My Little Corner of the World

This is What It's about

2010-03-12T16:51:00.000-05:00

U.S. U-17 women beat Haiti 9-0, then offer hugs - Dirty Tackle - World Soccer Blog - Yahoo! Sports

Football and God

2009-10-04T15:26:00.003-04:00

When I was a kid, I thought football was stupid. I couldn't understand why anyone would be interested in a sport where, as a spectator, you couldn't follow the ball. And it absolutely appalled me how, on running plays, the running back ran right into a pile for little or no gain! I would watch 2, 3 plays at the most, then walk away from the television thinking, "what a stupid sport...". But, this is quite ironic if you know me now. It happened when I was 13. I began to really appreciate football. Soon after that, I began to LOVE football. Today, it is my absolute favorite sport to watch live or on television! The sports being played between January and August are just filler until football season can come once again.

What was the "it" that happened? I think I know. You see, I had no understanding of football. I didn't know how to watch it in a manner that would allow me to follow the ball. I didn't understand that the reason the ball carriers ran to piles a lot was because that was the direction in which the play was designed to go. If the play only got a minimal gain, then it simply meant that the defense had it sniffed out, or the offensive line failed to execute a proper blocking scheme. And those were just two aspects of the game that helped give me an appreciation for it, that soon turned into a love for the game.

You know, there are lots of things like that in our lives. Sometimes it takes allowing ourselves time to understand something before we can appreciate, like, or even love it.

God is in this category.

As a child, I sat on a pew each Sunday hearing about God, and his unfailing love, but I didn't really understand it. So away from church, I never took the time to seek Him. But as the years went by, something happened. I can now say with confidence that I love God. (Although, I don't show it like I should all the time). So what happened? I came to a better understanding of who God is and how He loves us. I gained this understanding in several ways. First, I began attending Sunday school regularly. Secondly, I started honing in on what my pastors were saying from the pulpit. Lastly, but this is the most important, I started taking the time to read God's Word, the Bible. And I can still improve on that last one.

Are you having trouble understanding who God is? Then pick up a Bible and just start reading. But don't stop there. Find a good Sunday school class with a dedicated teacher, at a Bible-based church with a pastor who has a heart for the truth and for people. You'll begin to understand Him. You'll soon appreciate Him. Ultimately, you'll LOVE Him!

Doing the Right Thing

2009-09-25T15:10:00.002-04:00

This is another one of those articles that help to restore your faith in people:
http://arkansasvarsity.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=992976

The Lady of the House Has Left the Building

2009-08-06T22:04:00.004-04:00

I once heard her referred to by Stanford Lewis as "That tall, thin lady of music." And a lady indeed she was. Always poised, always in control, and always ready to handle any situation, Mrs. Annette Hall was the queen of the castle that so many of us called home on the UAM campus. That home is the music building (and yes, it really does look like a castle); and it will never be the same without her.

We lost the Lady of the House today. Mrs. Hall succumbed after a long battle with cancer. She now resides in a much bigger house. And while I am saddened, I could not be happier for her. She kicked cancer's butt on more than one occasion over the course of the past 20 years plus. But today, God told her to come home and rest with Him, and so she did. No more fighting. No more pain. Just the rest that she so richly deserves.

Ms. Annette was a staple on the UAM campus. She arrived there in 1972. She became head of the music department in 1984. My affiliation with her began when I became a freshman music major in 1986. As an undergrad, I could always count on her to answer any questions I had, or solve any problems that arose for me. But I wasn't special. You see, Mrs. Hall did this for every music major, then and now. For the past three years, I have had the privilege of working with her. As well taken care of as I felt as one her department's majors, I was in even better hands as one of her teachers. In fact, I would not even be at UAM in this capacity were it not for her. She gave me a chance to proof myself. So, not only do I owe my degree to her, but I owe my professional life in academia to her as well.

As I entered the "castle" today, I paused outside Mrs. Hall's office. I will never be able to pass by it again and hear, "oh...how's it going today?" I will never be able to pass by it again and see her diligently pouring over some file or report. I will never be able to pass by it again and see her welcoming smile.

The lady of the house has left the building.

God's Biography

2009-08-01T10:11:00.002-04:00

I try to read Our Daily Bread devotionals, published by RBC Ministries, each day. They are all good, but every once in a while I read one that I really like a lot. Today's was one of those.:

http://rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/08/01/devotion.aspx

The Battle

2009-07-11T19:38:00.002-04:00

God loves me and He is ever present. I KNOW this.

God sent His Son for me so that I can live with Him forever and ever. I KNOW this.

Those two facts alone should provide me with enough joy to overflow for my lifetime. I KNOW this.

What I DIDN'T know, until about two years ago, is that I struggle with depression.

Oh, I don't struggle to the point that I believe I need medication. I don't struggle to the point that I entertain thoughts of suicide. But I know that my depression is real. Well, given the things that I KNOW, my depression really puzzles me.

Why do I bring it up? Because today is one of those days. I smile and laugh and talk with whoever is around, but inside, I don't feel so...up. So right now, although there are 5 other people in the building, (I'm in the MBSF, if you want to know WHAT building), I'm sitting in a quiet corner, pondering on the gifts from my Father and writing this blog. I don't like my personal battle. But God didn't put me here to have it easy everyday. This is another thing that I KNOW.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for who You are to me. I thank You for all that I have and all that I am due to You, for I know EVERY GOOD thing comes from You. Father, grant me Your strength and Your wisdom, that I may endure the battles. For I KNOW that in you, I WILL win them. I pray it in the precious name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.

The Soundtrack to my Life

2009-07-01T19:54:00.003-04:00

Forget about the weirdness. Forget about the facial changes. Forget about the court cases.

Michael Jackson was one of our world's most influential and important artists. Yes, ARTIST. He was an artist in the truest since of the word. And I will miss him. Just as the title suggests, he helped to write the soundtrack to my life. You hear people say that about their favorite artists all the time. But the cliche' is true. Give me a Michael Jackson song title, and I can tell you where I was the first time I heard the song, or something significant that I was doing while it played on the radio or on my cd player.

As I type this, I'm not ashamed to say that I'm tearing up. Michael and his music meant something to my life. Watching him perform with his brothers as a member of The Jackson Five when I was a little boy, he inspired me to dream. I can still remember holding my mom's dinner bell hammer in my hand as a microphone while lip syncing to Dancing Machine. As a solo artist, he inspired me to be a better musician. My sister and I analyzed Off The Wall until no instrument or vocal part was left unturned. That album is the reason that I can pick instruments out of an ensemble today. And I could cite more examples.

So you see, this is no small deal to me. His death leaves a very real hole for me, as though he were a family member. And I know that I'm not the only one.

Incidentally, Prince better live SEVERAL more years. I'm not sure I could take it.

2009-06-14T21:15:00.001-04:00

At the half, Lakers 56, Magic 46. CLOSE IT OUT!

2009-06-12T00:18:00.001-04:00

DEREK FISHER!!! Lakers up 3 games to 1!

And for the Obama Era's Next Trick...

2009-06-07T00:36:00.001-04:00

This one, from One News Now, absolutely hacked me off.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=557214

The NBA Finals-Game 1

2009-06-04T20:57:00.002-04:00

My Los Angeles Lakers are on a quest for a franchise 15th Championship, in this, the 30th appearance. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher are playing for their fourth, all as Lakers. The Orlando Magic pose a difficult test for my boys, but I remain confident. HERE WE GO!

The five starters had a look in their eyes as they were being introduced that spoke of focus and determination. I like it.

At the first timeout the game is tied at 14. Bryant and Turkoglu are the early offense for each team.
20-18, Lakers at the next timeout.
Bynum was just benched with his second foul. The call was questionable.
Pau has missed in close 3 times, but hit from the outside. He may have been pushed on that last play, but no call.
Pau gets a dunk! That's more like it.
Howard is called for the offensive foul, his second. He'll have to sit.
The Lakers are in the penalty. I hate giving up easy points.
Gasol is still struggling on the block. I don't get it.
The first quarter ends with the Magic up 24-22.

Lamar Odom hits a jump shot to start the second. 24-24.
Jameer Nelson, who hasn't played in 4 months, looks good. My goodness.
The Lakers take a timeout, down 5.
Luke Walton has 6 points off the bench.
Bryant gets inside to give the Lakers a 34-33 lead. We're on a 6-0 run. Timeout, Magic.
The Magic take another timeout. The Lakers are on a 10-0 run. Kobe has hit the last 6. The Lakers lead 38-33 with 5:15 to play in the second.
With 2:43 to play in the half, the Lakers lead 45-39. Kobe is hot. He has 16 points.
The Lakers finish the half strong and lead at halftime 53-43.

Bryant opens the third with a pretty up-and-under move. Then knocks down a jumper. Lakers lead 57-43.
Bynum has picked up his 4th foul. Yikes.
Kobe going back to work. He hits a jumper in the lane, and gets hit. The free throw is good. The Lakers lead 64-50.
Offensive foul on Howard.
Beautiful ball movement by the Lakers. Odom hits, and one! Free throw no good. Lakers by 16.
Gasol inside! Timeout, Magic. The Lakers have opened up an 18 point lead!
The Lakers are playing great defense.
Bryant puts in his 31st point to push the lead to 20.
Bryant is a BEAST! Bank shot, and one! Free throw good. The Lakers lead 75-52.
Bryant gets an assist to Ariza for a 3. The Lakers lead by 25, 80-55.
The Lakers outscore the Magic in the third 29-15. At the end of the third, the Lakers lead 82-58.

