On March 19th, I picked the Tarheels to win the NCAA Championship. Well, they won’t. They got beaten by a pretty good Kansas team. I’m not ready to say that Kansas is better, but they were the better team that night. Anyway, here’s to a great season, and the national player of the year, Tyler Hansbrough. I figure they’re guaranteed a #3 finish in the polls.
We returned last weekend from our friends Chris & Katie Nalls’ house. They are leaving for Mozambique in July as career missionaries. We got to see some other friends as well. Jon & Anna Palmer, Beth Bland, Matthew & Katie Helton, Chad, Katie, & Charlie Cottle, and Corey Cottle
It was a bittersweet time. How fortunate I am to have friends like these. We don’t see each other often, but when we do it’s like we pick up from the last time we were together. However, I couldn’t help but think that this is the last time we may see Chris, Katie, & Abigail for quite some time. I admire them for listening to God and hearing His call to go and serve. They are true disciples! I look forward to hearing how the people of Tet and Mozambique (even all of Africa) are impacted through their service.
They are simply Heroes of the Faith!
Yep. It’s that time of year again. Some of the best basketball to be played over the next 3 weeks. Bottom line: I picked the Tarheels to win it all. They might. They might not. I’m thinking they have a good chance. If the referees will actually call some fouls. They don’t have to call all of them, just some.
Anyway . . . HEELS to win it all!
Very rarely can a man say he has maintained strong relationships with the same people for an extended period of time. And not just associates, but real friends. I am reminded today of the story of David and Jonathan. According to the Bible, these two young men had a deep, sincere love for one another.
There are three very special people in my life that I have that kind of relationship with. Chris Nalls, Matthew Helton, and Chad Cottle are three friends that I have known for many, many years. Chad for around 25 years, Chris for around 17, and Matthew for around 15. We have experienced many things together, some for which hilarious stories still are told. I consider each one of these men a hero and a friend. I feel that if I ever needed something, they would come through for me. I would do the same for them. We have each answered the call to ministry, and are blessed to have wives that all like each other a lot as well.
Last night was probably one of the toughest nights in a long time. Chris was ordained at FBC Tifton, and the four of us were reunited for that occasion. It was a special night, but a bittersweet one also. Chris and Katie, and their daughter Abigail are preparing to leave for Mozambique as career missionaries through the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. While I am proud of them for answering the call, and look forward to hearing the stories of how God is going to use them, it’s hard to know that one of the best friends you’ve ever had is going to be far away.
The awesome thing is, that just like David and Jonathan, we have a bond that is greater than the farthest distance. We are not only bound by our friendship, we are bound with the love of Christ. While we won’t be able to just pick up the phone and talk, or drive over and visit, our hearts are knit together by Christ. We’ll forever be brothers. I’m so excited to say that Chad, Chris, and Matthew are my brothers.
Well, it’s that time of year again. I’m getting geared up for March Madness, that time when 64 teams make an exciting run toward the NCAA basketball championship. I am ready to fill out my bracket, post it against my friends, and see who made the most successful picks. I enjoy every game, but especially my North Carolina Tarheels. Currently, the are projected as a #1 seed, and if they beat Duke tomorrow night (in Cameron Indoor Stadium), a #1 seed in the ACC tournament.
I’m been listening to the folks in the PAC-10 talk about their superiority in basketball as a conference, and I’m just not buying it. I mean, I think that teams like UCLA and Stanford are good teams, they’ve got a proven track record. But year in, year out, the ACC shows itself to be a conference in which every game is a game that must be won. Look at the past. In past years, you’ve had 6 or 7 teams that were legitimate threats to go all the way. UNC, Duke, Maryland, Wake Forest, Virginia, Georgia Tech, and now Miami, are all perennial contenders in a conference that is deep with talent. True, some teams that are usually stronger are having down years, but if you look at the norm over the past decade, most of the outstanding talent across the nation comes out of the ACC.
Let’s take a look at some players that have come out of the ACC over the past:
UNC - Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Rasheed Wallace, Brad Daugherty, Jerry Stackhouse, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Billy Cunningham, Phil Ford, George Karl.
DUKE - Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, Christian Laettner (I don’t want to go too deep with these guys, cause I don’t like em)
Wake Forest - Tim Duncan (need I say more?)
