Edcoach 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 It's amazing how God sometimes nudges us and says "Hey, dont forget about me!!" It sounds like he may have been doing that a bit to you, Daniel. I dont believe you have to apologize for your beliefs or sounding preachy. You have a huge stage and a huge audience with immense popularity around the world. This could be one of the reasons God has blessed you with the talents you have. Who knows, Im sure you have probably already, with your faith and your message, touched many lives and led people to Christ without even knowing it. I believe actions speak louder than words and your actions speak very loudly for you, hence your amazing popularity. It sounds to me like you have righted the ship and 2007 WILL be a great year for you!!God BlessEd Link to post Share on other sites
socalpoker_j 1 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 DN, its always important to recognize what we value most and to remember that this should be first priority in our lives. Often times in the "shuffle" of life what is most important to us can be lost in our problems, concerns, and even our accomplishments. It's great to know that you are making God first priority in your life as this will surely pay dividends that are of more significant worth than any poker tournament you could win or award you could receive. It takes a man to recognize when he is deficient in an area, and I congratulate you on recognizing that. Maybe set some time aside every morning with a good devotional or even something like Rob Bell's DVD series which has helped me gain the right perspective on life lately. Finally, this verse in II Cor 4:16-18 always encourages me when I'm in a "rut":"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."Be encouraged and God Bless. Link to post Share on other sites
nutzbuster 7 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 In fact, I'm going home. I'm going home tomorrow. Unfortunately, Lori won't be there for the couple days I'm home before Tunica, but I just need to recharge my batteries nonetheless. Wow....totally picked up on that you seemed down. Figured it was just all the traveling. No one is immune to that. Part of why I wrote in the Aussie blog that there was no way I could stay away from my wife/home for that long. All that flying, getting older, missing my wife, etc. As much as poker tour life seems enviable, that would not be for me. I also applaud your religious candor Daniel. Let the flamers have their way if they will, but I doubt they will. I find it refreshing and inspiring. As always, best to you, Lori and your family throughout '07. Travel safe! Link to post Share on other sites
The Czar 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Probably feels good to get this off your chest, time to move on now and clear your mind. Regardless of others beliefs, they should respect yours. Your candor has been refreshing. gl the rest of '07.</seriousness>Now tell God it's OK to allow you to suckout once in a while, even if the decision is wrong. Link to post Share on other sites
Balloon guy 158 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Get some guys togther and start a small men's group. I've been meeting with 4 other guys for about 10 months now. We take turns doing the study, and we pray for each other each day. We also call each other and keep each other accountable.I love my wife and love praying with her etc, but I need a man's perspective to tell me why I am a bonehead sometimes. Plus I am forced every few weeks to find a section of Bible and study it so I can teach it to he others.We also spent a few months and did the Purpose Driven Life. And we golf together, and we all smoke cigars.Small men's group studies are the bomb.I would imagine though that you would have a harder time finding 3 or 4 guys that can relate to you, and also understand what you have to deal with with media, etc.Good luck Link to post Share on other sites
seriousjoker 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 God is important to me. Without God, I am nothing.My life is better when I make God the center of it. When I don't, regardless of any tournament success or accolades, I just can't be happy unless I feel like I'm at a good place with God. Without a close, personal relationship with God, happiness would be impossible.I just rearranged your lines and put them together. You should put those words in a frame and hang them in your room and have a copy of it in your wallet where you can see it everyday.You can rearrange them the way you like it or add a few more lines to it.Make that your Life's 101. You are obviously on the right track; You know what's wrong, and you know exactly what to do to fix it.I don't believe in a god of religion myself, but that what works for me and I couldn't be happier any other way and you should do what works for you. Link to post Share on other sites
mario_kelly 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 First off DN I must say we are lucky to be able to read your thought and the fact you felt the need to post that showes how you carel. I am personally not religious but can read what you said and can take away alot from it. I think alot of us just think of you as a poker player and want you to go make countless final tables but we dont realize there is much more to the person. Thanks for taking the time to post this and we are lucky to be able to read and then use what u say for our own ideas on thoes topics.Thanks againbest of luck in 07 and the future. Link to post Share on other sites
Oziumrules 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Great Blog D. Without God in my life, I dont know where I would be. We all forget sometimes how important the Lord is in our lives and it is easy with all of distractions in this world to put God on the backburner. But remember, God is always there for us and recognizing the fact you are missing your relationship with God will only make you a better person.God Bless & Good Luck in Tunica. Link to post Share on other sites
BigSlickColorado 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Daniel,I play a weekly game with a bunch of great Christian guys...we respect you, your heart, and desire to pursue God "when the chips are down". We'd like to commit to pray for you - if that's cool with you...just let us know (somehow) how things are going and what we can do to encourage you.Proverbs 27:17, "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."Peace to you,Brian BeattyColo Springs, CObrian@kaizencreative.com Link to post Share on other sites