Nice give-and-go to Walton. He didn't finish but will go to the line. 83-58, Lakers.
Odom, and one. The lead is now 27. Free throw good. Lakers lead 88-60.
Pietrus hits and will go to the line. Timeout.
Pietrus misses the free throw. The Lakers lead 88-62.
Andrew Bynum is back in the game. He gets fouled in the act inside. 1 of 2 from the line.
Howard 1 of 2 from the line. 89-65, Lakers.
With 5:13 left, the Lakers lead 89-65.
Bryant to the line. Both are good. 91-65.
Kobe now has 40, which the most he's ever scored in a finals game. With 1:50 left in the game, the Lakers lead 97-73.
And Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals is in the books.
The Lakers take it 100-75.

The Passing of a Veteran

2009-06-03T13:13:00.002-04:00

The oldest Australian war vet passed away recently. Here's the link to the story.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090603/lf_nm_life/us_australia_soldier

2009-05-29T23:45:00.001-04:00

I'm at Kasey and Amanda's rehearsal and dinner. Therefore, I'm having to check the score of The Western Conference Finals Game 6 on my phone. I can only give periodic scores. I'm pleased with my first update. After 1, the Lakers lead 25-20. At the 4:54 mark of the 2nd, the Lakers lead 37-33. At the half, the Lakers lead by 13! 53-40. The Lakers lead 62-50 with 8:12 to go in the 3rd. At the end of 3 quarters, the Lakers have opened up a 16 point lead, 83-67. We are 12 minutes away from The NBA Finals. With 10:21 to play, the Lakers have pushed the lead to 21! 90-69. 4:53 left; 103-85, Lakers. 112-88 at the 2:47 mark. It's a final: Lakers 119, Nuggets 92. The Lakers are Western Conference Champions! The Lakers are headed to the NBA Finals!

The 2009 Western Conference Finals-Game 5

2009-05-27T20:09:00.002-04:00

This game should separate the men from the boys. Game 5s, when a series is tied at 2 apiece, usually do. How bad do the Lakers want it? How mad IS Kobe after Game 4? We're about to find out.

Denver scores first on a Billups 3 pointer.
Ariza to the hole for 2. But Billups is hot early. 6-2, Denver.
Fisher good from 15 feet.
At the first timeout of the game, the Nuggets lead 11-6.
Lakers get a dunk after the timeout.
Great pick by Gasol in the backcourt! Kobe to the hole, no basket, but a foul. Kobe knocks down 2, 11-10, Denver.
Offensive foul on Anthony.
Up and under by Bynum for the dunk! Lakers lead 12-11.
Fisher with a step back basket. Lakers on an 8-0 run. They lead 14-11 at the 5:26 mark of the 1st quarter.
Anthony finishes at the basket and gets fouled. We can't get him going. He missed the free throw.
Fisher with another jump shot. He's 3 for 4. Lakers lead by 3.
Billups ties it.
Nice give-and-go between Gasol and Ariza. Ariza with the layup.
Denver back up by 1.
Another give-and-go between Ariza and Gasol. No basket but a foul. 1 of 2 from the line.
The 1st quarter ends tied at 25.
Odom finally hits inside, and one! 3 point play completed.
Vulacic continues to struggle from the outside.
Odom aggressive to the hole again. No basket, but a foul. Timeout. Denver leads 31-28.
Lamar 1 of 2 from the line.
Walton wide open underneath! Lakers tie it at 31.
Walton, 2 offensive boards and a put back.
Bynum with a little hook.
Timeout with 5:54 to play in the half. The Lakers lead 36-35.
Nuggets in the penalty at the 5:14 mark. Fisher to the line for 2.
Gasol with a beautiful pass to Bynum for the dunk! And one! Free throw no good. 40-38, Lakers.
Anthony ties it.
Nice baseline drive by Fisher to tie it at 42.
Billups picks up his 3rd foul! Kobe to the line after the timeout. Denver up 44-42 with 2:36 to play in the 2nd.
Kobe knocks down both. Tied at 44.
JR Smith with a 3.
Kobe to the hole, and one! Free throw good. Lakers down 2.
Nice lob from Odom to Bryant!
Odom drives in and gives it up to Gasol for the bucket and a foul. Odom with the offensive board and put back after the missed free throw. Lakers down 1.
Anthony to the line.
Denver leads by 3 with 26.1 seconds to play in the half. The Lakers do look good. They are getting this done without a huge scoring effort from Bryant.
Vulacic for 3 to end the half! Game tied at 56.
A good showing by the Laker role players in the first half. It is ALWAYS a good sign when we score this well and Kobe only has 8 points. He will always get his.

The 3rd quarter is under way.
Alleyoop from Fisher to Bryant!
All of sudden we're having trouble controlling the Nuggets. Down 7.
Shannon Brown throws one down over Andersen! Lakers within 3.
3 straight turnovers for the Nuggets. We HAVE to capitalize. And Odom does it with a 3! Tie game.
Billups and Bryant exchange 3s.
The 3rd quarter ends tied at 76.
78-76, Lakers.
Odom with an authoritative dunk, AND ONE! Odom completes the 3 point play. Lakers by 5.
Nene picks up his 5th foul on the offensive end, then picks up a technical. Lakers will be at the line after the timeout, leading 81-76 at the 9:33 mark. Bryant misses the technical free throw. Lakers ball.
Odom in the lane, basket good.
Hard foul, Anthony on Bryant. Kobe hits 2 free throws. Lakers by 9.
11 point lead now off the Brown jumper with the shot clock running down.
Kleiza pulls the Nuggets within 8.
Gasol to the line, knocks down both.
Timeout at the 6:35 mark. The Lakers lead by 10, 91-81.
Nuggets back within 4.
Gasol gets Nene fouled out. Both free throws good.
Anthony hits 2 free throws.
Gasol with a great pass to Ariza on a give-and-go. And one! Ariza completes the 3 point play. Lakers by 7, 3:30 to play.
Gasol with a blocked shot on Anthony!
Lamar to the line. Misses both.
Martin blocked by Odom!
Timeout at the 2:24 mark. The Lakers lead 96-89.
5 point game with 1:15 to play.
Bryant to Odom down low, AND ONE! Odom completes the 3 point play. 99-91, Lakers with 49 seconds to play.
Bryant to the line. Bryant 2 for 2. Lakers by 10 with 43.1 to play.
Fisher answers an Anthony 3 point play with 2 free throws. As the clock runs down, the Lakers lead by 9.
LAKERS WIN!
The final score is 103-94. The Lakers take a 3-2 lead in the series. I expect us to wrap it up in Denver on Friday.

The 2009 Western Conference Finals-Game 4

2009-05-27T11:46:00.003-04:00

Following this game live was not possible, as I was away from a computer during the game.

I'm glad.

Game 4 was bust! 12 more missed free throws and getting GROSSLY out-rebounded resulted in a 20 point loss for my boys.

Game 5 is tonight in Staples Center in Los Angeles. And Kobe is MAD!

The 2009 Western Conference Finals-Game 3

2009-05-23T16:29:00.003-04:00

Tonight's game, along with game 4, will be played in Denver. The Nuggets have stolen home-court advantage but with a win tonight, the Lakers will grab it right back.

Here we go!

Our play-by-play was put on hold by company. They're still here, but they don't mind if I talk and type.

The Lakers thus far have looked pretty bad on defense, and worse from the free throw line. Yet, we find ourselves down only 3 with 2:21 to play in the half.
Another shot missed by Derek Fisher. The miss is compounded by a cheap foul on Odom.
Good shot, Kobe. Put 'em on your back, boy!
Anthony continues to look good. 48-43, Denver with just over a minute to go in the 2nd quarter.
Lakers get a rare fast break opportunity tonight. Ariza doesn't finish, but draws the foul. He hits one. 48-44 now.
Nuggets come right back. 50-44.
Fast break for the Nuggets. 52-44.
Ariza 3 pointer. 52-47. 7.9 seconds to play in the half.
Lakers to the line for one. Nuggets last shot of the half misses. The halftime score, Nuggets 52, Lakers 48. All things considered,---playing in Denver, silly turnovers, mediocrity at the free throw line---I feel good about only being down 4.

