Monday Morning Clarity

Seems like the Monday morning clarity is hard to get going on Monday recently. Yesterday (Monday) I spent all day in Alabaster packing up stuff to prepare for the movers that will come soon and take it all away. So, no blogging yesterday, but a lot of time for personal thought as I was driving.

Housing Update: We have a contract on our house in Alabaster and were supposed to close this Friday, Sept 25. However, their is a delay and it looks like closing is pushed back to next week. Which...affects the closing on the house we are trying to buy here. We have not been able to set a firm closing date b/c of the uncertainty on our house in Alabaster. All said, hopefully we will close on both houses next week and can begin moving into our new house in early October.

Now on to other thoughts:

• Great Sunday morning at Sixth Street. The crowd was still a little smaller than I had hoped. I think some of the college football games are affecting attendance - especially the late night Auburn games. However, the atmosphere of those here was great. Good job by the praise team and choir. I appreciated Adam's lead-in to "From the Inside Out" and Whitney Patterson did an awesome job on the vocals.
• I preached Sunday morning on the Parable of the Ten Virgins and being prepared for the coming Kingdom. The main takeaway was "What gets me into church isn't what necessarily gets me into the kingdom." Felt a lot of freedom in the message.
• We'll be wrapping up the "Kindoms Collide" series this weekend and I am working on the next sermon series. Hope to have it mapped out by the end of the week, but with all the closing stuff on the houses, no promises.
• Sunday night was a great time of fellowship and food at the Family Life Meeting. Baptists and covered dishes go hand-in-hand. I also told everyone that I am convinced that the Greek word for "chicken" is somewhere in the Acts 2 passage on the church. I've never seen so many combinations of chicken dishes.
• At the Family Life Meeting, I introduced to the church what I felt like should be our Core Values for Sixth Street. I have received good reviews so far and lots of positive comments about the future. I am convinced as we focus on the Word and develop a missional strategy to make disciples, God will bless Sixth Street. Lots of work to do between now and the end of the year.
• I'm really looking forward to the church's kickoff of AWANA beginning Oct 21. Our church needs to have a program to help disciple children and reach families. I am glad for the volunteers that have stepped up to the plate.
• I am digging my weekly disciple group with two guys from the church. It's great to meet with other guys to talk about being better followers of Jesus. The success or failure of the church will be how well we can reach men and disciple them.

Gonna put a post up tomorrow about a review of If God is Good by Randy Alcorn. It's a great read.

Gearing Up for the Postseason

Pardon the diversion from anything mildly constructive to the Kingdom of God and allow me one of my many divulgences into my love for sports. I watched last night's Red Sox/Angels game last night on ESPN. I commented to my wife that with Paul Byrd pitching, I actually figured this might be a loss last night, but it turned out to be one of the more exciting games of the year for the Sox and a reminder that it's almost playoff time. Seems like every year the Red Sox begin the playoffs with the Angels. I hope for much of the same outcome as the past few years. I believe I would put the Red Sox potential pitching lineup of Beckett, Lester, Dice K, and a combination of Bucholz and Wakefied up against anybody. The Sox bullpen of strong, young arms topped off with Wagner and Papelbon should be a great advantage for them too. Being 6.5 up in the Wild Card with 18 to go is a good feeling.

On a side note, before some circumstances prevented out plans from becoming a reality, my brother and I were planning on being in Boston with our wives this week and would have been at the last 2 games at Fewway. Would have been great ones!

Go Red Sox!

Al Mohler and the Future of the SBC

I watched this video online a few weeks ago and thought it was a timely, prophetic message. Dr. Mohler is one of the prominent voices in the SBC. I think that the leadership of our convention would do well to listen and heed this message. It's a little long, but well worth the watch.

