COLLEGE BASKETBALL!

Everyone sing with me now:

It's the most wonderful time... of the year

It's the hap-happiest season of all...

That's right, in case you are unaware: College basketball season has arrived.

I love college basketball. Don't get me wrong, I love college football too. But I grew up in North Carolina where EVERYONE has a college loyalty. I can remember growing up watching the ACC tournament in school almost every year. Tests were postponed if they came on the day after the Duke/Carolina game. Have I mentioned I love college basketball?

So in honor of ESPN's 24 straight hours of basketball games, here is my list of 24 reasons why I love college basketball...

1. March Madness. I know it's early to be talking about it, but really, it's never too early to talk about it, because it's the best month of the year.

2. The teamwork. This sounds cheezy, but college basketball teams are only successful if they learn how to work together. When 5 guys get out there and know each other really well, it's incredibly fun to watch.

3. Cheering for random teams. Almost any night of the week, you can flip on ESPN and watch a game between two obscure teams of universities sometimes no bigger than my high school. You choose a side, cheer for about 2 hours, and yet rarely have emotional withdrawal if they lose.

4. Upsets. College football has gotten better about this in the last few years, but basketball is still king. It's so great to watch a no name team beat highly ranked teams like UCLA, or Kentucky, or UNC, or UConn (I exclude Duke from this list because I love Duke... and it's never fun when they're ranked high and lose... or lose when they're not ranked high...)

5. The last :60 of a game. A game can swing 15 points in sixty seconds. I love the drama.

6. The squeak of the tennis shoes on the court

7. The players. It's really cool to watch as the players grow over 4 years. The skinny freshmen put on muscle, the butterfinger point guards learn to protect the ball, the centers and forwards learn to protect the lane and pull down rebounds, it's great.

8. The up-close emotion. Basketball is more fun than football because you can see the players' faces. The excitement, the anger, the anxiety right before a big free throw, they're all awesome.

9. Dicky V.

10. Short games. The games are shorter and don't require a whole evening's commitment to watch. A couple hours and you're back to what you were doing.

11. Lots of games. One loss of your favorite team will not put you in a week-long bad mood. One loss in college football and there goes your National Title hopes.

12. The swish.

13. The pre-free-throw rituals. Each player has them, and they are like a well rehearsed dance. Adjust headband, dribble 6 times, hold ball, look up, look down, bend knees twice, dribble twice, look up, shoot. Cringe as you airball.

14. The excessively dramatic refs. College football has them too, but they're just easier to see in basketball.

15. The rivalries.

16. The bench-arm-link. Watch the bench at the end of a particularly intense game. A player will get fouled, and has a chance to tie the game. All these tough 6' 10" guys are linking arms and rocking awkwardly on their knees as they watch they're teammate's pre-free-throw rituals. Usually the camera guy will notice and pan over to it, the bench guys do it every time.

17. The goofy big guy. Most teams have one and they fall in two categories. 1) The awkward lanky white guy who doesn't seem able to control his extra long arms and legs: this means he trips over himself and gets the ball stolen all the time. 2) The 275 pound football player who made the team; who plays basketball like Shaq, bowls people over, and fouls out in 4 minutes. Both are equally entertaining to watch.

18. Angry coaches. Check out this coach's solution to prevent himself from getting technicals

19. Interesting offenses and defenses. Each year coaches come up with cool new ways to take advantage of the strengths of their players.

20. The coaching battle. Along with those interesting types of offenses and defenses, it's great to watch how the opposing coach counters each style of play. It's like a great chess match.

21. Breakaways. They either result in great dunks, really athletic defensive plays, or attempted dunks that brick off the front of the rim and allow you to laugh at that player the rest of the game.

22. The Student sections. Admittedly, they often lack class, but quite often the student sections can change the entire momentum of the game.

23. The Cinderella teams. Those random teams (George Mason, Davidson, etc.) who surprise everyone (usually even themselves) and do really well. It's almost always a mark of great teamwork where a group of guys who have played together for 3 or 4 years have learned how to hide their weaknesses and exploit their strengths.

24. Because it's basketball.

Whew... that was fun. So what am I missing?

Simplify

I know it's been far too long since I've written, sometimes I just run out of valuable things to say. Still, that's not always bad. More words are not always better. I was reminded of this fact this morning.

I was teaching NexGen (our middle school Sunday school/church) and we were talking about "How good is good enough?" I started to explain the concept using scales where we "weighed" items representing good things or bad things we could do in our lives. There was significant debate about whether it was worse to "hit your little brother" or "steal a cookie from the lunch room."

Then once the "good" and "bad" things were ordered by how bad they really were, I asked them how do you balance the bad things and the good things. One kid suggested you should do the bad things first, then the good things, so the bad things will be forgotten along the way. Seems rational right?

Then I picked up the object that represented the stolen cookie in the lunch room, and I walked over to our things representing our good deeds. I told them that even if they did all of these good things (telling the truth, working at a homeless shelter, etc.) 7 times over, it would not make up for the stolen cookie. No amount of good deeds could tip the scales away from what we've done wrong.

