A Great Day For Basketball

March Madness has arrived a week early for me. As I begin to get excited about filling out my bracket and having no clue, since I don’t start paying attention to college hoops until March, the madness has started already for a couple of my favorite schools.

Worthington Christian after advancing to the Final Four

Today the Worthington Christian High School (the school is a ministry of the church where I am employed) boys basketball team played in and won their State Semifinal game against some team from the Cleveland area, 66 to 58. I think this was the closest game they’ve played during the entire playoffs. That means on Saturday at 2pm they toss up the ball and play for the Division IV State Title!

After walking about a mile (literally) if not more from the Schottenstine Center on the OSU campus to my car, I quickly drove home to catch the second half of the Grace College Lancers NAIA playoff game…they haven’t been to that tournament in 15 years. They got an at large bid as the 18 seed (the seeding is not quite the same as the NCAA) in the field of 32. After being down 30-31 at the half they battled back to defeat Embry-Riddle (Fla) 75-65!

The 2007-08 Grace College Men’s Basketball Team

The Worthington Christian men are playing for a State Title and Grace College has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. Oh, and Pitt beat #13 Louisville in OT, in the Big East Tourney! Yes, a great day for basketball!

American Idol…you can take it to the bank.

Many of you know of my love for American Idol but this year actually seems like the hardest year for me to even have a clue. It seems that there really are a lot of good singers…and we are reminded each minute how incredibly talented this year is by Ryan, shamlessly promoting something that I think has yet to be determined. However, with all of the really good singers, I’m having touble seeing any really great singers. Maybe its the absence of really bad singers that doesn’t make anyone stand out…well, I have no clue how this will play out. How’s that for shooting any credibility you might foolishly have believed I had? If you’d like to see more in depth analysis on some of these individuals check out my post on 5goldenrings.net

The following is the order of elimination for the next 12 weeks:

12.   11.   10.  

9.   8.   7.  

6.   5.   4.  

3.   2.  1.

There you have it…agree? disagree? couldn’t care less? Jason Castro has actually become my favorite over the last few weeks, so I’m really pulling for him. I also like Syesha but her boring performances have not gotten me very excited, although she still has an incredible voice. And more than either of those two I think I’m pulling for Carly Smithson NOT to win…just don’t like her.

Hop on over to Mike’s site and enjoy our American Idol “draft”…he got the first pick by winning the last time we did this, which was two seasons ago. I’m still a little bitter, thinking I had the no brainer bet of the century when I chose Katharine McPhee and Chris Daughtry to his Mandisa Hundley (that’s right folks, she has a last name) and Taylor Hicks. How could I lose that bet!?!? Oh how I loathe Taylor Hicks.

Take a Nap

Today is National Nap Day! I’m not sure this is very official but I don’t see it being too difficult to get a following for such a fine idea for a holiday. Nap day falls on the first Monday after the beginning of daylight savings time. After 2 days of laying “pergo” type laminate flooring my body needs a nap and the daylight savings didn’t help matters. By the way, I’ll have to get some pictures up of that.

So, grab a nap today, and don’t feel guilty after all it is a “holiday”.

I Think My Son is a High School Boy…

…or a college student.

Carly just called me to inform me that Jack had just woken up from sleeping at about 10:20am. No, he didn’t just get up from a nap, this is from his night of sleeping. And, because he was such a bear last night we even put him to bed early…at 7:30pm.

Let me do the math for you: Jack slept for nearly 15 hours straight without waking up. That’s not normal for a 20 month old.

Needless to say he has not been a very dependable alarm clock lately. I might have to start setting mine again. Until June 15th.

Blingo! It Really Works!

Check this out…it’s really too good of a deal to pass up…Free Stuff! 

Blingo really works. Blingo is a search engine just like Google, in fact it’s powered by Google, so it’s virtually the same except… with Blingo you can win cash and prizes just for searching/surfing the ‘net.

On Thursday night I was searching for something Steelers related and as I hit the search button my results didn’t show but rather a notification that I had just won $25.00 cash!

