The S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

where do i begin explaining the SPECIAL?   it's going to look like total craziness, but God uses it in the lives of college athletes in insane ways.  the 47 students started the week learning principles to apply while they played. 

for a week they played ultimate frisbee as "practice"  in applying the principles:  Audience of One (playin' for God alone), Inside Game (identity in Christ), Holy Sweat (spiritual disciplines), Hurtin' for Certain (handling trials),  Victory Beyond Competition.  Then, on Friday at 6pm, the SPECIAL began. They started by playing ultimate frisbee for about 2 hours.

after all the frisbee they went right in to push up relays for about 30 minutes.  the point of all this turmoil is to break the athletes down over 2 days to the point of absolute physical exhaustion so they rely fully on God for strength.  when trials come back on campus and on the playing field, they'll have a Godly perspective for handling it.

next up was relays in the pool.

you know how tired the pool makes you?  imagine an hour and a half of swim relays after everything already, then getting out to go play basketball!

basketball went on for another 2 hours or so.  they played about 10 different ten-minute games, then ran 3 suicides.  it was intense.

the breakdown was begining.  it was past midnight.  they then went back to the house where they are all staying and took a test on the principles.  afterward, they all went to bed, around 1:30 a.m., and had to wake up and start all over again the next morning.  the teams had to wake up based on their scores so the leading team got to wake up 50 min after everyone else...4:45 a.m.

the last day began with an hour and 45 min. obstacle course.  i didn't make it out for that to take pics, but we were all there to watch the students (and jon btw) run "golgotha."

golgatha.  they heard the story of the crucifixion, grabbed their 5ft long 2x4, and headed down the hill...in order to run back up.

completely physically exhausted, in full view of the mountains, they forced their bodies to run a mile uphill concentrating on the physical pain that Christ endured for their sake.  HE was alone.  forsaken by even His heavenly father.

the emotional toll was obvious.  the impact will be eternal.

God has really used the SPECIAL to impact their lives already, and our prayer is that it will continue to impact them throughout their lives - on and off the playing field.