And that's how I explained sin. They seemed to get it.

But then I tried to explain salvation. I talked about passover and blood sacrifice and God's perfect righteousness. Their eyes started to glaze. I had overcomplicated things.

Tonight at Fuse, James mentioned one verse.

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved
~Romans 10:9

I was so mad at myself! It's so simple. I tried to use this complicated logic about salvation, when one verse explains it. This is the nature of salvation. It's so simple and I made it complicated.

More words are not always better, sometimes it's best to simplify.

The Great Adventure...

The Facts:

Yesterday Greg received news that he was accepted into a service/missionary intern program based in Pretoria, South Africa.

The intern program is being founded by Eastside Community Church; a church based in the outskirts of Pretoria. Eastside was founded as a mission-based church and recently they have received some significant donations of property. Greg and the other interns will get to be the hands and feet of the new ministries.

Greg's main area will be in establishing soccer programs in the poor areas of Pretoria. Many parents have to work 2 or 3 jobs to pay the bills, leaving kids with no supervision after school. Many fall into drugs, gangs, early pregnancy, and even fall victim to kidnapping and rape. Establishing community centers and soccer programs will get these kids off the streets and into safe areas where they can still be kids.

The church is also planning major outreach events during the Confederation Cup in June 09. All the ministries established in '09 will be expanded in 2010 when South Africa becomes the first African nation to host the World Cup. Greg and the team will get to lay the foundation for some amazing ministries.


The Emotion:

I am unbelievably proud of this incredible step he's taking. It's so easy to look at the world and think, "God, why is it so broken?" Greg is allowing that conviction to ignite him to follow the Holy Spirit half-way around the world.

It's interesting, because when we heard about this program I remember thinking, "This is so perfect for Greg... crap." I think I knew right away that he would be leaving. Now, it's nice because God has given me a great peace that Greg is following His path, but that doesn't take all of the sting away. It still means we will be apart for a year.

There are easy days and hard ones. Sometimes I'm so excited to think about the lives that will change in Pretoria. What if one of these programs raises up the next Nelson Mandela who will lead South Africa a few decades from now? I am thrilled by the knowledge that God honors obedience by blessing us, and using us to bless others. Greg and the other interns will get to be used by God to do His work - it's quite an honor.

Most of the time, the knowledge of how much of a blessing this will be can override my selfish heart. But nights like last night creep up every once in a while. I was furious with God because I feel like we have worked so hard to honor God with our relationship. We've fought depression, lived apart for 15 months, and always put others before ourselves. But God is asking for something bigger. It doesn't seem fair. I don't understand couples that get to meet, date, and get married. Why does God make it easy for them? We've never had anything simple in our relationship, and sometimes it brings out jealousy in me.

I know that when Greg leaves in January things will be hard. Going to every wedding next summer without a date. Not getting to say goodnight (at least for the last year we've gotten to say it over the phone). No hugs. A thousand other things...

Very often people look at me as the strong one. If I exude any emotion people frequently think that I'm a dangerous form of time bomb. So I've tried to be strong around most people. But last night things hit pretty hard and this is what I wrote...

It happens in the stillness
With the rhythm of the crickets
The tears come

It happens in the car
with the words of an old song
The tears come

It happens when my heart
Stops listening to my head
The tears come

I know the truth
I know the beauty this will bring
I know the hearts that will open
I know the lives that will transform
But how can my knowledge
Override the tears of my heart?

Knowledge is not a barrier
It provides no protection
Words convince others,
But build no fortress for me
The truth strikes my heart full force.

And with that truth,
The tears come.


Now, I'm feeling better today. And I know God is working in this. It's going to be a challenge, but with every challenge comes growth and blessing. Besides, Jesus never promised that our walk would be simple, in fact most of the time He said it would be difficult. But it's worth it right? In the end, this is what life should be about - pursuing big dreams and serving God. It's all a part of the Great Adventure...

God Ordained Passions

It's out there. I just know it.

You ever get the feeling that something big is coming? I feel like God wants to do something huge in my life but won't tell me what it is yet. Sometimes I get so excited about it, it feels like my heart whats to jump out of my chest. How can I get this excited about something when I don't know that something is?

Mark Batterson said in a sermon a few weeks ago, "Your greatest responsibility is pursuing God-ordained passions." This isn't about our own joy and fulfillment. It is true that in finding our God-ordained passions those two will likely come with them, but that's not the point. This is bigger than you and me. This isn't just a good idea, this is a responsibility. I owe it to God (and should I be bold enough to say I owe it to the world as well??) to pursue whatever it is God has laid as a passion in my heart.

I'm trying to be patient. Sometimes I think I'll have my head wrapped around what God is sending me towards, and other days I have no idea. Am I supposted to go to seminary or will these passions evolve out of my current job? Will I be teaching or writing or speaking? Or is there something else entirely?

