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Tim and Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Christians in a secular world (Part 3)

November 19, 2011 – 10:35 am

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, talk show host

Birthdate: May 28, 1977

Birthplace: Cranston, Rhode Island

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Photos: 27
News: 5

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Tim & Elisabeth Hasselbeck get personal

Tim and Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Christians in a secular world (Part 3)

The Hasselbecks are special people.

Sharing Her View

by Dan Ewald

Copyright Christianity Today International

She’s the baby of the bunch on ABC television’s morning chatfestThe View, while he’s the second-string quarterback for the New York Giants. Not your typical Christian couple by any stretch, but they’re not afraid to share their faith with others….

How do you wade into controversial topics without losing your cool?Elisabeth: I know some subjects are going to be a battle. Every time a heavy subject comes up, I can feel my body temperature rise and my blood pressure probably goes through the roof. Sometimes it takes me a little while to vocalize what I’m trying to get at. But you’re either a warrior or a coward. Sometimes you back down and sometimes you fight with all your might. Probably four days out of five I come home wishing I’d said something differently, or [wondering] why couldn’t I have said this? Thankfully, there’s always another show.

How do you approach the subject of Jesus with someone who doesn’t necessarily want to hear it?Elisabeth: I think a lot of Christians get a bad rap for pushing their faith because they’re so excited about it. Some people are very put off by that. And some Christians come across as judgmental, and I don’t think that’s the way to let someone understand your faith.Faith in God is a tricky subject to bring up in a public forum. But, for example, you can talk about creation. People say it’s random. But what if someone walked up to the David sculpture in Italy and said, “This is random. All these particles came together and this gorgeous sculpture came together.” Even someone who doesn’t believe in a power other than himself would say, “That’s ridiculous. An artist knew exactly what he was going to do when he put this here. There’s no way this could be random.” Apply that same thought to God. If you wouldn’t believe that Michelangelo’s sculpture was created in a random fashion, how can you possibly believe that human beings—the most gorgeous creation in this world—can be random? If people were to separate just that thought process away from faith, then maybe they would consider that it really isn’t sporadic and random and chaotic.What, then, is the key to sharing your views with someone who may disagree with you?Elisabeth: Any conversation two people can have, coming from different places, is priceless. Because no one has it all figured out. Who’s to say that because I believe in God I’m a better person than someone who doesn’t? That’s absolutely not true. I think sometimes people choose to surround themselves only with those who think similar to them, and that’s dangerous because you all end up yes-ing each other. It all comes down to “love one another.” Very simple. It’s unbelievable, though, how we mess it up.Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today’s Christian magazine.
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By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Tim and Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Christians in a secular world (Part 2)

November 18, 2011 – 6:57 am

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, talk show host

Birthdate: May 28, 1977

Birthplace: Cranston, Rhode Island

Read Full Biography

Photos: 27
News: 5

Share Share

Tim & Elisabeth Hasselbeck get personal

Tim and Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Christians in a secular world (Part 2)

The Hasselbecks are special people.

Sharing Her View

by Dan Ewald

Copyright Christianity Today International

She’s the baby of the bunch on ABC television’s morning chatfestThe View, while he’s the second-string quarterback for the New York Giants. Not your typical Christian couple by any stretch, but they’re not afraid to share their faith with others….

What is your church life like?

Elisabeth: Tim and I went to New England Chapel back home in Massachusetts where the pastor was young, vibrant, down-to-earth, and real. He didn’t pass prejudice. Those are all things I respect, especially in the Christian community, because too many people take an approach that I think turns a lot of people off, to be honest.My View colleague Star Jones was great when we first moved to New York City. She invited us out to her church and we went. She’s very open about her faith, which is great. But it’s been hard [to find a stable church home in New York] because we’ve moved around a lot. Tim: For example, we’ll go somewhere and find a young couples group doing a thing on The Five Love Languages. We both love that book and will want to jump in and do it. Then someone comes up to Elisabeth and wants to know what she ate on Survivor or someone asks me what [fellow Giants quarterback] Eli Manning is like. Next thing you know we have our guard up.Elisabeth, what’s it like working on The View?Elisabeth: I’m thankful that I can sit down every morning with four intelligent women and talk about things from shoes to faith to the war, circle back through politics, and end up at the latest diet. That’s made me a better citizen and a better person. Being challenged by them is an unbelievable gift. People do not have conversations like that every single day. “Some Christians come across as judgmental, and I don’t think that’s the way to let someone understand your faith.”Tim: I think a lot of people look at what she does and think, “You’re on TV an hour a day; what’s the big deal?” Really, there’s a lot of preparation to it and also a lot of pressure to be “on” every day. People are listening to what you say. The idea of exposing yourself in a lot of personal ways was a little awkward for both of us.Is standing up for what you believe difficult?Elisabeth: Though it is a challenge, I see it more as a blessing. I’ve learned so much from these women. Because they’re so good at what they do, they make me clarify my thoughts just sitting next to them.Tim: I’m proud I’m married to someone who will go in there and stand up for things we believe. For Elisabeth to be in a situation where she believes that Jesus was born from a virgin, there are people who would say, “You’re brainwashed, naïve, too young to really know.” That’s hard to swallow when someone basically tries to walk all over everything you stand for.Tim, do you face the same pressure in the NFL?Tim: No. In the athletic arena, you had people like Kurt Warner and guys who were crusaders for God. It isn’t totally outrageous to be a Christian. It isn’t crazy to go to Bible study on a Wednesday night with guys on your football team. In the entertainment industry, you’re an outcast in a lot of ways. Issues come up—serious topics like the Terri Schiavo case or abortion. Obviously Elisabeth’s more conservative than some of the other women on certain topics.Elisabeth: This is a very complex life. Things used to be simple back in the day. There was right and there was wrong. Now there’s a lot of complexity to our lives and the decisions we have to make. But that’s the beauty of our roundtable discussions on The View. I don’t feel it’s difficult to stand true to what I believe because that’s what we’re all paid to do. We respect one another and what we have to say. I feel a responsibility to be clear and honest and true to what I believe. I suppose many people debate issues with their friends and coworkers—but try doing it live on TV! [She laughs.] It’s the most stressful thing, but I thrive on that.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Also tagged , , , | Comments (1)

