diamond devotions
Daily Wisdom and challenges from
Scripture, illustrated by the game.
How a Christian Handles Disappointment, Part 4: Gratitude
I didn't play well as a senior in college. Looking back, I think maybe I was just disappointed. Our team had more downs than ups my first three years and it was all just disappointing. We could have been better. We could have worked harder. We could have won more. But...
read moreHow a Christian Handles Disappointment, Part 3: Perseverance
I wore # 8 in college at Murray State University. After wearing 9 in high school, I hoped to remain with that on my back, but it was unavailable when I arrived on campus. After offering to pay the teammate wearing it, I was denied and forced to choose a new number. To...
read moreHow a Christian Handles Disappointment, Part 2: Humility
No one usually considers himself or herself to be arrogant. Most of the time, we are the last ones to see it. On full display for those around us, our pride is often hidden to us. It makes us blind, I suppose. And if we're honest, we just don't want to see it. With...
read moreHow a Christian Handles Disappointment, Part 1
One after another. Honestly, at this point, I keep waiting for one more. No spring break trip. Season on hold. Season canceled. No summer practice. Four weeks of summer practice. No more summer practice. No in-person school. No fall practice. No organized meetings. No...
read moreTrust the Process
Trust the process. That's what he preached to his players. One rep at a time. One practice at a time. One game at a time. Development as a player and team can't be rushed. It doesn't happen overnight. All he asked was that they trust the process. Trust him. He had a...
read moreUncomfortable At-Bats
The most uncomfortable—in fact, terrifying—at-bat I ever had was against a guy who threw in the mid-90s and had no idea where the ball was going. I had faced hard throwing pitchers before. I had faced wild pitchers before. But the combination of hard throwing and wild...
read moreOne Piece Away?
Every offseason, Major League teams search for ways to improve their current and future rosters. Free agents are signed. Trades are made. Contenders look for that final piece to push them over the top. Rebuilders look for the prospect to turn their futures around. All...
read moreJesus and the Art of Coaching
Part of the art of coaching is the ability to break a player down and build him back up again. Breaking him down doesn’t mean demoralizing him, but instead means showing him how his ways aren’t going to work. Building him up doesn’t mean just making him feel better,...
read moreJesus Punched Religion in the Mouth
Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. So said Mike Tyson, one of the most ferocious boxers in the sport’s history. The same is true in baseball. My plan was always simple: follow the same routine each game, each at-bat, each fielding opportunity,...
read moreSafe at Home
There’s a great monologue by the late comedian George Carlin, in which he describes the differences between baseball and football. It’s worth the watch when you have the chance. Carlin talks of football in serious tones, wherein the goal is to march down the field,...
read more