semper reformanda

In Case You Didn't Know...

2008-12-15T22:26:00.001-05:00

We've MOVED...

www.pastorbrett.com

Taking a Break from Blogging

2007-05-01T10:14:00.000-04:00

OK, so my blog sat quiet for over a month. Reasons:

1) A pregnant wife who's growing more tired each day.
2) A preschool aged child and two toddlers.
3) A growing church with growing demands.
4) What free time I have on the computer will start going increasingly to helping plan our 20th reunion.
5) And if that's not enough...yada, yada, yada

Maybe sometime soon I'll be blogging again, but until then...

...this blog is in sleep mode. :-)

McManus on Calling Ourselves Christians

2007-03-22T11:01:00.000-04:00

J.D. Grear, quoting Erwin McManus:

Jesus' first followers did not call themselves Christians; outsiders did. They simply followed Jesus and the world called them Christians; now we call ourselves Christians and the world calls us hypocrites.

SIU in Sweet Sixteen Again

2007-03-19T10:16:00.000-04:00

For the second time in five years SIU has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

And Kirk Wessler, of the the Peoria Journal Star, points out something that makes me smile, and ought to be faxed to every member of the selection committee to shame them for withholding bids from Missouri State and Bradley:

SIU is the third Missouri Valley team in the last two seasons to advance to the Sweet 16. That's the same number as the ACC and the Big 12, two more than the Big Ten.

And the MVC did it with far fewer teams in the field.

Internet Access? Yes! Play-by-Play and Color? Disappointing.

2007-03-18T16:06:00.001-04:00

I love the fact that I can choose to watch any tournament game in its entirity instead of experiencing the crapshoot coverage over the television.

However, I am underwhelmed with the coverage the announcers have provided thus far. For example, would someone please send a memo to CBS to let everyone know that SIU has already played VaTech this season, and won. Maybe someone has pointed it out when I wasn't paying attention, but so far I've heard comments like, "We'll see if a team like Southern can hang with an ACC team like Virginia Tech, a team that has beaten the likes of Duke and North Carolina."

Hello? Do you do any homework at all before you make these comments? SIU HAS ALREADY BEATEN VIRGINIA TECH ONCE THIS YEAR!

0-1 So Far

2007-03-13T23:42:00.000-04:00

Well, I picked FL A&M to win the play-in game but that's only because I didn't know a thing about either team, and since I live in Florida I figured I'd pick the homer...but some kid named Clif Brown dropped 32 on the Rattlers to send them back to the Sunshine State.

1st Game

2007-03-12T20:22:00.000-04:00

Cars

2007-03-12T20:16:00.000-04:00

How Do You Arrange Your Books?

2007-03-07T12:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, here's the deal: I have twelve bookshelves in my study and I'm pretty much out of space. They're, for the most part, full. When I get a new book and then try to fit it on the shelf, I have a hard time finding room for it without transferring other books on other shelfs (to keep them in order). So I'm considering a reorganization of my library to make it easier.

I currently have the following sections in my library:

1. Commentaries
2. Bibles and Greek Helps
3. Systematic Theologies and Dictionaries
4. Current Resources: Books I currently refer to for my current preaching and writing tasks; these are culled from the other sections, then put back.
5. Theology: These are put in the order that systematic theology is typically done.
6. Favorite Authors: Books by Piper, MacArthur, Sproul, Stott, and Lloyd-Jones
7. Biographies
8. History
9. General: in alphabetical order (this is my catch-all category with everything from The Reformed Pastor by Baxter to Dare to Discipline by Dobson.
10. Attractive Sets: think sets like "The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield"

How have you organized your library?

The Way Our Hymns Have Changed

2007-03-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

Over at the Together for the Gospel blog (accessible by clicking on the link to the right b/c I'm too lazy tonight to embed it in this text!) Mark Dever makes an amazing observation about how we American Evangelicals have a decreasing interest in thinking about the afterlife:

In my own denomination's hymnals, hymns about the afterlife drop in number from over 100 in the late 19th century to about 15 in the latest Baptist Hymnal (1991). Remaining hymns are neutered. The Baptist hymnal (1975 & 1991) both omit the wonderful 5th stanza from Cowper's great hymn "There is a Fountain". If you have the 1956 Baptist Hymnal you can still find it. "When this poor lisping stammering tongue Lies silent in the grave, Then in a nobler, sweeter song I'll sing Thy power to Save." Our reluctance to sing about the grave in church on Sunday only reveals how much our hopes have been entrusted to this life--and we do not wish to conceive of them being lost. Our treasures have been put too much in this world.

Sola Hawaii

2007-03-02T11:57:00.000-05:00

Of our 50 states, Hawaii alone saw an increase in church attendance from 1990 to 2000.

American Idol: Doolittle

2007-03-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

If Melinda Doolittle is not the last female standing on this season's American Idol, then I don't put much stock in the judgment of the American people. She is head and shoulders above the competition, with only Lakisha Jones even in range.

Who do you think is the best among the ladies?

2 + 2 = 4

2007-02-15T13:12:00.000-05:00

We're having another girl. Due in late July.

A Modern Day Mueller

2007-02-12T16:04:00.000-05:00

There is a good chance you've seen or heard Michael Guido giving a short devotion on radio or television. He's still alive and actively serving the Lord from his home in Metter, Georgia. J. Gerald Harris recently did a great job on getting us caught up on "the sower" in this recent story from the Christian Index.

What Will Future Scientists Find Laughable?

2007-02-10T11:27:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what future scientists will find laughable as the look at the declarations about and interpretations of our world by the current scientific establishment? I expect there will be at least two biggies:

1. The theory of evolution.

2. Human-caused global warming.

Wouldn't it be great to make a documentary chronicling the ridiculous assertions by acclaimed scientists of previous generations? You won't find such a documentary on the Discovery Channel or PBS because it will make us begin to wonder just how ridiculous the current scientific establishment might be on some issues. And, of course, it is not politically correct to question our culture's priests!

The Ultimate John

2007-02-07T13:27:00.000-05:00

Every man's dream.

Reading Update

2007-02-02T21:55:00.000-05:00

Books I've read so far this year:
John Bunyan: God's Tinker by Robert Rosio
Overcoming Barriers to Growth by Michael Fletcher
The Myth of the 200 Barrier by Kevin Martin

Books I'm currently reading:

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan
Singing to the Lord by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Above All Earthly Pow'rs by David Wells
Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger
The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes
New Perspectives on Breaking the 200 Barrier by Bill Sullivan

2 Weeks

2007-01-30T21:37:00.000-05:00

Ergo?...I Don't Exist

2007-01-23T15:06:00.000-05:00

There are:
0
people with my name
in the U.S.A.
How many have your name?

My wife and kids do not exist, either. I must be like a secret agent or something, eh?

Kergyzstan: Threat to the U. S.

2007-01-22T11:50:00.000-05:00

This video is hilarious, but beware, an f bomb is dropped at the 3:41 point.

1 Week

2007-01-22T08:24:00.000-05:00

Weather Channel Not Political...Yeah, Right!

2007-01-19T10:51:00.000-05:00

Dr. Heidi Cullen, who apparently sees herself as the Joe Friday ("just give me the facts") of the meteorology industry (yes, it's an industry, follow the $), has stirred the contoversial waters surrounding the global warming debate in a recent blog post. In her blog, she suggests that any meteorologists who do not embrace the doctrine (really only a theory) of human-caused global warming should not carry the AMS Seal of Approval. She claims that her opinion is not political but factual. In the video in which she responds to the controversy surrounding her recent blog post, she seeks to convince us that she is not pushing a political agenda or seeking to stifle discussion on this controversial issue and reasserts both herself and the Weather Channel as being apolitical.

Who does she think we are? A bunch of blooming idiots? The first image I saw when I went to the video section of the Weather Channel website was a picture of a polar bear with the headline "Will President Bush save the Polar Bear?" Scroll down a little on the library offerings and watch 2006 Hot List Highlights and see Al Gore himself. Not political? Yeah, right!

Dr. Cullen is entitled to her educated guess as to the cause of "global warming" if there is indeed such a thing. But to suggest that simply because her opinion matches the majority does not mean that the minority opinion holders must be stripped of their "accreditation" by the AMS. Dr. Cullen should focus on conquering weather prediction for the next 24 hours before thinking about how to strip her collegues of their credentials if they don't agree with her on a subject that is much broader and complex and POLITICAL.

