The Goal and The Glory, America’s Athletes Speak Their Faith, Introduction by Branch Rickey, Edited by Ted Simonson; 1962; 128 pages; Fleming H. Revell Company, Westwood, NJ; 5/19/09-5/19/09

Zach Banker has made a career of giving me good books and this one was life changing.  I thought it was going to be a collection of athletes testimonies, how they became a Christian and what they do with their Christianity as an elite athlete.  However this was more than that.  It took a person through becoming a Christian, spiritual discpline and living for Christ, seeing how these athletes men and women made time to read the word and pray in the midst of their very busy lives, caused me to see my relationship with the Lord of the Universe in a renewed way.  I spent some time last night talking to him and reading what he has to say.  This is not to say that I don’t have some questions for him, but I feel more comfortable asking those questions of him and sharing all my doubts, questions and concerns with him.  This volume has been updated several times with each eras elite, I especially like this one because it included several people I really respect, Rafer Johnson, Felipe Alou, Fran Tarkenton and Branch Rickey among others.  RRRR