Monday Morning Clarity

I didn't get to post my Monday Morning observations last week from sheer business and yesterday I was knocked out in the bed with fever and coughing. Seems like I may be dealing with some flu symptoms. Anyway, here are a few thoughts about this past weekend at Sixth Street:

• I've started a disciple group with two of the guys from the church on Friday mornings. I believe that most churches have missed out on the benefit of intentional, peer discipling. I am using Greg Ogden's Discipleship Essentials and some of his thoughts in his book Transforming Discipleship. I hope to have at least one triad disciple group that I am personally involved in at all times.
• I took my first trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium over the weekend for the MSU/Auburn game. While I was disappointed at the outcome, the game atmosphere was great and the Auburn fans showed a lot of class. I also had to give a "War Eagle" out to the church which was met with a small round of applause.
• I really struggled with my focus and delivery during this last week's sermon. Probably because I was feeling ill and my voice was really straining. Hope it was communicated clearly.
• We were blessed to have a wonderful young lady, Baylie Kizziah, share in song on Sunday night. She has a great voice and stage presence for a high school student. We need to get her on stage more often.
• I'm thankful for the tech team at Sixth Street led by Angela Mullins. She and her team work very hard and with limited resources to bring this church into the 21st century with media technology. I know even greater things are in the future in that area.
• I'm meeting tonight for my first meeting with my church council to present to them my first draft of the Core Values I think we should adopt as a church.

Go Dawgs! Mullen Era Begins!

I didn't get to go to the game at Scott Field yesterday, but I was anxiously barking and rooting on my Bulldogs from my living room here in Alexander City. Unfortunately, I don't get ESPNU on my cable station and for some reason ESPN didn't put it on the pay-per-view on the Gameplan so I didn't get to watch the game. I followed the score on the Gamplan. Thank you also for Twitter and Brad Locke's updates from the game.



From what I could tell, MSU's offense took a little to get going but pulled away in the late first half and in the second half. Chris Relf appeared to be the star of the offense. He appeared to manage the game well and made some good decisions. Chad Bumphis showed the speed and promise that has had Bulldog fans drooling since he committed in February. I also heard that Robert Elliott had a great game with several great plays called back for penalties. Remember too that the offense scored 45 points without arguably our best player, Anthony Dixon. It was the first time the Dawgs scored 45 points since 2002. It was a welcome relief from an offensive drought that has lasted way too long.

The defense continued to be the strong point of the team. I'm glad to see Jamar Chaney back on the field and his leadership. Charles Mitchell is also a great player who will make lots of plays this year.

This week we travel to the Plains at Auburn who is also coming off their first game under new head coach Gene Chizik. I am looking forward to a great game with two teams trying to open up the offense against two great SEC defenses. And, thanks to a great church member here at Sixth Street, I am going to the game! Look for me with my Maroon and cowbell hanging out the window! Go Dawgs!

Colege Football Is Here!

It's time for that mind-numbing, rabid-fan-following, tailgating, experience known every year as College Football. I live in the South and if you don't live in the South, you have no idea of the power and cult-following of southern college football. Worse yet, I live in Alabama where the spiritual environment of church on Sunday morning is created in Bryant-Denny and Jordan-Hare on Saturday nights. Even worse, I am a MS State fan living in Alabama where lately I have been exposed to year-after-year of futility while watching the other teams in the SEC compete for BCS bowls and National Championships.

However, today is the day that we all look forward to. Today, everyone is undefeated. Today, everyone has promise to be better than last year. Today, is about hope and fun and the promise of a new season.

On a personal note, as a MS State fan, we are pumped about the potential of the program under new coach Dan Mullen. Mullen has excited the Bulldog base with his enthusiasm and creativity. The last few years have been an offensive nightmare while our defense has usually been one of the best in the conference. However, the defensive talent was overshadowed and worn down by excessive "three and outs" and turnovers that create short fields. Mullen's Bulldogs may not lead the SEC in offense this year, but we are all expecting significant improvements. We hope to be more competitive in games and average more than 15 points per game (last in the SEC). Here's to you Coach Dan! To you and the Bulldogs I say "Go Dawgs!"

The experience of college football is here! Despite a recession, the swine flu, and a disappointing season of 24, all is right again with the world. Now excuse me. I need to go put another coat on my cowbell...