Fruit in California Drafting "No Spanking" Bill

2007-01-19T10:01:00.000-05:00

California Assemblywoman Sallay Lieber (D), who is not a parent, is drafting a bill that would outlaw spanking children under the age of 3.

HT: Drudge

Why Meditate on the Cross of Christ?

2007-01-16T19:44:00.000-05:00

There's nothing more overpowering and captivating to the soul than to climb Calvary's mountain with childlike attentiveness and wonder, with all the distractions and wrong assumptions cleared away.

- C. J. Mahaney (Christ Our Mediator; pp.16-17)

Self-Portrait

2007-01-13T21:10:00.000-05:00

When In Rome

2007-01-09T09:52:00.000-05:00

Florida 41
Ohio State 14

Living in Florida, I Shouldn't Complain

2007-01-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

But today it's freaking 84 degrees with a heat index of 88. I broke a sweat a few minutes ago walking about 100 yeards to my neighbor's house.

Usually it's in the mid to upper 60s right about now.

ND Sets Record: 9 Bowl Losses in a Row

2007-01-04T13:01:00.000-05:00

The third best team in the SEC pounded BCS and media darling Notre Dame 41-14 last night further disappointing Irish fans who have to go back to 1994 to remember what it's like to win a bowl. This loss makes Michigan's big win over Notre Dame earlier this year look not nearly as impressive. It also causes one to wonder: who are all the teams that should have been playing in a BCS game for the past several years but haven't because ND gets in the BCS even when they don't deserve to be there? Finally, it makes the Gators look a little bit better coming into the title game Monday night.

And I Thought I was a Diehard Cards Fan!

2007-01-04T12:13:00.000-05:00

Troy and his brother are beyond diehard.

HT: Eric "Gunny" Hartman

A Game for the Ages

2007-01-02T09:57:00.000-05:00

Against my better judgment (at least that's what I was thinking at the time), I stayed up last night for the conclusion of the Fiesta Bowl featuring traditional powerhouse Oklahoma and "We were a junior college just a few years ago and all we've been known for up to this point is playing on a blue field" Boise State.

What a thriller!

Eating crow this morning are Dennis Franchione, Steve Spurrier, and Joe Tiller, who in the final polls ranked Boise State/Oklahoma respectively: #16/#9, #13/#4, and #15/#6. Kudos to Larry Blakeney of Troy, who ranked the put the Broncos in the #5 slot on his final ballot.

BOLD Predictions for 2007

2006-12-30T14:19:00.000-05:00

- Bobby Knight will overtake Dean Smith in career victories (but will never catch Pat Summit).

- Barack Obama will announce his candidacy for POTUS.

- Rosie O'Donnell will say something stupid.

- Gameshows will overtake Reality shows in popularity.

- YouTube will be really popular.

- A famous celebrity couple will divorce.

- Alabama will hire a new head football coach. O.K., I must admit, I'm not confident on this one.

- A movie titled "Amazing Grace" will come out.

- The St. Louis Cardinals will not win the World Series.

- I'm going to go out on a limb on this one, but... neither will the Milwaukee Brewers.

- The war in Iraq will be controversial.

- More states or cities will ban trans fat.

Great Ford Quote

2006-12-27T20:52:00.000-05:00

Here's a great quote from President Ford at the ripe age of 88, which means he said this about 5 years ago:

“If there is distrust out there — and there is, perhaps it is because there is so much partisan jockeying for advantage at the expense of public policy. At times it feels as if American politics consists largely of candidates without ideas hiring consultants without convictions to stage campaigns without content."

Gerald Ford: July 14, 1913 - December 26, 2006

2006-12-27T11:35:00.000-05:00

Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather.

Thirty-Eighth President of the United States.

The right man in the right place at the right time.

Rest in peace.

Rick Warren: Self-Professed Calvinist

2006-12-26T18:21:00.000-05:00

Let me qualify the title of this post. Warren did not use the "C" word, but he did call himself a monergist in an interview with Modern Reformation magazine, which is basically a synonym for Calvinism. Indeed, I would argue the term is an even stronger affirmation of the sovereignty of God in salvation than the more popular label of Calvinist. Here are a couple of excerpts from that interview from a few years ago:

Theologically, I am a monergist and firmly hold to the five solas of the Reformation. It’s pretty obvious from the book that I believe in foreknowledge, predestination, (see chapter two, “You Are Not An Accident”) and, especially, concurrence—that God works in and through every detail of our lives, even our sinful choices, to cause his purposes to prevail. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) is one of my life verses.

...Third, the book is about the Christian’s walk, not justification. I did include a simple call to Christ in case unbelievers picked up the book (which thousands have). But to know my full view of the doctrines of grace, you’d need to have heard my two year, verse-by-verse exposition through Romans.

Turns out Warren's great-grandfather was led to Christ by Charles Spurgeon, was trained at Spurgeon's College, and then sent to America to pastor.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2006-12-18T10:55:00.000-05:00

Because of Him...

Noonan on Obama

2006-12-17T19:16:00.000-05:00

Peggy Noonan has done it again! A provocative piece on a political figure. This time her genius is at work on Illinois Senator Barack Obama, whom she points out, is more about image than substance, at least at this point.

My take is that Obama will not win the nomination because his popularity is cresting too early.

Gerald Ford Very Ill

2006-12-17T19:06:00.000-05:00

According to the Drudge Report tonight, former President Gerald Ford is not doing very well at all. The oldest living President in history is the only President who I had the pleasure of meeting. We met many years ago, while he was in office, and campaiging for election against Carter.

Christmas Scam in Tampa

2006-12-07T09:41:00.000-05:00

This morning on the commute I was listening to a radio show where they were uncovering a scam in the Tampa area. Apparently, someone an self-addressed stamped envelope on the empty trash cans, hoping that people will mail money to them as a bonus, thereby taking advantage of people's generosity toward their trash man during the holidays.

Further evidence of the radical depravity of man.

Alabama Fires Shula: Wise Move?

2006-11-28T20:42:00.000-05:00

I'm not a 'Bama fan by any stretch of the imagination. But I'm not anti-Bama either. I didn't start pulling for Tennessee until the UT-Bama rivalry was already eclipsed by the annual Vol-Gator brawl. But I'm intrigued by the drama coming out of Tuscaloosa. The rumors are flying that a big-name coach (initials S.S.) had already verbally committed before they pulled the plug on Shula.

What do you think about the Shula firing?
A. 'Bout time. Shula was in over his head.
B. It's official: the idiots are in charge in Tuscaloosa.
C. Time will tell. Let's see how this plays out.

Pat Forde from ESPN.com doesn't mince any words when he writes:

"And then there is the cuckoo's nest known as Alabama. Irrational passion and general delusion don't just drive the bus at Alabama. They drive the wheels off it like Dale Earnhardt. The Crimson Tide went from being in love with Mike Shula last year when he went 10-2 to firing him this year after he went 6-6. ...Then again, we probably shouldn't be surprised. This is, after all, Alabama. The unpardonable sin was Shula's 0-4 record against Auburn, but that still doesn't make this the right move at the right time for a program craving stability.

Don't look now, but lordly Alabama has become the single biggest burnout job in college football. The Tide's next coach will be the eighth in the last 25 years and the fifth this century. Nobody -- not even the bottom-feeding, revolving-door, dead-end schools like SMU, UNLV, UTEP, Utah State, San Jose State and so forth -- has gone through five coaches as fast as Alabama.

Since Bear Bryant ascended directly into heaven on a dazzling white cloud, surrounded by a host of angels, the program flux has been ongoing. Only Gene Stallings has coached more than four years in Tuscaloosa without fleeing or being fired. Stallings lasted seven seasons in the 1990s, which now makes him look like Joe Paterno in terms of permanence.

Between the stability of Stallings and the turbulence of today, Alabama has been slammed with NCAA sanctions for buying an overweight, underproductive defensive lineman; scandalized by the indiscretions of first Mike DuBose, then Mike Price; dumped by Dennis Franchione, who convinced his players to "hold the rope" through probation but couldn't wait to drop it himself; and now it has fired the alum who helped drag the program through the toughest part of its penalty phase.