rahula 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Daniel,Though I am a Buddhist, I admire your courage to admit your faults and your faith in God. One thing I picked up on was the conversations you had with friends and the openness about yours and their faith even though there was a difference in opinion. That's a rare thing. I moderate an inter-faith message board and it can get really heated, but at the end of the day, we have to resolve to respect each other's views. I'm glad you are also an open-minded person.Keep your chin up buddy! I support you.Peace...rahula Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Baiter 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 DN, as a first timer poster (and I hope you read this), every human being on this planet has the right to believe in whatever they want (even though that right is does not exist openly for some). Perry and the guys you hang out with are class acts, ackowledging the differences we all have. To the point, you feel you've lost touch with your beliefs, could you consider you've lost touch with yourself? We all have moments in time where we feel we've lost something within our belief system, but look at your inner self first and the rest will come naturally based on your beliefs and the good person you are.Expressing your feelings for Lori even as much as "a little" on this blog is who you may be missing more, and it's natural to feel down about it especially while being so far away. My daughter is considering moving to Perth, AU with an Australian and move sometime in April of this year. It can be depressing at times knowing how often we'll get to see her in the future, but looking witihin our heart at the love we have for her and knowing she will be safe gets us through it (sometimes even with a little prayer). When you get back to Vegas, soak in the environment you've become accustom to and see how it will lift your spirits. The distractions you dealt with in AU will continue, but eventually will go away once you are able to deal with "this is who I am". Most of us have had your kind of emotional swing that has made our "game time" decisions a bad one. Just because you are near the top of your profession doesn't exempt you from your own feelings.I look forward to following you in Tunica and seeing you climb the leader board.Peace. Link to post Share on other sites
showstopper24 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 hopefully Daniel's time at home will help him feel better because this blog is completley different than his wpt bellagio blog Link to post Share on other sites
socalpoker_j 1 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Get some guys togther and start a small men's group. I've been meeting with 4 other guys for about 10 months now. We take turns doing the study, and we pray for each other each day. We also call each other and keep each other accountable.I love my wife and love praying with her etc, but I need a man's perspective to tell me why I am a bonehead sometimes. Plus I am forced every few weeks to find a section of Bible and study it so I can teach it to he others.We also spent a few months and did the Purpose Driven Life. And we golf together, and we all smoke cigars.Small men's group studies are the bomb.I would imagine though that you would have a harder time finding 3 or 4 guys that can relate to you, and also understand what you have to deal with with media, etc.Good luckYou make some huge points. Having an accountability "partner/buddy" etc really does make a difference and it doesn't have to be all stuffy and proper. Link to post Share on other sites
hockey fan 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Excellent blog....very open and honest.You struck a chord with me because I have been feeling very much the same as you lately.Like you, I need to re-assess my priorities because I know they aren't right.You've at least gotten me to think about this seriously, even though I know I should have before.No time like the present to try and set things right.Good luck in your pursuit Daniel....and thanks for the wake-up call! Link to post Share on other sites
Zagara 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Daniel,I admire the courage it takes to post this kind of blog for everyone in the world to see. It's not easy to do when you're a small-time blogger with a limited number of readers. I can't imagine doing it with the number of readers your blog gets. It's just another reason that I admire you and your play. Good luck, God bless, and know that prayers are coming your way.Katelyn Link to post Share on other sites
darkrider88 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 It takes two large ones to type up a blog like that and post it online, and I can only respect you more for it. I would wish you good luck, but that assumes that there is luck involved in what you described. Keep it real DN. Link to post Share on other sites
Seattleallstar 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 thanks for the blog man. It too made me realize that ive been caught up in other bs, that God got lost in the shuffle of other selfish needs and goals.Thanks Daniel! Link to post Share on other sites
reyho 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 This was a very insightful and personal relection from Daniel. I hope you find the right balance in your life and this blog is hopefully a positive step forward. Reading about all the gambling and money being tossed around it would be very easy to get eaten up by that lifestyle. Glad to read you have a solid and grounded perspective on the big picture. Link to post Share on other sites
Bohica 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I enjoyed the blog immensely Daniel.I am not a "practicing" religious person, but that doesn't mean I don't have faith. And, I only wish I had people with whom I could share my feelings (other than my wife).I applaud you for speaking your mind, because it is your life after all....and your blog. If you feel the need to vent, or share something about your life, so be it!!Never let anyone question your motivation, or your right to share your feelings & thoughts with us.Thank you again, and good luck from here on out. Link to post Share on other sites
Babkanoosh 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Wow Daniel,I cant describe how I feel about your recent posting on your blog cause it actually brought me to my knees. Not only for you, but for myself as I have lost sight of what is truly important in this life, the Lord Jesus Christ! This is my first post, but I will read your blog now as I have never in the past. I am not much of a blogger, or a forum junkie. I play a ton of poker (no where near your lvl of course) and struggle with guilt over it. But I think most of my struggles come from an inner battle over putting self before God. I do this quite frequently as I am a selfish individual that from time to time thinks he doesnt need God's help or guidance. I am also a perfectionist and when I am not doing things God's way get frustrated and tend to tail off. Your blog has brought me to my senses, so while you may think you are in the worst position you have ever been in as far as your relationship with the Lord, you helped a sinful, selfish man come back to the Lord. Your insight into your own life so mimicked thoughts that I have suppressed for so long that I almost couldnt finish reading it. It was very touching and personal to me, so just realize while you were trying to avoid sounding preachy, it preached to me and maybe just maybe I can get my rear end back on track. Thanks for the great post and God BlessP.S. I will be praying for you as I hope you will for meBabkanoosh (screen name on Pokerstarz) Link to post Share on other sites
