Happy New Year-2008! I trust you had some happy moments during the holidays that gave you the chance to reflect on the past year and to look forward with anticipation to what is ahead. One of those happy moments for me was a phone call to my 97 year old mom who is living with my brother in Scottsdale, Arizona. We were reflecting on this past year---and on many past years---and she began reciting the words to a special hymn for our family. "Count your many blessings, name them one by one; count your many blessings, see what God has done." She encouraged me to use the words of the old hymns every chance I got so that I might help to keep them from being lost to the generations to come. So we counted our blessings---one by one. We talked of my years of coaching football and, as we did, I asked her if she remembered the Rose Bowl Game from a year ago. She did remember that Michigan had played USC when I reminded her. (What a memory she has!) I mentioned how I remembered the Michigan Band playing the National Anthem and wondered if that reminded her of anything. She wasn't sure, so I told her of another of the really special blessings God has sent my way. It was the Fall of 1948 and I was in the 7th grade. She and dad had allowed me to purchase a season ticket to the Stanford home football games and I would ride the train by myself from Sunnyvale to Palo Alto on those Saturdays to see the Indians play. As I sat watching the start of the Rose Bowl game this New Year's Day, I remembered those many years ago how the Michigan band was there at Stanford Stadium, with their great Wolverine team, playing the Star Spangled Banner. As I remembered the Anthem ending at last year's game and the Stealth bomber came into view over the top of the Rose Bowl, a great wave of emotion hit me. I remembered the emotion I felt in 1948 as the band played and I prayed that God would allow me to play football----right in that stadium at Stanford---and then to go and coach the game I loved so much. Again, I asked mom if she remembered this story. She did. Then, she asked me, "Did you ever think as a little boy that the Lord would grant the desires of your heart when you asked Him to come into your heart to give you new life?" I admitted to her that I had no idea just what He had in store for me, but how fortunate I was to trust God at an early age and to have memories that go back 60 years! Remembering happy moments with my aging mom---what a great way to start the New Year.

In 2008, my New Year's Words of Encouragement for you is that you think back to the time when you asked Jesus to forgiveyour sins and then to thank Him again for His NEW life that you received. In Romans, Paul speaks of this very thing in chapter 6 and verse 4: "Your old sin-loving nature was buried with Him in baptism when He died, and when God the Father, with glorious power, brought Him back to life again, you were given His wonderful NEW life to enjoy."

Anticipate what is in store for you in 2008, I pray that it will include many opportunities to share His NEW life in you with your athletes and students in ways you might have dreamed about when you were first a Christian---and even some really different ways that only God Himself could plan for you. I would like to honor my mom's request by using these words from a wonderful old hymn (1865) written by Edward Plumptre, "Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart." The second stanza goes like this: "Bright youth and snow crowned age, Strong men and maidens meek, Raise your free exultant song, God's wondrous praises speak. Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, Give thanks and sing."

I'm so thankful I can say that "God is the same Yesterday (1948), Today (2008) and Forever!" Rejoice!!"

-Coach Hitch