Very nice article.
----- Original Message -----
From: Kathy Du Bois <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 5:44 AM
Subject: Mike Holmgren's testimony
> --=====================_8453671==.ALT
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
> Hi guys,
> Mike Holmgren happens to be a member of our denomination so when Greg
> received this, I thought that I would pass it along to the list in
> light of the fact that we were bemoaning the dearth of Christians in
> football today. I have to wonder what the Packer locker room was
> like when Mike was the coach and Redgie was on his knees. WOW!!
> Kathy
>
>
> [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 9:57 AM
> Subject: [abet] The Coach of the Seattle Seahawks
>
> As Seattle plays in the NFC Championship game this Sunday against
> the Carolina Panthers, the Seahawks coach hopes his team can win and
> advance to Super
> Bowl XL. He knows the joy of the NFL's ultimate payoff. As offensive
> coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, Holmgren grew accustomed to
> the sweet taste
> of Super Bowl wins. When Mike Holmgren was head coach of the Green
> Bay Packers, he took his team to the big dance two consecutive
> years. But as this peek
> into the coach's past indicates, Mike Holmgren also knows the
> heartache of personal struggles and defeat. Here is a Christ-follower
> who has experienced
> God at the point of personal need and proved his Heavenly Father faithful.
>
> Spiritual Lessons on Victory and Defeat
>
> by Coach Mike Holmgren as told to Greg Asimakoupoulos
>
> Like many in First Covenant Church in San Francisco, I was raised in
> a Swedish-American family. We lived in a second-floor flat above my
> grandfather's bakery
> where Scandinavian breads and pastries kept us well fed. But on
> Sundays, all three generations of Holmgrens were found at church
> where the bread of life
> was generously dispensed.
>
> As a child, my appetite for spiritual things was not substantial. I
> was more interested in a pick-up game of touch football.... Raised in
> the shadows of
> Kezar Stadium where the Forty-Niners played I dreamed of one day
> wearing a Niner jersey.
>
> When I was 11, Billy Graham held a three-week crusade at the Cow
> Palace in San Francisco. My parents took my sisters and me almost
> every night. On the final
> night, Cliff Barrows led the audience in singing "Just as I Am" I
> couldn't stay seated and went forward to accept Christ just as I was,
> grubby tennis shoes
> and all.
>
> But even as a Christian, I remained determined to make a name for
> myself on the gridiron. After leading my high school teams to the
> state championship I
> was offered a scholarship to play for the highly touted Trojans at
> the University of Southern California.
>
> Unfortunately, injuries kept me sidelined much of my college career
> and I didn't play much. I was gratefully surprised when I was drafted
> by the St. Louis
> Cardinals in 1970. But four weeks later, I was released. The New York
> Jets picked me up as a back-up quarterback to "Broadway Joe" Namath,
> but before the
> preseason was over, I was cut again. My dream of playing professional
> football was over before it had ever begun. I was devastated.
>
> A girl I had met at Mission Springs Bible Camp the summer after I
> became a Christian re-emerged in my life about this time. Although we
> had corresponded
> off and on between summer reunions at camp, our friendship had
> drifted in recent years. Kathy had taken her faith much more
> seriously than I. She went
> on to a Christian college, became a nurse and was serving as a
> short-term missionary in Zaire. Her inspiring letters helped me
> realize how much I needed
> to trust the Lord in the midst of my disillusionment. As a result, I
> recommitted my life to Christ. Proverbs 3:5-6 became the personal
> line of scrimmage
> at which I dug in. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean
> not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge him
> and he will make
> your paths straight."
>
> When Kathy returned from Africa we became engaged. In 1971 we were
> married. I began my coaching career at the high school from which I
> graduated. As our
> family of four daughters grew, so did my professional opportunities.
> I moved up into the college coaching ranks. But ambition was not the
> demon in my life
> it had once been. My wife and kids were a daily reminder of both
> God's blessing on my life and His priorities. I had honestly reached
> a place where my
> future was in God's hands.
