My Basketball Testimony… Bill Greguska

Top of my basketball game sophomore year striving to me by best, but turn a wrong turn!

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My Basketball Testimony is a powerful reminder of the awesomeness of God, and His love for us all, and for second chances in life. Despite being fouled out in life by drugs, alcohol, and sin, God’s grace allowed me to get back on the team and into the game of life. My passion for basketball was unparalleled – it consumed my heart and soul from a young age. I spent countless hours practicing, playing games, and dreaming about my future as a college basketball player. However, my addiction to substances derailed those dreams entirely.

It wasn’t until I realized that I had placed basketball above God in my life that things began to change. Thanks to His mercy and forgiveness, He granted me another opportunity to prioritize correctly – putting God first above all else. Though basketball will always hold a special place in my heart, it no longer competes with God for first place in my life. May this testimony be an encouragement to others who have experienced their own “fouling out” moments – there is always hope for redemption through faith! ~ Bill Greguska

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

• Basketball Testimony 2

• My Drugs And Alcohol Problem

• Problems Addiction Caused Me

• Rebound From Discouragement

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  I tried out for varsity my sophomore year, but coach Bunneta wanted me to get more playing time on Junior Varsity which worked out well. Except the next summer I made some devastating terrible choices and I got messed up on drugs and alcohol. I only made the Varsity the next year because of my good basketball reputation.

  Rebound From Discouragement

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My Pius XI freshman basketball coaches: Tom Diciaula My Freshman coach and Joe Bunetta My Varsity coach.

My Basketball Testimony Is One Of Redemption And Grace!

I fouled out in life with drugs, alcohol, and sin that ended my dreams of playing college basketball.  But just like getting back on the court after being benched for too many fouls, I found my way back into the game of life thanks to God’s mercy. Basketball was more than just a passion for me; it was an all-consuming obsession that took up nearly 22,000 hours of my life. (Out of curiosity, I guesstimated the hours I played basketball, mostly from age 9 through 16, and then including age 26 to 45, which = approximately 21,900 total hours.) It wasn’t until later that I realized how much I had put this game before anything else – even God himself. Yet despite my mistakes, God still blessed me with talent and gave me a second chance to set things right in my priorities.

Today, I no longer let basketball compete with what matters most in my life – faith, family and friends who have supported me through everything- but instead use it as a tool to inspire others towards positivity and hope!

Basketball Was My Only Real Motivation In My Life!

All I remember was wanting to do was play basketball and play it right! Basketball was my game!

I was born in 1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I have played basketball since 5th grade. I loved (and still do love basketball), but when I turned 16, thank God, my focus shifted from basketball to drugs and alcohol, which I allowed to get me off track and onto the bench of life for about ten years.

But by the grace of God, He did not cast me out. Things progressed only after about a decade of self-induced problems resulting in terrible, horrible times. I thank God that I finally and very seriously reached out to Him, and on June 25, 1986, when I decided I had enough, I hit bottom and was finally genuinely open to the idea of the Holy Spirit doing work in my life. Not half-heatedly the previous ten years, that got me nowhere fast. If I can share with you one thing that I would do if I could live life over again, it would be not to get my values off balance, that is what I did, and it made a mess of my life. I am thankful that God is a God of second and third chances because God loves us!

Looking back to what I call my life and basketball testimony because basketball was, without a doubt, an overwhelming part of my life (actually, in some ways a good to me), but when I got derailed due to getting involved with drugs, and alcohol in my teenage years. Towards the end of high school, my life got crazy, and I turned to drugs and alcohol, which eliminated my hopes and chances to go further in basketball as I wanted while growing up. My whole life story, or what I should call my basketball testimony.

This all played a part in how I came to know the Lord. The Lord allowed me to go through my hard times and hit bottom to realize how much I needed His help to help pick me up, dust me off, and understand that I could do nothing without Him. Even though basketball is a fantastic sport, nothing should be more incredible than our relationship with Jesus Christ and our love for one another! I hope what I shared has made you think about your life and what keeps you from having a solid relationship with God?~ Bill Greguska.

Hansel Enmanuel Won’t Take NO For An Answer!

Hansel Enmanuel, Despite Having Only One Arm, Plays Better Basketball Than I Did With Two Arms! ~ Bill Greguska

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26

How Can Life Be Like A Basketball Game?

I have found many things to compare to basketball, I have learned a lot from basketball, and basketball has taught me about life, also!

Suppose for a minute that you are in a basketball game.  You are down by 20 points, and it’s the fourth quarter with less than 3 minutes remaining in the game. What do you do? The one thing you should never do is give up hope or get anxious! (Philippians 4:6) There is hope no matter the odds against you, how inadequate you feel, or how many times you failed in the past.  (1 Corinthians 10:13) Instead, ask God for the wisdom you need to act wisely. (James 1:5)  Ask for His help to work things out, no matter the outcome of the “game” — your life — may be. 

