One Shining Moment!

NCAA March Madness Championship game is tonight. As tradition goes at the end of all of March Madness CBS plays a video montage of the tournament to the song One Shining Moment. So here's a gospel related, Davis Daily Bread version of One Shining Moment dedicated to all of the blog posts that have been on the blog this month. Sing along if you'd like (Music provided below) and enjoy the Championship game.

luther vandross one shining moment mp3 | lyrics

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You come from God,
And there you are.
You're starting a new life,
you're a shooting star.
And over all the years
no one knows
just how hard you worked
but someday you'll know...
in ONE SHINING MOMENT, IT'S ALL ON THE LINE
ONE SHINING MOMENT, THERE FROZEN IN TIME
   
But time is short
and the road is long
in the blinking of an eye
ah that moment's gone
And when it's done
win or lose
you hope you did your best
cuz inside you know...
that ONE SHINING MOMENT, YOU REACHED DEEP INSIDE
ONE SHINING MOMENT, YOU HOPE FOR ETERNAL LIFE
   
Feel the beat of your heart
feel the wind in your face
it's neither a contest
it's neither a race...

And when it's done
 It's Heaven or bust
you hope you did your best
cuz inside you'll know...
that ONE SHINING MOMENT, YOU REACHED FOR HEAVEN ON HIGH
ONE SHINING MOMENT, YOU KNEW
ONE SHINING MOMENT, YOU WERE WILLING TO TRY
ONE SHINING MOMENT....

Final 4: Enduring To The End

It's down to the Final 4 in the NCAA March Madness Tournament and this weekend that will be narrowed down even more as we find out who will be playing in the National Championship game. For these four teams they have shed blood, sweat, and tear while battling and playing their hardest to get to this point. If your team makes it this far its a feat in of itself when you look at the fact that they have had to win four games against some of the best teams in college ball. And now they are just one game away from having the chance to play in the Championship game and two games away from potentially winning it all. Its a chance in a life time. This is their time to shine. But for many making it this far isn't enough! They have a desire for more! Its not enough to just be called good, they want to be Great!, they want to be Champions! So as they step onto the hardwood today they will have to give their all to Endure To The End.
    Endure to the end, its something we hear a lot about in our church. Why is this? Maybe its because we have the same desire as those teams who make the final four. We have a desire to be Great, not just good. Just as the teams competing want to be Champions for time and all eternity, we also have a desire to return to our Heavenly Father to live with him for time and all eternity. For us this would make us Champions. But this reward isn't cheap or free. Its comes with a price. A price, just like the basketball teams, of sacrifice.
      We as children of our Father in Heaven, with the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, have to dedicate our lives to taking our Saviors name upon us and following him at all times, and in all things, and in all places. This sacrifice of blood, sweat, and tears of our Savior, and us, push us to do more. There is hopefully a constant drive in us all to do better, to follow God more closely, to pray more earnestly, to study more diligently, and follow our God's command more fully. This is all part of Enduring to the End. It is my prayer that as we do these things, as we put all our time, talents, and efforts into following the Gospel of Jesus Christ that ultimately We Will Be Champions. This is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Danny Ainge: Finding a Balance in Life

In the 1981 NCAA Basketball Tournament in the sweet 16 BYU was trailing Notre Dame by a score of 47-48. What happened next is what has become one of the greatest finishes in college basketball history(see link below to view). With seven seconds on the clock the ball was passed into Danny Ainge. Ainge, who was named the national collegiate player of the year and won the John R. Wooden Award, drives down the court past all five Notre Dame players and lays the ball in for the game winning shot that advanced his team to the Elite 8. Still to this day that is the furthest the Cougars have ever made it in the NCAA Tournament. This amazing play was only the start to a great career for Ainge. He went on to be drafted by the Boston Celtics where won two NBA Championships and finished his career with 11,964 career points.
   Moving on in his career he was an NBA coach for the Phoenix Suns for three years and more recently became the general manager of the Boston Celtics in 2003 and eventually compiled a team that won the 2008 NBA Championship.