Somebody find the prestige in that recent run."

We can't, Pat, we can't.

Confusing Style and Substance...

2006-11-28T10:48:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure he was at aiming at this demographic, but it sure made me laugh to think of many of my reformed brothers (and their churches) when I saw this great cartoon by Joe McKeever:

Joe has a real gift for communicating through words and images. Check out his website at www.joemckeever.com

Both Thumbs Up for Grisham's Baseball Movie

2006-11-22T10:24:00.000-05:00

John Grisham knows how to weave a great story. Mickey (2004) is no exception. Starring Harry Connick, Jr. and Shawn Salinas, this warm drama centers around little league baseball but is really about parenting, integrity, and restitution.

Tripp Spence (Connick, Jr.) is an attorney whose about to be caught by the "bad guys," aka the I.R.S. A recent widower, Spence made the unwise choice to cut some corners on his taxes to help dig out of a mountain of debt incurred by his late wife's medical treatments. As a single father of a very talented young pitcher, played by Shawn Salinas, the two assume new looks and identities and move west in an attempt to evade the law.

In a new city with a new identity, Spence, now known as Glenn Ryan, immediately manipulates the system to assure his pitching ace son, "Mickey," a spot on the best team in the district, the mighty Moose. Mickey dominates the league, wowing everyone with his amazing heat. Problem is, Glenn and Mickey have a little secret. 12-year old Mickey is really 13-yr.-old Derrick. The tension builds during the post-season as "Mickey" leads the local all-star team to greater heights with a date in Williamsport (Little League World Series) as a increasingly realistic dream. Meanwhile, Agent Seeger of the I.R.S. is increasingly hot on the trail of the zealous baseball Dad.

Wanting to avoid a true spoiler, I'll leave the rest for your enjoyment. The acting is good, especially the character actors. Mike Starr is fantastic as the coach and Mark Joy does a great job of portraying Agent Seeger as human.

One very satisfying aspect of this film is that it avoids falling into the cut and dried, black and white, good guys/bad guys, us vs. them mentality. You find yourself liking and sympathizing with the main characters even though the father has committed a crime and together, father and son, are cheating. In most Hollywood movies, agent Seeger would be a sinister, evil, vindictive bad guy. But Grisham paints him as human and simply doing his job.

One thing I noticed very early in the film is that these young men really know how to play baseball. Grisham and director Hugh Wilson both decided to go with ballplayers whom they would teach to act rather than vice versa. Their plan worked. But to be fair, Salinas was already an actor and the catcher, played by Alexander Roos, only happens to be the son of longtime Hollywood producer Fred Roos (Godfather Trilogy).

A low-budget movie, the producers (Grisham and Wilson) did most of the filming in close to their homes in Virginia. They get away with it save one exception. A few scenes in which Shawn is supposed to be playing in Las Vegas are glaringly green. What I mean by that is that there are too many trees. Vegas is desert and a lush green landscape is hard to overlook for anyone with an ounce of critical thinking. They bring in a few palm trees (still in their pots!) but you won't be fooled. The amazing thing is that in his commentary on the film, Wilson says he doesn't think anyone would notice. Wishful thinking at best.

Hollywood said no to this film, so Grisham and Wilson financed the film themselves as a labor of love. Look for bit roles by Grisham and Wilson. If you get the DVD, make sure you watch the interviews by these two as well. And if you really have some time, watch it again with the commentary by Wilson turned on.

Finally, this movie is a great baseball movie. As I mentioned before, it's primarily about parenting and ethics, but baseball lovers won't be disappointed. There is plenty of baseball. If you love little league, then this flick is for you.

I highly recommend Mickey. Find it and rent it or buy it.

The Big Game

2006-11-17T19:12:00.000-05:00

The game of the century will live up to billing.

Tomorrow's final score will be:

Michigan 23
Ohio State 21

Michigan wins on a 38-yd. FG as time expires.
The ghost of Bo Schembechler smiles.

Best Sports By State

2006-11-15T13:37:00.000-05:00

BASKETBALL
High School: Illinois (the original "March Madness")
College: North Carolina (Duke, UNC, Wake, NC State, Charlotte, Wilmington, Asheville)
Best College Conference: ACC

FOOTBALL
High School: Texas ("Friday Night Lights")
College: Florida (Miami, Florida State, Florida, UCF, USF)
Best College Conference: SEC

BASEBALL
High School: California (the greatest place to recruit outside of Latin America)
College: California (too many to name)
Best College Conference: Pac-10 (the Big West Conference, not a BCS conference by any stretch of the imagination is a powerhouse baseball conference, with 5 national championships in the past 30 years; but, they play second fiddle to the mighty Pac-10 which has won 19 in the past 50 years, including the reigning Oregon State Beavers.)

What do you think? Disagree with any of my choices? Present your case.

From the Mouth of a 4-Yr.-Old...

2006-11-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

Every parent can identify. My son says some things that I refuse to correct him on because I think it's so cute:

"manjes and oranges" - mandarin oranges
"nashcar" - NASCAR
"wash my hair, Daddy" - dry his hair off after he gets out of the bath

The other day...

"Man, your sins are forgiven! Yahoo! Mountain Dew!"

Scripture Set to Music

2006-11-13T13:59:00.000-05:00

Pastor Mark Altrogge has set several Scriptures to song in order to aid your Bible memorization.

A Sad Life

2006-11-09T22:03:00.000-05:00

The Minnesota Star-Tribune has run a series on the sad life of Kirby Puckett. The link takes you to the final piece, so start by going to the right-side of the page to navigate through the series chronologicaly.

If They Were Still Alive...

2006-11-02T21:40:00.000-05:00

JonBenet Ramsey would be 16 years old.
Amber Hagerman would turn 20 this month.
Heather O'Rourke would be 30.
Ben Wilson would be 39.
Dana Plato would be 43.
John Belushi would be 57.
Sharon Tate would be 63.
John Lennon would be 66.
Elvis Presley would be 71.
James Dean would be 75.
Marilyn Monroe would be 80.
John F. Kennedy would be 89.
Richard Nixon would be 93.
Ronald Reagan would be 95.
Lyndon Baines Johnson would be 98.
John Wayne would be 99.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer would be 100.
Charles Lindbergh would be 104.
Babe Ruth would be 111.
Norman Rockwell would be 112.
J.R.R. Tolkein and Oliver Hardy would be 114.
Dwight D. Eisenhower would be 116.

116 years young, Elizabeth Bolden of Memphis, TN, is currently the world's oldest living person, two months older than "Ike."

Charlie Chaplin would be 117.
Knute Rockne would be 118.
F.D.R., Samuel Goldwyn, and A.A. Milne would be 124.
Harry Houdini would be 132.
Theodore Roosevelt would be 148.
Wyatt Earp would be 158.
Claude Monet would be 166.
Charles Spurgeon would be 172.
William Tecumseh Sherman would be 186.
Harriet Beacher Stowe would be 195.
Abraham Lincoln would be 197.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning would be 200.

Happy Reformation Day!!

2006-10-31T13:08:00.000-05:00

It's been 489 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenburg.

Did you know that Luther had no idea the impact that would occur as a result of his action that day? He simply thought he was encouraging some healthy theological dialogue among scholars. Surprise!

Encouraging Our Trust

2006-10-30T12:26:00.000-05:00

From William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armor, vol. 1, page 47:

To encourage our trust, the Lord often intervenes in mighty ways on behalf of His people. Sometimes He allows an opposing force to arise, so that at precisely the right moment He can raise up a more magnificent pillar of remembrance to Himself. This pillar will stand in the very ruins of that which contested His power. Thus, when He intervenes all must say, 'Almighty power was here!'

I Can't Resist...

