What’s special about this picture is not the image itself but when it was taken. In the finals of 1998 we were up 3 games to 1 with a home game on Thursday, June 11 to close out the series. That night Karl Malone scored 39 points to lead the Jazz to victory and force us to make a trip back to Utah. The next day our team had planned a light walk through in the morning before flying out later that day. Jordan, who played 45 mins the night before, arrived wearing sweat pants and low cut shoes as I am sure he planned to do very little actual physical preparation for the final game. 

After the short practice, Keith Booth, Randy Brown, Scott Burrell and I started playing round robin one on one as we often did to get some extra work in. Meanwhile Michael and the other starters sat down as we waited for the media to come in post practice. That particular season MJ directed quite a bit of trash talk at Scott. Scott was always willing to playfully go right back at him and on this occasion suggested Michael keep his old tired body on the sidelines. As the media walked in for the final moments of practice, the trash talking went back and forth as we continued to play. Finally Jordan could not stand it any longer and slowly strolled over to get in the game as the media watched. I’m not sure what the score was when he joined the game but MJ came back and won. ​

So the greatest player in the world on the day before one of the most important games of his professional career couldn’t simply sit by and watch others compete. It didn’t matter the potential cost or consequences; believe me the scenario of Michael stepping on my foot and rolling an ankle went through my mind. MJ simply was compelled to seek out the high that comes from winning. That day at practice he made sure everyone in the gym knew he was the best. Less than 36 hours later, the GOAT made sure the rest of the world knew.

Below is a Facebook post from my amazing wife, Tammy. Enjoy!

My daughter says I overthink everything. She is right.

I watched Tiger Woods walk through the throngs of adoring fans this past Sunday. Thousands were lined up along the fairway to get a glimpse of greatness. Restrained by golf etiquette, for the most part, they held back their cheers as the other competitors took their turns. But immediately following Tiger’s swing, the applause would erupt and flow down the gallery. I was mesmerized by the scene as he approached the 18th green and the tension escalated with every step. I could feel the desperation of the crowd through my tiny iPhone screen. They wanted Tiger to win. They needed him to win.

I realized I was watching this event on Palm Sunday, and the coincidence was almost too much for my overthinking self.

What if he didn’t win? What if he choked and hit the ball into the crowd? I almost couldn’t watch, but I had to know how this story would end.

The finish was one of those beautiful moments that highlights the best of humanity. After battling years of personal and physical struggles, Tiger had the courage to compete against golfers half his age -young men he had inspired to play the game many years ago. When the last putt placed his ball safely in the hole, he rejoiced with a clenched fist full of relief and satisfaction, quickly followed by hands in the air and roars of victory!

The crowd went wild and I was tearing up for a man I’ll never meet. I was tearing up for wildest dreams and greatest hopes fulfilled. What a great story.

I want fairy tales to come true. I want all the good things and the happy ending every time. I want a Palm Sunday Savior with adoring crowds lining the street and cheers of victory. “Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest!”

If I am honest, I don’t like the bloody beating and savage murder of my Lord. It churns my stomach to think of his flogging. I hate everything about the nails piercing his flesh and his wounded, bleeding, naked body being hoisted up onto a cross to die a horrible death as onlookers cheer.

If I could edit the Gospel story, it would end on Palm Sunday. Jesus would ride through the adoring crowds on the donkey and soak up all the love. As he approaches the town of Jerusalem, a portal to Heaven would open and He would transform into Revelation Jesus with “eyes like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems” (Revelation 19:12 ESV). His donkey would morph into a magnificent white horse and an army of angels would appear to escort him to his throne in Heaven.

My depraved, overthinking mind would change the ending and condemn us all to hell forever.

The mystery and incomprehensible beauty of the Gospel is that it had to happen the way it happened. The story had to unfold as the coming of the Messiah was foretold in Isaiah hundreds of years earlier. He had to bleed and die to save us. Our sin required nothing less than perfect blood poured out.

As I look towards Resurrection Sunday, I am more grateful than ever for what happened on Good Friday. As hard as it is for my depraved mind to understand, His story is the perfect story.

There have been so many times over the past 1,305 days that I hated my own story. I wanted a magical pen to rewrite it. I relived a thousand moments and wanted them to be better. I would be a better mother and better person if I could just do it over.

Then one ordinary morning, as I rolled the “what ifs” and “whys” around in my head like I had done so many times, wondering why it happened the way it happened, I believe God gently spoke to my spirit: l don’t owe you anything.

He doesn’t owe me anything, yet He has given me everything.

My grieving changed that day. I had given lip service to being grateful for the nineteen years I had with my son, but in that moment, I genuinely felt it. I am deeply, deeply grateful for his life and my time with him. Of course, I would choose to have him here with me if I could, but that is not my story to write.

So thank you, Tiger, for winning the Masters and making me overthink on Palm Sunday. I hope it will help prepare my heart to remember the suffering on Good Friday that had to happen so we can rejoice and celebrate Resurrection Sunday.

And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”
Matthew 28:2-6 ESV

Our family moved into the farm house in early April and are really enjoying it. Tammy and I finally got around to taking some after pictures that show some of the dramatic changes. The majority of the work is done except for some decorating and a few other details. Plenty more work ahead bringing the barns and land back to life.

