From Super Bowl to the Olympic it has been a couple week sof my favorite sports.

Although my Patriots did not win, it was as wonderful game, and the Eagles deserved it Regarding the Eagles, a bunch of their players are Christians so to hear their testimonies throughout the week was amazing. No matter how high people put sports, fame, riches etc., nothing will ever be as powerful of Jesus. He and He alone is worthy to be praised. Jesus gives everyone different gifts and abilities, and uses them to build the body of believers. A super bowl champion who is being obedient to Jesus is no different than a janitor being obedient  for Jesus. Whether it be sports or something else, we can easily get caught up in the hype and allow certain things or people to be an idol even if its a good thing in and of itself.

Also, I have always enjoyed watching the summer and winter olympics but the winter has always been my favorite especially the figure skating (individual, pairs, and ice dancing), as well as skiing , and bobsledding. My DVR is going to be full this next couple of weeks to cover it all..ha! But years ago I started watching them and loved every second of the skating routines, especially seeing American Scott Hamilton perform. Not only was he a great skater but his story and testimony is encouraging especially now. Scott has been through a lot in his life to get where he is today so I am excited and honored to share his story below.

In October  I hosted a series on my blog titled, 31 Days of Thanksgiving.”  I was so honored and thankful for everyone who wrote a guest post for me. One of them was olympic gold medalist figure skater from Scott Hamilton. Due to the Olympics starting this week I thought it would be appropriate to share this  again. I am so encouraged by Scott’s testimony, and I know you will be too.

Gratitude comes in all shapes and sizes. It can come in quiet moments of reflection, or it can come with a win from your favorite hockey team in the Stanley Cup Finals.

For me, gratitude is inspired by so many memories. Being adopted by two amazing parents and the expert coaching I was given when I first laced up my skates. Later it would be for the medals I was able to win and the tests I was able to pass on the ice. None bigger than an Olympic Gold Medal. Why me? I often ask.

How could it be that with all the obstacles in my way I was able to break through and make a life for myself and family doing something I loved to do. And then there were the tough times. Ironically, these are the times I am most grateful for. My childhood illness that kept me in and out of hospitals for four years stunting my growth and development. It was only when I started skating that my health started to improve. Since I had very little development, every muscle I grew was built to make me a better skater without any excess baggage. Losing my mother to cancer is something I wrestle with everyday. Through the devastation of mourning my mother, I had the only choice to become the person she wanted me to be.

Through broken relationships, I was able to grow in new directions and build a life I never could have dreamed of.

On the ice, I estimate that I fell 41,600 times. Through each and every one of those falls I learned and grew stronger. And each time I fell, I simply and naturally got up. Looking back, I learned very little from my victories, but am grateful for every one. It was the failures and defeats that I most grateful for. I learned the most from them. God saw me through each and every painful moment in my life. Jesus’s words, obedience, and resurrection have given me hope like nothing else. And the Holy Spirit guiding me toward a brighter tomorrow allows great comfort, knowing I’m not nearly as lost as I could be.

Each breath we take has God in it. Every moment we experience is a gift. Each day is an opportunity.

Each expression of love changes the world in ways we cannot imagine. My gratitude has no boundaries.

 

About the Author:

The most recognized male figure skating star in the world, Scott Hamilton has won 70 titles, awards and honors including an Emmy Award nomination, induction into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame and a privileged member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

In 1984, Scott captured the attention of the world with his Olympic Gold medal performances in Saravejo and since has shared his love and enthusiasm for the sport as a analyst/commentator, performer, producer and best-selling author (Landing It, 1999; The Great Eight, 2009. His third book, Finish First: Winning Changes Everything, will be released in February 2018). He further inspires others as a speaker, humanitarian, and as a cancer and pituitary brain tumor survivor.

After losing his mother to cancer, then becoming survivor himself, Scott turned activist, launching the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation (Cancer Alliance for Research, Education and Survivorship. He founded several education and survivorship programs including Chemocare.com and the 4th Angel Mentoring Program and events such as Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer and An Evening with Scott Hamilton & Friends galas fund research into treatments that kill the cancer and spare the patient.

He is also the founder of the Scott Hamilton Skating Academy at Ford Ice Center in Antioch, TN, where he may frequently be found coaching Learn to Skate students and sharing his love of skating.

In what little free time remains, Scott can be found on the golf course and enjoys spending time with his wife Tracie and four children – at their home outside Nashville, Tennessee.