Monday Morning Clarity

Well I missed last week's Monday morning update. Lots going on and not much time to get clarity last week. All in all, it's been a good first month on the field here in Alexander City. Lots of stuff has happened rather quickly. We did a lot of work to prepare our house in Alabaster to sell and then got out as soon as it was done. We moved into a temporary lodging provided by one of my church members. (Thanks Tina and Dewayne) We enrolled the kids in new schools, met teachers, learned the drop-off lines, etc. We've also learned the Sunday morning routine here at the church. Here are some random thoughts now as we enter into September.

• Great day of worship yesterday. The band and worship team sounded as good as they ever have in my first month here. There was a real sense of expectation among everyone yesterday.
• I'm enjoying preaching through this series on the Kingdom of God. Yesterday we tackled the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13 focusing on the truth statement "Eternity is too long to serve the wrong kingdom." Felt like it was the best sermon in the series so far for me.
• This weekend we are looking at the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18. Gonna learn a lot about being grace receivers and grace givers.
• The worship center was very full yesterday again. It looks like we can comfortably sit 250 people in there and then it's full. We are already at 80% capacity so we need to start figuring out the next step. It was suggested to me last night that we need to start looking at 2 worship services.
• I also heard that several guys from the CACC Baseball Team showed up yesterday at 10:50 only to find out that worship was almost over so they left. That breaks my heart. We need to do a better job of communicating publicly as a church who we are and inviting people to come.
• I looked out over the crowd yesterday and I saw a great group of church members excited about their church. However, I didn't sense many visitors or unchurched. We may have become too complacent at doing church instead of being the church. We need to capture desperate prayer for the lost and unchurched around us.
• I have begun a routine that has left little time for personal prayer on my part. I must be leading out to make this a "House of Prayer" so I need to make some adjustments in the calendar.
• We had a great meeting with some of the parents yesterday about our children's ministry. We are bringing back the AWANA program to Sixth Street starting October 21 on Wednesday nights. We will need a lot of parents to support and volunteer to put on a first-class program for our kids. We have an awesome responsibility to train our children and a children-friendly church is a family-friendly church.
• We were led musically last night by a three-man group of students from Troy University named "Transistor". Great group of guys that blessed my heart and showed me that God is still doing something amazing in the generation of 20-somethings right now.

That's about all for now! Lots of stuff to consider, but I must get back to business (and prayer).

Swine Flu Hysteria

Someone sent this to me today and I thought it was classic.
This is what happens when Swine Flu hysteria goes too far.



On a serious note, the swine flu seems to be spreading rapidly. Protect yourself, keep your hands washed, and pray that this epidemic doesn't get too serious.

Review of Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage

My latest book review from Thomas Nelson was a favorite and one I felt lucky to receive. Rick and Bubba’s Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage is a great read for any and all married couples. I have been a member of the Rick and Bubba Army for over a decade now. These guys are the real deal. I have had the privilege of personally talking to them several times and these guys are great entertainers who are also passionate about their faith in Jesus Christ.

In this book, Rick and Bubba move from their opinions about life, hunting, and politics to the subject of marriage. They do a good job of bringing in the good and bad of their unions with the lovely Sherry Burgess and Betty Lou Bussey. The bad is always done so with a great deal of comedic timing. Most R&B fans will remember some of the stories they share in this book from earlier radio spots.

In this book, Rick and Bubba tackle the issues of fighting effectively, how to make sure you have the right mate, why married couples have it better than singles, how to deal with your spouse’s annoying habits, and why husbands get blamed for everything. They even give guys the long-awaited “Book of Blame” helping you know why you get blamed for not getting the perfect Christmas gift, making everyone late, how you got everyone lost even when she had the map, and how you ruined supper when you were never in the kitchen.

This book is a great read for you and your spouse. Like most of their other books, it comes with a CD in the back with some of the best bits on marriage from the show. If you are a fan, you need this book. If you’ve not been a part of the army, get this book and get on the wagon.

