Pujols: More than a Gamy by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth

Even if you are not a baseball fan, this book is a good read.  For the baseball fan, it is filled with facts, figures and stats on probably the greatest baseball player of the modern era.  If you are not a baseball fan, you will be captivated by the story of Albert Pujols and his meteoric rise to the big leagues.  From the sandlot fields of the Dominican Republic to the confines of Busch Stadium in St. Louis to hoisting the MVP and World Series trophies, Lamb and Ellsworth spin the tale of the consummate Christian athlete.  This book offers you the opportunity to peer behind the curtain into the life a major leaguer.  What you find will surprise you.  Albert Pujols is a man, gifted by God, to play the game of baseball.  Even amidst all of the stardom and celebrity, you find a humble man who is rooted in his faith in Jesus Christ.  While many big league players spend their off seasons in luxury, Pujols is found bettering himself and making a better place for the people of his homeland, the Dominican Republic.  While the stats get a little wearisome at times, the action that is captured in these pages makes it worth the read.  It is good to read about a man who loves Jesus and has a big stage to make Him known.  Pujols sees baseball as a platform to make Jesus known to the nations.  If you're not a fan of baseball or even the Cardinals, you will be a fan of Pujols by the end of this book.

**Disclaimer:  I received this book for free review from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Lights Out

Last night, as part of the hard and fast grip of Old Man Winter across Central Texas, we lost our power for about 3 hours. Needless to say it was "interesting". We were trying to get the kids and early bath so that we could enjoy some time together. One of them was in the shower when the power went out. Total darkness. Trying to keep the calm in the house, I quickly reassured him that everything was okay. My wife and I scurried and stumbled around for a flashlight (which was not where it was supposed to be...figures) and candles. After a few minutes we were able to shed some light on the matter. At one point, I was standing in a room all alone, in the dark trying to light a candle. When I struck the match, the room exploded in wonderful light. I could see the things clearly that were once hidden by the shroud of darkness. I was amazed at how one little match could literally light up an entire room. This morning, I was reflecting on the events of the night before. In the midst of the recollection, my mind was drawn to that moment when the light of the match exploded into and pierced the darkness. In that moment, I heard God say, "See?" That match was a picture of what happens when Jesus enters into the life of a person. They were groping in darkness and in need of a great light. The simple message of the gospel of Christ, that Jesus died on the cross for the sin of all people, was buried in a borrowed tomb (because He wouldn't need it long), and rose on the third day that true life could come to all who believe, is like the match. Though simple and small, it rips through the darkness of a man's soul and illuminates all that is there. Jesus brings to sight all of the things in our lives. John reminds us that men love darkness and avoid the light as much as possible. And as I thought about that little match, the light it brought to the room and what God had spoken to me this morning, it brought me to my knees. "Father, I surrender to your glorious light!" Whether you are a believer or not, will you pray that prayer sincerely and honestly? Understand, though, that when you do, God will answer. He will enter in the fullness of His glory and illuminate all of your life and show you the things that will trip you up if you remain in darkness. When we surrender all of ourselves to Jesus, Jesus crashes into the darkness of our life in the fullness of His light.