If he had accepted the contract, it would have made him the highest paid player in the NHL, generally considered the top hockey league in the world. So far in his NHL tenure, he has won the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy, played in three all-star games, and scored a total of 328 goals. (For those of you counting, that would work out to about $187,000 per goal if he played another 12 years at his current pace.) I wonder, given all of this, whether Kovalchuk considers himself a “success”?

I guess we’d have to ask him how he defines success. Certainly he is one of the top players in the top hockey league in the world. But he has yet to win hockey’s ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup. If he wins that most coveted award, will he then be a “success”?

What about you? How do you define “success”? Are you successful in your life? How do you know?

Author Rusty Wright notes in his article “How to Be Successful and Satisfied” that “Success in one area does not guarantee satisfaction in life. You can reach all your goals and still not be at peace with yourself. How can you both achieve your goals and be satisfied?” Similarly, a great religious teacher once asked a similar question to his friends: “What good will it be for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul?” Both hint at the slippery quality of success. As soon as you become successful, you realize that rather than reaching the top of the mountain, there is always farther to climb … and the higher you climb, the farther you risk falling (as a certain very public figure named Tiger found out recently).

Do you agree with Wright’s keys to success? And how do you define what success means?

Tim Tebow will be featured in a 30 second advertisement during Superbowl XLIV. In the ad (which no one in the public has seen yet) Tebow will speak about how his mother, Pam, was advised to have an abortion when she was pregnant with Tim, due to medical complications. Pam decided to continue to term, and Tim was born. Today, Tim is a Heisman Trophy-winning American football quarterback  for the Florida Gators. The theme of the ad will be “Celebrate family, celebrate life” and will not specifically mention abortion.

This ad has some pro-choice organizations upset. There has been pressure on CBS, the television network showing the Superbowl and which approved the commercial, to not run it. The National Organization of Women called the ad “extraordinarily offensive and demeaning.”

But columnist Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post, herself a pro-choice advocate, responds that “if there is any demeaning here, it’s coming from NOW, via the suggestion that these aren’t real questions, and that we as a Super Bowl audience are too stupid or too disinterested to handle them on game day.” She notes that “If the pro-choice stance is so precarious that a story about someone who chose to carry a risky pregnancy to term undermines it, then CBS is not the problem.” (Source: Washington Post)

Regardless of your stance on the pro-life/pro-choice issue, what do you think about this ad controversy? Do you think the controversy is justified? Should CBS run the ad, and why? Let us know what you think.

If you are struggling with issues regarding abortion (past or present), unwanted pregnancy, or know someone who is, please contact us if you would like to talk. There are mentors who are familiar with your struggles who will talk with you via email, privately & confidentially.

Related reading: Abortion changes you – One of our mentors who went through an abortion shares advice based on her experiences

One name that you may have forgotten, or never heard about, is Rolf Benirschke. He was placekicker for the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1987, and remains the team’s all-time leader in points scored with 766 … all scored using his foot.

His story is made more amazing because he played most of his professional career with no large intestines. After contracting ulcerative colitis, he needed surgery to remove them and spent several weeks in intensive care before eventually returning to play in the NFL … but not without having to play with two ostomy devices.

His story is inspiring for football players, or players of any sport, who are facing physical challenges. It is one of hope and triumph … but not only for his ability to excel despite his physical challenges. Continue to read Rolf’s story for the rest of the tale in our article “NFL Hero – What it Means to be Great“

Related reading:
- Anthony Munoz: Another NFL hall of famer tells his own story.
- When the World isn’t as it Should Be – How do we respond when our world is messed up?

Wallpaper catches the eye as we enter a room. Its color and design grab our attention and we take note. Yet as we become familiar with the room the wallpaper quickly fades from our awareness and we begin to hardly see it at all.

The same thing can happen with the shock of the devastation in Haiti. We know it’s there and its happening. Yet the images are so numerous that eventually an inoculation can happen that moves the crisis to that wallpaper status.

Today stop and think about what and who might be in danger of becoming simply “wallpaper” in your life.

Look first at those near you. Is there a need that you have the privilege and the opportunity to meet?

Look beyond … can you help Haiti’s hurting as they look to survive and go on to build much needed infrastructures of medical aid, housing and hope for a future?

Looking to the needs of others will give us a new measure of joy.

Discover afresh the truth that you are more blessed when you give than when you receive. Share with us how you have met the need of another this week, whether near or far, big or small.

Did you find joy in doing so?

Visit Global Aid Network, Power to Change’s humanitarian relief partner, to see videos about their work in Haiti, and also to contribute to the effort to help people there.

“Perhaps this catastrophe is also a new birth for Haiti.”

Random radio searching while driving today brought this remarkable perspective from a Haitian who has survived the major catastrophic earthquake in his country.

It’s an interesting thought. There is always pain before a new birth. Yet a new birth holds so much promise and potential.

It’s hard to imagine how life changed in an instant for many Haitians. What many of them knew as regular life is now gone. Familiar faces and empty hearts echo the depth of their loss. Home is no longer a place they can return to. We can only imagine the deep void that is left in the hearts and minds of those hurting.

Yet in the midst of it all comes this voice of new birth … this voice of hope.  Perhaps a re-born nation could be stronger; perhaps a new unity among the survivors will generate new possibilities. This voice of hope, randomly caught from the airwaves brings hope also to those of us here, those of us outside the area of devastation.

The aid of the world will bring new hope and new opportunities. Coupled with the hope and help of the Haitian people themselves there is hope for Haiti’s tomorrow.

First, food and shelter to bring immediate relief. Then re-building comes.

Won’t you be a part of the immediate hope for the people of Haiti as well as the hope for the future?