>
> Then a job opened up in Utah. Some of our friends questioned our
> judgment in accepting it. But Kathy and I viewed my position as
> assistant coach at Brigham
> Young University (BYU) as a unique opportunity. We wanted to be an
> evangelical witness to the players, coaches and students on this
> predominantly Mormon
> campus. God blessed our motives.
>
> It was during my time at BYU that the San Francisco Forty-niners
> invited me to join their staff. For six wonderful years I worked with
> the likes of Bill
> Walsh, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Roger Craig. Together we earned
> two consecutive Super Bowl Championships. Although I was not a
> player, God had fulfilled
> my boyhood dream to be a part of my hometown team. Less than five
> miles from the Cow Palace where I had responded to Billy Graham's
> message, Candlestick
> Park became the stadium where I expressed my faith in God in the
> course of my job as offensive coordinator.
>
> When the media began to speculate that I would be offered the head
> coaching position of an NFL team, I prayed diligently. When the
> offers came, it seemed
> obvious to us that the needs of our daughters must take precedence
> over my career. I opted to decline the contracts and stay with the
> Forty-niners. Sportswriters
> and colleagues scoffed at my reasoning. They said I'd never be
> approached again. But God honored our choice. One year later I was
> hired by the Green Bay
> Packers to carry the mantle of legendary head coach Vince Lombardi.
>
> My first season with the Packers was beyond my expectations. Despite
> injuries and a grueling schedule, we nearly made the play-offs with a
> record 10 wins
> and six losses. It was the Packers first winning season in more than a
decade.
>
> But win or lose I learned a long time ago what really matters. It's
> not Super Bowl rings, but the crown of eternal life Christ has won
> for us by His victory
> on the cross. As the Swedish hymn writer, Lina Sandell, put it:
> "Though he giveth or he taketh, God his children ne'er forsaketh, his
> the loving purpose
> solely to preserve them pure and holy" (Covenant Hymnal: A
> Worshipbook, No. 87).
>
>
>
> --=====================_8453671==.ALT
> Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
>
> <html>
> <body>
> Hi guys,<br>
> Mike Holmgren happens to be a member of our denomination so when Greg
> received this, I thought that I would pass it along to the list in light
> of the fact that we were bemoaning the dearth of Christians in football
> today. I have to wonder what the Packer locker room was like when
> Mike was the coach and Redgie was on his knees. WOW!!<br>
> Kathy<br><br>
> <br>
> <font size=4>[log in to unmask]<br>
> Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 9:57 AM<br>
> Subject: [abet] The Coach of the Seattle Seahawks<br><br>
> As Seattle plays in the NFC Championship game this Sunday against
> the Carolina Panthers, the Seahawks coach hopes his team can win and
> advance to Super<br>
> Bowl XL. He knows the joy of the NFL's ultimate payoff. As offensive
> coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, Holmgren grew accustomed to the
> sweet taste<br>
> of Super Bowl wins. When Mike Holmgren was head coach of the Green Bay
> Packers, he took his team to the big dance two consecutive years.
> But as this peek<br>
> into the coach's past indicates, Mike Holmgren also knows the heartache
> of personal struggles and defeat. Here is a Christ-follower who has
> experienced<br>
> God at the point of personal need and proved his Heavenly Father
> faithful.<br><br>
> Spiritual Lessons on Victory and Defeat<br><br>
> by Coach Mike Holmgren as told to Greg Asimakoupoulos<br><br>
> Like many in First Covenant Church in San Francisco, I was raised in a
> Swedish-American family. We lived in a second-floor flat above my
> grandfather's bakery<br>
> where Scandinavian breads and pastries kept us well fed. But on Sundays,
> all three generations of Holmgrens were found at church where the bread
> of life<br>
> was generously dispensed.<br><br>
> As a child, my appetite for spiritual things was not substantial. I was
> more interested in a pick-up game of touch football.... Raised in the
> shadows of<br>
> Kezar Stadium where the Forty-Niners played I dreamed of one
> day wearing a Niner jersey.<br><br>
> When I was 11, Billy Graham held a three-week crusade at the Cow Palace
> in San Francisco. My parents took my sisters and me almost every night.
