A few years ago a sportswriter was interviewing Nathaniel Avery, the caddy for Arnold Palmer in several Masters golf tournaments. Avery made the rather surprising statement that he and Arnold Palmer were partners in those tournaments. He said, “I pick out the club to be used for most of the strokes, and Mr. Palmer makes...
A lady once wrote to Horace Greeley, the founder of the New York Tribune, to describe the distressing financial straits of her church. She said to him, “We have tried everything that we know to keep our church alive. We have had oyster suppers and grab bags and cakewalks and everything in between. Can you sugge...
As we boarded the boat and set sail across the Sea of Galilee our guide drew a contrast between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee draws its water from the mountains just north of it and it is filled with sweet clear water and an abundance of fish. It then flows south through the Jordan River and empties...
Knute Rockne was one of the greatest football coaches ever. In his 13 years at Notre Dame, his teams won 105 games, lost 12, and tied 5. He never had a secret practice. In fact, he sometimes put up a sign for visitors that said, “Secret practice. Come and bring your notebooks.”
On one occasion when an Army scout missed a train connection and didn’t get to the Notre Dame game he was to cover, Rockne obligingly sent him the plays he planned to use against the West Point men. He explained his actions by saying, “It isn’t the play that wins; it’s the execution.”
All great coaches agree: champions are made by majoring on the fundamentals – blocking and tackling. They execute well. Teams seldom win by trick plays or gimmicks.
The same is true of life. Tricks and gimmicks will seldom get you to the top in any endeavor and can never keep you there. Major on the basics in all of life – work hard, honor God, be honest, kind and helpful to others, and go to church regularly.