Whilst scanning the Twitterverse a few weeks ago, former Colorado Rapids Forward Andre Aukpan (@auakpan), now with New York Red Bulls, highlighted a story on the National Football League's Rashard Mendenhall retiring at the age of 26. The story (written by Mendenhall) presents a odd perspective that rarely exists in professional sport these days. To understand that the world sees him more as an entertainer, and to make a decision not to continue to punish his body for the sake of entertainment shows a depth of wisdom and insight for someone as young as Mendenhall. While perhaps not a player with the same professional athletic achievements as Mendenhall, Rapids defender Kory Kindle's retirement earlier this year was along the same

Three years, nearly to the day, CrossTraining held its annual retreat just before the Colorado Rapids home opening match against the Portland Timbers. CrossTraining team members and board advisors gathered in the mountains to pray and discuss the future of the ministry as the 2011 Major League Soccer season was about to get underway. The time together wrapped up with the game in which the Rapids beat the Timbers 3-1. Last night, driving home after the Rapids won 2-0 against the same Timbers, I reflected on the game, the 2014 retreat that had just wrapped up and the ministry of CrossTraining, with an overwhelming sense of deja vu. In some ways, I wondered just how far CrossTraining had come

Firsts. This season, the Colorado Rapids will encounter many firsts - moments where the team and organization find themselves as never before. For example, 2014 is the first season that the team is being coached by a former player (Pablo Mastroeni). This past Saturday's game was the first point for the new head coach, it was also the first time that two homegrown players started the same match, as well as the first professional start by Goalkeeper John Berner, and more. Many times, the firsts in our lives are memorable for one reason or another - first kiss, first girlfriend, first job, first child, etc. The same is true in terms of our faith - when someone comes to faith in Jesus Christ it

With this past weekend being Valentine's Day there are plenty of stories of love in the air. From the Colorado Rapids' Drew Moor proposing to his girlfriend and Goalkeeping Coach Chris Sharpe getting married to the Major League Soccer #soccergrams that fans could get creative with - there is much ado about showing love to the people and things that mean the most to us. And, of course, living in a house with 5 women (my wife and 4 daughters) there is a lot of cards and hearts and pink and red. In reflecting, upon this "season of love," I was reminded of the Jesus' interaction with Peter on the shore (John 21:15-17) where he asks Peter the question, Simon son of John,

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.       I am a Denver Bronco fan - have been for most of my life (brief stint as a Raiders fan, but I can't explain that all here - years of counseling). I have lived through three of the SuperBowl losses (1977 - still too young, only 2 years of age) and cringed as my friends would comment about the Broncos poor SuperBowl record (who wants to keep company with the Minnesota Vikings?). So in watching last night, I was disappointed to say the least (maybe I thought Payton was greater than Elway). Many of my friends and family were disappointed, too.