Contribute to Power to Change’s relief efforts in Haiti through our ministry partner Global Aid Network (GAiN). You can also view videos of GAiN’s efforts in Haiti and read their press release.

In this video author Erwin McManus explores some of the ideas found in his book, Soul Cravings. Here he concludes his series of talks by explaining why God chose to step into human history: To better seek after us.

We encourage you to watch, and explore our Soul Cravings website if you’re interested in learning more.

Can you identify with how you’ve been fleeing God ? Have you ever considered that God has been seeking you, and longing to begin a new relationship? If you’d like to discuss this video, please contact us by email or comment below if you’d like to share your thoughts. For more information on God who stepped into human history, visit our Who is Jesus? area of our website.

If you are married, you have experienced unmet expectations in your marriage.

When my husband and I were engaged I met up with a friend my parents’ age who had been married for 25 years.  She was very enthusiastic.  She told me they had a great marriage and that sex is really important. “We have been married 25 years and we still have sex three times a week” she glowingly told me.

She went on to tell me some significant piece of marital advice, but I missed it.  I got stuck on her comment.  My fiancé and I waited until we married to enjoy a sexual relationship.  As I sat there listening my mind was screaming,  “You ONLY have sex three time a week and you think that is GOOD?!”

I share this anecdote about expectations because it is funny.  However, the reality of unmet expectations is not funny, especially when it comes to unmet sexual expectations in marriage.  If this is your situation, you are not alone.

For some the frustration is lack of intimacy, for others it may be meeting the demands of your spouse.  Some couples have expectations about who will initiate.  In some marriages one spouse wants to follow a schedule while for the other, spontaneity rules.

When you got married you probably didn’t expect to have such a “natural” thing become such a big issue.  But my friend was right, sex IS important.  If unmet expectations not dealt with, disappointment, frustration, and hurt will become the norm in your marriage and cause even greater problems.

If this sounds familiar, here are a couple ideas for you:

Talk about it. If you are feeling hurt, angry or left out you need to talk to your spouse about that.  Timing is key.  Don’t wait until you’ve initiated sex, were turned down and then blow-up.  Wait until emotions are calm, you are not tired and you will not be interrupted.

Give your spouse a heads up on the coming conversation.   This gives them a chance to think through the  issue and ensure that they won’t feel ambushed by the discussion.  For example, you could say, “when can we talk about _______?”.  Or “tonight after the kids are settled I’d like to talk about ______.”

Find a mentor. There are many ways to find help if the two of you are having a hard time working it out.  Find a couple who has been married longer than you have and who has a marriage you admire.  Ask them to mentor you in your relationship. Having someone walk alongside you makes such a difference.  You won’t feel so alone, and having an outside perspective really helps you both.

There is one caution:  don’t just talk to whoever will listen, choose wisely and choose someone you admire and want to be like.  Choose someone safe who you can trust to keep your confidences.  It is important to talk through your feelings, but you need to use wisdom and not blab your problems to everyone, this will cause more hurt between the two of you.

Educate yourself. Find books, podcasts, chats, or articles that will help as you work through your situation.  Make sure the source is reliable and trustworthy.  This topic is very common and there is help out there if you look for it.  Don’t let busyness or embarrassment keep you from getting the help you need; your marriage is important and needs to be a priority.

Turn up the Heat by Dr. Kevin Leman is a great resource for couples. It’s available at amazon.com and most major retailers

Related: If you’ve encountered the disappointment of unmet expectations recently, or know someone who has, explore our online interactive study “When God is Silent“. You will receive a personal email reply from one of our mentors.

Upcoming online chats: Join us for daily online chats. One of our features will be “Do You Need Change?” on January 31 at 12:15 pm EST. Please join us to discuss this important issue!

“After spending the past 5 days seeing, feeling and smelling the destruction and massive loss of life from the earthquake just over one week ago, I am deeply moved. I realized that I would never have made it out of the house had this structure collapsed. I would have been one of the multitude crushed under tons of debris…It is a sobering thought,” writes Bill Blaney, director of GAiN Canada, in an email this morning.

The people in Haiti are living in tremendous fear and suffering. You can help bring them hope and healing.

GAiN, the humanitarian division of Power to Change, is on the ground in Haiti distributing emergency response kits containing food, water purification tablets, tents for shelter and basic hygiene necessities. Our disaster response specialists are managing the relief efforts, medical clinics are being set up and trauma counsellors will arrive this week.

Our national director in Haiti, Esperandieu Pierre, is mobilizing his network of local churches and pastors to assist in the distribution of aid and to be trained in trauma counselling. Amidst the staggering scenes of suffering and devastation, we are working with local churches to show the love and compassion of God to the people of Haiti.

But they urgently need your help.

Your gift will help deploy and distribute containers of emergency response kits, setup additional medical clinics and provide spiritual and emotional healing to those suffering right now.

Will you give generously to help us provide physical help and spiritual hope to the people of Haiti?

Join us in our online chat room on January 25 at 7pm EST to learn how to pray for Haiti during our “A Guide to Effective Daily Prayer (Part One)” online chat.

In this video (this is part 2, watch part 1 here) author Erwin McManus explores some of the ideas found in his book, Soul Cravings. Here he focuses on what destiny is all about, and how God has called you accomplish something bigger than you ever thought possible.

When God gives you a glimpse of the potential he has for you, it can be scary. You may even wonder, is God talking to the right person? Is this really me? I was born for great things? It will take courage to accept this invitation, but courage grounded on a firm foundation.

We encourage you to watch, and explore our Soul Cravings website if you’re interested in learning more.

Do you identify with longing for destiny? Have you ever considered that God created you for a purpose? If you’d like to discuss this video, please contact us by email or comment below if you’d like to share your thoughts.