Dear Mutti,

For those of you who don't know this about me, I lived in a foster home for 2 or 3 years at a very young age. The Mittmanns took very good care of me when I lived in their home. Peter, I called "Vati," which means "Dad" in German, and Julie, I called "Mutti," which means "Mom" in German. Even after I was adopted at the age of 3, Peter and Julie always supported me. As a kid I would write them letters addressing them as "Mutti and Vati" and they would always write me back. I was always so excited for the day that I would go and visit them for a few days. One of my favorite memories from that place was when I would get up early on Sunday morning to help Peter make breakfast. We would make a German dish that I am not familiar with, but it was delicious, no doubt. Over the years I continued to keep in contact with them. They even came to my high school graduation, to my surprise. I had sent them an announcement of my graduation, but I did not expect them to come, much less drive a few hours north to see me, then immediately turn around and drive home. Our families have sent each other Christmas cards as well, and sometimes even a gift. One of my mom's favorite Christmas CDs was a gift from Julie and Peter. This Christmas season I received a card from the Mittmanns that I didn't quite understand at first. It was describing some sort of wedding and "50 years of marriage." Then I learned the unfortunate news: Julie had died earlier this year and the card (written by Peter) was describing Peter and Julie's happy marriage of 50 years. I do not know where I would be if I had not known Julie. She was the first woman in my life to show me what it means to be somebody's son. Even since my adoption, Julie continued to show me love and support by writing letters to me, allowing me to visit her home and even coming to my graduation. Julie had a big heart and cared for everyone. She was also a devout Christian and would know that even in the most unfortunate of times, there is always good news. It just so happens that at Christmastime, that news comes in the form of a baby, born in the town of Bethlehem and lying in a manger, who would save us all from our sins.

Rest in peace, Mutti.

Even "Superman" Is Human

I am a passionate sports fanatic. I love playing basketball and football, and occasionally baseball. I get a thrill out of just getting outside to run. I play Fantasy Football and Fantasy Basketball. And above all, I love seeing my favorite teams win big.

I am passionate about God. I continue to grow in my faith by helping out with my old youth group when and wherever I can (playing guitar for Sunday School, leading retreats, etc.). I also occasionally work at a bible camp, no big deal. I learn more about the love of God everyday and do my best to follow in Jesus' footsteps.

Is it possible to be inspired by both God and sports? Absolutely. You can identify with a sports team that you enjoy watching and still put God at the center of your life. So why do people who don't like sports put us fanatics down for "over-glorifying" our favorite teams and athletes? The answer is easy to see on the negative side of things:

The Vancouver Riots-2011: After losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the fans of the Vancouver Canucks took to the streets of Vancouver BC, showing their "disappointment" of the loss.

Ray Rice and other NFL Scandals: The National Football League has been through a slew of scandals in the recent years and has created a lot of public backlash on the league.

The Decision: After hearing that LeBron James is taking his talents to South Beach, Cleveland Cavaliers fans took the news hard by burning his jersey.
NOTE: All is forgiven once "King" James returns.

We get it. Bad things have happened because people get too involved in their passion for sports. We are only human. We all make mistakes. And the athletes that we know and love (or even strongly dislike) are human too. They think and feel and breathe just as we do. Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers, also known as "Superman," was recently in a car wreck that gave him two fractures in his back that could likely end his season. Personally, I am not a fan of Cam Newton. I could sit here and laugh at the Panthers' playoff chances. But that's not what Jesus would do. Jesus would not sit there and say, "Sucks to suck" (although it may feel like that sometimes). Jesus would heal Cam, just as Jesus had performed many miracles in his life on Earth. Since I am no healer, and certainly not Jesus, I can show compassion to Cam and the others affected by the wreck by praying for a quick recovery for each of them. Many NFL players and Carolina teammates took to Twitter offering their prayers. The list even included Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. I may be a little biased, but Russell Wilson epitomizes what it means to be a professional athlete and a devout Christian. After winning the most glorified sporting event ever, the Super Bowl, he took all of that glory and fame and gave it to his teammates and us the 12th Man. After games, you could also see Russell with a group of teammates and players from the other team joined in prayer on the field. In his free time, Russell likes walking his dogs, studying more film and, more importantly, visiting children's hospitals. While there are  athletes who throw their money around and want to be thugs, there are still athletes everywhere like Russell who deflect any glory from themselves, lead a godly life and contribute positive things to society. I could say that I'm the biggest 12th Man (which is far from true). Instead, I'm going to thank God for giving us athletes like Russell Wilson and the rest of the Seahawks who make watching football so much more enjoyable.