So, get in on the action…follow the link up above or on the right sidebar to get started. If you use the link found above or to the side and sign up as my friend, everytime you search and win I will win the same prize…seriously, do it now.

This is probably not the best way to start a blog…

Begin a blog. Make about 10 posts in 2 weeks. Disappear for 2 weeks.

Maybe this is the reason:
I think I’ve struggled trying to find my purpose for this blog. Do I keep it about ministry, youth ministry, things I’m learning, random links…OR…do I make it more personal? By personal I mean, posting about the normal everyday things of life? I’ve discovered that if I focus on one topic or area of interest I can get excited about it. I’ve also discovered that I have no idea what I want that focus to be for this blog. I think I’ve always thought that I need something very interesting to say or I shouldn’t say anything, because people don’t want to read about just me.

Here’s my conclusion: This blog is going to be about me (family, interests, etc…). And, primarily, it’s going to be for me. But, you are allowed to read and comment, if you so desire. I think when I fall into the trap of trying to please readers and gain a “following” on my blog, I do myself, and in turn anyone who does read, a disservice.

Or, maybe THIS is the reason:
Those of you who know me, know that I am a HUGE Pittsburgh Steelers fan. So, during the past two weeks, I have also begun a Pittsburgh Steelers blog that has taken much of my blogging attention. I’ve been spending time building it and trying to develop some content so that it’s a viable blog. Check it out… www.5goldenrings.net. If you are a Steelers fan I hope you go back often. If you are a fan of the Br***s, I’m sure I can provide enough material to fire you up.

So, please check back here, I’ll be updating…Not to build a blog but because the discipline of writing is not something that I’ve been successful at in the past. I’ve never been a journal-er but i’ve always admired those who do. Maybe I can keep up.

American Idol:
If you haven’t yet wandered over to my Steelers blog…I actually merged my American Idol preview with my love of football. How you say? I matched up the contenders to AFC football teams…doesn’t make much sense, but it’s fun.

Quoting Mike Tyson

I don’t often have quotes hanging around in my head for very long…I hear and read a lot of good quotes, they just don’t stick. Last Monday I read a quote that Michael Strahan of the NY Giants said following their Super Bowl victory over the Patriots…he was quoting Mike Tyson of all people and it hasn’t left me yet.

The quote is: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

Strahan was responding to how they were able to rattle Tom Brady and the seemingly unstoppable New England Patriots. To me, the quote goes much deeper than football. It’s truth is something that I’ve thought about often this past week. How do I respond when things don’t go the way I planned? What do I do when life often seems unfair despite my best laid plans? We all have plans, we all are going a certain direction…but when those plans must change or we are forced to change how will I respond?

As much as it’s valuable to have a plan for your life, it’s more important to have good character and it’s more important to know how you’ll respond before you are forced to. It’s much more important to know the One who holds our future in His hands. When we are regularly placing our hope and trust in Jesus he gives us the strength we need to respond in a way that is honorable when we get “punched in the mouth”.

In John 16:33, Jesus said we’ll get “punched”. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The Patriots would have done well to remain calm, and take heart. Instead, they fell apart in the game that mattered the most to them. We would do well to take heart, so that we may have peace when the storms of life come at us.

Writers Strike…I don’t mind

I actually have enjoyed the latest round of strike induced television. I was reading the other day that the last time there was a writers strike we got the long running “reality” show COPS as a result. Not bad, everyone has enjoyed an episode of COPS at one time or another and many spin offs have been done. So, the strike is not all bad.

Right now, I’m sitting down to enjoy NBC’s “100 Most Outrageous Moments of All Time“. And I love it. It’s like AFV’s, and live newscast faux pas meets Kids Say the Darnedest Things meets the best sports bloopers you could ever hope to see. I’ve never been one to enjoy sitting down and watching a TV drama and few sitcoms are worth my time. But, I love game shows, and it seems that game shows and reality shows are about the only things that can be shown right now.

