32
COURTESYTRENT^ SHELTONmother had given me way back in high
school. On the cover was a football with
the initials NFL. I’d always thought it
was a reference to my football dreams,
but then I noticed that the letters also
stood for something else: New Found
Life. On the first page, Mom had quoted
Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I
have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans
to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.’”
This was my newfound life.
Today I’m happily married with two
kids and another on the way. I do a lot
of speaking engagements, and every
day I post a video and respond to all
those questions from people, always
trying to be honest, speaking from the
heart. Admittedly, trying to keep up
with 10 million Facebook followers and
1.6 million on Instagram can be tough.O
ne morning, i woke up and
checked my phone before I even
got out of bed. Ding, ding, ding,
ding. I was being bombarded. How
would I ever keep up? I started typing
answers. Something on Twitter caught
my eye, and I went to retweet it.
Then I stopped myself. What was I
doing? Hadn’t I told people that the best
way to start the day is with gratitude?
Didn’t I believe in doing that myself?
No wonder I was so stressed. Physician,
heal yourself! Trent, it’s RehabTime.
I put down the phone and went for
a hike. There are some great trails
near our house. Great for exercise and
fresh air. Best of all, my phone doesn’t
even work out there. No signal. Noth-ing to take me away from where I am. I
have a new way to start the day now, to
protect my peace and to connect with
God. I go for a hike first thing. For 45
minutes, nothing else matters. It’s just
God and me.
So you see I’m still a work in prog-
ress. We all are. There are so many
ways to grow; there’s so much to learn
and pass along. So much to discover.
Not long ago I was back at that
Barnes & Noble, where I used to sit for
hours, studying book after book, learn-
ing from people who seemed so wise,
so full of faith. This time I was sitting
in front of a huge stack of books, sign-
ing copies. Because this book was my
own, The Greatest You, by Trent Shel-
ton. Me, a published author. Who could
have ever known? When God says he’ll
give you back better than what you
lost, believe him. GHOME TEAM Trent today with his wife, Maria,
and their children, Tristan and MayaFor more on this story, see FAMILY ROOMCOVER STORYThe motivational giant on the secret to true wellness. guideposts.org/trentshelton