2006-10-28T21:01:00.000-04:00

...looking back at what some wrote not so long ago:

"Go ahead, crown the Tigers. They are more powerful than the Cardinals, better rested and generally better suited for a short series. They rolled through a difficult American League derby and should make the Cardinals go away, quickly and quietly...The Cardinals are a nice story. No, make that a great story. But the story should be coming close to its conclusion now." - John Heyman, Sports Illustrated online, 10/20/06

"When we get down to the baseball at hand, though, what we have are the well-armed and well-rested Tigers against a team that scrambled through a titillating Game 7 in the NLCS just to get here...But the Tigers, after stumbling at the end of the regular season, are a team that looks unstoppable. Tigers win in six games." - John Donovan, Sports Illustrated online, 10/20/06

"I don't see how this Cardinals team could hang on against the superior pitching and offense of any American League representative, least of all one with the pitching depth of the Tigers. The expected return of Zumaya makes it a little more of a mismatch, although I still think they would win this series without him. Tigers in five." - Keith Law, ESPN.com, 10/20/06

2006 World Champions: THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS!

2006-10-27T23:42:00.000-04:00

WOOOOO---HOOOOOOO!!!!!

God and the Prefix "All"

2006-10-24T11:17:00.000-04:00

From William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armor, vol. 1, page 45:

It has ever been and always will be the Father's will that we trust only Him. God demands to be called the Almighty; He insists we place our confidence in Him. That child is wise who does as his father bids. Man may be called wise, merciful, mighty; but only God is all-wise, all-merciful, almighty. When we leave out this prefix all, we nickname God and call Him by a creature's name, which He will not answer to.

Youngest Megachurch Pastor in America

2006-10-11T21:58:00.000-04:00

When the Church at Brook Hills called Dr. David Platt this summer as their new Senior Pastor he was only 27 years old. Now 28, he might be the youngest megachurch pastor in American history.

How did Platt get into a prominent pulpit at such a young age. Well, for one, to say he has an above average intellect is a gargantuan understatement. By 25, he had 2 bachelor's degrees, 2 master's degrees, and a Ph.D. He was soon hired to teach preaching and apologetics at his alma mater (www.nobts.edu).

What excites me is that David is very passionate about God-centered preaching and ministry. Also, when David speaks there is Piperesque language, such as "spreading a passion for God's glory" and "...the preacher exposes the voice of God to magnify the glory of God." Throwing in a Martyn Lloyd-Jones quote in a recent Brook Hills message earns some brownie points as well.

When I was at the Desiring God conference a couple of weekends ago, I believe it was Tim Keller that quoted Lloyd-Jones from his book Preaching and Preachers where ML-J shared a story about a young up and coming preacher in Wales that God was greatly using and several older, experienced preachers were talking about how God might greatly use him when one of the older men asked, "I have one concern...I don't think he's been broken yet." To which the rest of the older men all nodded their heads in concerned agreement.

I'm not sure that David has been broken yet, but the word is that he is very humble. I pray so.

May God protect this young man and use him significantly for His glory.

Sam Storms on the Power of Praise

2006-10-02T17:10:00.000-04:00

I made a discovery about worship that I believe is found repeatedly in Scripture. Unfortunately, whereas I read it, I never experienced the reality of it. I'm referring to the outpouring of divine power during times of praise. When God's people exalt and enjoy him, he releases his power to heal them, to encourage them, and to enlighten them, among other things, in a way that is somewhat unique. When God's people worship, he goes to war on their behalf (2 Chronicles 20). When God people worship, he enthrones himself in their midst (Psalm 22.3) When God's people worship, he speaks to them and guides them (Acts 13.1-3). When God's people worship, he delivers them from their troubles or comforts and sustains them in the midst of hardship (Acts 16.19-40).

- from Convergence, p. 44

Reflections on the 2006 Desiring God National Conference

2006-10-02T10:26:00.000-04:00

For the second year in a row I was able to attend the Desiring God National Conference held at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Last year's topic was "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God." This year? "The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World." The conference was inspired by Above All Earthly Powers: Christ in a Postmodern World by David Wells. The speakers were David Wells, Voddie Baucum, Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll, D. A. Carson, and John Piper.

Last year six leaders from our church went, all men. This year the number was six again, only this time is was three couples. As much as I always hanging out with the guys, I prefer going with my wife! My in-laws keeping the kiddos made this possible. I'm eternally grateful. :-)

A few thoughts (in no particular order) on the conference and the trip, many of which are rather trivial:

1. It was exciting to see a full house. There must have been almost a thousand more attendees than last year.

2. The additional 1,000 were probably all under 30 years old. Piper has truly connected with young adults. I felt like I was standing in the cover article from last month's Christianity Today.

3. I really, really like contemporary music wed to rich doctrinal lyrics.

4. Minneapolis at the end of Sep/start of Oct is like a box of chocolates. Last year we froze our fannies off. This year was gorgeous (55-80 degrees).

5. Sometimes $150 a night is truly worth the money. They Hyatt downtown was very nice. (Lesson: Cell phones demagnetize hotel room keys.)

6. I was surprised how much I liked Tim Keller. The dude is very insightful and now I understand why he is so popular.

7. Emergent churches are essentially the new face of theological liberalism.

8. Emergent churches/communities/villages/whatevertheywanttocallthemselves are faddish and will either morph into a false religion or fade into leftist liberalism/irrelavence.

9. The Desiring God bookstore is the best. The rolled back prices didn't seemed a rolled back as last year, but maybe my memory is just bad. Still yet, the selection and savings were signficant.

10. I wonder how I would look if I shaved my head, grew a gotee, and got some really cool looking glasses (they would have to be attitudes b/c the good Lord has blessed me with good eyesight thus far).

11. The preachers/pastors looked very comfortable speaking to 3,500 people. The two seminary professors looked a little like they didn't know how to handle that many people, especially Carson.

12. Remember that game in PE growing up where everyone races to the center of the room as fast as possible to pick up a ball or something? C. J. Mahaney and Joshua Harris sat right behind us on Saturday night. Immediately after the session ended several young people (think 20s) raced to the ball, who happened to be Joshua Harris. He was very gracious and patient. He is definitely a rock star.

13. D. A. Carson didn't give a message, he delivered a 50-page paper. Maybe it's because he was late on Saturday night and I was tired. It was good, but it was too looonnnnnngggggggggg.

14. Every city should have an efficient public light rail system. We never needed a car all weekend.

15. The Mall of America is ridiculously big, ridiculously overpriced, ridiculously overrated, and... just plain ridiculous.

16. Minnesota in the Autumn is gorgeous. There were a handful of maples that were brilliant gold just outside the Hyatt.

17. The Pastor's Conference in Febrauary is a bad idea.

18. Favorite channels on the satellite radio on AirTran flights: #70 - Real Jazz, and #4 - Best of the 40s.

19. Books I bought at the conference:
What Jesus Demands from the World by Piper
A Hunger for God by Piper
Biblical Exegesis: Discovering the Meaning of Scriptural Texts by Piper
Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by Piper and Taylor
Convergence by Sam Storms
The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Gifts by Sam Storms
A new ESV Bible to replace my worn out one.

20. DVDs:
"Suffering and the Sovereignty of God"
"Open Their Eyes"

21. Most shocking moment: the word "smartass" coming out of John Piper's mouth.

22. Don't believe anyone else who says otherwise. The Metrodome is one UGLY building. But very functional. Friday night the Twins played the White Sox there. Saturday the Twins again played the Sox there. Saturday night the Minnesota Golden Gophers hosted the Michigan Woverines there. Sunday the Twins played the Sox there.

23. Mark Driscoll is hip. Tim Keller and Voddie Baucum are cool. John Piper, D. A. Carson, and David Wells are...well, they try real hard.

24. I assume that the guy sitting in front of me Sunday morning was either (a)emergent, (b) lost, (c) ADD, or (d) troubled. He surfed the internet on his phone and played video games on the same during the entire Piper sermon.

25. C. J. Mahaney clicked his pen throughout Carson's lecture/message/marathon He sat right behind us with his feet on my buddy's chair and his Nike cap on.

Enough Heat Already

2006-09-26T12:55:00.001-04:00

This is the time of year I always start longing for the cold fronts to come in. It's great to live in Florida most of the year but the 90+ degree days plus humidity start to get old in late September. At least today it's cooled down to the low 80s. This weekend I'll be cooling off in Minnesota. Nice. Real nice.

Of Course, There is Only One Barry...

2006-09-25T15:20:00.000-04:00

The Next Barry Sanders?

2006-09-20T21:41:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen Garrett Wolfe yet, check this out:

B.A. and C. J.

