For 119 years, the Auburn basketball program has produced some great players. None have more wins with the Tigers than center, Dylan Cardwell. He’s known for his smile and jubilant personality, but for Dylan, life wasn’t always so joyful. In high school, happiness was dependent on basketball alone.

“My identity was in basketball and my days would go as good as basketball went,” says Dylan. “So if I had good game, I had a good practice, I had the best day of my life. If I had a bad game or a bad practice I had a really bad day.”

After his junior season, Dylan transferred back to his home state of Georgia. However due to a transfer rule, he was ineligible to play and spent his entire senior season on the bench.

Will Dawson: How low did you get, how bad was it at certain times? Because at the time it probably felt like your world was being ripped apart.

Cardwell: “There would be days where I would go to school and I’d be having a great time and then as soon as I’d get in my car to head home I’d just feel empty because I was still practicing with the team, but I still  wasn’t able to play basketball on the court. And so it really just frustrated me. There would be days that I’d just cry myself to sleep and I would sit outside and cry to God and like ‘Why? Why am I going through this?’”

“And so the Lord really challenged me through a teacher of mine. She said ‘Maybe the Lord is trying to teach you, ‘Who is Dylan Cardwell without basketball?’ So she made me write a paper about who I am without basketball. It was very hard to go through. It was a year full of trial for me. But it really made me depend on God and the Lord kind of allowed me to build up this strength and routine of continuing to go to him in prayer and develop a relationship and have more faith in him for my deliverance,” says Dylan.

With offers from Tennessee and Georgia, Dylan ultimately decided to attend Auburn, where he believed he could grow in his faith. During his freshman year he began attending a church bible study, called the Freedom Group, which helped change his perspective.

“When I first got into the Freedom Group I was like, ‘Man, I don’t want to be here.’ Just a bunch of people that don’t look like me, to be frank. But when I first got in there, just the vulnerability of everybody in there in that group like the Lord put on my heart, ‘I need this!’ And so I started going every single week and asking the right questions and being a sponge, really being open. That’s the thing that they encouraged. They said, ‘Your sin grows in darkness so just let it all out.’”

Dylan was encouraged but he wasn’t ready to fully surrender his life to Jesus. He thought surrendering would mean giving up basketball.

“For me I was like, ‘Man, I don’t want to give my life to Christ, get hurt, and become a minister. I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to be a pastor. I don’t want to be a preacher. I just want to hoop,’” he says.

Until a friend shared with him something he’d never considered.

“He was like, ‘Man you can use basketball as your ministry. Like the Lord gave you this platform for a reason, to glorify Him. You don’t have to be on a stage to be in ministry.’”

Dawson: So that actually freed you up to say, ‘God has created me for a purpose. He’s given me the gifts he’s given me so I can go out and glorify him with them?

Cardwell: “Yeah, most definitely. I couldn’t see that before. Like I said, I was really fearful. I listened to these lies from the Devil that he’s going to take basketball away from me cause it had already been taken away from me before. I am 6’11” for a reason. I was built the way I was for a purpose, a purpose bigger than just putting a ball in a basket.“  

Dawson: “When you realized that, what changed on the basketball court?”

Cardwell: “Really I just started playing with more joy. The pressure of performance really went away. It just alleviated all the pressure for me and allowed me to play freer.”

Dylan began playing with a newfound freedom on the court and living for Christ off of it. And his teammates began to notice.

Denver Jones, Auburn Point Guard: “I even told Dylan he’s been a major impact on my life the way he carries himself so I try and just model myself of how much time he spends in the Bible studying. I try to model myself after that.”

In this, his final season, Auburn is the top seed in the NCAA tournament. Win or lose, Dylan’s goals are clear.

“We’re the number one team in the country. We’re honoring God, we’re glorifying God. It would be insane if we got to the national championship and these kids, ten, eleven years old, they see these guys, they’re glorifying God, they’re praying as a team. They see this. It’s normal. It’s cool. And that’s the opportunity I want. I don’t care about a national championship. I just want an opportunity to play for it so the Lord can give us a platform to continue to glorify Him.
He has saved me from myself, he’s saved me from my flesh. He saved me from weapons that have formed against me. He’s saved me from so much. So, I can’t live without him. I can’t author my life the way he has. I can’t protect myself from the seen and unseen like he has. And so for me, he means everything.”

COMING TO JESUS

Patricia Bootsma grew up on a farm in Stratford, Canada. When she was 8 years old, she encountered two people who prophesied over her. “They said I would lead people to Jesus,” she shares.  Her heart burned inside of her, but Bootsma had no idea what any of that meant.  After she gave her heart to the Lord at age 12, Bootsma says she knew she had a sense of destiny. “ I knew I had to fulfill this call of God on my life,” she says. “That was the beginning of what it meant to me to encounter God and live for Him.” 

Since that time, Bootsma has spent over 30 years serving the Lord and spreading his word, working with Catch the Fire ministries. 

READY FOR RETURN

In her book, When Jesus Splits the Sky, Bootsma challenges us to prepare for the second coming of Christ and the eternity that follows by examining our lives and making the necessary changes. She provides 10 practical steps:

1. No longer living as a lukewarm or mediocre Christian and returning to our first love, Jesus Christ. The most important commandments in scripture given by Jesus is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). Implementing this kind of love towards Christ and others is the foundation for preparing for eternity.

