In 2010, Henderson State University’s Rhonda Thigpen became the first volleyball coach to be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Currently entering her 20th season as the Lady Reddies’ head coach, Thigpen also serves as the University’s Senior Woman Administrator and FCA Huddle Coach.

Bobby Bowden has the attention of hundreds of high school boys. They’re listening because he has more wins than any coach in major-college football history — the head coach of the only program ever to appear in 14 consecutive bowl games without a loss, the only coach to lead his team, the Florida State Seminoles, to 14 straight seasons that ended with a top-five Associated Press ranking.

But they’re going to find themselves listening for a different reason. Bobby Bowden “The Legend” is about to become Bobby Bowden “The Evangelist.”

I grew up in Slidell, La., about 30 miles away from New Orleans and the area's famed Bayou Country. My paternal grandfather was a minister who preached faith in God and a strong work ethic. He instilled those values in my father, Gene, who faithfully passed them on to my older brother, Bryan, and me.

As kids, Bryan and I really benefited from our dad's wisdom. Our family attended church every week at Hartzell Mount Zion Church in Slidell, and that was where I placed my faith in Christ when I was 15 years old.

Selected struggle: Doubt

Dictionary definition: “To be uncertain, consider questionable or unlikely. To fear, distrust or be apprehensive about.”

My definition: “Being unsure and afraid of the unknown.”

Chosen Attribute: Passion

Dictionary definition: “Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling.”

My definition: “A strong desire or emotion that extends far beyond normal feelings and expectations.”

So many people are trying to discover God's will for their lives. Many question or wonder if they are missing what God has for them.  My purpose for writing this is to try to offer some help for those who are looking for answers as to the direction for their lives.  Here are a few key things to consider. These should be considered collectively as opposed to concentrating on one point as proof that God is or is not leading you to do something.

"Age is nothing but a number."

This year’s NFL postseason has proven just that. The league’s oldest (Brett Favre, 40) and youngest (Mark Sanchez, 23) quarterbacks competed for the chance to stand toe-to-toe in Miami at Super Bowl XLIV. But even though both the Jets and Vikings lost their respective conference championships, we will still be watching history unfold on February 7, 2010.

Ben Zobrist has one of those stories. The ones that make kids play harder, dream bigger and aim higher. The ones that inspire even the most improbable of visions. The ones that seem to spotlight the magnitude and sovereignty of God. Undrafted and unscholarshipped out of high school, Zobrist thought his baseball days were over when he finished his senior season at Eureka High School in Eureka, Ill. Like a typical senior, he weighed his career options and college choices, and even looked into a Bible college in Kansas City. But midway through the summer, he still didn’t know where to go or what to do.

It all began with a blind date.

As a graduate assistant on the coaching staff at Florida State University, young Mark Richt, who had been striking out in relationships, expressed his desire to meet a “nice girl.” Overhearing his statement, the girlfriend of Richt’s roommate suggested that she might know the perfect woman for him: her own roommate, Katharyn Francis. Immediately she set up a time for the four of them to get together.

Organizational Staff/Geographical Structure

• Local
• State
• Regional
• National

FCA is the largest sports ministry in the world.  FCA’s ministry growth over the years has produced the need for an effective organizational structure.  This structure includes local ministry supported by local staff, which is supported by a regional and national FCA ministry organization.  When you are a part of FCA, remember that you are not alone. You are part of a large, organized team developed to support what God has called you to do!   

Rigo Lopez sounded tired, but satisfied. It was a crisp November evening in Palo Alto, Calif., and Lopez, an upbeat Bay Area FCA area representative, had just concluded two long days of camps. Coordinating a four-hour baseball clinic at Santa Clara University that featured major leaguers, minor leaguers and college players as instructors would have been plenty of work by itself. But the next day, Lopez and the local FCA saff hosted a similar four-hour softball camp 30 minutes away at Stanford University.