Lakers open the 3rd with a Bynum bucket and a Kobe fastbreak. Game is tied.
After going down by 4, the Lakers are feeding Bynum in the post. He gets to the line and hits one. 56-53 Nuggets.
Kobe gets shaken up after landing awkwardly following getting his shot blocked.
Another Laker turnover resulting in a Bryant foul. Nuggets at the line. Hits both. 58-53.
Another easy Nugget basket to make it 60-53. Timeout Lakers.
Kobe hits a 3 out of the timeout. 60-56.
Bynum blocks Carmelo's shot.
D-Fish misses again, from 3. Gotta get him going.
We get another stop. Kobe fouled on the other end. Out on the side. Ariza to the hole, gets hit, but no foul call.
Bryant wide open down the lane, gets pushed with two hands from behind and gets a foul but no flagrant. Incredible.
Wow! Martin hits Fisher in the chest while the players await a jump ball, and Fisher gets called for the tech! I'm really getting fed up with how one sided the calls have been, even in Los Angeles! By the way, the score is 64-58 Nuggets.
Bynum one of two at the line. We have missed TEN free throws tonight.
Gasol hits BOTH free throws. Nuggets by 3.
Beautiful alleyoop, Walton to Bryant, and one! Kobe ties it at 64.
Ariza is headed to the locker room. I missed how he got hurt.
Derek is really struggling with his shot.
Gasol to the line. Missed the first. Hits the second. 66-65.
2:21 to play in the 3rd. Lakers down 68-65.
Kobe to the line. Hits the first. Hits both. Lakers down 1.
JR Smith 3. Nugget technical. Bryant hits the foul shot. Lakers down 3.
Nuggets now by 5. We cannot track down a loose ball.
Sasha Vulacic finally hits a 3. Billups come right back with one of his own. My goodness.
Smith hits a 3 at the quarter buzzer, and picks up a technical for taunting. But at the end of 3, we are down 8.
Kobe opens the 4th hitting the technical free throw. 79-72.
Ariza is back.
Odom takes Anderson down low for the bucket. 79-74.
Jordan Farmar with two stupid decisions. He left his feet for a 3, and came down without releasing the ball resulting in a travel. To compound it, he throws the ball in the stands and gets a technical! For crying out loud!
Gasol cuts it to 2 from the line.
Ariza gives the Lakers their first lead with a 3! 81-80 at the 7:06 mark.
We put 'Melo on the line, 1 of 2, tied at 81.
Nice Kobe fade-away. Lakers by 2. Nuggets right back to tie.
Nuggets by 2.
Ariza another 3! Lakers by 1.
Billups going to the line for a four point play. Wow.... Denver by 3.
Gasol with a bucket. 1 point game.
Gasol again! Lakers by 1.
Nuggets by 1.
Bryant, and one! Free throw, missed. Lakers by 1.
Billups missed a 3. Lakers get the rebound and have a 1 point lead with 2:46 left in the game.
Kobe from deep, misses.
Carmelo to the line. Hits both, Nuggets by 1.
Fisher drives, but called for the charge.
Billups missed a 3, Martin over the back of Odom. Lamar to the line. Hits one. Tied at 93.
Smith puts the Nuggets up by 2.
Bryant for 3!
Lakers get a stop. Timeout. Lakers lead 96-95 with 1:08 to play.
Bryant taking Smith baseline, draws the foul. Knocks down one free throw, Lakers by 2. 37.1 seconds to play.
Whoa! Nuggets close to a five second violation trying to inbound. They get the timeout.
Ariza steals the pass! Gets fouled. Anthony fouled out! Ariza hits both free throws to give the Lakers a 4 point lead.
Odom bumps Billups. He'll shoot free throws. Hits both.
Lakers inbound to Bryant with 24.6 to play. Nuggets send him to the line with 22.2 to play. Kobe hits both free throws. 4 point Lakers lead.
Nuggets miss a 3, ball out of bounds to the Lakers.
Inbound to Kobe. Foul. Bryant hits both. Lakers by 6.
Time runs out on the Nuggets possession. Lakers win!
Kobe is exhausted!

The Lakers have recaptured home-court advantage with a 103-97 victory in Denver. Game 4 on Monday.

The 2009 Western Conference Finals-Game 2

2009-05-22T15:43:00.003-04:00

Game 2 was played last night. It's taken me this long to be able to write about it. (My good friend Jay Meachum says I have it bad. He's right).

The Lakers came out on fire and looked REALLY good until late in the 2nd quarter. A once 14 point lead was reduced to only 1 by halftime. It was close from that point on, with the exception of a 7 point lead by Denver at the 5 minute mark. Down the stretch, our inability to take care of the basketball and stop Billups from getting easy layups undid us. Despite a great look at a 3 to tie as the clock ran out, by Derek Fisher, the Lakers dropped Game 2 106-103.

Game 3 will be on Saturday.

The 2009 Western Conference Finals-Game 1

2009-05-19T20:00:00.009-04:00

The 2009 Western Conference Finals tip off in a few minutes. I have to admit feeling a little apprehension. The Lakers struggled against Houston, a team they were obviously better than. Once again, they face a team that they should just dominate. However, the Nuggets have looked awfully good during the playoffs. So, as a means of therapy in order to get myself through what I hope will only be the next 4 games, I'll attempt to chronicle each game here while it's in progress. Game 1, coming up.
I thought Gasol got all ball on that block. Denver up 5-2 early. Martin threw a Kobe shot outta there. Goodness!
We're looking pretty bad at the 8:20 mark of the 1st. Bynum finally hits inside. But the Nuggets won't miss! 14-6 with 7:08 to go in the 1st.
Dante Jones flops to give Kobe his first bucket. I'll take it! Carmelo comes right down and hits.
Two in a row for Kobe.
Why aren't we pounding this ball inside?!
Finally! Beautiful up-and-under move by Bynum! 20-12, 3:39, 1st quarter.
Timeout, Nuggets. Odom and Walton will on the floor when play resumes. I like this. Lamar Odom gives us great energy off the bench.
Carmelo Anthony looks great! Another turnover for us. Denver makes us pay, now down 12.
Nice baseline jumper, Ariza.
Anthony with a 3 at the 1:50 mark.
Gasol answers with an "and one". He completes the 3 point play, down now 27-17 with 1:26 to go in the 1st.
Sasha and Brown with back to back 3s. We put Billups on the line with 2.2 left. He misses both free throws!
The first quarter ends with Denver leading by 8, 31-23. We have to find a way to stop 'Melo!
The Laker reserves have cut the lead to 4 against the Nugget bench.
Now missing a lot of opportunities on offense. But, dominating on the boards!
Farmar cuts it 4 again. And Nene comes right back.
Big 3 point shot from Luke Walton! Timeout Denver. 35-32 Nuggets with 8:47 to go in the 2nd quarter.
After a Nene dunk, Odom hits a 3 on the other end. 2 point game.
Horrible foul call on Kobe as he blocks Billups' shot.
Oh my goodness! The officials hate us in our own building!
Timeout Nuggets with 5:49 to go in the half. 40-35, Denver.
Lakers going inside now; first Derek, then Ariza. Ariza to the line. He hits one. 2 point game. 'Melo finally misses!
Strong move by Bryant to dunk and pull the Lakers within 1!
Lakers get another Bryant 3.
Lakers take the lead on Josh Powell free throws with 1:09 to go in the half.
Big 3 pointer at the buzzer for D-Fish! After once being down by 13, the Lakers lead 55-54 at halftime. I'm expecting a big second half by Kobe and Gasol. I really feel like we have taken Denver's best punch.
Lakers showing greater patience as this half begins.
Refs getting whistle happy now. The crowd (along with me) is getting nervous. Another 3 for Anthony over Ariza. Good grief!
OH MY GOODNESS! Ariza just got hacked across the arms and got NO call! And of course, Anthony hits ANOTHER 3.
Gasol's offensive board cleaning and score followed by a Laker fast break get us back to within one. Timeout, Denver with 6:15 to play in the 3rd.
Ariza now with 4 fouls guarding Anthony.
Lakers go back up at the 4:57 mark of the 3rd.
After a stop, D-Fish hits another 3! Lakers by 4.
We are getting ZERO calls in our own building. INCREDIBLE.
FINALLY got a call.
The quarter ends with us down by 2, 76-74.
Kenyon Martin goes down at the 11:49 mark. I hope he's okay.
Refs continue to call cheap fouls on the Lakers.
Reach in foul on Anthony. Bryant hits a 3 to pull us back within 2.
Smith wakes up and hits a three, but that's countered by Farmar's triple. Back within 2.
Down 5 again at the 8:40 mark.
We're late in the 4th. Kobe has to take over now. Everyone else is struggling.
Ariza's 3 pulls us within 2 with 4 to play.
D-Fish hits a 3 to put us up at the 2:09 mark, Bryant assist.
Gasol to the free throw line with a 97-96 lead. Missed the first. Missed both.
After a Billups 3, Gasol back to the line, down 99-97 with 1:14 to play. Hits the first one. Gasol ties it at 99.
Players dive on the floor after a loose ball, jump ball call with 57.3 seconds to play. Odom wins the tip.
Lakers will have the ball with 35.5 to play, tied at 99.
Bryant draws the foul. Hits the first. Two free throws for Bryant, Lakers by 2 with 30.5 to play.
STEAL BY ARIZA!
Bryant drives, gets hit. Back to the line. Hits the first. Hits the second. Lakers by 4 with 10 seconds to play. Timeout, Denver.
Billups hits the 3. One point game. Inbound to Bryant, gets fouled.
Kobe knocks down both. 105-102 with 3.2 to play. Lakers put Smith on the line. He hits the first. Smith misses the second on purpose, rebound to Kobe. LAKERS WIN 105-103!
We survive a 39 point performance by Carmelo Anthony to win Game 1. Kobe puts in 40. I'll be worn out if every game of this series is like this one! Whew!