> On the final<br>
> night, Cliff Barrows led the audience in singing "Just as I Am"
> I couldn't stay seated and went forward to accept Christ just as I was,
> grubby tennis shoes<br>
> and all.<br><br>
> But even as a Christian, I remained determined to make a name for myself
> on the gridiron. After leading my high school teams to the state
> championship I<br>
> was offered a scholarship to play for the highly touted Trojans at the
> University of Southern California.<br><br>
> Unfortunately, injuries kept me sidelined much of my college career and I
> didn't play much. I was gratefully surprised when I was drafted by the
> St. Louis<br>
> Cardinals in 1970. But four weeks later, I was released. The New York
> Jets picked me up as a back-up quarterback to "Broadway Joe"
> Namath, but before the<br>
> preseason was over, I was cut again. My dream of playing professional
> football was over before it had ever begun. I was devastated.<br><br>
> A girl I had met at Mission Springs Bible Camp the summer after I became
> a Christian re-emerged in my life about this time. Although we had
> corresponded<br>
> off and on between summer reunions at camp, our friendship had drifted in
> recent years. Kathy had taken her faith much more seriously than I. She
> went<br>
> on to a Christian college, became a nurse and was serving as a short-term
> missionary in Zaire. Her inspiring letters helped me realize how much I
> needed<br>
> to trust the Lord in the midst of my disillusionment. As a result, I
> recommitted my life to Christ. Proverbs 3:5-6 became the personal line of
> scrimmage<br>
> at which I dug in. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean
> not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge him and he
> will make<br>
> your paths straight."<br><br>
> When Kathy returned from Africa we became engaged. In 1971 we were
> married. I began my coaching career at the high school from which I
> graduated. As our<br>
> family of four daughters grew, so did my professional opportunities. I
> moved up into the college coaching ranks. But ambition was not the demon
> in my life<br>
> it had once been. My wife and kids were a daily reminder of both God's
> blessing on my life and His priorities. I had honestly reached a place
> where my<br>
> future was in God's hands.<br><br>
> Then a job opened up in Utah. Some of our friends questioned our judgment
> in accepting it. But Kathy and I viewed my position as assistant coach at
> Brigham<br>
> Young University (BYU) as a unique opportunity. We wanted to be an
> evangelical witness to the players, coaches and students on this
> predominantly Mormon<br>
> campus. God blessed our motives.<br><br>
> It was during my time at BYU that the San Francisco Forty-niners invited
> me to join their staff. For six wonderful years I worked with the likes
> of Bill<br>
> Walsh, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Roger Craig. Together we earned two
> consecutive Super Bowl Championships. Although I was not a player, God
> had fulfilled<br>
> my boyhood dream to be a part of my hometown team. Less than five miles
> from the Cow Palace where I had responded to Billy Graham's message,
> Candlestick<br>
> Park became the stadium where I expressed my faith in God in the course
> of my job as offensive coordinator.<br><br>
> When the media began to speculate that I would be offered the head
> coaching position of an NFL team, I prayed diligently. When the offers
> came, it seemed<br>
> obvious to us that the needs of our daughters must take precedence over
> my career. I opted to decline the contracts and stay with the
> Forty-niners. Sportswriters<br>
> and colleagues scoffed at my reasoning. They said I'd never be approached
> again. But God honored our choice. One year later I was hired by the
> Green Bay<br>
> Packers to carry the mantle of legendary head coach Vince
> Lombardi.<br><br>
> My first season with the Packers was beyond my expectations. Despite
> injuries and a grueling schedule, we nearly made the play-offs with a
> record 10 wins<br>
> and six losses. It was the Packers first winning season in more than a
> decade.<br><br>
> But win or lose I learned a long time ago what really matters. It's not
> Super Bowl rings, but the crown of eternal life Christ has won for us by
> His victory<br>
> on the cross. As the Swedish hymn writer, Lina Sandell, put it:
> "Though he giveth or he taketh, God his children ne'er forsaketh,
> his the loving purpose<br>
> solely to preserve them pure and holy" (Covenant Hymnal: A
> Worshipbook, No. 87).<br><br>
> <br>
> </font></body>
> </html>
>
> --=====================_8453671==.ALT--
|