TwoFourOffsuit 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I grew up with a Catholic father and a born-again Baptist mother, and am agnostic, but I still respect the beliefs of anyone who chooses to believe in God so long as they respect mine, themselves and others.You have my support, Daniel. Remember that strength must eventually come from within. Soul search for as long as you need to, and find it. Link to post Share on other sites
Nichols 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Daniel,Reading through these posts you should feel an immense pleasure in what you wrote in your last blog and how many people have responded and been touched by it. As a female, I was smiling when you admitted that you missed your wife! I know you keep your marriage more private, but it is good to see that even famous people need others in their lives to keep them balanced and happy. I read your blog as often as you update it and haven't ever felt a need to post about it, but this one was different and really touched a chord in me, so thank you for being vulnerable enough to write those words.We all need to center ourselves once in a while and getting back to basics and beliefs are good ways to focus. You sounded like you thought your resolutions were silly because you didn't include God. I think any positive actions we make in our lives are good for the soul and you shouldn't berate yourself. Just keep on thinking about more that you can do and accomplish spiritually and in all areas of your life and you will be rewarded in many ways. God wants us all to be the best people we can be and that means we have to continually try to improve in everything we do...even poker or golf! I wish you well and pray for you to find the balance you are striving for. And no matter what city you find yourself in, just remember this: If your feet hit the floor in the morning it's a great day!Annette Link to post Share on other sites
ivanbloodbane 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Daniel, Nice blog,first of all. Most people that have been replying have talked about god, which iam NOT talk about lol. God is personal and that is not what got me to reply to this. You seem a really depressed while right the blog. I just wanted to comment on your home life. You just got married a couple of months ago, and had a ton of time off before starting poker again. Now iam not hear to flame you on your life, but maybe you should quit for a while if you really think you need that time. But if you seriouly need the cash or do not fell like taking time off you GOT to get your head around. As all poker players do we fall into rut's. Go hang out with mikey for awhile iam sure he will make get you back in your fullcontact hat ready to kill the tournments. Peace man and good luck fixing your slef. chris Link to post Share on other sites
The_B00t 0 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I just feel there is no proof of a god so there is noway I will ever comit to any religion. It just seems to me that people use religion as a crutch for when things are going bad. They should gain support from friends and family and not some higher power that very well might not exist.Religion is the opium of the masses.Karl Marx Link to post Share on other sites
bob1preston 0 Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Daniel,God works in mysterious ways, and in my procrastination of doing my daily devotional I decided that I would check out your blog today. Well what do you know, there's God speaking through you to me. I really commend you and encourage you on your quest toward a better relationship with God, as I am sure you will find out the rest should just fall in place.I have been a long time avid reader of your blog and a very seldom poster on fullcontactpoker.com. The only post I have ever made here of any significance was also on the religious theme, it was in regards to my girlfriend's disapproval with my poker playing. I think this is the link: http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-foru...;hl=bob1preston . Fellow Christian poker player's opinion's especially yours both on the forum and through email were especially encouraging. Although I still am I student, I still play a lot of poker, and my girlfriend is now very approving and now even supportive of my playing thanks to forum's clarify that poker is not a sin.I am somewhat involved in the PocketFives.com community that most of you are familiar with, but in a much similar role to my fullcontactpoker.com role as an observer/reader. However, I also prompted the above post to the PocketFives.com and found a much more secular and therefore much less Biblically educated community. After some days, I felt that God was telling me to be more than a witness and I "jammed religion down their throats" as you say. Quickly found out, as it seems you already know, that that is the wrong way to go about it. However, God has placed you, a Christian, at the center of the poker world, a world, which from an outsider's view at best seems very secular and often times (incorrectly) has very sinful connotations. God has of course asked you to be a witness, but have an open heart to opportunities to introduce others to Christ.Much of what has been offered as suggestions here are absolutely great ideas in order to help you solidify a relationship with God including a men's small group and also a daily devotional. Another idea is that of a Bible Blog, naturally this in all likeliness would be your own private blog of prayer and reflection as a means to promote your spiritual growth. I have just started in this endeavor because of the positive impact that my poker blog had on my poker game. Just as my poker blog offered me a place to reflect and record my thoughts on poker in an attempt to improve my game and to learn more about the game, a religious blog can have the same effect, but with much more lucrative rewards. The last thing that I'll suggest is listening to worship music, I usually listen to my iPod on shuffle whenever I play poker and roughly 1 out of 20 songs is a worship song. Trust me those songs always seem to have the best timing and remind you of what's really important. Not sure about your music taste, but my favorites include Casting Crowns, Michael W. Smith, and the David Crowder Band. Favorite song right now hands down is "Shackles" by Mary Mary, great lyrics and a great beat.Good luck in your journey and God bless.-Bob Preston Link to post Share on other sites
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