Georgia Tech - Dennis Scott, Matt Harpring, Mark Price, Kenny Anderson
North Carolina State - David Thompson
That’s just a SHORT list!
Not to mention the coaches from this conference (Dean Smith, CoachK, Bobby Cremins, Roy Williams, etc.)
Anyway, that should suffice as a rant about the ACC and its superiority in college basketball. Just my thoughts. I know everyone has an opinion, I just strongly believe mine’s pretty legit!
Getting ready for the MADNESS baby!!!
GO HEELS!
My wife and I have a little boy named Brady. He’s four months old, and a pretty handsome little guy. We’ve been waiting for the last three months for him to start sleeping through the night, and I think he’s beginning to get the point. He’s been so restless, and I find myself brokenhearted for him because as his Daddy I want to be able to fix any problem he has. It’s tough being a parent when your kids can’t tell you what hurts, or how bad. But there’s something awesome about being able to pick the little guy up and hold him and feel his body become less tense. He snuggles in right next to my chest and it seems as though everything is going to be alright. I love him so much.
That’s a lot like another Daddy I know . . .
I’ve been working with a personal trainer for the last month. His name is Jimmy and he’s a great guy. The only problem is, every time I go to work out he KICKS MY TAIL! I mean, this morning I could hardly breathe, my side was cramping, and I felt like I was going to puke. Jimmy, in his compassion, said “It’s just tough love”. Oh . . . so that’s what you call it! Anyway, hopefully by the end of the next month and a half, I’ll be a leaner me. Also, I’m working really hard trying to get Jimmy to come to church with me. Maybe it’ll happen soon.
This is one of the great lines from the movie “Dead Poets Society”. I don’t know if you’ve had the chance to see it, but I think it’s one of Robin Williams’ great performances. He plays John Keating, a literature professor at a men’s college. During the first class he takes his students into the halls to show them pictures of men who have gone before them. He tells them that there is one thing those men want them to know: that they must Seize the day before them. Carpe Diem . . . two latin words that signify unlimited potential. Last night I challenged our high school students to go out and take hold of the opportunities God is giving them to have influence on their campuses and in this county. We prayed that God would give us the campuses and His name would be great. My prayer is that our students, even the church as a body, would seize the day. That our lives would be extraordinary as messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. May the world know WHOSE we are, and may HIS NAME be GREAT!
So last weekend we took 95 youth and adults to Gatlinburg for Winter Xtreme ‘07. I must say it was an incredible weekend. I believe that our students and adult leaders got a lot out of the sessions . . . I know I did. So here’s the breakdown of each session and my thoughts on each one.
Session 1 - Friday, December 30 // David Nassar, Stellar Kart, TobyMac Stellar Kart started the conference off, and they were okay. Not really my cup of tea, but they got the crowd up and movin’. I’m not usually a big Nassar fan, but he really brought it to the conference. He spoke out of Isaiah 6 (one of my favorite passages) about allowing God to ruin your life. A different approach for sure, but very well presented. We had a student trust Christ as Savior after David’s message! That’s awesome. One of our kids came home and retitled his MySpace page “This weekend, God ruined my life”. Pretty awesome how students apply truth to their lives. Even more awesome that they understand the depth of what is being presented. TobyMac closed the night out, and I would give him and the Diverse City band 11 out of 10 stars! He’s probably one of the greatest entertainers in the Christian music industry, and even better, he’s unashamed with the message he presents. I will make it a goal to see him again.
More to come on the other sessions soon!
So . . . it’s been a week since we had HDTV installed at the house. My initial thoughts are . . . WOW! The picture looks so much more clear and bold than ‘regular old TV’. I’ve been watching as much as I can in HD, and I can definitely tell the difference. Of course, I’m a big TV watcher, so having it larger and clearer makes for much more enjoyable experience. I’ve been thinking about the idea of High Definition TV, and it’s a lot like life as a Christian. We have two options; we can 1) live our lives as ordinary people with really no defining marks or, 2) we can live life with a clarity and boldness that cries for people to see the difference. We don’t serve a ho-hum Savior, so I’m guessing we should be living in Hi-Def as followers of Christ. Here’s to High Definition living!
