Aloha from Karen Whiting. I hope you’re keeping warm!

The news and many dads are focusing on the upcoming super bowl football game. Sports engage guys and also many gals. It’s a good bridge to read books about sports and sport heroes. Contests go far back. Early paintings in cave dwellings depict running and wrestling. Modern Olympics are based on the Olympics held in ancient Greece.

Enjoy reading about sports and talking about how many people like to watch sports. Spend some time watching your children exercise or run and play a sport. Snap photos and create a small scrapbook of their sports involvement. Take short phone videos to send to family. Then chat about a favorite book that involves sports.

In the midst or cold weather and snow it can be hard to get out to run around, but it’s still important to exercise both body and mind. Consider holding a fun exercise contest during the super bowl halftime.

Read about sports in the Bible before of after the game. Check out archery in Genesis 21:20 and 1 Samuel 20 (where Jonathon used his skill to signal David); running in 1 Kings 18:41-46 where Elijah ran faster than a horse and chariot or Paul’s chat about races in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; or Jacob wrestling in Genesis32:22-25.

I enjoyed writing about sports and sport heroes when I wrote The One Year Devotions for Active Boys. We can learn a lot from athletes who have struggled and overcome obstacles, especially ones who follow Jesus.

Blessings,

Karen