Faith

Let me start by saying that I am not perfect, and although I serve a perfect God, my actions and words will often fall short of truly representing Him. I profess my faith, because it is the foundation of what I believe, who I am, and who I am trying to be. I only pray that you see beyond my faults and into my heart: one that serves a holy, just, and loving God, one that recognizes there is nothing I can personally do to make up for my mistakes, and one that is extremely grateful for the salvation provided through a relationship with His son, Jesus Christ. It is not my intent to express judgment or condemnation, but to share a God who desires a relationship over rules, who loves us unconditionally even though our love will always exist with parameters and expectations, and a God who has a perfect plan and purpose for everyone’s life. If I or other Christians have failed to express the characteristics of this loving God to you, then I humbly ask for your forgiveness. Please do not judge our God by the actions of His imperfect people.

My testimony:

As a kid, my mom always made us go to church on Sunday. I will admit that I did not always want to go, but now I am thankful for that foundation. It was not until I got to college that I was challenged to make decisions for myself. I took a few theology classes, that made me question whether I truly believed what I learned as a kid on Sunday. It was through that process that my faith was strengthened, and I really began to understand God’s great grace and mercy. Now, as a professional athlete, I find that I am challenged in many different ways. Each day I strive to become a better basketball player, and it is the same with my faith. Every day I try to have a deeper understanding of God’s word, and I try to live out the forgiveness and love that He teaches. Basketball is no different than any other walk of life, there are going to be good times and bad. Through it all, I have found that my faith keeps me grounded when things are going well and helps me through when I did not think I could make it.

Favorite Verse:
Colossians 3:23
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men”

Studying Now:
Called and Accountable–Henry Blackaby

My Choice Books:
-Bible
-Quiet Strength –Tony Dungy
-The Shack –William P. Young
-Redeeming Love –Francine Rivers
-Blue Like Jazz –Donald Miller
-Moments with the Savior –Ken Gire
-Boundaries –Cloud/Townsend
-Unfavorable Odds-Kim Hamilton Anthony

Reading Now:
Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson

Top websites:
www.iamsecond.com
www.athletesinaction.org
www.biblegateway.com
www.beyondtheultimate.com