News of Pat Summerall’s conversion brought a smile to Tom Landry’s face jh38

October 17, 2011 – 2:45 pm

I got to ask Pat Summerall a question at the Little Rock Touchdown Club meeting back in October of 2010. Summerall had pointed out that Tom Landry was the defensive coordinator and Vince Lombardi was the offensive backfield coach when he played for the Giants.  Summerall had shared how he had recovered from his drinking habit and put his faith in Christ and was baptized.

I simply asked him if he had a chance to interact with any Christian Coaches like Tony Dungy or Tom Landry about his conversion. He said that he told Landry about his conversion and that was the only time he ever saw Landry smile. Walt Garrison told Summerall that he never saw Landry smile but he only played for him for 9 years.

Pat Summerall: A Divine Intervention

 

CBN.com – A LEGEND IS BORN

Pat Summerall was the signature voice of sports broadcasting in America. Over the years, millions of viewers have welcomed him into their homes, as the voice of NFL football. He’s been part of televised football from its early days. Though he broadcast from the first Superbowl, and many since, he’s had a love for the game well before the “Superbowl” even existed. As a professional football player, he is best known as the kicker for the legendary New York Giants of the late ’50s and ’60s. He started playing football in his small hometown in Florida. He actually played multiple sports and was good at all he tried. When he headed off for college, he turned down a few offers because they wouldn’t let him play both football and basketball, and he didn’t want to choose between his two loves. In college, he played both, but after a while he decided to stick with football and see where it took him. It’s taken him from the Detroit Lions, to the New York Giants, to the Sportscaster’s Hall of Fame, with numerous stops along the way.

Pat’s broadcast career was something he hadn’t planned on pursuing, but rather something that just kind of happened. He “walked-on” for an audition with CBS radio and got the part. Just that easy, his broadcasting career took off and he was launched into stardom. He went from radio to television, even hosting the morning news for a stint on CBS. Through his career, Pat encountered and interacted with numerous celebrities and professional athletes who are legends themselves. Pat continued his broadcast career with CBS for 32 years. In addition to his coverage of football, he was also the network’s signature voice for its golf coverage, including the Masters, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the NBA and five Heavyweight Championship Fights. In 1999, Summerall was inducted into the American Sportscaster’s Association’s Hall of Fame.

OFF-AIR AND OUT OF CONTROL

With fame and money, came opportunity and that opportunity for Pat was to live in a self-indulgent way. Though he had a wife and children waiting at home, Pat spent much of his time on the road with other athletes and broadcasters. He was sucked in by the seductive world around him. He spent much of his time in bars, and when he wasn’t in a bar, alcohol was widely available at sporting events. Over time, Pat became an alcoholic. His behavior wasn’t only hurting himself, it was hurting his family. When his family and friends staged an intervention, one of his daughters wrote a letter saying she was ashamed to share his last name. Pat agreed to go to rehab at the Betty Ford Clinic in 1992.

A NEW THIRST

While in rehab, Pat spent much of his time reading one of the two books available in his room, the Bible. He found that the thirst for knowledge about God and faith was replacing his thirst for alcohol. He found Jesus and gave up alcohol. He was later baptized and now shares his faith with others. His spirit was renewed, but years of drinking took a toll on his body. He has battled through serious health issues, including liver failure and the subsequent liver transplant, but continues to trust God through it all.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)