   As if managing an NBA Championship team wasn't enough for Ainge he was called to be the Bishop of the Massachusetts Weston 1st Ward right after the NBA Finals. Ainge, who had been in the bishopric already for five years said he had thought there would be some changes but this wasn't quite what he had thought. “But, honestly, there was no way they were going to call me, with my schedule, to be a bishop,” he says. “I had my doubts when they called me to be bishop, but I think that it will just compel me to find balance even more.” said Ainge. Ainge's daughter commented on her parents and her Dad's new calling by saying “despite the time and effort they are about to start putting into this ward, they are excited and eager to serve. It has been a great reminder of what great people my parents are and how blessed I am to have such great examples.” Michael Dowling a sportscaster in Ainge's ward and one of Ainge's home teaching families said “A lot of people are going to find out exactly how good of a guy he is and how much he cares about people. He’s our home teacher, and he really looks out for my boys . . . as a home teacher and a bishop would.” Ainge says, “The service element helps me to balance my life, and to buoy me up”
   It's great to see how a faithful member of the church is able to balance both his love and career of basketball with the dedication to his faith and serving his ward members as a Bishop. There is no doubt that Danny Ainge is someone we could all look up to and learn from his example of finding balance in our lives.
           
Danny Ainge Coast to Coast Game Winning Drive VS. Notre Dame

Quotes taken from The Mormon Times and BYU Magazine

March Madness Missionaries

There are 14 Mormon basketball players who before making a big impact for their teams on the court this March have made big impacts on peoples lives by serving LDS missions, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Here's a list of those players and where they served their "best two years".

   Brigham Young University Cougars:

Jackson Emery

Noah Hartsock

Jackson Emery, a senior guard from Lone Peak High School in Alpine, served a mission in Mexico.

Logan Magnusson, a senior forward from Wasatch High School in Heber City, served a mission in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Brock Zylstra, a sophomore forward from Bonita High School in La Verne, Calif., served a mission in New Zealand.

James Anderson, a junior forward from Page High School (Ariz.), served a mission in Guatemala.

Noah Hartsock, a junior forward from Bartlesville High School (Okla.), served a mission in Salt Lake City.

Chris Collinsworth, a sophomore forward from Provo High School in Provo, served a mission in Australia.

Nick Martineau, a sophomore guard from Davis High School in Fruit Heights, Utah, served a mission in Chile.

Stephen Rogers, a sophomore from Mountain View High School in Mesa, Ariz., served a mission in Cleveland, Ohio.

        Utah State Aggies : 

Tyler Newbold, a senior guard from Payson High School, served a mission in San Bernadino, Calif.

Nate Bendall, a senior forward from Skyline High School in Salt Lake City, served a mission in Nauvoo, Ill.

Brady Jardine, a junior forward from Twin Falls High School (Idaho), served a mission in San Antonio, Texas.

Brad Brown, a redshirt freshman from Orono High School in Orono, Minn., served in Porto, Portugal.

Tai Wesley, a senior forward from Provo High School, served a mission in Mexico.

Matt Formisano, a senior forward from Heritage High School in Centennial, Colo., served a mission in Mexico.

Most so called experts would say a college basketball player is crazy for taking two years off of basketball to serve a church mission but I think its great to see that these players have been able to balance a love of basketball with a love of serving the Lord. And I have no doubt that the Lord has blessed them for their service.

The Spiritual Side of Jimmer

Jimmer Fredette has had an amazing season on the basketball court this year leading the BYU Cougars to a #8 national ranking and a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament, which starts today. Even being a missionary in little Dillon, Montana I've seen the effects of "Jimmer Mania". There has been a lot of buzz surrounding his performance on the court from members and non members alike. This has also sparked a few conversation about the church. This video produced by Mormon Times takes a look at Jimmer and his spiritual side, how the gospel has shaped his life, and how he believes he's been blessed with a God given talent. As a Mormon, a missionary, and a big BYU fan it's nice to see someone put on such a pedestal who is so down to earth and willing to recognize the role the gospel and God has made in his life.