Most Memorable Sports Moment #2

Mississippi State Upsets #1 Alabama


As most of you know, I am an avid fan of all things Mississippi State. As you also know, MSU hasn't had a lot of historic moments in football. Until Jackie Sherrill came to MSU, there had been few winning seasons and great moments since the days of Allyn McKeen and Darryl Royal. One of those historic seasons though was 1980. That year, Mississippi State combined the power "wishbone" offense with the "Bulldog Blitz" and had a season to remember. The highlight of the season was the game against #1 Alabama and legendary coach Bear Bryant on November 1, 1980 in Jackson, MS.

Before the 1980 game, MSU had not beaten Alabama in 36 years. 36! True Bulldog fans know that we consider Alabama as big or bigger a rival that Ole Miss. At the time, I was 12 years old and had just begun to understand the game of football. In addition, most games were not broadcast on TV because we only had about 13 channels at the time. All MSU games were on the radio and not much fun for a 12-year old. On this day, my dad was listening to the game on the radio that Saturday and working around the house. I was outside in the yard and not paying much attention. However, at the end of the game, my dad came running out the house whoopin' and hollerin' (those are Mississippi terms for excitement) like fat man at a buffet. We had a guy living with us at the time who drove a big van whose horn played "Dixie" and my dad commenced to driving down the road playing the horn and ringing his cowbell. It was the biggest upset in MSU football history and is still so to this day.

MSU was led offensively by John Bond, still one of the most beloved quarterbacks. It had a stout defense that inspired a local song called the "Bulldog Blitz". The game was extremely memorable because Alabama had a chance to score late in the game when MSU forced a fumble. Bama was ranked #1 at the time and was the defending national champs. MSU had spent years mired in mediocrity. This helped propel MSU to a 9-3 record and a game in the Sun Bowl. MSU played better, but still not great for the next few years until Jackie Sherrill came and restored a winning attitude.

I have posted a clip I found on youtube of the last few minutes of the game for you to enjoy. Excuse me while a grab my cowbell.

Monday Morning Clarity (one day late)

Alright, I intend each week to start off the blog with observations about the past week in ministry and the gathering of the saints on Sunday. However, the tyranny of the urgent, the opportunities of the day, and the tendency to have a brain drain (especially after preaching twice on Sunday) all join together to keep me from writing. Nevertheless, here are my observations about ministry and pastoring this past week.

• The great momentum here at Sixth Street continues. I meet new people each Sunday morning that are returning. There is a real sense of hope and purpose here. There is a real pioneering spirit among the remnant here that wants to see great things happen.
• My prayer for each and every one of us in the church is that we continue to see that the church does not exist for me, but I exist for the church. I want to develop in them a missional lifestyle that helps them to see themselves as missionaries living among one of the largest unreached people group on the planet.
• I hope that we can dumb-down religion and elevate our dynamic, powerful relationship with Jesus Christ so that we don't substitute religious activity for relational affection.
• I am loving the studying and preaching on the kingdom of God for Sunday mornings. I believe as we elevate the kingdom, we gain purpose and meaning in life.
• I have had some great "after church" conversations that make pastoring exactly what its meant to be. God is breaking down our walls so that we can be empowered to serve Him and reach others.
• I have to spend a lot of time in the next few weeks on several priorities: 1.) Define who we are as a church (vision, core values) and create a strategy to make disciples (mission, strategy) so that what we do makes sense and is not just what we do. 2.) I have to fight the tendency to create programs and instead facilitate ministry. 3.) We have to become much more family friendly in our programming and make great programming that reaches children. 4.) Create systems that help people feel welcomed and help them get where they need to go. We are not very visitor friendly in our structure right now. We have great people at the door to greet them, we just don't know what to do next.
• I am pumped about working with our men in developing a life-changing men's ministry. I mentioned this Sunday having a BBQ in a couple of weeks and we already have a location along with cooking a whole hog! Nothing more powerful than men who love Jesus sharing experiences and burnt pig flesh. I believe that Sixth Street will experience powerful spiritual renewal in the next year because of the men in our church.