2006-09-16T12:21:00.000-04:00

Hmmm, maybe I have a future in Sovereign Grace...

You scored as C.J. Mahaney. You're C.J. Mahaney. No Ph. D. for you. The letters most associated with your name may be E.S.P.N. That didn't stop you from reading the bible, getting inspired, and starting an awesome non-denomination (or not starting a denomination).

C.J. Mahaney

80%

John Piper

75%

Mark Dever

65%

Lig Duncan

60%

Al Mohler

40%

Tim Challies

25%

R.C. Sproul

20%

Bishop Spong

10%

Which "Together For the Gospel" guy are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

College Football Saturday

2006-09-16T12:02:00.000-04:00

Big day for college football! A lot of top 25 teams face each other, but two games especially intrigue me:

1 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Michigan Wolverines

THE classic rivalry. This annual game is the poster of college football. They even have the two best fight songs!

Whose fight song is better? Notre Dame's or Michigan's? (Make sure you listen to the whole thing with both these songs, because the parts you are familiar with are further along in each song)

Today's matchup heavily favors the Irish. The Big Blue have something to prove this year in South Bend, but don't expect them to do it. Expect an impressive Notre Dame win. Nonetheless, go Blue!

2 - Tenessee Volunteers vs. Florida Gators

This is my favorite modern rivalry. For the past decade this game has been characterized by nail-biters. Expect the same this year, but I look for my Vols to eke it out by less than 7 points. Go Vols!

Wells on America's modern Splendor...

2006-09-14T11:32:00.000-04:00

From Above All Earthly Pow'rs by David F. Wells:

"At America's genesis, we set out to make happiness the end of life and enshrined its pursuit as an inviolable right in our constitution. Along the way, however, we have come to think that happiness is unattainable and unimaginable in the absence of comfort and affluence. The means to reach this end - capitalism and technology - have, in the absence of serious engagement with the truth of God and the God of that truth, become themselves the final ends of life. The means become the end as the affluent live only for their own affluence."

For You Who are Wounded

2006-09-13T12:42:00.000-04:00

From The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes:

Let this support us when we feel ourselves bruised. Christ's way is first to wound, then to heal. No sound, whole soul shall ever enter the kingdom of heaven.

Fantasy Update - Week 1

2006-09-12T16:22:00.000-04:00

Wow! I was surprised by how well my teams did this opening weekend. Both are 1-0, cruising to easy victories. Team A (see Aug. 28 post) scored the second most amount of points this week. Not too bad for the team that had the 9th draft pick out of 10 teams.

Team B scored the third most amount of points in a league of twelve teams; Team B had the 7th pick in the draft.

Of course, my fantasy baseball team is in tenth place out of twelve teams. And of course, my one fantasy football team last year dominated the first few weeks of the league and then fizzled down to such mediocrity that we didn't even make the playoffs.

Memorial

2006-09-11T14:45:00.000-04:00

September 11, 2001

Food Friday: Fast and Cheap

2006-09-08T11:32:00.000-04:00

What is your Favorite Fast-Food Restaurant? Why?

Mine is Wendy's because they make a great burger, they have a great variety, and Dave was a great guy.

Very, very, very, close second (and gaining ground): Chick-Fil-A

On Parents Watching Kid's Games...

2006-09-06T14:00:00.000-04:00

You may have already heard about the parent/coach who lost his cool recently at a Pop Warner (little league) football game recently. If not go here) to watch it. In this USA Today article) on the Manning brothers, Archie offers some wise counsel to parents:

Archie's advice for parents who want to see their children succeed in sports: "Go to their games, sit in the top row and keep your mouth shut."

The Candidates...On the Most Important Question

2006-09-05T19:16:00.000-04:00

3 Candidates for an Elected Office Were Recently Interviewed. One is Southern Baptist, one is United Methodist, and one is Roman Catholic. They were asked how that they would make it into heaven. See if you can match their responses with each candidate:

a) "Because I believe in Christ, I believe in You, and I've led a good life and I've done unto others as I would want to be treated. I followed the precepts fo the Bible and I have worked hard to be a good Christian and a man of faith."

b) "I am totally unworthy of going to Heaven. And I believe that if it wasn't for Jesus coming to earth and giving up His life and by that earning those of us that believe the ability to go to Heaven, there'd be no chance. And so, I don't think that I can earn my way into it. Nor do I deserve it if I did everything right."

c) "That's a scary question for all of us because I think that I've always known that and believed that the first thing is that we're all unworthy of God's grace, but the second thing is that it's amazing grace that we are all allowed to share. My hope is and my belief is that is that on balance I will meet the teset. But, once again, that will be a decision that God will make on the course of my life and I hope that decision and pray that decision is one that what I believe is true is true. But, you know, we are all yet to know that eternal truth."

So which one said which?

Answers to be revealed next week.

Swindoll: 5 Marks of Dead Churches

2006-09-05T19:14:00.000-04:00

1. Focus on the Past (often a rich past)
2. Lack of Young People
3. Resistance to Change
4. Little to No Zeal for Evangelism and Missions
5. Lazy and/or Carnal Leadership

Goodbye Croc Hunter

2006-09-04T12:31:00.000-04:00

Steve Irwin died earlier today off the coast of Queensland when he was mortally wounded by a stingray.

Here is a portion of the transcript when he was with Larry King a few years ago:

KING: Yeah, don't you ever worry that -- the danger you both live. I mean, as you said, they -- you never can tell.

S. IRWIN: Mate, I don't have a morbid fear of death or dying. I really don't, you know. I had a tragedy, breaks my heart to talk about it but there's no use hiding. My mom was killed last year in a tragic road accident. I was born on her birthday.

KING: Oh, she didn't die of natural causes?

S. IRWIN: No, mate, she didn't. And, she was torn from our family. I was born on her birthday. We had an umbilical cord connected to each other our whole lives. We were so close, so very close, so in my death I will get back to her, you know. I sincerely believe that. The only thing I'm a little concerned about is that Bindi...

KING: Your daughter.

S. IRWIN: Yes, she won't have a daddy, and -- that kind of worries me a little. I'll try hard.

source: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0106/13/lkl.00.html

McKissic Stirs it Up at Southwestern Seminary

2006-08-31T09:46:00.000-04:00

Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist in Arlington, Texas, is a Southwestern Alum and Southwestern Trustee. Tuesday he spoke in chapel. Not since the John Avant chapel in the mid-90s has so much buzz followed a SWBTS chapel service.

McKissic spoke on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Most of his message was straight down-the-middle Southern Baptist theology. However, McKissic ruffled some feathers, dropped some jaws, and raised the temperature in Truett Auditorium when he confessed to receiving the gift of tongues in the Fort Worth dormitory as a student in 1981. He went on to express great concern with any effort of Southern Baptists to make the tongues issue a litmus test for serving in Southern Baptist life.

Here are his exact words:

But I think itÂs tragic in Baptist life when we take a valid, vital gift that the Bible talks about and come up with a policy that says people who pray in tongues in their private prayer lives cannot work in certain positions. That to me is contrary to what many of our foremost Baptist thinkers and leaders think. (for the whole transcript of the message, go here)

His words did not settle well with the administration at the Seminary. The decision was made by President Patterson to not post the message in the website archives. One must purchase the message through Roberts Library. A statement concerning this decision was posted on the seminary website.

PastorMcKissicc responded to this censorship with an open letter to Dr. Patterson. In the attached notes to the letter, McKissic quotes Dr. Patterson's own words: "It would be a mistake for evangelicals to forbid others to speak in tongues".

The event set the internet abuzz with discussion and quickly drew the attention of local and national news.

My Fantasy Teams

2006-08-28T12:45:00.000-04:00

Finished the draft last night for my second football fantasy team (Team B, "Blue Rondos"). This second team is what I call my "high risk" team. Just look at the line-up. Aside from struggling a little bit with the slow wireless hookup, the draft went pretty good. In both drafts I was in the bottom half of the draft order, next to last for Team A ("He Hate We"). So, I don't expect to do real well, but we'll have some fum with it.