2009-05-16T16:20:00.002-04:00

Blogging by phone. Technology is grand!

Celebrating a Life

2009-03-14T14:28:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the life celebration (otherwise known as a funeral) of Mr. Clarence L. Thomason of Warren, AR. I regret that I did not know Mr. Thomason personally. I was there to pay my respects on behalf of one of his grandsons, my student, friend, and soon to be colleague, Justin Anders. But, Mr. Thomason was surely a man worth knowing. His funeral revealed him to be a great man of God, with a testimony that blessed my heart. His love for God, his family, and his country made it quite clear to me how much Justin and the rest of their family will miss Mr. Clarence. He was also an American Hero, a veteran of WW II. I left the funeral honored to have been in attendance.

Now Here's a Great Idea

2009-03-02T11:48:00.002-05:00

I would never have thought of this as a way to bring affirmative action to light, but a conservative group on the campus of Purdue found an interesting way. Take a look:

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=431190

He Has ALWAYS Been Here.

2009-02-14T11:42:00.003-05:00

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Christ spoke those words in Revelation 22:13. When we think about who it is who reigns in Heaven, usually it is not quite as difficult to imagine that GOD always has been. Afterall, He spoke the universe into existence. But when thinking about the fact that the SON always has been, we need to look up specific scriptures, like the one above, in order to remind ourselves. At least I do. The one that I usually find the most comforting, and the one that drives that point home for me, has always been John 1:1-2 which states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." Pretty self explanatory, yes? But a few days ago, I was thumbing through a Bible and made, what for me was, a shocking discovery. All this time I had been searching the Bible to find those "proof that Christ always has been" scriptures, when the proof was hiding in plain sight. Now, let me preface what I want to say next by moving over to John 8:12. It is there that Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." This is the scripture that popped into my head when I made my discovery. You see, God announced to us that His son was with him right from the beginning. That's right. It's in GENESIS. "And God said, 'Let there be light'." If you're like me, you may be saying, "now wait a minute. Aren't we reading way too much into this? God is just creating day and night, isn't He?" Well, in our finite minds, that's what we have always thought. But knowing the greatness of our God, nothing is ever quite so finite. Go back to John 8:12. Jesus said that He is the LIGHT of the world. Right? Do you need proof that Jesus, like God, always was? Then ask yourself, what is the very first thing God spoke into existence? He spoke the LIGHT into existence. Was He merely creating daytime? I don't think so! God knew from the beginning that we would need a savior. Do you really think that a God as great as the God of the universe, in all of his INFINITE wisdom, would just sit by and wait for things to get out of hand? NO. Not my God! He knew this world would need a savior, and He spoke his Son, the LIGHT, into existence FIRST! Read on in Genesis 1:3-4, only this time, think of the word light for what it truly is. It reads, "And God said, 'Let there be light', and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separtated the light from the darkness." He separated the light from the darkness. What darkness? Do you recall a certain fallen angel? It is largely believed that it was at this point in Genesis that Lucifer was thrown out of Heaven. Lucifer was the darkness. God spoke the light, His Son, into existence, and made the distinction between Him and darkness (for darkness' sake), and thus separated the two. I believe it was at this point that God told Lucifer (satan) that his days in Heaven were done. Now, indulge me and return with me to John 8:12. It reads, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" ...will never walk in DARKNESS, but will have the LIGHT of life. Jesus was there from the VERY BEGINNING, just as scripture tells us. And it occurs on page 1 of scripture. God is AMAZING!

Sportsmanship

2009-01-23T12:17:00.003-05:00

Now this is an interesting article. A grossly lopsided victory in a Texas private high school girls basketball game has garnered some attention. The winning team is seeking to make it right, but at some point I thought the article was a little too harsh to the victors. My opinion. Any thoughts? Oh, by the way, the coach of the winning team never makes a comment. I did find that odd. Here's the link:

http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=903780

More on Dungy

2009-01-12T23:38:00.002-05:00

Here's another article that helps greatly to sum up what Tony Dungy is all about. This one can be found on nfl.com. Enjoy.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80e13419&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

The Retirement of Dungy

2009-01-12T19:37:00.003-05:00

The National Football League---and the sports world in general--- saw the stepping down today of one it's most important spokesman. Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, announced his retirement today. Dungy became the epitome of how to handle oneself in the face of both professional and personal adversity. Let's forget about what he accomplished as a Black coach. No, I'd rather focus on a more important aspect that we don't see enough of in our high profile figures: Tony Dungy is a man of strong Christian faith. The following is a link to the article Fox published following Dungy's announcement today.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9068372/Colts-coach-Tony-Dungy-steps-down-in-Indy?MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002

My Issue With Religion

2009-01-09T05:27:00.004-05:00

Recently I was again faced with someone who has an issue with religion. The encounter reminded me of my own issue with religion. The MSN Encarta dictionary defines it thus:

re·li·gion [ ri líjjən ] (plural re·li·gions)
noun

Definition:

1. beliefs and worship: people's beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life
2. system: an institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices relating to the divine
3. personal beliefs or values: a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by
4. obsession: an object, practice, cause, or activity that somebody is completely devoted to or obsessed by

These are very clinical definitions at best. But they are the types of definitions to which people on the fence about God cling. Anytime issues of faith enter the political arena, for instance, the attack on "religion" will rear its head with intellectuals leading the attack. I continually hear it cited that church and state must remain separate; that freedom of religion means that it is all inclusive. What we need is to break away from religion. From my observation, those who get disgruntled with organized religion and use it as an excuse to choose for themselves what or whom they will follow, if anything, are relying too much on the standards that PEOPLE set. This is a dangerous prospect. What I would like to see is less listening to people and more listening to the God of the universe; the God of ALL creation. Stop waiting on people to set the parameters for how "religious" one needs to be or what "religion" to follow. People cannot be depended upon for ANYTHING. In fact, a gross percent of the time we just screw it all up. This is why we need to get away from religion, and focus on God. It's all about your relationship with Him. "But", some will ask, "how can I have a relationship with someone I cannot see, and thus do not completely believe in?" My best answer to that would be to read your Bible. Follow what it instructs. Your relationship with God will improve. Stop putting your stock in the ones who build the buildings we call churches, and paint the paintings of bearded men on clouds for whom they also have never seen. Put all your stock in the God of the Bible, and do it with your heart; not your eyes. If your perspective on Him doesn't change after that, you may be unchangeable.

Changing the Face of Fraternities as We Know Them?

2008-12-29T20:33:00.003-05:00

This article comes from OneNewsNow. I hope you it enjoy as much as I did!

Happy New Year!

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=365472

When the Media Makes Me Smile

2008-12-25T00:24:00.003-05:00

Now, THIS is the type of story about a sports figure that we need to hear more of:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8987986/Heat%27s-Wade-helps-family-displaced-by-fire?MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002

Investigating the "Twilight" Hype

2008-12-20T15:18:00.003-05:00

So, here's the scoop. I teach on a college campus. That campus is loaded with 18-22 year old females. About 6 months ago, I suddenly became aware of something called "Twilight". Oh, it didn't happen all at once. It started in spurts with the name "Edward". My girls---not biological; the ones I teach and am around on a daily basis---were just enthralled with the name. Facebook was chalk full of flair on the guy. (If you need to know what flair is, ask the Facebook enthusiast in your house. They'll tell you all about it.) Finally I could stand it no longer. I asked my girls what the deal was. The look I got sucked the intelligence right out of me. They couldn't believe I had to even ask the question. "Mr. Fellows, come on. Edward??? He's the main character in 'Twilight'???" My intelligence points weren't getting any higher. So, one of them handed me the book. I did what I always do with books I haven't heard of, I read the jackets to see what it was about. A romance novel? Really girls? There had to be more. And boy, was there!

A few months later, a movie trailer with the same title as the book struck, and struck hard! Anytime I was in a room with a television playing this trailer around my girls, I---and every other guy in the room---was suddenly shushed with enough force to knock me over. They were enthralled again. And then, it happened. The movie premiered. What a turnout! I know this because after the latest bond movie---which I went to see---let out, I waited for "Twilight" to be done. I thought the people would never quit filing out. I wondered how the room held them all! And of course, most of my girls who saw it that night loved it!

So, I had to know. At first I thought I could get by without knowing, but my curiosity got the best of me. A friend of mine gave me her copy of the book over Thanksgiving. I'm almost done. And so far, I like it! *GASP* (Did I say that out loud??) Now, I won't say that I am enthralled like the entire---seemingly---female population. But, it is a fascinating story. And---I may get stripped of my Male Membership Card for this one---I plan on renting the movie once I finish the book.

Stephenie Meyer, the author, is an interesting storyteller. From a purely literary standpoint, I do enjoy her style of writing. The story itself has become interesting enough to keep me turning pages. And admittedly, the hopeless romantic in me.... Okay, I'll stop right there. I like my membership card.