2. Creating healthy boundaries and experiencing Sabbath rest: With cell phones and social media always distracting us, it’s hard to find true rest. Yet, Jesus stresses the importance of Sabbath rest by leading by example. The Bible says in the beginning that God created for six days and then spent the seventh day resting. God told Moses to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. To work six days and rest on the seventh 
(Exodus 20:8-11).

3. Understanding the power of being thankful: Since scripture lists thankfulness 109 times, it must be important. The book of Psalms 100:4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name.” The Lord realized how important gratitude is to our quality of life. Bootsma shares examples of studies that show how being thankful activates the thalamus in our brain and produces dopamine, making us feel better. In addition, it increases our quality of sleep, immune system, blood 
pressure, etc. 

4. Communing with God: Bootsma calls Communion “the meal that heals.” Before taking Communion, scripture tells us to examine ourselves. In 1 Corinthian 11:25-26, the Apostle Paul quotes Jesus saying, This is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. When taking Communion, we are not only looking back at the price Jesus paid for us on the cross but also looking forward to His return. 

5. Resisting pride and embracing humility: God says He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 28:25). He also says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). We must examine our hearts to make sure we are humble. Bootsma shares, “Some have noted the

contrast between the two captains of the Titanic and Carpathia. One steamed ahead self-assuredly through a treacherous icefield, and the other was said to have prayed fervently as he navigated the icy waters to rescue survivors. Dare we say one went down in history as proud and the other humble?” 

6. Letting go of offense and finding freedom: In our current culture, offense runs rampant. The United States leads the world in the number of lawsuits. Woke culture has censored free speech by calling it hate speech and churches are not exempt. “Being offended ranks near the top of reasons people leave the church…” says Bootsma. And while some offenses are valid, they end up hurting the victim more than the perpetrator. 
Letting the offense go, receiving God’s love, and praying for the person who offended you can lead to freedom. 

7. Forgiving and releasing bitterness: This goes hand in hand with letting go of offense. Jesus says in scripture that if we forgive others, He will also forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15). 
Corrie ten Boom, known for saving approximately 800 Jews, was arrested and spent time in concentration camps as a result. But that didn’t stop her from continuing her efforts. Boom reiterates the powerful message of forgiveness when she says, “Why should we hold onto the sins of others while our sins have been cast into the sea?”

8. Letting go of an orphan heart and becoming God’s child: Scripture states, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). God sent his son to die on the cross so we could all come into God’s kingdom. “An orphaned heart is often through neglect or abuse. He does not feel accepted just as he is. She does not feel that she belongs.” Bootsma shares. In the Bible, God asks, “Can a woman forget her nursing child and not have compassion for the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

9. From trials to triumph: In the book of Revelation, the Seven Churches were addressed by Jesus, after he ascended to heaven. Bootsma explains that in all seven letters, a promise is attached for the one ‘who overcomes.’ She says that these end-times messages were given because the Lord knew we would have hardships, trials, tests, and pain to overcome. The ultimate reward for those who endure, overcome, and keep their faith is spending eternity with the Lord.  

10. Preparing for the transition from this life to the next: 2 Timothy 4:7-8 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness…” Bootsma challenges us to prepare our hearts and lives for the second coming of Christ. She explains, “When the trumpet sounds, every knee will bow, and all of us will see the Lord Jesus Christ face-to-face. Then, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. But we get to that willingly, out of love and choice. When we do, we will be ready for that day when He splits the sky.”

For more information on Patricia Bootsma and her new book When Jesus Splits the Sky click the LINK! 

CREDITS

Author, When Jesus Splits the Sky, (Chosen, 2025); She and her husband, John, pastor Catch the Fire Kansas City and serve as CTF USA national outreach directors; Former pastoral leaders with Catch the Fire Ministries in Canada for 30 yrs; Part of House of Prayer leadership for many years and is the Global Prayer Director for JH Israel, leading an online prayer house for Israel with various nations involved; 6 children; 9 grandchildren.

Labh did her best to take care of her two children, husband, and his parents, in northern India. That became extremely difficult as cataracts began to form in both eyes.

“My vision started to blur, / making even simple tasks unbearable. / My eyes watered constantly, causing me to have headaches. I felt helpless as my life became very hard.” Lubh said. 

After four years of suffering, Labh finally heard some good news. A free eye camp arrived in her village that was organized by Operation Blessing.

“At the camp, a doctor diagnosed me with cataracts and recommended surgery. The fact that it would be free, along with the lenses, felt like a miracle. I was so relieved—I had no way to afford such an operation.”

As the bandages were removed, it was clear that Labh’s life was about to be dramatically transformed.

“I can see my face in the mirror again! I can walk without fear of falling, and now I can care for my children, cook, and do chores with ease. I can even help with their schoolwork and bring lunch to my husband every day.” She continued. 

Being able to once again take care of her family has restored Labh’s purpose and joy. She’s even planning to learn how to sew to help bring in some extra income.

“I never thought I would see again, but the team restored my vision. I am deeply grateful to Operation Blessing and everyone who helped. Thank you.”