Team A "He Hate We"
QBs - Eli Manning, Byron Leftwich
RBs - Ronnie Brown, Julius Jones, Kevin Jones, DeAngelo Williams
WRs - Steve Smith, Andre Johnson, Derrick Mason, Donte Stallworth, Brandon Lloyd
TEs - Heath Miller, Vernon Davis
K - Nate Kaeding
D - Jacksonville

He Hate We has some potential and some possible sleepers. DeAngelo Williams has drawn some comparisons to Barry Sanders, but his body has taken more punishment through his college days.

Team B "Blue Rondos"
QBs - Tom Brady, Doug Johnson, Chris Simms
RBs - Clinton Portis, Brian Westbrook, Fred Taylor, Lee Suggs
WRs - Terrell Owens, Keyshawn Johnson, T. J. Houshmandzadeh,
TEs - Jason Witten, Ben Troupe
K - John Kasay
D - Chicago, Philadelphia

The Blue Rondos have the biggest mouths to line up wide to the right or the left in the NFL today. This team also has a lot of injury-prone but explosive power. This is why I call it my high risk team.

Let's reName the Trinity!

2006-08-28T12:03:00.000-04:00

Mark Driscoll is profoundly gifted at making stupid human behavior look as ridiculous as it really is. His latest blog posthighlights the stupidity of the Presbyterian Church USA in their efforts to make the names of the Trinity more politically correct.

In addition to his suggestions for the committee, I recommend the gender neutral names of Pat, Chris, and Kerry. Or how about Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla? Or Marx, Freud, and Friedan? No, that's 2/3rds male! Let me try again. Darwin, Sanger, and Hanoi Jane.

What would you suggest to the committee?

Lewis on the Immortality of People

2006-08-25T13:05:00.000-04:00

From his address, "The Weight of Glory":

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.

One Expensive Bible!

2006-08-25T13:00:00.000-04:00

If you have an extra $115,000 laying around, you can get one of these.

On the Other Hand...

2006-08-24T16:41:00.000-04:00

...may God have mercy on this congregation.

HT: Tim Ellsworth

Enough Slamming God's People!

2006-08-24T16:02:00.000-04:00

I have had enough. And even then some.

I am now committing myself to sticking up for the church. I know...God is our defense and my top priority is to defend God's honor, but there is a sense in which I think God's honor is at stake.

What am I talking about?

Within the past few months and years, I have heard a steady stream of "Christians" attack Christians who have strong convictions or hold to traditional approaches to Christianity. Sadly, many of these statements tend to come from younger beleivers, some of whom perfer to identy with the emerging church.

Here are some statements I have heard or read lately that illustrate this:

"I'd rather hang out with lost people than Christians."

"The folks down at the bar do a better job taking care of one another than the church does."

"Walking down the street one day I saw someone walking toward me earing a t-shirt with “Jesus” in big, red letters on the front. As I got closer, I saw in smaller letters: “protect us from your followers.” In my experience, most of the bad done to me in business or personal relationships has been done by those claiming to be Christian and inerrantists. Those that were most helpful played golf on Sunday mornings."

"Jesus always attacked religious people but loved hanging out with prostitutes and drunks and 'sinners.'"

"I'm sick of church people. I want to be around people who are real."

Since when did it become so cool to despise God's people? Call me uncool, but I love the church, I love God's people, and I'd rather be with a brother in Christ than a rebel against God. That doesn't mean I don't have compassion for that lost person, or desire to spend time with them to influence them toward Christ, but I have the deepest and greatest common bond with fellow believers.

Jesus loved the church and died for her. Stop slamming her and pray for her and love her. If you don't, you can't be Christ-like. Have you ever stopped to think that when you slam the church you're slamming who Christ died for, is praying for, and is working to purify? So, in a sense, when you slam the children of God, you're dishonoring their Father. Think about that before you drag God's people through the mud again.

Booted!

2006-08-24T14:37:00.000-04:00

Prague, Czech Republic - It's official. As of today, Pluto has been disowned by the scientific establishment and is no longer a member of our planetary family, at least not as a full-fledged sibling to the big eight: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Well, Pluto, it was fun while it lasted.

My Recently Developed Acrophobia

2006-08-23T12:55:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I was never afraid of heights. But in the last few years I've developed a fear of heights and I have no idea why. What's peculiar to my fear of heights is that I'm OK if I'm enclosed safely in a elevator, office building, jet, etc. In fact, at the end of this month, I'll board a jet and fly at 35,000 feet with a problem at all. Two years ago I thoroughly enjoyed spending an hour atop the Sears Tower with some friends. What bothers me is when I'm in an open air high place.

Earlier this month, when we were in Southern Illinios visiting my parents, my wife and I drove to Giant City State Park, where we enjoyed a lovely hike. Prior to the hike, we parked near the Lodge and I said, "Let's check out the view from that observation deck." I was referring to the observation deck on the water tower pictured above. Halfway up the spiral staircase, I found myself almost hugging the center leg of the tower. My heart was racing and I was beginning to feel queezy. I stopped and said, "I'm sorry, honey, I can't go any higher. I don't understand, but I got to go back down. I'm sorry." I was a whopping 20-55 feet above the ground.

Today at lunch I picked up the Sunday paper someone gave me and flipped through it while I finished off the last half of yesterday's chicken wrap. Section C, front page: a picture of a crane operator walking along the arm of his crane 400 feet above the ground (his "floor" is see-through metal grating). Thought #1: You could not pay me enough money to do his job. Thought #2: I'd hate to be that photographer. Thought #3: How on earth did I get this way?

Previously my only fear, and a right healthy one I might add, was of snakes. I hate snakes...no, hate is to gentle of a word, try abhor...loathe...despise...and any stronger synonym you can find. You won't find me watching Samuel battling snakes at 35,000 feet!

So why now this fear of heights? After lunch I googled acrophobia and then clicked on the Wikipedia entry and found this:

Some neurologists question the prevailing wisdom and argue that acrophobia is caused by dysfunction in maintaining balance and that the anxiety is both well founded and secondary. According to the dysfunction model, a normal person uses both vestibular and visual cues appropriately in maintaining balance. An acrophobic overrelies on visual signals whether because of inadequate vestibular function or incorrect strategy. Locomotion at a high elevation requires more than normal visual processing. The visual cortex becomes overloaded and the person becomes confused.

Obviously written by a med student well on his or her way to also becoming an illegible prescription signer. But I'll attempt to decipher. I think I have developed this phobia because my brain isn't processing the experience properly and is therefore sending alarm signals to my body that I am in danger. Thus the fast heartbeat, queaziness, etc. One thing I have noticed is that my balance does seem a little off when making such a climb. Why it is always in association with open air I am not quite sure.

Do you know anyone whose developed acrophobia also? Have you ever been afraid of heights?

World Series Matchups?

2006-08-22T23:02:00.000-04:00

Tigers-Mets Series Anyone?

How about Yankees-Dodgers?

But you can pretty much be assured that the AL representative won't come from out west, and you CAN BANK on the fact that NL representative won't come out of the heartland (NL Central).

Great Quote on American Values

2006-08-21T11:53:00.000-04:00

This quote was lifted from a comment on a blog. The author of the quote is Anne of Spokane. The context was a discussion on the war on terror:

Even in our post-Christian western world, this war is profoundly religious because we value human life enough to reject the indiscriminate, hateful taking of it. Although non-Christians don’t know why they should value human life, they are living off the theological interest of Christians who know that every human bears, however minimally, the image of God, and that unknown multitudes have and are destined to become living temples of God. Muslim temples, mosques, are made of stone while ours are made of flesh.

Fantasy Draft Gone Wild

2006-08-21T10:34:00.000-04:00

Last night was the most bizarre fantasy draft I've ever been a part of. I'm in two fantasy football leagues this year. The first draft was scheduled for 10:00 last night. So at 9:45 I get on the computer (an Apple) to log on at the league home page and to launch the draft room. As that window opens I see that some of the guys are already chatting it up. As I type a brief hello my spinning disc starts spinning on the Mac and then a message comes up that basically tells me that my computer doesn't like the software that the chat room requires.

Minor setback. I'll just pull out my trusty Dell notebook pc and use it. Problem is it won't log onto to my wireless. So I go into the other room and try to hardwire it into the modem. Won't work that way either. Now I'm starting to panic. 9:53. Seven minutes until the draft starts.