With move-in day less than three weeks away, everything is moving along quickly at the farm. There are too many updates to list but here just a few things that are happening:

Exterior siding is been patched and repaired as well as rough sawn posts added to the porch

Entryway doors are being hung. We've used several old doors that we found on the property in various places on the house as well as ordered some new ones. Our new side entry door looks great.

Reclaimed barnwood flooring has gone down in the living room, kitchen and dining room area.

Custom kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanity by Providence Millwork arrived.

Chinking has begun on the logs. Doing that ourselves and is a tedious task!

Propane tank has been buried and filled. We plan to have gas assist wood fireplace in the living room.

A ton of trimwork going on as well. Painstaking work as there's nothing square in the house and everything has to be custom.

Excited for the next steps ahead painting and floor refinishing going on next week and then I'll be on to the final touches to complete the house.

I have had many people requesting an update on the farm so I wanted to get some new pictures online. We are several months into the renovation project and things are moving along quickly. Luckily we have sold our current house so we now have a target date of April 1 to move in.

We have done extensive grading and clean up of the land including the burning of two derelict barns on the property by the Lewisville Fire Department. We saved a concrete pad behind the house and hope to create a nice picnic area over looking the pastures and pond. There is still a ton more clean up, fence mending and barn repairs to do but that will have to wait until after we get into the house.

One of the biggest decisions we had to make was how much of the history of the house to expose. As with any older home it has been pieced together over the years and has many layers of different building materials. We have exposed the original log cabin walls in the master as well as the guest bathroom. We took two layers of sheet rock off the downstairs ceilings and raised the upstairs ceilings. The master had an old fireplace that was behind sheet rock so we opened it up. In the foyer we exposed some of the bead board walls and original wood work. At this point we feel good about what has been exposed and think it will provide a unique look into the history of the house. The crews for Lisha Construction have completed all the electrical, HVAC and plumbing work as well as passed those inspections. We also replaced all the windows and added a  set of windows over the sink overlooking the back of the property and pond. The sheet rock has been delivered and the crew will start this week on getting it up.

We have enlisted Providence Millwork to make custom kitchen cabinets and a master bathroom vanity for us. They came out last week and took a bunch of the reclaimed lumber from the farm to create a unique one of a kind look. I am also excited to see how the fireplace mantle comes out that they are making from some hand hewn beams we found on the property. We are in the final stages of selecting all our light fixtures, sinks, bath hardware and countertops. Lots of decisions still to make including which of the 15+ doors we found at the farm to use in the house as well all of the finishing touches and designs. Hopefully we can give updates a little more often in the coming months.

Recently my family decided to take on a big project of renovating an abandoned farm. The following is a Facebook post from my wife, Tammy, about our journey and adventure ahead. So Blessed that she is my soulmate and best friend.

Have you ever heard the saying “ I would rather be lucky than good”? In athletics, as well as in life, most assume there are those who are lucky and those who are not. We all remember that successful person we admired while growing up who had it all and seemed to get every lucky break.  Whether it was a businessman, athlete, or teacher, their success seemed so easy and effortless. What was it that set them apart? I wanted to know what they had figured out; what was their secret.

Over my many years of competition in a multitude of sports, I have come to believe there is no such thing as luck. Yes, you read that right, there is no such thing as luck!  There is no substitute for the countless hours spent practicing a sport to prepare an athlete for competition and the struggle for victory.  I like to recite a quote that sums up luck: “The harder I work the luckier I get.” It has been amazing throughout my life how I have seen this played out on and off the field. I have seen those “lucky ones” toil in the gym, office, or classroom only to find success time and time again. 

So how do we define success? In sports, success is measured by the numbers; wins, losses, points scored, touchdowns, interceptions, records, goals and assists all add up to quantify how successful an athlete has been. We athletes love statistics because they help us measure ourselves against other people.  But how do we measure success in our daily lives? Is it how much money we make, the square footage of our house, the number of community service hours we perform? I have found that success in life is just not as easy to define. Instead of struggling for success, maybe we should strive for significance. As I look back on those role models I adored growing up, it was not necessarily their athletic or business prowess I admired, but the significance of their life that I longed for.

So let us not wait for the lucky break to be successful, but rather, let us dedicate ourselves through hard work to search for significance.  John Wooden, the great UCLA basketball coach once said, “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” A significant life often comes when we take our individual skills and talents we have been blessed with and develop them to the fullest. I cringed growing up when I heard coaches implore my teams to give 110%. Do they know there is only 100% of me? I cannot give more than 100% since that is all that I have. Many times I was labeled an overachiever in my athletic career, but I believe there is no such thing. There are those who achieve by living up to the potential they have been given, and there are those who do not.

So a successful game, season, career, or life does not come from lucky breaks or a secret formula no one knows. It comes from the hard work, dedication, and perseverance needed to find your potential and develop it to the fullest. So my measure of success may not be yours and yours may not be mine. If each one of us strives to realize our own potential and impact others by the significance of our lives, we may turn out to be the “lucky ones”.