JUMP SHOTS

As a young kid on the farm, there wasn’t much to do in between work. Then one day Dad came home with a basketball rim and net.

“We’ll put it up in the haymow,” he announced excitedly.

During the summer, there was a period of two or three months that the haymow was empty. It had an 18-foot ceiling and a smooth wood floor, so it was perfect for a basketball court.

Dad found a piece of plywood for a backboard, and we put the rim up. We had a basketball court!

I was somewhere between ten and twelve, but my older brother had friends who were quite good at basketball. There were heated games, and usually he let me play.

There was no real reason for my being tall. My dad was five-ten and so was my brother. But in the eighth grade I was five-eleven, and by the time I was a junior I was six-three.

So early on, being very competitive, I started practicing a “jump shot.”  Nearly everyone shot a set shot back then. If you could shoot a jump shot, you were kind of elite. Our friend, Pat Miller was an accomplished basketball player, and he once said to me, “I don’t know any eighth grader that can shoot a jump shot.”

So, I practiced and practiced . . . and practiced my jump shot.

In life, when you have a passion for something, you prepare yourself by practicing and hope some day you will get your shot at something big. Mine came in my junior year when we were playing Little Fork. We had two hotshots on the team, Curtis Mortenson, we called “Mort,” and Curtis Lundin, we called “Lundin.” Mort played the inside around the key, and Lundin was the point guard who could sink 25-footers when he was hot. Both averaged about 20 points a game.

This night we were battling Little Fork for the lead in the conference. Our stars were a bit cold and somehow, although we were close, we just couldn’t pull ahead. Coach put me in the game and right away Mort fed me at the top of the key. I turned and drove for the basket and sunk a layup as I was fouled. I missed the free throw.

On the next possession, Lundin shot from the outside. The rebound went high in the air. Mort and I went up at the same time and we both grabbed the rebound. Then, Mort let go. I don’t know why. I came down to the left and slightly behind the basket, right at the base line. Immediately I went back up and shot from behind the backboard . . . and “swish.” It went right through. The crowd erupted.

Little Fork went down the floor and missed the shot. We got the rebound and Lundin raced down the floor. I was slightly behind him when he turned and fed me the ball about twenty feet out. “Shoot!” he screamed. So I did. A jump shot.

It was a swisher, and the net got caught on the rim. Now the crowd went wild as the ref stopped the game to free the net. As a result of my six consecutive points, we pulled ahead . . . and held the lead to the end of the game.

After the game, Mort grabbed me around the waste and lifted me high in the air, while the rest of the team jumped up and down around us in wild jubilation.

The conference championship went down to the last game of the season against Cass Lake. With less than a minute left in the game we were leading by one point. On our possession, I sank a jumper in front of the basket, which iced the game.

After I graduated and went to college in St. Paul, Minnesota, I received a prophesy at a small independent church. I was to write a book, and it seemed by the prophecy that it was kind of a big deal.

I began writing professionally when I was about 35, when I produced a discussion starter video for Bible Clubs in the public schools. During the next several years I wrote several video projects for corporate clients and in 2000 I wrote a book on parenting. Four other books followed and none were published except for a chapter out of one called Firestorm. Now in this last year I wrote a book that was published and is doing very well.  I’m convinced it is the book God had in mind when He spoke through the prophesy when I was 18.

Why did it take so long? When you receive a promise or assignment from God, do everything you can to prepare yourself. Like practicing jump shots or honing your writing skill. Keep at it. Be diligent. Preparing yourself for the thing God promised, shows your faith. It shows Him that you believe Him, that you are putting your full weight on His promise. When the opportunity comes, be ready to go.

Faithful is He that called you, Who also will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NKJV)

Don’t be discouraged. Don’t quit. Keep going. Keep believing. In due season you will reap if you don’t lose heart.

Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)

New Developments

Sometimes God had something planned you completely didn’t see coming. Such is the recent development in our ministry. Last fall the Waskish Baptist church was in need of a fill-in pastor. This is the church I grew up in.

Grand Forks is a three and a half hour drive from Waskish. To start with, we said we could do one service a month. Then we said we could do two a month. Then, the Lord spoke to Lorraine, “If they need you, and you can come, then you should come. So we have now been doing the Waskish service every Sunday.

Honestly, I resisted a steady pastorate because I didn’t think I could come up with a sermon every Sunday. But by the grace of God it has been easy to write sermons. Where the calling is, the grace of God follows?

We are enjoying this assignment immensely. The Waskish folks are a great bunch of people.

And in addition, I distribute my book, write articles for the web site, and I’m working on another book. Lorraine is working on illustrations for her upcoming children’s book.

It is so gratifying to observe how God spreads my book. At a recent trip to the bank, I ran into the area manager at the door. He greeted me warmly. I usually tease him about the Packers. He is a Green Bay Packers fan. Much to my surprise he said, “I heard you wrote a book.” Only one banker has my book so evidently she has been talking about it. So now the area manager wants one too . . . and that’s how it goes.

The following is a comment from Rick Olson, a long-time friend, who I consider to be a “heavy weight” seminar speaker. He also taught me how to golf.

George Halama has been a wonderful friend and big help to me in my speaking career.   I started my business over 30 years ago and George created some promotional materials that brought me to a new level.  George’s life and ministry continue to inspire me.   And now he has written a very thought provoking book entitled Is This The End…Or Just the Beginning.  The challenges of the day call for a new way of thinking.   If we are still doing things the same way we were 20 years ago, there is a good chance we are doing them wrong.   Change itself is painful, but irrelevance is much more painful.   George will force you to look at many key kingdom concepts and open your mind to a new approach.  Thank you George for giving us the heavenly nudge we needed.

 Rick Olson    

You can order my book by sending $20 to

Rise Up America

P.O. Box 41291

Plymouth, MN 55441

You can also order from the store on our website, georgeandlorraine.com.

In His Service,

George and Lorraine Halama

Photograph taken by Lorraine