This year’s NBA Finals will feature the Boston Celtics and the L.A. Lakers. If you grew up in the 80’s like I did, this matchup will take you back when the NBA was great and the shorts were short. It also reminds me of this great Sega Genesis video game from 1990…
I’m not a big fan of women’s sports. That’s not really true. I’m not opposed to them at all. I guess I should say I’m not a fan of watching women’s sports on TV. I really actually enjoy watching them in person.
In college, I would often go watch the women’s soccer team play (not necessarily for the enjoyment of the competition though). I would even go with my roommate to watch his girlfriend (now wife) play on the women’s basketball team. However, I was not very happy when (because of Title IX) my friends on the men’s track team lost their scholarships and were left out in the cold in favor of a women’s synchronized swimming team.
In high school, our girls’ softball team won back-to-back state championships and I would often travel to watch them play. And when I was a Freshman in high school, I dated the star player of the girls’ basketball team.
If I have a daughter one day, I would hope and even encourage her to play sports (but not date her teammates).
Last night, I actually tried to give women’s sports (on TV) a chance to redeem itself (herself?) by watching the Women’s College World Series. Once I got past the female commentators and the umpires that looked like your typical female P.E. teacher (no offense to my wife who was a P.E. teacher’s aide this year…she broke the mold), I actually was enjoying the game. Alabama has a very good team this year and has a shot to win a National Championship. Alabama was facing Arizona State. Everything was going fine until the top half of the last inning. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Bama scored their first and only run of the game to put them up 1-0. Bama’s pitcher had been lights out all night and they were 3 outs away from winning their opening round game. Here comes the point in which I lost respect for the game.
For some strange reason that I will never understand, Bama’s coach, Pat Murphy, decides to intentionally walk the first batter of the inning. Who does that? You can guess what happened from there. Arizona State advanced the runner to second with a bunt and the runner on 2nd (the girl who was intentionally walked) scored on a double that tied the game. Bama then, of course, lost momentum, and Arizona State scored the go ahead runs on a controversial call by the Rosie O’Donnell loving umpire. Arizona State won the game 3-1 and Bama will have to try to win their way out of the loser’s bracket.
I am a huge baseball fan. I like “small ball”. Small ball is the term used for the simple aspects of the game like, getting a runner on base, advancing the runner to scoring position, etc. Apparently Pat Murphy does not understand this concept. I understand that sometimes you have no choice but to pitch around or intentionally walk a team’s slugger. But, why on earth do you intentionally put the tying run on base to start the final inning? I don’t care if Barry Bonds is coming up to bat, straight off of a steroid binge, you just don’t do that.
I’m starting to wonder why this bothers me so much. I’m sure Coach Murphy is a great softball coach or else Bama would not be in the position that they are in.
Oh well, who really cares anyway?
I just finished reading Johnny Cash’s autobiography at the lake over Memorial Day weekend. It was a very interesting and honest portrayal of Cash’s life. It was written in the late ’90s so it felt like I was hearing my Granddad tell me stories. The following is one of my favorite stories from the book:
I was walking down 57th Street (in New York City) with June one Sunday morning when we happened on the First Baptist Church of New York, which we hadn’t noticed before because its entrance doesn’t look like a church’s. We saw from a sign outside that services were just about to start, so we went in, and the strangest thing happened. The congregation was seated as we entered, but about halfway down the aisle a young boy was turned around watching the door. He saw us, immediately jumped up, and yelled, “JOHNNY CASH!! Johnny Cash has come to church with me!”
As it happened, the only free seats were right next to him and his parents, so we took them, and that’s when we saw the boy was mentally handicapped. He was so excited. “I told you!” he kept saying to his parents. “I told you he was coming!”
The preacher came over and explained to us that, yes, the boy had told his parents, and the whole congregation, repeatedly that I was going to walk into that church, sit down beside him, and worship with him. And that’s what I did. Being next to him was such a pleasure. He was so happy.
When the service was over, we walked down to the corner with him and his parents, and they filled in the story. They were Jewish, they said, but their son had decided to become a Christian after listening to some of my gospel recordings. That’s why they were in a Christian church on a Sunday morning. They were in that particular Christian church because that’s where he knew I was going to walk in the door.
After reading this book, I’m now interested in reading some of his earlier works. I would even like to see the movie that he made that I’d never heard of about the life of Jesus called, “Glory Road”. He even wrote a book about the Apostle Paul called, “Man in White”. Cash was a very interesting character indeed.
Jaime had her first official pregnancy doctor’s appointment this morning at 8:30 a.m. at Brookwood Hospital here in Birmingham. We found out that she is 7 weeks pregnant and that our due date is January 15, 2009. Dr. Adcock, who also performed Jaime’s surgery a few months ago, gave her an ultrasound and we got to see our child for the first time. We could even see it’s little heart beating! Dr. Adcock said that the baby was about the width of an index finger. TINY!!! It was pretty cool.
The ultrasound thing was kind of weird for me. First of all, Jaime’s doctor looks just like Tom Cruise but with a better build and more charming. No wonder she makes so many appointments. Then, to have him prodding around down there…I felt violated myself! I guess that’s all part of it, haha.
I think the reality of the whole thing finally sank in. We made the decision to start sharing our news with friends. I unlocked a post entitled, “3 Words…” that I wrote the day that we found out that we were pregnant. We are so excited! I pray that God will continue to give Jaime and the baby health during this miraculous process.
I just finished reading, Let The Nations Be Glad, by John Piper. I highly recommend this book! I literally went through 2 highlighters while reading this book. This book will definitely challenge you. If you’ve read it, leave a comment and tell me your thoughts. It blew me away!
“God looks at you as if you were a little Christ: Christ stands beside you to turn you into one.”
C.S. Lewis – “Mere Christianity”
The following catch is Manny, simply being Manny. I love how after he makes the catch, in typical “Manny” fashion, he finds a Sox fan to high five, then doubles off the runner at first.
I was not able to attend “Secret Church” again this year at The Church at Brookhills. However, I have heard from several people that attended the 6-Hour preaching marathon and I hear it was awesome, yet again. If you were able to attend, please leave me your comments.
For more information on what “Secret Church” is, check out the website. I am excited that the audio and video files from the past events are now available to download.
I just completed my 2nd year at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. I turned in my last final for the semester about 20 minutes ago. I attend the extension center here in Birmingham. I have been fortunate enough to have had 3 classes taught by David Platt so far. I just completed “Preaching Practicum” with him this semester. The 3 classes that David has taught, have been phenomenal. I wish that he could teach every class that I took. God has truly blessed him with some remarkable gifts. It is hard to believe that he and I are the same age. In a day where so many “Christian leaders” are falling into various sins, it is very dangerous to have “role models” or “mentors” of the faith (if you will). David has played this role in the short time that I’ve know him. I hope to model his confident humility, passion, and heart for the Gospel to reach the nations as I grow in ministry.
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Homesick 