Pastor Taiwo Odubiyi Ministries

Rico was a basketball star with everything going his way … a promised athletic scholarship to the University of South Carolina, the first place winner in his school’s talent contest, and he was one of the most popular kids in school.

That’s background, here’s the story… Rico was driving home from a high school basketball game on a Friday night when he was stopped by a county sheriff in a patrol car. On the seat of the car beside Rico was a plastic bag with several chunks of crack, the highly-concentrated and addictive form of cocaine. So that he wouldn’t be arrested for illegal possession, he swallowed the drugs as the sheriff made his way to the stopped car. Later that night, he went into convulsions. His parents rushed him to the hospital but early on Saturday morning, Rico Leroy Marshall died of a drug overdose.

One more element appears in this story … on the wall of Rico’s bedroom, was a huge poster of his hero … basketball star, Len Bias. Bias was the star of the University of Maryland basketball team and for that year was the number one draft pick for the NBA (national basketball association). He was chosen by the Boston Celtics. But on the night he was drafted Number one, Len Bias died of an overdose of cocaine.

A very sad story? Yes! Are you surprised? Maybe not. But consider … Rico’s role model was Len Bias. I can only imagine that one of the first things he saw in the morning and the last thing at night before closing his eyes was Len. Len was the hero, role model, dream, goal of Rico.

Now my question to you.: Who is your role model? Who is on the poster in your bedroom? Who would you like to follow? When you are dreaming of your future, who is the one person that comes to your mind, who do you see? Who do you have pasted on the inside of your locker door? Who is on the dash of your car? Who do you want to be like? choose well! Heroes are important…but even more important is the hero you choose to follow.

(Culled from-moments for teens, Robert Strand)

The story above is about two young men and how their choices ultimately affected their lives. We are always faced with choices. Everyday we make decisions on what to eat, what to wear, where to go, what to do about our jobs, relationships, business pursuits etc. Our choices ultimately affect our lives and we are products of our choices, the wrong and the right. It is therefore very important that we make good choices, and look ‘unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith’.

You will need to read our novels and other books, they will do you a world of good.

God bless you.