Supporting OUR President

2008-11-05T00:13:00.004-05:00

Throngs of Christians across the country are concerned tonight. I have already heard a few talk about moving to Canada. But let us remember one thing: God is STILL in control. And He will remain in control. Now is not the time to get down. Now is not the time to groan. Now is not the time to be cynical. Now IS the time for prayer. Like it or not, Barack Obama is the President Elect of the United States of America. Therefore, we Christians have an obligation to throw our support his way in the form of our prayers. We were a nation in need of prayer before this night, and we will be a nation in need of prayer on the night of the NEXT election. Barack Obama will be our president. Let's support him as we should. Let's be what God calls us to be; a people of prayer. Read 2Chronicles 7:14, and follow its decree.

Let's Think About This

2008-11-03T00:50:00.002-05:00

As a black person, I am increasingly concerned about the number of black people I have encountered who endorse Obama for the simple reason that he is black. I am not disputing the fact that it would be a great historic moment to have the first African American in our nations highest office. HOWEVER, I think being jaded by that fact is wrong of us as Americans. This particular African American/Black would be wrong for our country. He believes in things that no proud American should want to endorse. If we are a nation under God, and I certainly believe that we are, then Barack's views are in direct contradiction to that. His refusal to acknowledge the very things that make us a nation under God should give any sensible American pause when it comes to electing him President of our great nation. I implore EVERYONE of our race to not be in such a hurry to put THIS black man in office. I promise you, there is a better one to come.

Attention Facebook/Myspace Users: There's a Lesson in Here!

2008-09-18T13:51:00.005-04:00

The following article is a must read. While it contains some HILARIOUS blurbs, the overall message is a serious one for those of us who just LOVE to post photos online.

Enjoy.

http://tech.msn.com/products/articlepcw.aspx?cp-documentid=10361726&GT1=40000

The Bonds/Bondage of Attraction

2008-07-29T15:08:00.004-04:00

Attraction-(noun)-appealing quality or feature-a quality or feature that attracts somebody[Encarta]

Okay. I have to comes to terms with it. I am a chronic attractee. I am one man. ONE single man among SCORES of attractive women. To what am I attracted? Oh, the list is extensive. To who am I attracted? That list may be growing. In fact, I KNOW it is. I am, as I said, a chronic attractee. Well, what is that? It is one who is single and seeking. Well, doesn't that apply to a LOT of people? Okay; yes. So, why chronic? Let's supply a deeper meaning. It is one who has LONG been single, and LONG been seeking. I am past the normal age of single and seeking; normal by human standards, anyway. So, now, the range of attraction seems to be growing by leaps and bounds, and thus has become...chronic. I see a woman with physical features that capture my attention who looks remotely single, and I become immediately captivated. The physical features vary. She could be tall. She could be short. Her hair could be long. Her hair could be short. She could be of average build. She could be a little heavy of build. But something about her catches my initial fancy. And then I'm gone. I'm gone into the world of "how can I get to know this woman"? There are times when I have to let it go. Then, there are times when I have the choice of whether or not to go over to her and strike up a conversation. I'm pretty proud of myself when I get to do that. This affords me the opportunity to ascertain her "significant otherness". If she is married, all bets are immediately off, and so is the pressure of being attracted. (Side note-not all women wear wedding bands on a regular basis, or I could figure that one out much quicker) If she reveals a boyfriend, the bets lessen, but may not be off. "Boyfriend" can sometimes mean, "I'm with him, but only for now". So, I then become cautious, but keep the lines of communication open. If singleness is the case, the pressure of the attraction takes on greater proportions: now, I have to maintain the ability to be interesting, while holding on to the thought that I may NOT be attractive to HER.

It's all quite an ordeal. Is there a cure for being a chronic attractee? It is suspected that the one and only cure is finding a monogamous relationship. I long for that day. Being a chronic attractee can be quite tiring.

The Cardboard Testimonies

2008-07-01T18:30:00.000-04:00

This is powerful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

Healing

2008-05-31T16:51:00.003-04:00

Wednesday night, at the first ever Commit Conference, I was sitting on the steps of the UAM Fine Arts Center. I put my hand down to get up, and racked my finger across a piece of clipped wire that I didn't know was there. A tiny piece of it embedded itself in my finger like a splinter. It hurt for a few minutes, but I soon forgot about it. Later that night, something put pressure on that finger in the very spot where the sliver of metal was still embedded, and the sting of pain reminded me it was there. This went on for several days; I'd forget, inadvertently rake across it, and the pain would remind me. Finally, I decided to get it out. After allowing a nurse to poke and squeeze on the finger until this sliver was removed, it began to be a constant ache. I asked myself, "why didn't I just leave it alone?" Well, the answer is because eventually it could get infected and become a much bigger pain than it was now.

Then I had the thought, "isn't this indicative of our lives as children of God?" A lot of times we allow situations to go on in our lives, believing that they don't really cause us pain. The longer we allow them to "fester", the longer we wallow in our sin, or watch a friend wallow in theirs. But the minute we decide to face them, the pain becomes, well...PAINFULLY obvious. But, that's all part of God's healing process. We must face the pain and endure the pain in order for Him to truly heal us.

What are you allowing to go on in your life that you need to take to God? Take it to Him. Let Him have it. Oh, I guarantee you, it WILL hurt. But once it "heals", you'll feel a freedom you never knew existed.

One Year In

2008-05-16T14:00:00.002-04:00

Today I am a year into my 40s. One year ago, when I hit the milestone, I said I would keep you posted on any revelations I had once turning 40. All can say is God is sooo good! He continues to reveal Himself to me in new and interesting ways! Isn't that just like our God, though?! My prayer is to continue to listen and hear.

God Bless!

My Cause for the Occassion

2008-05-15T22:22:00.002-04:00

So the cause is human rights. There are many worthy things that I could blog on. But the one thing that is REALLY bothering me today is watching our gas prices continue to rise. While this may seem selfish in the face of the many worthy causes out there, I do believe that our rights as humans are being violated by the oil companies of the world. I know, I know. There's NOTHING we can do about it. AND it's not a cause of which people aren't aware. Still, I felt compelled. I mean, what about the nations trucking industry, parcel and package delivery, etc. Everyone's affected! Are the oil companies truly going to be happy when we have to revert back to the horse and carriage to get from place to place? How will they make their money THEN?? I just think our government is turning its back on us. Yeah, yeah. It's FIVE DOLLARS a gallon in Brazil. Well, that's a MAJOR violation, and something should be done about that as well. Do I have a solution? The only one I have is for congress to step up to the plate and actually take real action for once. This is an issue that affects EVERY senators constituents. SO DO SOMETHING!!

Well, that's all I have. My apologies to those of you who had more worthy causes, but I'm tired of getting dumped on by people in high places.

Living Out Loud

2008-04-13T23:08:00.004-04:00

The term and admonition "live out loud" has been sneaking in and out of my consciousness lately. I know that, being an avid listener of K-LOVE, there is a popular song by Stephen Curtis Chapman with that title, and I have likely heard the song within the past several days. But I don't think that's the only reason those words are ringing in my ears. I think I'm being convicted by these words!

As followers of Christ, we are all called to "live out loud". What does that mean, exactly? Well, I can tell you what it means for me. You see I tend to do everything in a rather subdued, quiet manner. It's just who I am. I am more comfortable blending into the fabric of what's going on around me, rather than creating some of the fabric myself. But as a Christian, this doesn't really work. I may be perfectly happy blending in, but I don't think God wants me to do that. It's way too comfortable. The life giving power of Christ is not something I can continue to bottle up. It's time for me to "create some fabric"!

Jesus said, "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a jar or hides it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light." He wanted His followers to know that we have something within us that should not be hidden. We are to live our lives in such a way that the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, has no choice except to be seen and heard by all with whom we come into contact. For me, although I have seized a couple of opportunities with two close friends of mine recently, I don't speak up NEARLY enough. When I'm in situations where I stop and wonder what the person who doesn't know me as well will think, those are the times that I need to "shout" the LOUDEST! And so the words "live out loud" are quite convicting.

Are you living out loud?

In Awe of History

2008-04-05T14:48:00.004-04:00

What started out as a routine recruiting trip for the UAM band program, wound up being one of the best days I've ever spent. I had to travel to two Little Rock high schools yesterday to listen to several kids, interested in playing in the UAM band next fall, play a mini audition for me. My second stop would thrust me back in time, and it was an honor and a privilege to be there.

I knew my second stop of the day would be at Little Rock Central High School, but it wasn't until I drove down the street named after Daisy L. Bates that it began to dawn on me where I was about to go. You see, I had never been there before, despite how long I've lived in Arkansas, or how many times I've been to Little Rock. And then...I pulled up in front of the building. I looked over at the senior music major that accompanied me on the recruiting trip, and said, "Oh man...do you realize where we are? We're at CENTRAL High School." We both just stared at the front of the building for a while before deciding that we simply HAD to walk up those steps!