This Sunday's message will be a good one. We'll be looking at the kingdom parable of the sower and the soils. Looking forward to it. See you Sunday!

Old Skool Memories

Just saw this on a friend's blog and laughed so hard. Brings back lots of memories. Enjoy.

Monday Morning Clarity

Being new of the field and first time as senior pastor, I want to take advantage of my blog to do more communicating my thoughts and observations as pastor and use this blog as a tool to communicate with my church. (Although, most of my church doesn't know yet I have a blog.) With that in mind, here is a mind-dump of my thoughts about the weekend.

• I am loving being called "pastor". It's a new role for me, but an exciting one. I love that people look at me as their spiritual leader. I also recognize I am still in the "honeymoon" phase.
• The people at Sixth Street at a very loving and exciting group. I know as we begin to reach people on Sunday mornings that our ushers and front-door people will do a great job of welcoming.
• We need to do a better job of making room. At the start of the service, most of the back rows were full and people were coming in looking for room. Got to get a "First Impressions" team going and trained to help make room. I think there is an expectation from some that we may have to go to 2 services sometime next year. Don't know what kind of schedule change that will prompt, but we will need to do something to make room.
• I had a wonderful surprise visit yesterday from some dear friends in Alabaster. I looked out the window at my office to see 4 motorcycles driving across the parking lot. A great reunion with Scotty Vines, Doug Archer, Susie Mattis, and some of the guys from the Westwood Motorcycle Riders ABS class.
• We have some immediate programming challenges with children on Sunday and Wednesday nights that need to be solved soon. Praying for wisdom as we evaluate and create a programming schedule that is friendly to families.
• Started a new series on the importance of the Kingdom of God for the believers. It's called "Kingdoms Collide: Finding Spiritual Sanity in an Insane World". Seems to have started good. Coming soon, we'll look at the kingdom and our possessions. We'll also look at the parables that Jesus taught about the kingdom and what he was trying to teach us.
• Got to get some balance to the schedule quick so I can do a good job in sermon prep and planning and also get to visit some members. Give me balance Lord!

That's a quick dumping of my thoughts and observations from my second week as pastor. I consider it an honor to serve the Lord Jesus as pastor in advancing the cause of Christ in Alexander City. I pray that God will unite us as a missional force in the community and around the globe.

Most Memorable Sports Moment #3

Reverse the Curse - Red Sox Win World Series

No doubt - one of the greatest moments of my sports fanhood was October 27, 2004. On that day, the Boston Red Sox ended 86 years of frustration and failure. It was the culmination of a great season in which they dominated the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

Some have asked me how I became a Red Sox fan. Admittedly, I am not from Boston, I have not followed them all my life, and as excited as I was to see them win, I had nothing on the long-suffering Bostonites who lived and died with this team their whole lives. I grew up in central Mississippi. We loved baseball where I am from - especially MS State Baseball. However, there is no central team close by to which we give our allegiances. The closest team would probably be the Atlanta Braves. However, I grew up just prior to the TBS expansion that would put the Braves in each household in the South as the only baseball choice. Plus, honestly in the 70's, the Braves were horrible.

When I was entering my love for baseball, the dominant team was the Cincinnati Reds. I loved the Big Red Machine of Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Dave Concepcion, George Foster, and Ken Griffey Sr. They were my first love. I also liked the Detroit Tigers since half of my family is from the Michigan area. However, one thing was consistent is that I have always HATED the New York Yankees. I have never liked them at all, never wished for them to win a game. I deeply respect the historical contributions of the Babe, Gherig, Dimaggio, and Mantle. I love the way that Jeter and Mariano Rivera approach the game. I just hate the Yankees. I could list 100 reasons I hate the Yankees, but that would be the subject of another blog. I will summarize it with a couple: 1. They are the best team money can buy, year after year. They have consistently weakened competetive balance by outspending everyone simply because they have the resources to. I don't think it's wrong. They are perfectly right to do so, I just despise it. 2. Every Yankee fan I know is totally obnoxious because they have been so successful. Success breeds arrogance and Yankees fans are by far the most arrogant.

