Something Spiritual Sports
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Something Spiritual Sports
The Case of Casey's Challenges and Christ Coming Through
This episode shares Casey Palacios's inspiring journey from homelessness to faith and purpose, highlighting the importance of community, mentorship, and recognizing one’s calling in life. Listeners will find powerful messages about resilience, personal connections in faith, and encouragement to embrace their unique paths.
• Casey's childhood struggles and father's passing
• Experiencing homelessness and calling on Jesus for help
• Importance of community and relationships in faith
• Understanding God’s calling and purpose in life
• Influence of FCA in shaping Casey's ministry
• Building strong connections with student-athletes
• Excitement for collaboration between FCA and South Florida Bible College
• Emphasizing genuine love and compassion through Romans 12:9
• The role of mentorship in faith journeys
• Reflection on personal relationships and their significance
Hi, this is Zach Evans with Something Spiritual, sports, and I'm here today with Casey Palacios joining me on today's podcast. This is his story. So, casey, can you please share a short version of your testimony?
Speaker 2:That's a loaded question. It's been a long journey to get to where I am today and it's only by the grace of God. I know a lot of people say it as a cliche, but I'm a firm believer. If it had not been for the Lord, who's on my side, I know, I won't be here, you wouldn't, be here today.
Speaker 1:I would not be here today.
Speaker 2:I had to learn that pretty early on in life, knowing that God is my heavenly father. I had an earthly father that passed when I was younger. I was eight years old when he passed. Wow, and it was a little tough, a tough transition growing up without a dad. But my mom man, she's a strong woman and she did her very best to raise me as a single mom and just being able to just give me everything she could, just being able to just give me everything she could, right?
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I grew up in Miami Florida. My family is from the Bahamas oh, nice. Also, we had some real hard times growing up in Miami. My mom ended up meeting a guy and then we ended up moving to Palm Beach County when I was in high school. But I really how I came to know the Lord was when I was living in Miami Florida. My mom and I we were homeless at the time and when we met this family at the Salvation Army, they ended up allowing us to stay with them. My mom ended up having a live-in job in Hialeah, okay, and I stayed with this family in Liberty City and the family was around Christmas time and the family was around.
Speaker 2:Christmas time Family didn't have. They didn't have the.
Speaker 1:The thought.
Speaker 2:I'll say it like that to do something for a kid that's in their home. And I say that to say this. The story went on Christmas Day. A lot of the grandkids and kids came over to this home and they was handing out Christmas gifts. And I was standing there as a 12-year-old little boy and no one handed me a gift on Christmas morning, so I ended up running into the bathroom. I didn't want these people to see me cry, so I ran into the bathroom and all I could remember was what my aunt used to always tell me when I would visit her in the Bahamas Anytime you're in need, anytime you're hurting, just call on the name of Jesus, call on the name of the Lord and He'll help you throughout all of your hurt and your pain.
Speaker 2:And that's what I did in the bathroom that day. Wow, and that was the first time I felt like tangible presence of God. You really felt the Holy Spirit. I definitely felt God's spirit, and my tears dried up. I was no longer concerned about those gifts that were outside and being handed out, I was just.
Speaker 2:I felt a different sense of peace. Now I understand it to be the peace that surpasses all understanding. So, yeah, man, that's how I came to know the Lord, when I was 12 years old but no one knew about my, you know, asking Jesus to help me and come into my heart and save me, because no one technically led me to the Lord, so I wasn't really a disciple. So when I went to high school and college played college ball, it was really.
Speaker 2:It was a challenging time at times because you dealt with things that comes with that lifestyle when you play sports and stuff, and it's, if you don't have the right guidance, uh-huh and uh, you know discipleship it could easily be something that can be detrimental to you as a person. So, yeah, I truly believe in community.
Speaker 1:We all were created for community yeah, we weren't created to be isolated. No, not at all. No, and uh, that that obviously, like that, changed the moment that the where your career, oh yeah, like that's that you know definitely, because like say, you haven't given your life to christ, probably wouldn't have ever been a chaplain, probably never would have, you know, lived for god.
Speaker 2:So maybe like just talk about how how that whole you've come to christ, like how that totally just changed your trajectory well, you know, actually I'm a firm believer in our life not being all right right our life room, especially when we accept jesus christ in our hearts as our personal lord and savior. We believe in his finished work, what he did on the cross for us right right so the bible says our life was bought for the price right, and that price was his blood and because our life is not our own you know, and the calling that god has placed on each and every one of our lives.
Speaker 2:We all are called to do something, and the calling that he's placed on our lives is without repentance. I mean, you can't even run from it. If you try, it's going to be ever before you going to be ever before you, and that's something that I had to learn.
