won July 30 with his teammate Nick McCrory in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform event, he sees change.

Boudia and McCrory put together six solid dives for a score of 463.47 points to finish third behind the teams from China (gold) and Mexico (silver) and ahead of the hometown team from Great Britain.

Boudia, making his second Olympics appearance, said at this year's Games he has a "totally different mind frame" from what he did four years ago.

"Going into 2008, I was just excited to be on the team, and it was deer in the headlights," Boudia said. "I was chasing after things that are temporary."

But at Purdue University following the Olympics, Boudia's diving coach Adam Soldati told Boudia about the ultimate fulfillment that comes in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Boudia became a Christian.

"Going into 2012, I knew the one main goal I had was to praise God and to love others while doing it," he said.

Soldati said Boudia is a different diver this year than what he was in Beijing.

"He was holding onto diving like it was going to satisfy him," Soldati said of Boudia. "Now as a Christian he realized that's not going to bring ultimate satisfaction, and that just gives you a peace. We're in a sport of movement where you need to be relaxed, so if you're at peace, you're probably going to perform better."

Boudia said he has been greatly encouraged by the messages of support he's received from his home congregation, Faith Church in Lafayette, Ind.

"I get so many messages, whether it's Facebook or Twitter or text messages, letting me know that they're praying for me," Boudia said. "The coolest ones are that they're not praying for the victories. They're praying that God's name would be revealed and lifted on high. Now I have a crazy opportunity. I'm going to be in front of thousands of media people and I get to speak the name of Jesus and praise Him for what He's done."

What a great example he is for all of us. Is it your goal to do everything for God?

Dear Lord we thank you for position that You put us in. We pray that we would take the opportunity to share Your great love with those around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.