Some doors, like the front gate of the White House, are tough to walk through. The White House has one phalanx of security after another, and you simply don't get in unless you are wanted, unless you have clearance, unless you have an appointment.

Some people do get into the White House based on who they are. Some get in based on who they know.

On Sunday July 26, 2009, one of the biggest and most famous ...

Perfection, human perfection, is one of the rarest things on earth. The world of sports shows how rare, or short lived, perfection is for us. For example, last week (the week of July 20, 2009) as I walked out of the office and got into my car for my daily commute home, I turned on sports radio. The hosts were in the middle of an interview with White Sox ace Mark Buerhle, and they were excited. Soon ...

When Johntell Franklin's mother lost her battle with cancer on February 7, 2009, no one was surprised to hear that Franklin, a senior forward for the Milwaukee Madison High School basketball team (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), was not going to play in his team's game that day against DeKalb High School (DeKalb, Illinois).

But then he showed up.

Midway through the second quarter, Franklin walked into the gym, ...

For almost 10 years, Adam Bruckner, [assistant coach for the Philadelphia Kixx indoor soccer team], has made it his personal mission to help the homeless. Actually, "help" would be an understatement for what he does. Although he earns a modest income, he gives away practically everything. And when he decided that wasn't enough, he whittled his living expenses down to two items: gas for his car and ...

Professional football player Troy Polamalu, a three-time Pro Bowl strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has worked hard to maintain his Christian character since joining the NFL in 2003. Before winning his second Super Bowl championship with the Steelers in 2009, Polamalu agreed to an interview for the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). "Pride is tough," Polamalu said to the interviewer. "You ...

In February 2009, Alex Rodriguez, all-star third baseman for the New York Yankees and the highest paid player in baseball, admitted taking banned substances in 2001, 2002, and 2003. In an interview with ESPN baseball columnist Peter Gammons, Rodriguez said:

I did take a banned substance. … I do remember thinking in my bed in Arizona, it was like, What am I doing? Wake up. Stop being selfish. ...

The 2009 Super Bowl is upon us, and once again we'll see just how much we love this sport. But is it possible we love it a little too much—just as we do with so many other things in life? Consider a recent commercial on TV that describes the love affair a former professional player, Lawrence Taylor, has with football. It could very well describe the undying love millions of Americans have for ...

In his book Passed Through Fire, pastor Rick Bundschuh tells the story of Hawaiian surfer Eddie Aikau:

If you ever visit Hawaii, you may notice a plethora of bumper stickers, most affixed to rusting, surfboard-laden cars, proclaiming, "Eddie would go!" This curious saying is a tribute to the courage of Hawaiian waterman Eddie Aikau.

Aikau was a lifeguard and big-wave surfer on Oahu's treacherous North ...

Kurt Warner, the two-time NFL MVP quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals, started a family tradition he calls The Restaurant Game. The night before he heads out for a road game, Kurt and his wife take their seven children out to eat a family dinner. Once the Warner family is seated, one of the children will scan the dining area like a quarterback looking for potential receivers. When the Warner child ...

NFL running back Shaun Alexander writes:

At the University of Alabama, I was meeting women from a lot of different backgrounds. My mother had taught me never to exploit women—that sex was meant only for marriage—and to treat women with respect. I knew the boundary lines it wasn't right to cross… I knew if I didn't keep my focus, I could fall. And it could occur anytime.

One time it ...