What to do? Aha! My neighbor's wireless is unprotected so I can piggy-back on his wireless for a couple of hours to get this draft knocked out.

Great, I'm in. Whew! Close call. 9:57. Time to greet everyone. I type in my greeting. Hit enter. Wait...wait...wait...no greeting pops us in the chat room with the guys....WHAT ON EARTH? My neighbor's signal has gone weak! Oh, no! Now I'm toast! No back up! 9:59.

I spring back into the living room to the Mac. I can still see the chat room, I just can't chat or make my picks. Because we chose to live in a half Mac / half pc world, I'm destined to just watch the draft without being able to participate. The draft has started.

Larry Johnson goes first. Figures. Next goes Shawn Alexander. Then LT...followed by Tiki Barber, Stephen Jackson, (man these guys aren't wasting any clock, I've never seen everyone pick so fast!)... Peyton Manning...my pick is up next...good thing I pre-ranked them...Clinton Portis. Portis, don't remember having him that high, but it's not like I had the third pick...Whoaa, I'm up again...R. Droughns...this draft is flying...these guys mean business. What am I doing in this league? These guys are pros! Look how fast they are picking!

Wait a minute...What is this? Suddenly the chat room is coming alive with, "I didn't mean to pick him!" and "What's going on here?!!" and "This thing's messed up!"

LOL. The picks keep flying..."Vlad the Impaler: Reggie Bush (RB-NO)"..."G Force: S. Moss (WR-WAS)....Mayhem! It's the totally automated draft by MSN! LOL! Everyone's in the same boat as me...all they can do is watch the draft go by...make that, fly by! Curses are flying also, but quickly get translated into accceptable curse words in the chat room, like "Darn" and "Rats" and "stinks" ...I'm laughing so loud I'm afraid I'm going to wake my whole family. Laughing because it's funny to watch it unfold in a chat room, and my screwed up computer situation is now moot.

Fortunately, anger quickly is overtaken by humor. Someone says that they just drafted Dan Marino. Tony's Tigers offers Tiger Woods for a QB.

What to do now? Restart it? Is that possible? Switch to a Yahoo league?

Thus begins the inaugural season of the Tim Ellsworth Fantasy Football League.

Bye Bye Fox...hello Yahoo!

And in bed by 11:00. Sweet.

One More Hot Streak, Please

2006-08-21T09:26:00.000-04:00

The Cardinals desparately need a hot streak. They need to put the rest of the division behind them, take the air out of the Reds, and totally burst the Astros' and Brewers' balloons. A nice 8 game winning streak would do wonders about now.

Fantasy Football Needs One More Statistical Category

2006-08-19T16:59:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure I know of a league that does this, but I came to the conclusion last year that when counting points an additional category should be added. If the player's team wins the game, additional points should be added...say 1 or 2 points. The way most leagues are set up you could load up with high stat players on bad teams and win your fantasy league. I guess that's fine, but the object of the game of football is to win. Shouldn't a player be considered better if he helps contribute to a winning effort? Some guys might have more impressive stats than others, but their padded stats might have helped contribute to their team's loss. If we are to have any room to value the guy who sacrifices a few stats for the betterment of the team, there must be a way to reward that statistically. The only way I know how is to award points to the players whose team wins that day. What do you think?

Cardinals Ownership Blew It

2006-08-13T21:55:00.000-04:00

The Cardinals ownership blew the season when the failed to add a solid pitcher to the St. Louis rotation. Since the All-Star break the Cardinals' pitching has stunk. Unless they somehow miraculously turn it around, the Reds will run away with the division. Oh well, at least they sold out the tickets for this season! Now that's quite an accomplishment! Just about any city can do that with a brand new stadium. Don't expect them to sell out next season if they continue to sit on their wallets instead of shelling out the bucks to put together a winning rotation.

Summer Vacation: St. Louis Daytrip, pt. 2

2006-08-04T21:43:00.001-04:00

If you have the time and can find it, no daytrip to St. Louie is complete without a stop by Ted Drewes on historic Route 66. Ted Drewes is world famous for its frozen custard. We also happened to pick one of the best days to visit as my Odyssey registered the same temperature that was being reported on local radio.

After washing down the frozen custard with some icy water it was time to head back downtown for the game.

We arrived in time to get in right when the gates opened (5:10 P.M.). Because tickets were so hard to come by, we ended up purchasing the only ones available for the six of us to sit together, in the Bank of America club section, along the 3rd base line. For $90 a ticket, you get a decent food buffet and all the drinks you desire, in the comfort of an air conditioned facility. But don't lose that white cup because, it's the only one they'll give you. Lose it, and you are out at the regular concession stands paying for something to drink.

By gametime, we left the comfort of the air conditioning and settled into our seats, which were a little higher than I had expected they would be. This was our view:

About the 3rd inning, I called the most beautiful girl in the world to check and see how she and the greatest kids were doing, but it was so loud I could hardly hear her. So I left my seat and walked along the back corridor behind the seating until I was in deep left field near the "Big Mac" home run porch. After I hung up the phone I looked up and who did I see? My old friend Tim Ellsworth. I did a double take. He lives in Tennessee. I live in Florida. What are we both doing in St. Louis at a Cardinals game? Oh yeah, we are both devout Cardinal fans! Were did I expect to run into him? A Mighty Ducks hockey game in Anaheim? Still, I considered it quite a coincidence, or properly speaking, providence. Tim was able to sit with me for the remainder of the game, which was such a pleasant surprise to the evening and capped off a great day in the city. Here's the whole crew:

Only one negative in this whole day trip: the Cards continued their slide as the hot-hitting Chase Utley (33 game hit streak after the first inning)and hometown boy Ryan Howard (towering two-run homer) led the Phillies to a 5-3 win over the Cards.

Finally, people have asked me what I thought about the new stadium. Here is my best description: functional and frugal. Nice views of downtown. Nothing to get overly excited about. In a weird sort of way, by being the replacement of a cookie cutter, it is almost a cookie cutter itself in the sense that it reminds me of the other new "retro" parks without anything that radically sets it apart. I hesitate to call it great. It's attractive. It's got good sightlines. It's definitely not outstanding. For now, with only one visit, I'll declare it very good. But I could have said the same of Busch II since they had customized it for baseball.

Summer Vacation: St. Louis Daytrip, pt. 1

2006-08-04T12:17:00.000-04:00

Since I grew up 90 minutes from St. Louis, it was the city we went to when we needed to go to the city. If you grew up in a city you may have no idea what I'm talking about, but if you grew up in small town America you know exactly what I mean. Anyway, my Dad organized a day trip for us to go to St. Louis with his/our cousins. Ray, Ben, and Robert are Dad's first cousins, which makes them my second cousins. Dave is Ray's son, which, I suppose makes him Dad's second cousin, and therefore, my third cousin. Our trip was built around a two-fold agenda: (1) find the old homes where they used to live in back in the 40s and (2) go see the Cardinals in the new Busch Stadium. So, this past Tuesday, all six of us loaded up in the van and headed to the city.

REMINISCING
On the drive to St. Louis we pulled together the facts of our family heritage. My Great-Grandfather, Cesare, came over from Northern Italy with his German wife around 1902, coming through Ellis Island like so many other Americans in that time. After a few years mining in Colorado, he relocated his family to Southern Illinois, another productive coal mining area. He died soonafter of pneumonia at age 33. His young bride, Martha, was left to raise and support six kids: Mary, Victor, Dolly, Pete, Silvio and Ceasar. The six cousins in the van this past Tuesday were from Pete and Ceasar.

During the Depression, coal mining was on hard times, so the young families of Dolly, Pete, and Ceasar all moved to the city for better job opportunities. They lived in St. Louis near each other over much of the 30s and 40s. Our goal on this trip was to seek out the homes where they had lived during this time. The older cousins, Ray and Ben, especially remembered life in St. Louis.

After a good lunch at Chevy's in Fairview Heights, we sought out our first destination: Aunt Dolly's house. Aunt Dolly was my Grandpa's sister. She was married at 12 years old and as one of the older kids, also had Martha living with her. Her home was the popular hangout for all the cousins (pictured below).

