Scott Hamilton - Hall of Fame Ice Champion

The following is an incredible testimony of Scott Hamilton, US Olympic Ice Skater and Gold Medal winner during a I Am Second clip.  You say you haven't heard of him?  Well, let me give you some background.  Starting in 1981, Hamilton won 16 consecutive national and world championships.  He was inducted in both the US Olympics and the World Figure Skating Hall of Fames and he created the incredible touring show called Stars On Ice which cemented his superstar status.

As a child he had a disease that stunted his growth...he is only 5'4" tall.  He will go into greater detail on what he thinks about that in the video.

In 1997, at a career high, Hamilton was forced to leave the ice to undergo chemotherapy for testicular cancer.  This is where his faith really began to grow.  During the course of his life he has battle cancer three times!

It is interesting to me how many people think this "Christian" life thing is something to try or not to try and they just don't get it.  It is a RELATIONSHIP with a LIVING GOD who cares, understands, hears, desires fellowship and answers.

Grab a kleenex as you hear his AWESOME experience and be prepared to be radically changed as he shares how his faith grew and his prayer life changed because of a simple conversation.


"When I look back, and I see all those moments in my life when I needed a great deal of strength, I understand that through a strong relationship with Jesus, you can endure anything." -Scott Hamilton

Josh Hamilton and the Rangers Make the Play-Offs

Back in February of this year I was blessed to meet Josh Hamilton and hear his testimony regarding his life, his struggles and his walk with Christ.
When the Rangers won their right to enter the play-offs in September, Josh Hamilton opted to avoid the "post-game" celebrations in the locker room as he is a recovering alcoholic and has purposed to keep his life clean by avoiding anything and any place that could cause him to stumble.  Here he is one of the best players on the team and he opts out of the festivities to keep a commitment to speak at an area church after the game.

Well, some of the player wanted to celebrate with water but he just felt he needed to avoid all the appearance of the alcohol and cigars so he could go communicate his message to the youth at this church event.

There was talk that the Rangers as a team wanted to include Josh Hamilton in the after-game festivities if they were to win the right to play for pennant.  Being a team sport, this past week, when the Rangers won that right to advance (the first time in 38 years) you knew the celebrations were going to be huge.  So what did the players decide to do?  They opted to not have alcohol involved in their celebration so that Josh could participate with them.  They used, Ginger-Ale and the party was incredible.  I LOVE this.  What a great team to honor one of their own and including him in all the celebrations.  Way to go Rangers!

Tonight the pennant race begins at 6:30 PM Central Time, here, on our home field.  Let's go Rangers!  Let's Go!

I Am Second - Nate Larkin

WOW! That is about all I can say regarding this video clip.  If you haven't heard of I Am Second it is a web-site filled with people you know and people you don't know who share their testimony and realize that they are too, second to Christ.  POWERFUL clips...I haven't seen one yet that hasn't moved me.

This one is entitled I Am Second Nate Larkin.   Who is Nate Larkin?  Well he was a pastor who was introduced to pornography on a seminary sponsored trip to New York City with his wife.  They were taken on a tour of Time Square so that they could see first hand how the women are exploited by the sex business.  He was shocked and disgusted by what he saw but strangely he was also fascinated and hooked.

He shares how he not only like porn but became obsessed with it.  It took him to places he never intended to go.  He eventually was led to his first of many prostitutes on his way to a Candlelight Christmas Eve Service that he was officiating.  He never got "caught" but he was terrified of loosing his reputations.  He left the ministry after about five years.  Those years were dark as he continually cried out to God for help.  He concluded by his unanswered prayers that either God didn't care or God didn't exist.

One of the most fascinating parts of his testimony was where he shared how pornography offered this artificial intimacy with no risks.  He explained how he believes we are all made for intimacy but intimacy carries it's risks.  People can reject us or dissappear or they can die.  With porn he never had to worry about that.  There were no risks invovled he concluded.

 "So everyday I said hello to the women who wouldn't laugh at me or who found me attractive, engaging.  Everyday I gave a piece of myself away.  It left me emptier and hungrier ever time and yet I kept coming back."

The link goes into how he found freedom.  He has now written a book entitled Samson and the Pirate Monks and he is now lives in Franklin, TN with his wife.  He has established a Nationwide organization called "The Samson Society" that is dedicated toward men being real and helping each other in a Christan Manner.

I post this because so many in the world today...even in the church today are living a life as Nate was, trapped in their sin and living a secret.  There is freedom and that freedom comes from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray for all the men and women out there that are bound by or effected with this hideous addiction.  I pray that you too will be able to accept the warmth and acceptance of Jesus' love as Nate did.  All of us are broken.  All of us are second.