I Am Second.

Every 4 years I willingly deprive myself of sleep for weeks at a time. Why? Well, the Olympics of course! There's nothing better than The Olympic Games...more specifically, Gymnastics. This year has been so fun watching the Final Five compete for gold. I follow many of the gymnasts on Instagram, just trying to catch a glimpse of what it might be like to be in their shoes. To be at the top of your game at such a young age. To watch your dreams unfold right before your eyes. I imagine it's the highest of highs. However, you can't ride a wave like that forever. And, as we've seen with Gabby Douglas, the highs are generally accompanied by the lows. That's a post for another day, but I just have to comment that I do have some sympathy for Gabby. I don't think she's doing herself any favors (and the media is certainly not doing her any favors), but I think she's in a tough spot. Also, the scrutiny surrounding her is going to last long after Rio. Anyway, hopping back on my original train of thought.

I loved watching Nastia Liukin on Dancing with the Stars, and I was happy to see that she was going to be a commentator in Rio. She obviously knows the sport like the back of her hand, and I think she provides a great perspective on what the gymnasts might be thinking. So, I hopped on YouTube and watched Nastia's routines from her Olympics which led me to some videos of Shawn Johnson. I loved watching Shawn at the Olympics, partly because I felt like she had a "hometown tie" even though she was from Des Moines. But then I stumbled upon a video entitled "I Am Second." I clicked on the video, and Shawn talked about life after the Olympics. You can watch it here. Then, a boatload of other "I Am Second" videos popped up. They are incredible. They talk about events that led people closer to God, and how those events helped them understand God's purpose for their lives. It's refreshing to see the people you watch on television give their personal testimony.

After I watched Shawn Johnson's story, I saw that Sean Lowe had done a story as well. One of my guilty pleasures is watching The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. I can't help myself. I've watched the show since its creation. Sean Lowe's story was great. Single ladies, after watching this, you'll know that you deserve someone great. And if you don't feel like that, watch it again because you clearly weren't paying attention the first time.

You can check out the I Am Second videos on YouTube, or go to www.iamsecond.com and explore their website. Pretty sure I'll be doing that all day today. It seems appropriate to close today's post with one of my favorite Bible verses.