To say that the neighborhood has changed is a massive understatement. We are talking about a ghetto. What you don't see in the picture below is all the neighbors sitting on the front porch in the middle of the day, drinking and staring at us white folk like we are Elvis sighting. Just three minutes after we parked the van in front of this house, an older Cadillac with heavily tinted windows pulled right up behind my van and just sat there idling, the hard to see guy inside just staring at us. It was kind of scary to say the least.

Next we looked up the place where Dad's three first cousins lived, which was just a few blocks away. It is no longer habitable as you can tell from the picture below.

I assume that when there is graffiti that says, "No Loitering, Drinking, or Drugs," that there is quite of bit of loitering, drinking, or drugs going on in this building where my cousins used to live 60 years ago.

Below is one of the places my Dad lived (upstairs, right side), which is less than fifty yards from the house above.

Streetcars were still heavily in use back then and all four boys who spent these early years in the city made the short trip to the old Sportsman's Park, where the Cardinals and Browns (now Baltimore Orioles) called home for decades. We drove over to the old site on Grand Ave. which is now home the Boys and Girls Club. 10 World Series' were played at this site. Babe Ruth hit a few dingers on this parcel of land.

Vacationing

2006-08-03T11:27:00.000-04:00

For me, the words vacation and family have always gone together. Since we live pretty far away from both of our parents, whenever we take vacation time we travel to see them. This vacation is par for the course as we are spending a few days in Illinois followed by a few in Tennessee before returning home to Florida.

All the Cubs Read this Blog

2006-07-31T19:10:00.000-04:00

I know no other reason why the Cubs could have been as motivated as they were to sweep the Cubs this weekend. Two Sundays ago (July 23rd) I briefly reflected on the fact that life is good based upon the NL Central standings, posting the records of the Cards and Cubs. Me and my big (blog)mouth!

Books: Keep Clean or Mark Them Up?

2006-07-30T07:49:00.000-04:00

For those of you who love books, do you mark them up with highlighters, notes, etc., or do you try to keep them pristine?

Trivia: Where Am I?

2006-07-24T14:26:00.000-04:00

I took this picture recently when traveling. Guess where I was. Closest guess wins bragging rights. Hint: It has to be in one of the red states below.

Hubris

2006-07-24T14:20:00.000-04:00

John Kerry, who was in Detroit yesterday stumping for incumbent Governor Granholm, said regarding the current Israeli-Lebanese conflict: "If I was president, this wouldn't have happened."

Does he really think that the POTUS has that much sway in the Middle East? His statement was simultaneously ignorant and arrogant.

Life is Good

2006-07-23T21:04:00.000-04:00

NL Central
1st - St. Louis 56W 41L
5th - Chicago 37W 60L

States I've Visited

2006-07-17T12:40:00.000-04:00

I remember somewhere that many of the boys that went to Europe or to the Pacific to fight World War II had never even left their home county before they left home for the war. That's right - county - not country. Times sure have changed. I remember eating in a restuarant in Long Beach, California five years ago and meeting a waitress who, upon finding out we were from Florida, told us that she had never left California in her entire life. I thought that to be extremely unusual for someone in the early 20s. I've been to 27 states so far, most of which I had visited by the time I was in my early 20s. Wisconsin sticks out like a sore thumb, so next time I'm in Chicago, I need to make a short run to the state line.

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Food Friday: Coffee

2006-07-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Cup of Joe. Java. Mud. Murk. Call it what you want, it is America's favorite morning pick-me-up. Who would have dreamed that one of the most successful companies in the past decade would be a chain of coffee shops?

I know, it's not all about the coffee. It's about the atmosphere, the experience. Coffee shops are all the rage. And it's had a significant influence on the evangelical world. Take away the coffee shops and the whole emerging/emergent movement is...*puff*...misfiring synapses in an obscure corner of Brian McLaren's brain.

I remember when coffee was available in two flavors: caffeinated and decaf. At about 50 ceents a cup max, with free refills, it was a cheap way to get the gray mass active.

Times have changed. People in my community regularly pay $3-5 for a cup of coffee every morning. And when you think about the number of flavors available now, Baskin-Robbins doesn't have anything on Starbucks.

Me? I'm not a huge coffee drinker. I can go months without a cup as long as I've got a nice cold Mountain Dew awaiting me each morning. Lately I've been drinking a little more coffee as I'm trying to get out and meet more people instead of being holed up in the office 24/7.

I tried a few of the frilly flavors. But I'll stick with the original. Give me a straight coffee...black. No sugar. No cream.

By the way, I'm sitting in a coffee shop right now.

Attention All Single Men

2006-07-14T08:55:00.000-04:00

Michael Lawrence has written a great article titled "Stop Test-Driving Your Girlfriend".

HT: Justin Taylor

All Creatures of Our God and King

2006-07-12T22:01:00.000-04:00

My Dad took this photograph today in Illinois.

Great, huh?

Ligonier a Little Out of Touch at Times?

2006-07-12T21:16:00.000-04:00

I subscribe to Tabletalk magazine, the monthly devotional publication of Ligonier Ministries. I am deeply indebted to Dr. R. C. Sproul for his teaching ministry. To say his teaching has greatly impacted my thinking is an understatement. Tabletalk is a fine publication and I applaud the work of Burk Parsons and the staff at Tabletalk.

However, take a moment to digest this sentence from the August 2006 edition of Tabletalk:

What Boethius does in his tractates is to offer a defense of the doctrine of the Trinity where he assumes the truth of the Nicene position, and then deploys logic in order to demonstrate how Trinitarian theology requires careful analysis of how language is used, and how Aristotelian logical categories can help with this task. (from "Boethius: The Philosopher Theologian" by Carl R. Trueman)

Say what?

According to the Ligonier Ministries website, the materials produced by Ligonier are "designed to fill the gap between Sunday School and seminary." Certainly this is a worthy yet daunting goal. But the sentence above is very heavy on the seminary side of the ledger. Here I am a Doctor and I had to re-read it three times before I even began to feel like I was getting a grasp on it. Granted, I'm only a D.Min., not a Ph.D., but nonetheless...well, just look at that sentence again!

Burk Parsons, the editor of Tabletalk also serves as the Minister of Congregational Life at Saint Andrews Chapel, the church where Dr. Sproul serves as the Minister of Preaching and Teaching. I'm no editor, to which anyone who has read this blog much would agree, but, Burk, I have a word of advice: e-mail the rough drafts of these articles to some people from a little less educated congregations demographically prior to sending these articles to print. A Southern Baptist would be perfect! If you can get a Southern Baptist to understand it, you'll make a lot of headway at getting in that middle range between Sunday School and seminary.

On a sidenote, I recently listened to an interview of Carl Trueman, the author of the notorious sentence above, by Mark Dever. He seemed like a pretty cool cat, and spooky smart.

I Can't Believe I'm Posting on This Subject

2006-07-12T10:30:00.000-04:00

A historic first at semper reformanda! For years I have been critical of the "sport" known as NASCAR, or more properly, stock car racing. Yet, I have noticed lately that I have begun to pay more attention to the headlines, which I hesitate to admit, but is evidence that there is a level of interest in me. Now, I'm almost officially sucked in to being a casual, and boy do I mean casual, fan. The reason? Juan Montoya. He has officialy announced that he is making the jump from Formula 1 to NASCAR, effective next season. He will even begin racing in the Busch series later this year after the Formula 1 season has ended.

I have always felt like NASCAR was limiting itself by being a closed community of "good ole boys." If you would never be found dead with a confederate flag on you, then chances are pretty good you wouldn't be to welcome at a NASCAR event, let alone behind the wheel of one the cars. Of course that has been changing gradually as the popularity of the sport spreads geographically. But Juan Montoya has a huge international following and should he be able to make the transition as well as Tony Stewart has, expect NASCAR to be completely changed. If, however, he goes the way of Paul Tracy, Al Unser Jr., or Christian Fittipaldi, well, Montoya will be a bust and NASCAR will roll on. The suspense is enough to keep me interested.

Worship Matters

2006-07-11T10:12:00.000-04:00

Lately I have really enjoyed reading "Worship Matters," Bob Kauflin's blog. Check it out sometime and I think you will agree that Kauflin is insightful, practical, and most importantly, biblical.

One More Reason I Like Batman...

2006-07-08T13:11:00.000-04:00

...because he's my little buddy!