Through death came life

Never did I think I'd cry conducting an interview. That all changed today.

I never knew that I'd have something in common with an 17 year old football player. He had a dad in and out of jail and so did I. He lost someone very close to pancreatic cancer, so did I. Except the person he lost was his dad. Though Duane's father was in and out of jail he strived to make sure he kept a relationship with Duane and his siblings.

That was good and bad at the same time.

With the lack of father figure in his life, Duane was not a likeable guy. He started fights, got suspended, had a haughty attitude...all the above. Then, on November 27, 2007 Duane's world was rocked. Three months prior, he found out that his dad was going to be released from prison. The most exciting news he had ever received. His dad was going to finally see him play football.

A bittersweet moment and he didn't even know it yet.

That same day he also found out that his dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The night of November 27, 2007 he said, "Goodnight daddy, I love you..." and then he started to break down crying. "I'll see you tomorrow."

But there was no tomorrow he told me. Those were the last things he was able to say to his father.

Through death came life. A light bulb clicked and from that moment Duane Brady made a 360, in his personal life and on the football field. His coaches can attest. Once know as a big jerk, coaches and players hated to be around him, but now they can't get enough of him.

In his senior season of football at St. Augustine High School, he broke University of Florida's Brandon James' season rushing record. Everyone couldn't be prouder. As senior graduation nears in the next month or two, Duane will be embarking on a new journey at Murray St. in Kentucky.

He's an amazing young man and I can't wait to see how God will be using him.

Welcome to the 2010 season, Yankees

Welcome to the Trop, Yanks.

Please meet the team that's going to give you a run for your money this season. On first, you've got Carlos Pena, on second you'll be greeted by Sean Rodriguez and SS Jason Bartlett when they get you out on a 5-4-3 double play. If you make it to third, gold glove winner Longo will be glad to say hey. And if you dare to send your ball to the outfield, Carl Crawford, B.J Upton and Ben Zobrist will be glad to catch it for you.

Just thought I'd be polite in case you guys weren't familiar with each other.

Last night, the Yankees ventured to Tropicana Field in their first three-game series of the year. New York was no match for David Price and the Rays as Price pitched a pretty much flawless seven and two-thirds innings. Pena greeted pitcher Javier Vazquez with a two-run homer to tie the game and DH Willie Aybar another two-run homer for assurance.

The Rays have put together their best team to date. So watch out Yankee fans, you can't expect sure wins here.

He's gone Hey-wire

Two weeks from today, I'll be graduating college. I thought that was a big feat, until I watched opening week of baseball...the Atlanta Braves home opener against the Chicago Cubs. A twenty-year-old by the name of Jason Heyward starting in right field for the Braves. TWENTY-YEARS OLD and he's already starting in the majors. I'm twenty-one. To think of playing a professional sport and making millions at my age boggles my mind.

Ok, so yeah he's twenty-years-old, but what made his debut most remarkable is that he hit a grand slam on his first-ever at bat in the majors. A GRAND SLAM. Some veterans that have been playing the game for some time now are still looking for their first grand-slam.

Analysts say he has more patience beyond his playing years. At his first at bat he didn't come out swinging. Instead, he waited on the ball patiently until he saw his fastball cross the plate and he ripped it.

They say patience is a virtue. For him, patience will carve out a long-lived major league career.

The Invisible Man

If you were to look up invisible in the dictionary it would say: not perceptible by the eye or discernible by the mind. By definition, we know that Andy Hirko is not “invisible” because he is perceptible to the eye, he’s a person just like you and I. But who is this Andy Hirko?

In 1999, he stepped foot on Flagler College’s campus ready to take on every party and every girl. Hirko was a pitcher on a baseball scholarship, and just like most male athletes, thought he was hot stuff. He said he had his share of fun, but could feel he was lacking something, some kind of emptiness, but couldn’t put his finger on it at the time.

As he finished out his freshman year and entered his sophomore year, he started to take notice that his core group of friends had that something he was looking for.

“They had this joy and peace about life,” said Hirko.

So he asked them how he could get this same joy and peace. They told him that it was simple: there was this guy up in heaven that loved him so much and just wanted to have a relationship with him, just like a friend, but even better because he’s got so many connections to help him get through life.

“Now that I asked Jesus into my heart,” he told me, “I wanted to do it right. It was either all or nothing and I chose all.”

That’s the beginning of his “invisible” journey.

Hirko started the college ministry at Goodnews Church after graduation to reach out to kids like him.

“Many kids have a bad taste of church whether it be from a person or a past experience,” said Hirko, “But I’m just here to love and accept them for who they are. To show them that Jesus is love.”

Many don’t understand why he does what he does, like waiting outside of Panama Hattis until 1 a.m. to drive a bunch of drunk college students home for free. He’s got better things to do that night, like take care of his three-year-old daughter.

But it’s not about him.

The student at the bookstore at the beginning of the year couldn’t fathom why this stranger, Hirko, wanted to buy his semesters’ worth of books. Five hundred people wanted to know why he was handing out free Schmagel’s bagels. Dozens of kids on campus were scratching their heads when they were handed free whole pizzas, perfectly in tact.

“It’s all about love,” said Hirko.

Remember the bracelet WWJD, what would Jesus do? That’s Hirko’s mission. To show people Jesus is if he were with us today. A down to earth man who just wants to help you out through life, like your friend, but better because this friend would never stab you in the back or use you for what you’re worth. This friend wouldn’t ditch you when you did something you know you shouldn’t have done. Like a pet dog, this man would be a life-long companion.

This is no easy task, though, because so many people are skeptical of Christianity.

“We [the leadership team] just step out on faith that God will lead us where we need to go each day,” said Hirko. “I do it so they [college kids] have the chance to experience what I did, true peace and joy in life.”

What is that true peace and joy you might ask? It’s not fearing about the unknown that lies ahead. That job or career you don’t have yet, or that man or woman that hasn’t swept you off your feet yet. To a college student these are milestones in life after graduation, but he’s trying to show them that they don’t have to do it alone. There’s someone that wants to walk with them every step of the way.There are no gimmicks or strings attached to what Hirko does. He does it because he wants to. And that’s what is not discernible by the minds of today. Nobody just gives of his or her self these days. They’re usually in it for a prize or monetary gain, but not Hirko. He just wants to be invisible that others might see Jesus in human form.