Sunday, September 12, 2010

Missionary with a Major League Arm

What do Baseball Hall-of-Fame inductee Nolan Ryan, the 43rd President of the United States George W. Bush, and Grammy Award Winner Taylor Swift, and all have in common? All of these famous celebrities have had their picture taken with Calvary Christian Academy alumnus Luke Jackson.
Luke, who last year led the CCA Eagles to the 2A Regional Quarterfinals by going 8-1 with 96 strikeouts and an earned run average of 0.90, signed a contract with the Texas Rangers that included a $1,545,000 bonus. So, meeting Mr. Ryan, the current owner of the Texas Rangers and President Bush, the past owner of the Texas Rangers, was a special privilege for their first-round pick. But, the picture capturing him getting a peck on the cheek from Taylor Swift, well, let’s just say that’s “par for the course” in the life of Luke Jackson.

Luke is a unique individual that excels in just about any sport. He’s won a two-man beach volleyball tournament, he was First Team All-County in soccer, and he hits the golf ball as far as anyone on the professional golfer’s tour (just ask him).
But, what really sets Luke Jackson apart is his relationship with the Lord Jesus, his love for his family, and his heart for others. Behind the long hair, laid back approach, and the black-and-white checkered shoes and matching backpack, is a genuine “class act”. Luke is friendly, fun-loving, and compassionate.

Benefiting from spending time on the mission field and being led by parents who diligently taught him the Bible, Luke learned at a young age what it meant to live, to give, and to serve in obedience to Christ’s command. When asked about what he would do with his signing bonus, he responded that he would like to build schools in remote areas of the world and continue the mission work that inspired him as a child.

Who knew Luke Jackson, caught on television at a Florida Marlin’s game dressed in a bright orange Spandex body suit dancing on the seats, was a tender hearted, Spirit-filled missionary, who, o yeah, throws a baseball 96MPH.

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