Once inside, the first thing we noticed to our right was a trophy case that enclosed plaques in honor of the nine students on whose shoulders the task of integration had been placed in 1957. After reading these for several moments, we finally made our way into the main hallway. That's where the painting commemorating this years 50th anniversary of the event caught our attention. The painting depicted two giant hands in a semi-cupped position, one hand white, the other black, with children of both races interacting within the hands. In the paintings background was the front view of Central High School. But what really made this a truly awesome painting was, in the center of it all were these ethereal figures watching the childrens' interaction. They had no faces, and were dressed in all black. Upon counting the figures, we noticed that there were nine of them; they obviously represented who we now know as The Little Rock Nine.

I finished the day by auditioning two great Central High seniors who I trust will become UAM freshmen this fall. As it was it promised to be a memorable day. As it ended up, I received a marvelous opportunity to have an experience I'll never forget.

Discipleship

2008-03-30T17:53:00.003-04:00

I just read a myspace blog post by a good friend of mine on being disciples of Jesus and what that means exactly. I know that when we read the Great Commission, we always think of going to a foreign land to do our mission work and win souls for Christ. But just as we don't need to think too small, I believe that we do not necessarily have to focus on "big" right away. Your personal mission field could be right where you are, i.e, your local church. For example, my friend knows that there are professed atheists attending her local church (and I bet there are other churches where this is going on as well). Other places that you can minister right where you are, the supermarket, the barbershop/hair salon, the coffee shop (I have personally used that last one, myself), and the list goes on. In fact, I believe discipleship is one of the areas in which good stewardship can be seen. I believe that if we learn to be good disciples right where we are, God will continually increase our mission field.

Just some thoughts. :)

TEAM of the Decade...? No. Let's Try...PLACEKICKER

2008-03-05T02:13:00.008-05:00

When this decade comes to an end, NFL historians and the so-called experts (otherwise known as sportswriters) will name a team of the decade. This honor was bestowed upon the Pittsburgh Steelers in the '70's, the San Francisco 49ers in the '80's and the Dallas Cowboys in the '90's. The criteria: these were the teams that won the most Superbowls within those decades.

When 2001-2010 is complete in a couple of years, it's a safe bet that, despite their coming up short recently, that honor will be given to the New England Patriots. This of course is contingent upon neither the Bucaneers, Steelers, Colts, nor Giants winning the next three Superbowls. You see the Patriots already have 3 Superbowl victories this decade.

However, I have made an interesting (to me, at least [probably the result of drinking espresso so late in the afternoon]) observation. And perhaps it'll be interesting to other true NFL fans. Instead of TEAM of the decade, I submit we hand 2001-2010 to the PLACEKICKER of the decade.

I can't believe I didn't see this before. I now know why the Patriots didn't win Superbowl XLII. It was due to the absence of one man....ADAM VINATIERI. The Patriots teams that won Superbowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX had Adam Vinatieri as the placekicker. The Indianapolis Colts team that won Superbowl XLI, had Adam Vinatieri as placekicker. So, in this decade, each time a team with Adam Vinatieri on the roster has gone to the Superbowl, they have emerged victorious. How many times has that happened? Let's put it this way: Tom Brady has 3 Superbowl rings this decade. Adam Vinatieri...has FOUR! (Incidentally, in those Patriots wins, the margin of victory each time was THREE points, meaning Adam Vinatieri was the difference in ALL of them. Tom WHO??)

Now you may be saying, "wait a minute. Is that right? That's not true!" But, search your "feelings" NFL fans....You KNOW it to be true.

Side Note:
My team, the St. Louis Rams, just saw their 15 year veteran kicker Jeff Wilkins retire. (This news was overshadowed by the retiring of some guy named Favre) I think I'll petition them to trade for Adam Vinatieri. I mean, after all, he's only the Placekicker of the Decade. :)

Absolute Power...?-Part 3

2007-12-31T20:17:00.000-05:00

Thus far in my examination of the steady decline of school bands in southern Arkansas, I have focused on directors and administrators. But in cases where these two groups are on the same page where maintaining a good band program is concerned, and a decline is still evident, where should we look next? The Arkansas Activities Association. This is the organization that governs the rules, scheduling, etc. of school activities outside the academic realm, i.e. football, baseball, soccer, and band. One of their duties is to oversee scheduling so that no two activities conflict, such as a playoff football game taking place at the same time as volleyball tournament (just to give an example). Another one of their duties is to set practice guidelines for sporting teams, so that no one school can gain an unfair advantage over another. Good rules thus far? I think so. But what happens when they are allowed to tell schools when their band programs can meet? What happens when they are allowed to set the regular day's schedule of band rehearsal; not the after school stuff, but DURING THE REGULAR SCHOOL DAY? And what happens when that schedule is adverse to building a proper band program, such as jr. high band not meeting with all of it's kids on the same day and when they do meet, they can only go for half a period so that some can go to remediation because the schools test scores are too low? Those are just a few examples of the dilemma facing some school bands here in south Arkansas. And, as if that weren't bad enough, the current president of the Board of Directors for AAA is a former south Arkansas band director. So, what is AAA doing with the power in which they have been entrusted? I challenge you not to take my word for it. The reason for taking so long on this particular post, and for its vagueness, is the need for more facts. So I ask you to look it up. See for yourself. Am I a conspiracy theorist, or is the Arkansas Activities Association operating under an agenda that will only destroy school bands?

No Arbitration Talks Here

2007-12-04T00:55:00.000-05:00

Allow me to walk away from my series entitled "Absolute Power...?", which focuses on the plight of South Arkansas school bands, for a moment or two. I have something more important to discuss.

On the morning of Thursday November 29, at 5:00a.m. I received a call from my friend and colleague, Gary Meggs. Calls at that time of the morning are rarely to deliver good news, so I braced myself. His exact words were, "start praying." I said, "okay. What's going on?" He then told me that he was following an ambulance "with Koskoski inside." Dave Koskoski is another friend, colleague, and also mentor to me. Apparently he had collapsed, and somehow been able to call Gary for help. The collapse had caused him to hit his head pretty good on something that hasn't yet been made known to me. But, I would soon find out that this was the least of his problems. What caused the collapse would become of major concern as the morning wore on. The doctor at Drew Memorial found fluid around Mr. "K"'s heart, and he knew if he didn't start draining it, Mr. K wouldn't live much longer. It was thought, because of a high white cell count, the fluid was infection setting in. However once the draining began, it appeared to be all blood. This told the doctor all he needed to know. Mr. K had suffered an aneurysm, rupturing his aorta. He was bleeding internally. He needed surgery and he needed it NOW. Knowing he wouldn't live long enough to get to Little Rock, the next closest option would have to do...El Dorado. Now here's where the story starts to get really interesting. You may be thinking as I was---EL DORADO?? Little known was the fact that God had already prepared for just this event in the life of my friend and mentor. You see, El Dorado just happens to be where the UAMS Professor of heart surgical techniques has his private practice. The man has an extensive resume', but just "wanted to live in a small town". Coincidence?

The initial surgery did not go off without a hitch. Nor did the second try, unfortunately. So, on his third attempt---in the same evening which was now speeding toward the wee hours of the next morning---this surgeon/UAMS professor, extensive resume' and all, revealed something else about himself. Before diving in to repair Mr. K's ruptured aorta, ---for the third time---he stopped...and prayed. See, not only had God sent a talented heart surgeon to little El Dorado, AR, but he sent one who KNEW that he could do NOTHING without the God of grace guiding his talented hands. Coincidence?

But this story doesn't end there. Perhaps the most telling example of how God moves occurred before the initial surgery was to take place. Gary, staying with his friend, was sitting in the ICU waiting room while Mr. K was being prepped for surgery. Those of you who know Gary Meggs know him to be a man of God. Gary had prayed for K all day, but he was pretty distraught and it was hard for him to comfort himself, or anyone else for that matter, with any particular scripture from the Word of God. It isn't that he didn't want to do so; his mind was simply all over the place. As he sat, the waiting room phone began to ring. There were a few other people waiting, but no receptionist at the time. Finally Gary decided to answer the phone himself. "ICU waiting room..." The voice on the other end said, "I beg your pardon??". Gary responded, "this is the ICU waiting room at Southeast Regional Medical Center in El Dorado." The voice on the other end replied, "who is this?" Gary: "this is Gary Meggs." Voice: "well hey, Gary. This is Wayne Sinclair." Allow me to stop right there and tell you that Wayne Sinclair is an Elder at a local El Dorado church. He also just happens to be Gary's cousin. What he would say next simply blew Gary away. Wayne: "I called because this number showed up in my cell phone." Gary: (partially chuckling) "Wayne, I've been sitting here for a while and can assure you that not I nor anyone else called you from this phone." After ascertaining why Gary was there, Wayne said, "I'm on my way." He arrived, took Gary by the arm, and they immediately went to the chapel. Once there, Wayne opened his Bible to Matthew 18:19, and read aloud: "Once again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in Heaven." It was just the scripture that Gary needed to comfort him as his friend and colleague, Mr. Koskoski, fought for his life. Then...they prayed.

