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McKinney resident's book urges men to get in the faith game
By Stefanie Ackerman, McKinney Courier-Gazette
A McKinney resident and former football coach has arranged a game plan to inspire young men women to get off the sidelines and into the end zone through Christian beliefs.
In the short reader, “Down, Set, Hike - It's Not Just a Game Played on Sunday,” Steve Morris, the author and an Allen High School pre-calculus teacher, encourages readers to “get dirty,” as he said.
“It's meant to encourage men who are afraid of getting dirty,” Morris said. “Why do you get knocked down? So you learn to get back up. It's about reconciling and getting back in the huddle.”
Although some people spend their Sundays in places of worship, he wanted to draw the connection between the other Sunday activity - football.
“As a frequent speaker at men's retreats, I have become concerned about the growing number of men who have turned away from the faith of their youth and are now sideline Christians, attending church out of a sense of duty or only on special occasions when someone ‘guilts' them into it. Every time these men watch a game, they feel the adrenaline rush that makes them wish that their lives still counted for something. This book is intended to remind them that it does,” Morris said.
He said with a laugh that his wife, Karen, an English teacher also at AHS, said he's been writing this book his whole life. Morris said, it's just now, since he's solely a teacher, he had the time to be more involved with his faith and speaking about it.
When he was vigorously typing away a lecture he was going to give at retreat, he couldn't stop writing. He felt that Christ was guiding him to get all the priorities and messages out to those who may have been sitting on the bench. He continued to write, contacted a publisher and the book went into print Monday.
“One of my goals is to encourage men to get back into the huddle and re-engage,” Morris said
The book is meant to be read in an hour to and hour and half, on a plane ride or a road trip, Morris said. In the book, he describes five major areas to promote help people figure out their priorities and establish them as well, with God in their life.
“The first thing for men,” he said, “is the investment of energy, time and money being worthwhile. Once we determine that, we can make a difference; step forward to find within our self a hope that resonates.”
He said there are three types of Christians, red, yellow and blue zone people. In his the book and throughout his 15 years of high school football coaching, he wanted to get people out of the red and into the blue.
On the copyright page of the book, Morris even gave his home address. He said he wanted the reader to know, if they are in need, he's there for support.
Life is not a go it alone journey, but the journey should be enjoyed and is part of a team effort, just like in football, to get to a destination that is probably already there for people.
“Down, set, hike, which is the cadence, the last thing you hear is down, set, hike. Now is the time to get in the game and be the difference,” Morris said.
Although the book seems more directed at men, Morris said it applies to young women as well.
The book will be available for purchase today on pleasantwordbooks.com.
Morris will also have a book signing at 1 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Logos Bookstore in Snider Plaza, across from Southern Methodist University.
Contact staff writer Stefanie Ackerman at 972-398-4265 or sackerman@acnpapers.com.
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