Speaker 2:You know early on that, hey, this is something that I didn't necessarily choose, but you know God chose me. Yes, I'm extremely grateful for you know, being chosen to share the good news about his son and and just encourage others to be the best version of who God has created them to be.
Speaker 1:And so for me personally too, like it took me a while to find my calling, it's like I wasn't always you know, always doing FCA, so eventually like finding that calling. And't always, you know, always doing FCA, so eventually like finding that calling and your purpose, you know, like what was that like for you?
Speaker 2:That's a good question Finding my calling and my purpose. I think your calling and your purpose is just before you, uh-huh God orders our steps. I'm a firm believer in that he orders the steps of a righteous person. We're not righteous because of anything that we've done. We're righteous because what he has already done. The Bible says my righteous servant has made it possible for many to be considered righteous, and I'm honored to be considered righteous. I'm honored to be considered righteous in this site.
Speaker 1:I'm.
Speaker 2:I think once you have that opportunity to know him and hear his voice and seeing how he orders your steps, he's going to point you in the right direction. He's going to also open doors for you, right, so you'll see clear doors of opportunity that come about in your journey, right? And you're like man, is this a door that I'm supposed to walk through right now? Oh yeah, you seek his will, you seek his guidance and then you move forward. You know, so it's just finding your purpose in life.
Speaker 2:I believe God, you know he leads us, you know he shows us the way. God, you know he leads us. You know and he shows us the way, and he places people in your path to help you and encourage you along the journey. It helps also steer you in the right direction as well.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, and I know you were part of FCA and so how, so how did that experience that five years of?
Speaker 2:you know being a chaplain for FAU how did that prepare you for what you're doing now with South Florida Bible College man? I loved every second of you know, being on that campus and helping those student athletes working with FCA. It was a beautiful, you know ministry to just be a part of and serve in that capacity. To me, it's always been about relationships. Relationships are so important. It's important to God and it's extremely important to me, right? So it's the the relationships that that I built over the years.
Speaker 2:You know, being on that campus, you know um it helped you realize the importance of relationships right you know right, because uh of relationships, right, you know. Right Because you know, as I stand now, I've married, I've officiated some of the athletes' weddings that I was ministering to on that campus. Man, yeah, that's so cool. It's relationships that I still have to this day, that I will cherish for a lifetime to this day that I would cherish for a lifetime. So I've learned so much from being a part of that ministry. I've grown so much since then.
Speaker 1:I'm just grateful for every opportunity that God has given me to serve his kingdom in any capacity. Yeah, and then I know it's cool because South Florida Bible College has sports now.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, oh yeah, we're excited about this man, it's a great time for SFBC Great time to be a student here. Great time to be on staff faculty. We're excited. There's some buzz around the campus, so we're really excited to see what's to come.
Speaker 1:And how do you see, because I know you've talked to. Desmond and how do you see FCA and South Florida Bible College coming together and as two different ministries and working together Well?
Speaker 2:just as any school when they partner with you know FCA. I think it's just a beautiful ministry to be a part of first.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:They have a lot of different resources specified for athletes. That man, it just speaks their language, right, you know. And it just speaks their language, right, you know. And it helps them along their journey, uh-huh, it helps them use the influence that they naturally have as student athletes to use it for the greater good, right. Use it for God, his glory, his kingdom, right, Right. So I think, you know, any partnership with a sports ministry will just be a blessing and add a level of just camaraderie and togetherness and unity for the student athletes on campus and that would definitely permeate throughout the whole school because those athletes like I said, naturally have influence, right, right and then.
Speaker 1:So what's your favorite Bible verse? Yeah, and how do you like use that? Like the way you use that on your platform. How do you use that Bible verse?
Speaker 2:That's a really good question. I believe I have many favorite Bible verses. I just love the Bible man. His word is so potent, so powerful. Right, I love the word of God, but I would say, if I had to choose one, that just jumps out right now is Romans 12, 9. It talks about don't just pretend to love others, okay. You know Right, really love them Right.
Speaker 1:You know, hate what is?
Speaker 2:wrong. Hold tightly to what is know Right, Really love them Right. You know, hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good, Right and and um, just approach one another with genuine affection. I think that's something that I always wanted to exemplify in life just really loving God, loving people. We may have our own struggles in life, different things, that we deal with different battles along our journey, but as long as we trust God, put our faith in him, love him and love his people, man, we, we, we going to be all right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you also. I think I saw you were also a coach, right? Yeah, so did you ever? Were you ever like, were you a Christian? Then, oh yeah. Okay so were you able to kind of use that platform for like to bring kids to Christ?
