I wish he'd have not left Green Bay. Good article.
Brad
At 08:44 AM 1/17/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>--=====================_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"
>
>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--
Brad
Get educated, not frustrated
|