Now I need to ask a series of questions. What is the best heart surgeon in the state doing practicing in little El Dorado, AR, when he teaches his craft some 90-100 miles away in the states capital? When did this man of skill develop his faith? How did an ICU waiting room phone number pop up in the cell phone of a man equipped to pray with another? And how is it that the man who needed this prayer partner and timely scripture was the one sitting by the phone when it rang---not to mention the fact that they are related, and anyone else who answered the phone would have hung up with no explanation of the need? I have the one word answer to all of those questions. GOD.

You see, we do not serve an arbitrary God; one who sits at a bargaining table and decides who He will love today more than another, or which prayers He is willing to answer based on where the individual in need happens to be at the time. No. Our God is a God of unconditional love. Our God places people where they need to be, when they need to be there. Our God is a God of infinite GRACE.

All WE need do, is trust Him.

Absolute Power...?-Part 2

2007-10-30T19:42:00.000-05:00

In my recent quest to determine what's wrong with Southern Arkansas school bands, I inadvertently turned up a clue that both puzzled and disappointed me. However, before I get to the point, let's explore other options.

There is no doubt that part of the problem lies with the band directors themselves. I don't like pointing fingers, but I have to face cold hard facts when they're staring me right in the face. We simply have some LAZY band directors out there. Perhaps the word "lazy" is too harsh. Okay. Let's try APATHETIC. I know guys in the business who show up at 7:55a.m. and leave at 3:30p.m. As a band director, I can tell you that this, quite frankly, will NOT get it done! Band directing IS NOT a first bell-last bell kind of job. These are the same guys who can never seem to understand why their band struggles year after year.

That said, let's explore another problem: UNINFORMED administrators. We have far too many principals and superintendents who don't know what it takes to build and maintain a good band program. As a result, they supply their schools' band director(s) with too small a budget, inadequate equipment and an IMPOSSIBLE schedule. (This can lead right back to an apathetic director; if he/she never goes to his/her administration to inform them, then they'll always get what they always got). But, once informed, some administrators simply refuse to acknowledge the importance of their band program, and thus do only enough to be able to say, "...band? Yeah, we HAVE one."

Those problems aside, one even more frightening---if you can imagine---looms in the distance.

Absolute Power...?

2007-10-12T13:27:00.000-04:00

For a while now I have known that there is a force behind why school bands in Southern Arkansas are in a slow and steady decline. Recently I have tracked that force to an unlikely source. As of yet, I do not have ALL the facts I need, but I plan on getting them, and subsequently voicing them here---among other places.

Of Milestones and Men

2007-05-15T21:20:00.000-04:00

I am now one hour into the 40th year of my existence. Gee....I don't FEEL any different. I wonder if I'll start ACTING differently?

One thing that I look forward to is something that I started noticing 2-3 years after the last milestone. At around age 33, ---isn't THAT a significant age?---I began to be more self aware than ever. I discovered that I was learning more about myself. But, I also discovered the ability to read other people for the first time in my life. What an amazing find! (And no, gentlemen...I do not know anymore about women than you do, so don't start beating a path to my door).

So, as I go through year number 40, I'll keep a close watch on any new discoveries, and I'll share as many of them as possible. I can hardly wait to see what comes; especially the things that God reveals to me.

Stay tuned!

The Post-graduate Post

2007-05-08T22:30:00.000-04:00

I started this journey in the fall of 1999.

From 1994 up to that point, I was the junior high band director in a town with a rich band tradition, marred by the constant influx of director after director. In fact, at the time of MY departure from Warren, I was the longest tenured director there since the retirement of Curry Martin in 1984. And after five years, even I, a man teaching at his alma mater, had had enough. The death of my father, an impossible co-director, and the addition of block scheduling all told me it was time for a change. And thus, the journey toward my masters degree began.

The journey was then interrupted by the community of Prescott when two of its citizens brought their daughter to Monticello for band camp. They asked if I would come be their band director. I was flattered, and long story short, got the job. My time in Prescott was indeed enjoyable. Along with other relationships that I will never forget, Prescott was where my connection with the Whaley family began---but that's a story for a future blog. Alas, home was calling, so I ended my Prescott chapter after only two pleasant, but sometimes trying years. Why trying? SOME of my Band parents.... Enough said.

So the journey was to resume at this point. And resume it did. I became a student assistant to the UAM band and worked in the education department on a stipend to fund the rest of the journey in the fall of 2002. And then...a less pleasing interruption occurred. One Sunday morning, my already surgically repaired right hip decided to stop supporting my weight. I figured I'd go see my primary care physician on Monday, and be back at work/school on Tuesday. It was not to be. After a lot of medical testing to determine what was causing this problem, it was FINALLY determined that my repaired hip was in need of re-repair. So, because of the intense pain and obvious lack of mobility, I made the decision to withdraw from the masters program and begin the long healing process. Surgery finally took place in April of 2004. Yes...it took that long. (The state of medical care in our great country is also a subject for another blog).

Now we enter the fall of 2004. The journey is ready for its continuance. It wouldn't be easy, however. The statute of limitations had run out on some of my courses since 1999. Appeals would have to be made and some courses repeated. Perseverance then became the key.

Enter the present. The spring of 2007 officially ended for undergrads today. And for me, that long journey, affluent with new job opportunities and unexpected health issues, will finally end in less than two days. This Friday, I will be among the graduates. I will be awarded my Master of Education Degree.

A great deal has happened since the journey began. To name some, one sister and my mom will not be in the audience to see me awarded this degree, as I anticipated they would be when it all began. Instead, they will watch from Heaven and they will both be smiling. As I approach the end of this particular journey, I thank God for this adventure. It has taught me a lesson in how to approach another journey--- one with ETERNAL consequences.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
---The Apostle Paul (2Timothy 4:7)

The Stakes Are High

2007-03-30T04:38:00.000-04:00

Each day is a gamble.

Each day, we play the game.

Each day, we hold all the chips---or so we are told. But, that is the lie. Each day, we are told the lie. We are told that we can do what we want, when we want to do it, however we choose to do it. The truly scary part? A lot of us believe this. We go through life gambling with money that isn't ours. Why? Because we believe the lie.

And then, one day the chips run out. We are left wondering how to get back into the game. As long as we can play the game, everything is fine. Right? Afterall, we were successful before. Why not now. If only we could find a way back into the game. But we are left with no way to get back in. And then, we are told the biggest lie of all; "there is nothing left to play for. The game is over, and this is all there is." A lot of us believe this lie, as well.

So, who is lying to us? Satan, the prince of lies. Who really holds all the chips? God. Then why did they run out? Because WE were trying to hold them. We were gambling with money that wasn't ours. Is life really a gamble? No. It is a gift from the One holding all the chips. So, let's stop gambling.

Easy to say. Hard to do. Especially for those in the world who do not understand the gift. They easily fall for the lie---until the day when life no longer holds any meaning. Then, they simply want out of the gambling arena. I have a buddy facing this very thing. I pray I can get to him in time. Please pray with me.

The Next Chapter

2007-03-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

There are chapters to our lives. Each chapter brings its own unique set of problems, joys, and adventures. These adventures take us on the journey called "life". How we receive what each chapter brings forth tells a lot about us. Even more telling is how we receive the end of one chapter in order to begin the next. You see, it is inevitable. The chapter WILL end. A new one MUST begin. I believe dealing with this is two-fold. First, we must be able to recognize a chapter's ending. Second, we must be willing to allow it to end. If one were reading a book, no matter how enjoyable a chapter, one knows that it has to end. It would not do to continue repeating a chapter over and over again, because one would never get to the end of the book. Life is like that. No matter how enjoyable this life-chapter seems, once it ends, we must be prepared to move on. You see, there is simply more to the story; and it MUST be told. And who knows? The next chapter may be the most enjoyable yet. "Read" on.

Super Bowl XLI

2007-02-01T15:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, I can't resist. It's time for me to throw in my two cents.

First, congratulations to two fine NFL teams for making it to the big game. Let's face it, it's hard; so you really can say that it's an honor just to be here. If it wasn't hard to get here, the Detroit Lions would be perennial participants.

Now for my take on the two teams involved in this years big event:

The Chicago Bears probably should have been here a year ago. If defense wins championships, then their presence is no surprise. The Bears defense gave up 294 ypg, second only to the Ravens 264 ypg during the regular season. This defense did to opposing running games what termites do to wood, make it non-existent. The star of the Bear's defense, of course, is Brian Urlacher, middle linebacker. If you don't know who he is, ask Shaun Alexander, RB for the Seattle Seahawks. Shaun got to know Brian up close and personal in the NFC championship game, and Brian won!

The Indianapolis Colts are bridesmaids no longer. This is a team that should have been here two previous times were it not for the fact that history had to write more about the Patriots and the Steelers. Home of arguably the games best signal caller, Indianapolis won 9 straight to open the 2006 season. A bump in the road in the form of shoddy run defense had critics scratching their heads as the regular season progressed. But quarterback eater DE Dwight Freeney put all that noise to rest right before the playoffs began. He said the run D would return, and it did with a vengence. Kansas City Chiefs RB, Larry Johnson, can attest to that. For the AFC title, the colts stared arch nemesis New England in the eyes, and never flinched.