Speaker 2:That is a coaching coaching as a profession. It has to be one of the most influential professions on the face of this earth, really, right, because you are speaking into the lives of, like I said, those individuals who have the influence in their sphere of influence, in their circles, in their arenas, in their circles in their arenas.
Speaker 2:For example, you go to a football game, you go to the University of Michigan. They got 100,000 people in the stands at the big house, but then you only have 12 or 22 players on the field, 11 on your team. But you look at it, those 11 players on that field are influencing hundreds of thousands of people, even millions watching on TV. So their platform is great. So when you're a coach, you're speaking into the lives of people. Their platform is great. So when you're a coach, you're speaking into the lives of you know, people, who, who have the air of our nation, you know. So we have to, we have to really take, take that into consideration and how you really coach these athletes, these young athletes, and I enjoyed every single second of really coach these athletes, these young athletes, and I enjoyed every single second of pouring into these kids man and I still run into a lot, a lot of them still to this day, and they coach. They'll give me a big hug and it's just always nice.
Speaker 1:I was going to say what did you think about Ohio state, notre Dame, the Eagles, like all these different Christian athletes yeah, they're very outspoken. I mean, like CJ Stroud is one. There's so many Christian athletes where it's like you know, they're very outspoken about their faith. Like, what do you think of that man? I think it's beautiful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's beautiful Now because I'm a huge Hurricanes fan when you talk about Ohio State at the game.
Speaker 1:I'm like I started to twitch a little bit.
Speaker 2:But you know, I really celebrate those athletes and coaches that put their faith to the forefront.
Speaker 1:And they're not ashamed.
Speaker 2:You know they're not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. No, because they understand it is the power of God and salvation. You know, yeah, so uh, I I would always celebrate that. You know, go ahead and give God the glory every chance you get you. I'm not going to cheer for you. I want you to succeed in life, but I want you to lose to the Hurricane every chance you play the Notre Dame, we coming for you next year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and as a Hurricane fan, you know Mike Blanc. Oh yeah, he's a very… Great man. Love him. Yeah, he reached out to me and he helped me a little bit with FCA. Yeah, how is it that you're able to… you keep these relationships right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100%, and it's cool to see, like, like you were saying, it comes full circle with fca oh, yeah, yeah and it's like and you were saying how it's, you're a great mentor to me and I really, and it's just great to like reconnect and everything and beautiful man, yeah, like you like you like you alluded to.
Speaker 2:It's just the relationships over the years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:When you connect with people, you know like the Bible says owe no man nothing but to love them Right. So when you connect with people and you even reconnect with people. Man, it's never any love lost, it's always just love and appreciation and joy it should be.
Speaker 2:It should be joy, especially hearing about that individual's journey and what they're doing now in life. But yeah, man, you have to continue to be a bridge builder, not someone who tears down and burn bridges and do those things, because we all need each other. We're all in this together, right. Right, yes, it's, relationships are important nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and speaking of relationships, do you have a mentor in your life, or used to have a mentor that you really looked up to like? Did you have like a guy where it was like like a father figure or like, uh, like maybe a christian um influencer in? Your life I don't know, I'm sure you have one a hundred percent man yeah you have to have uh, you have to have a paul.
Speaker 2:oh yeah, you have to have a paul in your life, right, um, you also have to have a Paul. Oh yeah, you have to have a Paul in your life Right. You also have to have a Barnabas.
Speaker 1:And a Timothy right. Yes, yeah, yeah, that's important.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but someone that I've always looked up to and had such a high honor and just esteem for is my pastor.
Speaker 1:Oh, nice, nice.
Speaker 2:Pastor Boykin, great man of God, his family, I love them. They've embraced me since day one, nice. But man, he, he's helped me along my journey in such a just, an important way, I believe, because I would not be even where I am today if it had not been for the Lord, but also the Lord using him to help me in so many different areas of my life. So I will always be grateful for what God has used him to do in my life.
Speaker 1:Awesome, awesome. Well, is there anything else you'd like to add? Or is there anything else you'd like to add? Or is there anything else like you have in mind, or anything?
Speaker 2:Zach, I just I celebrate what you're doing. You know your heart, your passion. I've known you for a really long time now, since you was an 18 year old yeah old kid, but it's a blessing to see where you are today and seeing you serving God and the capacity that you're in. I know you love sports. I know you love people. You love to be around people. It's impact. I celebrate that in you, my brother just keep on doing what you're doing for God's sake. Yeah, for sure, god bless you. Yeah, god bless you.
Speaker 1:And yeah, that's. Thanks so much, casey, for coming on the show. Yeah, and we wish you nothing but the best All right Praise God.
Speaker 2:God bless you. Thank you guys. All right, Go Rams.
