Curt Schilling is not only one of baseball's top pitchers but a man who showed physical and spiritual courage in 2004 while tens of millions watched. He pitched crucial playoff and World Series games -- still healing from an experimental suture of a torn

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Curt Schilling is not only one of baseball's top
pitchers but a man who showed physical and
spiritual courage in 2004 while tens of millions
watched. He pitched crucial playoff and World
Series games -- still healing from an
experimental suture of a torn ankle tendon --
with a visible blood stain on his sock. During
post-season interviews, he gave credit to God and
discussed his faith in Christ as a motivating
force.
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Schilling described how he became a Christian
eight years ago "I had gone to church, like a
lot of fringe Christians, when I needed help or
felt bad about something, but never just to go
and really listen to the message." His wife had
faith, but he thought of God as the 'cosmic
bellhop.'
"Driving home from the ballpark, I was thinking
about how tired I was of waking up every morning
with no real aim in life. We had our first kid,
and I wanted a foundation for my family...so I
said the Lord's Prayer. I waited for thunder and
lightning, and that never came, but my outlook
changed."
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Problem Person Possibility
Impossibility How?
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In the 1950s Sid Caesar starred in TV's hit
comedy Your Show of Shows. Its success came from
Caesar's team of writers, including future
legends Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, and Woody Allen.
Spending day and night in the Writers Room, the
ideas flowed freely, people competed fiercely,
and genius emerged from mighty struggles.
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Caesar said, "Chunks of plaster were knocked out
of walls, the draperies were ripped to shreds
Mel Brooks was frequently hanged in effigy by the
others." But the writers produced legendary
skits week after week and remained friends and
collaborators for decades. Caesar had created an
atmosphere in which the writers could argue
passionately, yet achieve breakthrough
creativity.
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In 1994, Nelson Mandela was the first
democratically elected president of South
Africa. Before the end of apartheid, the nation
suffered from secrecy, tribal rivalry, and
helplessness. After 27 years in prison, people
expected Mandela might be vengeful, but as
president he worked to address the pain and
suffering of millions while creating a spirit of
reconciliation aimed at moving the country
forward. He knew he couldnt fix it all, but he
could start programs and institutions of change
to shift peoples behaviors.
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Pray and Plan Impossible Environments
c Deut. 208 d 1 Sam. 146
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Leaders Plan for Impossible Environments
Judges 714-18 (New King James Version) He
(Gideon) returned to the camp of Israel, and
said, Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp
of Midian into your hand. Then he divided the
three hundred men into three companies, and he
put a trumpet into every mans hand, with empty
pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. And he
said to them, Look at me and do likewise watch,
and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall
do as I do When I blow the trumpet, I and all
who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets
on every side of the whole camp, and say, The
sword of the Lord and of Gideon!
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Formulating strategy is difficult. Executing it
throughout the organization is even harder. The
need to translate strategy into short-term
measurable operating objectives and action plans
must be handled well. The climate leaders create
is just as important as leadership. This climate
extends up and down the organization.
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Leaders Pray for God to Use Impossible
Environments
Judges 719-22 (New King James Version) So
Gideon and the 100 ... blew the trumpets and
broke the pitchers that were in their hands. Then
the three companies blew trumpets and broke the
pitchers they held the torches in their left
hands and the trumpets in their right hands for
blowing and cried, The sword of the Lord and
of Gideon! And every man stood in his place and
the whole army cried out and fled. When the 300
blew the trumpets, the Lord set every mans sword
against his companion and the army fled to Beth
Acacia....
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Prepare the Pitcher and Invite God to
Work Proverbs 2131 The horse is prepared for
the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord.
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Mission Comfortably Connect People to God
through the Bible and a Community of Growing
Christ-Followers.
Exploring Environments
Connecting Environments
Coaching Environments
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Jim Kubik, a principal of the investment firm
Griffin Kubik, prays daily before work. He
journals his prayers, then concludes with Bible
reading, to remain "emotionally involved with
God" throughout the day. Ed Williamson prays to
use his competitor's unethical practices to serve
as case studies for his employees on how not to
do business. Prayer opened the mind of textile
chief Allan Emery to realize pride was the only
thing holding him back from accepting a job in an
entirely different industry. Jack Feldballe,
founder of Renaissance Video, in contemplating a
business dispute with a competitor, was led to
treat the other firm generously.
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Jack Feldballe We were forming a new consulting
firm with an employee of another firm that was
closing its doors. Were we to do it, the new firm
would need some clients. There was a client base
at the old firm, and the old contracts with these
clients had run out. Using the best law firm in
town, we determined there was no legal obligation
not to take on one of the old clients. You
couldnt induce anyone to breach their old
contract, but you could go after the client for
new contracts. The old owners didnt see it that
way, believing they had rights, and they wanted
money.
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What should we do? Whats the ethical
obligation? The Bible says to treat others as
you'd want to be treated. So I said, 'If I were
on the other side, with great financial problems,
I might feel I nurtured these clients over the
years.' I prayed all weekend about it, and on
Monday decided to share profits with the former
owner for one year on these clients. She was
ecstatic and helped us finalize a contract with
that client, a large automotive company. And we
got a contract out of it. I dont say it was
hard or not hard. Just that I had to make the
decision about what my standards were. And just
because it was legal did not mean it was ethical
for me."
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