By the time of the late 90's, I was a man without a team. The Yankees stated another area of dominance in the late 90's and I searched for a team that could take them down. Enter, The Boston Red Sox. I knew of some great players like Mo Vaughn, John Valentin, and Wade Boggs played for them. I became intrigued when they signed Pedro Martinez who became the most dominant pitcher of his time. So I began to keep up with box scores and standings. In 2003, I felt the agony of a Red Sox fan when Aaron Boone homered off Wakefield. I followed each and every game in 2004. The comeback in the ALCS (which we'll discuss later) was an epic moment for me.

So when the Red Sox started the World Series in Boston, I had the feeling it was inevitable that they would win but also knew that feeling had been there before. In game 1, the Sox slugged the ball all over the park. By game 4 when Folke came in, my brother and I were on the phone giggling like 3rd grade school girls. It was awesome! (even for a hick from MS)

No, Mr. President

more about "No, Mr. President", posted with vodpod

Greetings from Alex City...

Well, after a very busy hectic last few weeks, I have finally arrived at my new post as Senior Pastor of Sixth Street Baptist Church in Alexander City, AL. I've unloaded the books and set up the office. Now, I am spending some moments getting to know the staff, enjoying the occasional visit from a church member coming to say "Hi" to the new pastor, and trying to understand the culture and ministry of my new ministry home. Alison, the boys, and I have been so warmly greeted and welcomed by a great group of wonderful people. We are in a temporary housing situation until our home in Alabaster sells. Please pray for a timely sell so that we can establish a more normal routine as soon as possible.

Also pray for me to establish a new, healthy ministry routine. I now need to find the balance between crafting sermons (Sunday AM and PM), visiting members and hospitals, leading a staff, leading my family, and becoming a pastor. I am looking forward to it.

I hope to be able to make more strategic posts to this site about the lessons that God is teaching me as well as use it to help communicate with the members of my new church. I'll also continue to post my usual rants and raves about the Bulldogs and the Red Sox. Right now, I am not too happy with either of them, so in the interest of being "pastoral", I will keep my opinions to myself for a while.

Updates On My Crazy World

Hey guys. Been a few weeks since I last posted. Basically because I have spent the last three weeks totally changing much of my professional and family world. On June 28, I preached at and accepted the call to become the next Senior Pastor at Sixth Street Baptist Church in Alexander City, AL. It's been a long and emotional journey the last 9+ months. Last fall, I spent some time in prayer and consulting several mentors about some discontent in my spirit and calling to serve God's kingdom. I was affirmed by many others that God was possibly calling me to step out and seek to serve as the pastor and chief shepherd of a local church. After months of prayer, telephone calls with friends and mentors, and several interviews with a number of churches, God has now opened a new door for me to serve the Kingdom.

This transition was huge for me on a number of levels. First, I am leaving behind a church family and group of co-workers at Westwood that I have served alongside of for twelve and a half years. When I came to Westwood in 1996, I prayed that God would allow me to have a ministry of longevity. It has been a dream come true. The people of Westwood invested a lot in me, allowed me to work though my own maturation process in ministry, and gave me a forum to develop my leadership and communication skills. It is one of the best churches in the state of Alabama. We've seen phenomenal growth over the last 12 years. I have had a lifetime of ministry experiences at summer camps, building houses in Mexico, doing mission in Honduras, visiting people in hospitals, and doing weddings and funerals. I have had relationships with hundreds of students and hundreds of other church members who trusted me and sought out my spiritual insights. Westwood will always have a fond place in my heart. Last Sunday, July 12, was my last as a member of Westwood. I had a huge moment driving off the campus for the last time. This past Thursday, I packed my books and locked my door for the last time. It was a difficult, but rewarding experience.

In addition, this transition is huge for my family. My tenure in Alabaster brought me a wife and three boys. Alabaster is the only home they have ever known. Alison and I have had great relationships with the neighbors on my cul-de-sac. We've also met dozens of other parents through our involvement with kids sports. I didn't get to say goodbye to most of these people from the community. I regret that deeply and if you are reading this, please know that I will miss you.

