Recently I had the honor of helping one of Hope's Mission Partners, the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes with its annual banquet. This year it featured former Iowa Barnstormer and 2017 NFL Hall of Fame quarterback
Kurt Warner. The event was attended by nearly 1,400 people and was an amazing and inspiring evening.
This was Kurt and Brenda's first trip back to Iowa since his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame last year. Kurt's talk for FCA was titled
"Moments Matter," tying Biblical stories of Job, Noah, Peter and others to examples in his own life. He really brought
the Word.
The title of his keynote stuck with me. Kurt pointed out that for each of us, our life is a whole series of "moments." Experiences - good and bad - that make us who we are today. And moments do "matter."
Regardless of whether living through a tragedy like Brenda's parents dying in a 1996 tornado, or the triumph of leading the St. Louis Rams in "the Greatest Show on Turf" in 1999 and a Super Bowl win, Kurt and Brenda live their lives grounded in faith and in the importance of family. With seven kids ranging from 12-year-old twin girls to one of their oldest, an adult son with special needs - their lives are full and they know moments matter.
So, when a change in the date of the Husker spring game suddenly conflicted with the FCA banquet, Kurt and Brenda wanted to make two moments matter. Their son Kade is a walk-on red shirt freshman on the University of Nebraska football team who was set to play that day. They asked how they could see their son play and still make it to the banquet.
And thanks to the help of Steve and S.J. Risewick, owners of Seneca Tank in Des Moines, who provided a flight from Lincoln to Des Moines after the game, both priorities were met for the Warners. Dave Bush, who was the emcee for the evening, and I were blessed to be on the plane with Kurt and Brenda. While driving them from the airport to the hotel, their cell phone rang and it was Kade wanting to talk... he had caught a 57-yard touchdown pass in that game. Proud son. Proud mom and dad.
Moments matter.
You've probably heard the quote, "The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." There's a lot of truth in that. Kurt's love for God and Brenda is an example that their children clearly see, as do so many others. Chuck Swindoll is quoted as saying, "Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children."
Are you making memories - moments that matter - in your children or grandchildren's lives?
In just over a week it will be Mother's Day, a time we celebrate the impact our moms have had in our lives. At Hope there is a special opportunity to make memories with your kids by becoming part of
Project Mother's Day. I hope you will consider bringing your kids, or sign up to
help volunteer, because moments matter.
Scott Brunscheen
