35 years ago today…

35 years ago today I was a youngster attending this historic soccer match at Wembley when Liverpool became the first British club to win Europe’s most prestigious trophy two years in a row.

Game date: May 10, 1978
Stadium: Wembley, London, England
Competition: European Cup Final
Attendance: 92,500

1 Ray Clemence
2 Phil Neal
3 Phil Thompson
4 Alan Hansen
5 Ray Kennedy
6 Emlyn Hughes
7 Kenny Dalglish
8 Jimmy Case
9 David Fairclough
10 Terry McDermott
11 Graeme Souness

Subs:
12 Steve Heighway
13 Steve Ogrizovic
14 Joey Jones
15 Ian Callaghan
16 Colin Irwin

So you fell! So what? Run, Christian, Run!

Phil 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…

After training for this event for months and months, Heather Dorniden faced the unexpected when another racer cut her off – she fell very hard. But when you see what happens next, you’ll be amazed and inspired.

Run Christian, Run!

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” – 1 Cor 9:24-27

I remember my High school coach telling the gathered athletes in our school that in his opinion, no one would ever break the current 9.95 second world record in the men’s 100 meters sprint. That statement seems utterly foolish now. In the first race below, all the competitors had previously recorded a faster time.

There is just something that I find extremely inspirational about watching the world’s fastest man (Usain Bolt) break the world record. As far as we know, no one has ever run faster in human history.

2009, Berlin, Germany, IAAF World Championships 100 m Final:

2009, Berlin, Germany, IAAF World Championships 200m Final:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1,2