Now my kids have to learn a new school system. They will have a different experience on Sunday mornings at church. My wife is walking away from her job as a NICU nurse and will probably be working at something else soon. We've spent the last three weeks doing a lot of work to prepare our home to sell. Now, on the verge of moving my family and assuming the pulpit for God's church, I find myself filled with a mix of excitement, anxiety, awe, and gratitude. My prayer is that my family will find Alexander City to be as much of a home as the one they are now leaving. I also pray that I will be a faithful steward of God's Word, a leader of His church, and proclaimer of the gospel. Don't know what the next few years will have in store, but it should be quite a ride.

More updates coming soon...

Most Memorable Sports Moment #4

Team USA Beast Russia

Do you believe in miracles? Yes. Now I know that there is a theological understanding of miracles that would never apply to a hockey game. However, given the scope of the United States upset over Russia in 1980, that is the closest thing outside of an act of God that can be considered a miracle. Most people would consider this to be one of the top sports moments on any list.

At the time of this event, I was 12 and didn't fully understand the global hockey situation. As a teenage boy from New Hope Mississippi, we didn't see much hockey in those pre-ESPN days. As a matter of fact, I didn't watch it on TV and really didn't think it was a huge moment the first time I saw the highlights. It wasn't until I heard the background story and later saw the movie Miracle that I really began to understand what this group of college kids was up against in the professional Russian hockey team. The Russian hockey team had won all but one Olympic ice hockey gold medals since 1956. The year before the Olympics, the Russians defeated an NHL All-Star team 6-0. In addition, the decades of the Cold War tension between the US and Russia and the potential of the later on US boycott of the Summer Games in Moscow added a lot of fuel to an already brewing fire. The US Olympic coach, Herb Brooks, had played on the 1964 and 1968 US hockey teams and almost made the 1960 team, the only one who had won the gold medal. Brooks had a consuming passion to beat the Russians which translated into a fiery determination that pushed his young college guys harder than they had ever worked.

The week before the Olympics, the Russians defeated the US kids 10-3 in an exhibition game. No one gave the US a chance, except them. The US fought back from a 2-1 deficit to tie it at the end of the first period. The Russian coach pulled Vladislav Tretiak, the best goaltender in the world, at the start of the 2nd period. The Soviets scored again to take a 3-2 lead. The US tied it again at 8:39 into the third period and team captain Mike Eruzione fired the lead goal with 10 minutes left to play. The US goaltender, Jim Craig, made a series of incredible saves to keep the US lead and secure the victory. The most incredible upset, potentially in the history of sports, had just taken place. Few remember that this was actually not the gold medal game, but got the US in the medal round game against Finland later on to secure the gold medal. However, the real scoop was the incredible upset that will forever live on in sports lore.

Now excuse me. I have to go put "Miracle" in the DVD player.

Great Thought About the Love of God

Read this from A.W. Tozer today:

"Every time God thinks about you, He thinks about you lovingly. Even if He must chastise you, or allow hardships to come to you, it is love that allows it to come and love that sends it. And we never should be afraid of love, because love casts out fear...The best preservative in the world is the love of God. Some people believe in the security of the saints from theological grounds. They take it from a text somewhere. I believe in the security of the saints because God is love and God always keeps that which He loves. We always keep what we love - always..."

Thank you Lord today for that reminder about your loving thoughts towards me. May I be a conduit of your love to a love starved world.

A Needed Reminder About the Gospel

From D. Martin Lloyd Jones in "The Kingdom of God"

"How does it come to pass that, with open Bibles before them, men and women should be wrong not so much about certain details with respect to the Gospel, but about the whole thing, about the very essence of the Gospel...it is indeed very surprising that at the end of the twentieth century, men and women should still be all wrong about what the Gospel is; wrong about its foundation, wrong about its central message, wrong about its objective and wrong about the way in which one comes into relationship with it."

Good stuff I needed to hear this day. Help me, Lord, to be faithful and true to the Gospel.