Remember that God’s will, not ours, will be done.  A good player must align their game (life) with God. Then they will find great peace no matter what situations come their way. (Philippians 4:7) With that, you will find the peace you need no matter what adverse circumstances in life come your way, and believe me, those times will come! (Psalm 46:1) But if we look back, we will realize that God has never turned His back on us — we have turned our backs on Him. (Deuteronomy 31:6)  If you have drifted from God, please return to God because He loves you and has a plan for your life. (Jeremiah 29:11).

What Drugs, Alcohol, And Mental Illness Did To Basketball High School Super Star Mickey Crowe!

Extremely Serious About Basketball!

Give it your best shot; don’t quit, no matter the odds! (this photo was photo shopped, I never played for the Lakers)

I played basketball for at least 4-8 hours daily during the summertime. I just loved the game of basketball because I was naturally blessed and good at it. I was always the tallest in my classes; it was naturally fun! I took basketball very seriously and set many goals to obtain. When I get involved in something, I jump with both feet.

This page is long, so I’d like you to read through it if you have the time now or later. I have enjoyed playing and watching basketball since 1969 when I was nine years old, and I still love the game as a fan! Once basketball is in your blood, it is hard to get it out. ~ Bill Greguska

Basketball Can Sometimes Be Funny!

Here Are Some Helpful Personal Links:

• About Bill Greguska
• About Diana Greguska
• How can I be a stronger Christian?
• How should a Christian view sports/athletics?
• What does the Bible say about competition?

Some Of The Greatest NBA Basketball Players Of All Time!

Basketball Was My God

Lord, thanks for the ability and passion for basketball that you put in me when I was young. Basketball helped me learn to strive for my goals and not let roadblocks and problems discourage me. It gave me a passion for doing my best with what you have blessed me with. I was taller than the other kids, and my mom used basketball as leverage for me to get passing grades and behave in school. Her plan worked from fifth grade through my sophomore year in high school.

Lord, I practiced and played basketball for two to five hours a day and became very competitive. Looking back, I think I overdid it. Playing basketball was a huge part of my life until middle age. After age 45, I stopped competing and just watched basketball on TV or went to Milwaukee Bucks games. When I realized basketball had become my god, I was motivated to get things into perspective. Thank you for helping me do so when I surrendered my will to you. I pray I can point others to you so they can get to know you as I have.

Playing basketball for Pius XI High School was a blessing. But when my best friend Steve died my sophomore year, it was hard for me to cope with the loss, and basketball did nothing to help. I was lost. I quickly got heavily involved with marijuana and other drugs and alcohol, and my life became a roller coaster. It wasn’t until I got the drug and alcohol problem taken care of that I realized that you, Lord, are my one and only God. Now basketball is just an interest I can choose to enjoy appropriately. I sometimes wonder if there is something in my life I am paying too much attention to, as if it were a god to me — work, school, money, sports, alcohol, drugs, food, or something else. I am glad that I have learned that you are a God of second chances!

Joshua 24:15  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

I tell kids to pursue their basketball dreams, but I tell them to not let that be their only dream. ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Basketball Was My God

(This is from The Book I wrote)

Lord, thanks for the ability and passion for basketball that you put in me when I was young. Basketball helped me learn to strive for my goals and not let roadblocks and problems discourage me. It gave me a passion for doing my best with what you have blessed me with. I was taller than the other kids, and my mom used basketball as leverage for me to get passing grades and behave in school. Her plan worked from fifth grade through my sophomore year in high school.

Lord, I practiced and played basketball for two to five hours a day and became very competitive. Looking back, I think I overdid it. Playing basketball was a huge part of my life until middle age. After age 45, I stopped competing and just watched basketball on TV or went to Milwaukee Bucks games. When I realized basketball had become my god, I was motivated to get things into perspective. Thank you for helping me do so when I surrendered my will to you. I pray I can point others to you so they can get to know you as I have.

Playing basketball for Pius XI High School was a blessing. But when my best friend Steve died my sophomore year, it was hard for me to cope with the loss, and basketball did nothing to help. I was lost. I quickly got heavily involved with marijuana and other drugs and alcohol, and my life became a roller coaster. It wasn’t until I got the drug and alcohol problem taken care of that I realized that you, Lord, are my one and only God. Now basketball is just an interest I can choose to enjoy appropriately. I sometimes wonder if there is something in my life I am paying too much attention to, as if it were a god to me — work, school, money, sports, alcohol, drugs, food, or something else. I am glad that I have learned that you are a God of second chances!

Joshua 24:15 ~ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

I tell kids to pursue their basketball dreams, but I tell them to not let that be their only dream. ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, second highest-scoring NBA player by total career regular-season points scored (38,387).

Some Specific Scriptures To Encourage You:

Philippians 4:6 ESV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV 

Pray without ceasing,

Jeremiah 33:3 ESV 

Call to me, and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

James 4:3 ESV 

You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

1 John 3:22 ESV

And whatever we ask, we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

James 1:5 ESV 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Matthew 7:7 ESV 

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

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