If you know me, you know I'm an avid Florida Gator fan. Yes, that's right, I bleed orange and blue. I graduated from the University of Florida in 1994 with a Bachelors degree in English and am very loyal to my alma mater.  Why am I so loyal? I guess because my college experience was a pivotal time in my life. I came from a very small town and an even more dysfunctional family. I did fairly well academically in my small high school. Then I went to this huge university. While I didn't do nearly as well academically, I learned a lot about life in general, and college prepared me for the next step in my life... to be a productive member of society.

My husband and I have had the opportunity to attend a couple of football games so far this season. We both admire The Gators' star quarterback, Tim Tebow, a great deal.  But not necessarily for his talent in football.

Here's a kid (ok, he's 22 years old, but still a kid in my eyes) who is a senior college, won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore (a first in Heisman Trophy history), has lead The Gators to two National Championships, and has won more accolades and recognitions than even HE can probably count.... and yet, he is a person who appears to be as grounded as you and me.  Oh, and MOST importantly, he's an incredible role model. Here's an example... before the first football game, he spent time on the football field wheeling around a child who has cerebral palsey, talking to him, and introducing him to the other players. He invited the child into the locker room, and really, made him part of the entire day.  I bet that kid hasn't slept yet, out of sheer excitement from the experience! He'll never forget it, and I bet he'll have an equal affect on someone else in his life someday. 

So, what makes this 22 year old college star tick? 

I think, mainly, it's his faith.

Now, as for religion - to each his own.  However, all of us have faith in some way, shape or form. Whether it's in God, Buddha, The Universe.... most of us have faith. You don't have to go to church to have faith. So, insert your favoriite deity into the following.  

Tim Tebow has a devout faith.  I wonder, without that faith, would he have accomplished all that he has so far?  And, imagine, he's got the rest of his life to live and accomplish things!!  I think he does credit his faith in God for his abilities and talents, and he uses his "celebrity" to talk to others about faith... prisoners, orphans, and others that are not as fortunate. 

In voiceover, as in life, we gotta have faith. Faith in <insert name of favorite deity here> that we will be shown the way to what it is we're trying to accomplish, AND, faith in ourselves that we CAN accomplish our goals!  Be thankful for what you do have - your abilities, your family, the work you've obtained recently - I bet the list of things to be thankful for is endless.

Things aren't always going to go as we plan. We're not always going to be as busy as we would like to be.  The goals we set may not be as easy as we thought they would be to accomplish.  We're going to be discouraged from time to time. We're going to question why things are so hard, or what are we doing wrong. It's all part of the process...the road we're being led down to get to where we want to go.  And you know what? Even when we get there, we're still going to face challenges. 

Have faith.