I do hope that the writers reach an agreement for their sake and the sake of their families, but as for me, I enjoy the parade of ridiculous reality ideas, the American Gladiators comeback and of course the show I’m watching right now.

…and stuff like that 2.7.08

• I’ve decided to make a more concerted effort to read books this year. I’ve never been much of a reader. I love to start books but rarely do I finish them. You might think that as a youth pastor I have all the time to sit an devour books as work…maybe but I haven’t in the past. So, with a little more than a month done in ‘08 I’ve completed 3 books already.
  The Bus, My Life in and Out of a Helmet by Jerome Bettis
  The Best Question Ever by Andy Stanley
  Venti Jesus Please by Greg Stier
• I’m an avid American Idol fan. So much that I honestly regret never trying out. However, I’ve only seen about a 1/3 of the shows so far this year. Actually, I’m not too disappointed…I really don’t enjoy the bad singers, in fact I often get up and leave the room to do other things and end up missing good singers. Well, the competition really begins next week and I am looking forward to it.
• Speaking of American Idol..my favorite last year was Chris Sligh (his personal blog). His new album is due to come out on May 6th. Get a preview of his first single here…I think it is incredible, especially the lyrics and the message, knowing his experience.
• this is kind of scary
• first chewing gum and prayer…now this?
• I’m very happy the Patriots lost and didn’t complete their ride to perfection, but seriously, ‘72 Dolphins…you don’t waste any time do you?
• Did you hear that David Tyree’s (greatest ever) Super Bowl catch almost never happened? Wow…this would have, could have, changed history!
• Yay! Free Money…At least I think it’s free. Probably thanks to China or something.
• This might have been significant 5 years ago.
• Hen lays Green Eggs…but no ham
• If you don’t click on any other link…click on this one.

Also, if you’ve read this far, feel free to leave a comment and let me know that you’ve stopped by. I know that quite a few people have checked the blog out…don’t be a lurker!

I Can Be Bought

Ever get those phone calls from people who want you to buy something they’re selling? Of course you have. If you are in ministry you know exactly what I mean…after all, as a youth pastor we have influence, and a group of students that will go with us to places we decide we want them to go. Everyone has their camp, program, curriculum, concert and event that every student ministry cannot live without.I get those phone calls, a lot. I got that phone call last week from the Columbus Destroyers trying to convince me that I should take my group to one of their arena football games…heck, we can even get them on the field before or after the game for some extra fun at no additional cost. As I listened to the canned speech I probably did several other things, checked e-mail, espn.com, and agreed to think about it. I even agreed that it was ok to send me some additional information. I know, I like to play with fire.

On Monday I got the obligatory follow-up call. So I thought. But this call was different because attached to the sales pitch was an offer to attend the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL hockey game on Tuesday night…for free! That is when I actually began to listen. But that’s not all, not only was the game free, I now had 4 tickets for the hockey game, these tickets were in the AAA Sky Terrace (awesome view), and all the free hot dogs, brats, popcorn, pretzels and Mountain Dew I could want.

I had the opportunity to take my wife, and our good friends Dustin and Kelly along with us. It was a fun night out, a good game (that the CBJ lost in OT to the Capitals 4-3). After such an experience I now feel indebted to take the youth group to a Destroyers game this season. I know I don’t have to, and I know that this night was technically free. But I feel as though I want to pay back the efforts and lengths that Rob (the sales rep) went to show that I was valued.

This sparked a discussion with Dustin on the way home. Isn’t this what God has done for us? He has offered us a free gift, something that, on our own, we never could have obtained, the free gift of eternal life through Jesus. In return it is God’s hope that we will accept the gift and love him back. He wants our committment to Him and he desires for us to serve him not out of duty, or because we have to, but because we want to.

As I was saying goodbye and thanks to Rob for providing the evening to us, he handed me 6 vouchers, each for 2 free CBJ tickets. Now that I’ve been provided a gift I now have the responsibility of 12 CBJ tickets in which to use to further the cause of the Blue Jackets. So, who wants to go? I now have the power to buy you…because I have already been bought. In more ways that one.