My prediction:

The two defenses will show up as they should in a big game. So, it will come down to which offenses can make the most plays. That of course means which QB (both of whom called signals in the SEC in college) can come up the biggest. And my money is on Archie's kid.

Final score:
Colts 27
Bears 20

A Rallying Cry

2007-01-17T01:32:00.000-05:00

Fellow Razorback football fans, news from the Hill in the past several days has been puzzling, confusing, and even a little depressing. But I implore you all to take heart. Once the news of Gus's departure came down, were we really surprised to see Mustain jump ship? And if Ben Cleveland follows that should not surprise us either. While it may be easy to deride Mitch for not living up to commitments and having a quitters mentality, I suggest to you that we should possibly applaud him for his loyalty to his high school coach. Afterall, he has been with Gus Malzahn a lot longer than he has been with Coach Nutt. And let us remember that Mustain is YOUNG. He isn't making these decisions on his own, nor is he mature enough at this point in his life to realize all the ramifications of such a decision. He will learn as we all had to after making an 18 year old's decision when we looked back on it with 30-40 year old eyes.

But, enough about the FORMER Razorbacks. I want to call upon all true fans to focus on the current Razorbacks. You see, there are still some guys on the team named Jones, Dick, and oh yeah, some guy named McFadden. These guys need our support. Whatever you may think of recent events, spelling doom and gloom for the program some 8 months before the next kickoff is just plain crazy. Besides, it was McFadden & Jones and that stingy Hog's defense that gave us those ten wins. So, let us NOT panic and become pessimists. A great deal of fine tuning is coming between now and September. Let us NOT wait until the middle of the season when we once again beat Auburn to decide we want to get behind this team. Let's get behind them NOW.

So, to the "Springdale Connection", I bid you a fond farewell, and sincerely wish you the best. As for me and my Razorbacks, we look forward to celebrating a Heisman Trophy winner, and a National Championship a little less than one year from now.

GO HOGS!!!

Post Passion '07

2007-01-06T19:55:00.000-05:00

What a conference! I definitely feel closer to God since it. I just want to keep that going now, and stay in His will. Another thing that the conference has impressed upon me is the need to witness to the lost. I think we as Christians take for granted our great gift from God, and we forget the Great Commission. One of the speakers, Louie Giglio, spoke on exactly that. Christ left us with one very specific instruction to carry out until His return---GO! Louie even chided churches for how they consider inviting a missionary to the church and taking up a love offering at the end of service to be true witnessing. But, Jesus called us ALL as individuals to do our part in furthering the kingdom. Louie said something else very important. God doesn't NEED us to carry this out. God will do what He set out to do even if the rocks have to proclaim the matchless name of Christ. But how sad for us to go to Heaven someday and not be a part of the greatest party in the universe. How much better to arrive and have God introduce you to people for whom you had a part in witnessing. Wow! What a day that will be!

Passion 2007

2006-12-28T19:41:00.000-05:00

Divine appointments come in many forms. My prayer over the past few months has been that God allows me to serve Him better. This past Sunday, our pastor asked us as a congregation to commit ourselves to whatever we believed God needed us to do. My committment---unspoken, though it was---was to read and study from His word more. But what else can I do to serve Him better? A divine appointment just walked out of my room. My friend/mentor/church worshipper leader/lanlord/etc., just informed me that there was room for me to go to Atlanta for the Passion Conference. I was speechless. I think he thought I really had to give it some thought, when in reality, I was pondering what God had planned for me via this appointment. God wants me at this conference. I know it. "Yes, Lord!"

The Absent-minded Bachelor

2006-12-25T01:01:00.000-05:00

Well, it turns out that I have been remiss after all. How could I possibly forget what the Connard family has meant to me; not only this holiday season, but all year round? A thousand pardons I beg of you, Andy and family.

God Bless!

A Bachelor's Christmas

2006-12-24T18:21:00.000-05:00

While the title of my latest blurb may suggest something bordering on the melancholy, let me preface it by saying it is anything but. Instead it is my way of saying thanks to all those wonderful friends of mine throughout the state who continuously take care of this "old" bachelor during times like this, the holiday season.

Allow me to go back to Thanksgiving. I was blessed to spend it with my great friends of many years, the Nichols family, Philip, Kellie, and Megan, in Vilonia. Members of Kellie's family were also in attendance as she hosted her first Thanksgiving dinner in their new home (or ever, for that matter). Great food goes without saying. But the great fellowship with friends warmed this bachelor's heart.

And now Christmas is here; my favorite time of year. Thus far I have been blessed to travel to Hot Springs and spend a day (this past Thursday) with my best friend, Christy and her kids---including newest arrival, 3 week old Gregory Michael, who is 9 lbs, 3 oz. of huggable, lovable, all boy. Thank you, Christy, Colton, Dakota, Allison, and Gregory for a great day. Let's not go so long without seeing each other in the future. I have also been blessed to spend some quality time with my adopted family, the Leonards. Last night I spent an absolutely wonderful Christmas Eve-Eve sharing in visiting with David and his wife Natalie (yes, as in, David Leonard, front man of Jackson Waters!), who came in from Nashville, TN; Amy and her fiance Alex in from Little Rock, and Rob's mom Lu, in from Cabot. And of course household regulars, Rob, Carla, and Emily. A wonderful dinner was consumed, followed by gift exchanges, and then the telling of the Christmas story by Rob. Before the holidays are over, I expect to get to visit with the Nichols once more, as well as my good friend Chris Floyd and I look so forward to it!

I would be remiss in not mentioning special times spent with the Whaleys---Jim, Denise, and Tabitha--- over the past several days. Besides the great coffee, Dads Place has become special to me because of the people.

So, thanks again everyone! And thanks and praise be to God for taking care of the bachelor.

2006-11-25T23:43:00.000-05:00

CONTINUING THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING

The family has gathered. The meal has been blessed. The turksy and all its trimmings have been consumed. The day set aside to recount all that we have to be thankful for has once again come and gone. I sincerely hope that some quality time with family and/or friends has been had by all. I know for me, rekindling old friendships was the order of the weekend, and for that opportunity, I am truly, truly thankful. But, may we not forget that Thanksgiving, although it appears but once per year on our calendars, is the order of each and EVERYDAY. Giving thanks for what we have, the people in our lives, our health, our nation, etc., should continue beyond this past weekend. A daily affirmation of how good God has been to us is so very important. Because, as God's children surely know, if He never does another thing for us that we in our humaness can measure tangibly, He has already done incredibly, lovingly more than any of us deserves.

Let's continue the spirit of giving THANKS through next November.

2006-11-19T16:23:00.000-05:00

HOW OLD IS TOO OLD?

I am now 39 years old. I have never been married. Being the age that I am now, the women my age are either all married w/ children, or divorced w/ children. Well, I work on a college campus around younger women, and what happens when I find myself genuinely attracted to one of them that I have become close to? Am I supposed to just bury my feelings and pretend that she doesn't appeal to me because I am some 19 years her senior? She is a fine Christian young woman. She is intelligent. She is attractive. Do I tell her how I feel as though we were comtemporaries? Will it scare her away? If it doesn't scare her away and we embark on a relationship, how will others few us? Oh, the "joys" of being nearly 40 and still single.

2006-11-07T11:37:00.000-05:00

How many of you out there are hooked on the latest television event, NBC's "Heroes"? I think I just saw quite a few hands go up, including my own. Wow! For someone like myself, who has been fascinated with superheroes and superhuman ability since the age of 10,---I read the cover off of "The Avengers" comic books as a kid--- this is the greatest thing to hit t.v. since...well...ever. It's like Tim Kring, the shows creator and exec. prod., was thinking of me when he came up with the idea for the show.

Well, last nights episode did not disappoint. I applaud the writers of the show for not only introducing at least one new person a week who discovers they are "special", but for surprising the audience with someone who has been in the cast since the first episode. For those of you who watch, did your jaw drop open when Micah called his mom...from a pay phone that was OUT OF ORDER??!! Boy mine sure did. Although, I have to admit, as I'm sure you will too, that in the back of our collective minds, we knew that Micah had some kind of ability beyond the norm. And looking at his situation as we now know it, how could he not? Both his parents are "freeeaakky!"

So, let me hear from you fellow "Heroes" enthusiasts. I don't get to talk to other people who are hooked on the show very often, so this should be fun.

2006-11-06T16:55:00.000-05:00

So, a very astute student of mine has asked me a very important question about free will. I'll need someone to help me answer this better. Her question is, "how is it free will when God already knows who will/won't accept His gift?" Help me answer that for her intelligently. Thanks in advance, Guys! (BTW, "Guys" is an all inclusive term for men and women)

2006-10-27T13:31:00.000-04:00

I used to keep a journal. I haven't kept up with it in many, many months. I used it as a form of therapy, and basically to keep up with my own life, if that makes any sense. Well, now this blog thing has really taken off. So, perhaps this will be my new outlet. I have lots on my mind, so for anyone who reads these things (and I'm not so arrogant to believe that anyone is that interested in what I have to say) just bear with me. It could be sports related, spiritually based, or just random thoughts that I need to get out in order to keep life in its proper perspective. So, welcome to "My Little Corner of the World."