I guess for now I have decided that in order to continue on this path of "great responsibility," I'm not supposed to make any big moves just now. I think God is still trying to teach me before I'm sent out to do whatever this big thing is. I feel sometimes like the little kid who wants so desprately to play in the 3 feet of fresh snow that just fell. However, every time the kid bolts for the door, his mother keeps pulling him back to add one more layer of winter clothing - first jacket, then boots, then gloves, then hat. I have to remember that as hard as being patient is, ultimately if I don't let God prepare me this big something may never happen at all.

So I will leave you with three things....

1) A scene from West Side Story between Riff & Tony. Riff can't understand why Tony doesn't want to hang with the gang anymore, but Tony feels dumb trying to explain it...

Tony: You won't dig it, Riff.       
Riff: Come on, Tony. Try me.
Tony: Okay.
Every single night for the last month...
I wake up, and I'm reachin' out.             
Riff: Well, for what?           
Tony: I don't know.
It's right outside the door,
just around the corner...         
but it's comin'.             
Riff: What is?
Tony: I don't know.


2) I can't talk about that scene and not give the song to follow it =)


Something's Coming from West Side Story

Important Note: Richard played Tony in his high school production of West Side Story
and has yet to produce the video of said production.
                       We must find this tape.


3) I actually think this is one of the worst songs in the play.  Here's a couple of my favorites =)

America
Maria
Mambo
And, for those of you who enjoy Aquafina commercials... 
I Feel Pretty

Post for Leah =) (and everyone else too)

This post is for my sister-in-the-family (my sister-in-law's sister) who wanted me to explain the game Body Body a little more detailed.

First, take a deck of cards and pull out two kings. Then add enough cards (numbers 2-9) to the two kings so everyone in the group can get one. (example - for 12 people playing, use 2 kings and 10 non-face cards.)

Mix up the stack and pass out the cards secretly to everyone. Everyone looks at their card, and the people who got the kings become the mafia - everyone else are townspeople.

For the mafia to find each other, everyone closes their eyes. Then someone announces, "mafia look up and find each other." The two mafia members open their eyes and look around until they find each other. The announcer says, "Mafia go back to sleep" (mafia close their eyes) "Ok, everyone wake up"

Now all 12 people leave the lit room and go into the dark rest of the house. The first job of the townspeople is to stay alive. They move around the house and try to pay attention to who seems to be sneaky and alone in rooms (clues to who might be the members of the mafia).

Meanwhile, the mafia is trying to kill everyone off. They kill people by sneaking up behind them and pinching their shoulder. If you get pinched you have to collapse right where you are. However, the mafia has the option to pinch your shoulder and hold on to you to move you to where they want to dump your body (a bath tub or couch are discrete places to hide a body in the dark).

As soon as someone finds a body they scream "BODY BODY" and everyone flips the lights on.
All the people who are alive gather to debate who the killer is. This is where the mafia must become good liars. "It wasn't me! I was with Jane in the kitchen!" "No! I saw you running down the hall away from this body!" etc.

The killer is voted on, and the person with the most votes is sent away (back to the only lit room in the house). Along with the accused, the dead bodies can go with them to the lit room. However, only those dead bodies that have been found can go, hidden ones have to stay hidden.

Once they have left, play continues.

The mafia wins if they kill off all of the townspeople. The townspeople win if they are able to catch the mafia before they kill everyone.

A couple random rules
1) People can't hide by lying down (or they will be assumed to be dead and it screws up the game)
2) The mafia can kill as many people at a time as they want. If 6 people are standing in a row, they can run by and pinch everyone before anyone can yell Body Body (this is why townspeople need to separate and keep moving).
3) Someone has to touch a body before they can yell "Body Body." Even if they see a murder they have to reach the body in order to call "Body Body," which means they may have to run to avoid getting killed by the mafia first.

This game can be varied with more or less mafia depending on how many people are playing.

I hope this explains it well enough Leah!

Happy mafia playing!

Mm.... Syrup....

Tonight, this bottle is not my friend. It was one of the dumbest things I've ever done.

If you've never worked with middle schoolers, you may not realize what earns their respect. Being smart or a good speaker doesn't do it. You have to make a fool of yourself. You have to swallow your pride, stop acting like an adult, and prove you're willing to do any of the ridiculous, stupid, absurd things they want to do.

So tonight, after months of making up stupid gross games for our middle schoolers to play - they made up one for us.

I chugged a bottle of maple syrup.

Ok, I only got in about 2/3rds of a bottle before Billy (one of the other leaders) finished his.
But that means in less than a minute I drank 8 servings of syurp - nearly 2000 calories.

And after taking cheers from the crowd of middle schoolers and earning their respect... I proceeded to throw up 4 times in the next 2 hours.

I love Jesus, and I love middle schoolers =)

My Pride is a Weed.

Our house has a small bed of flowers that our landlord planted earlier this year, and it is our job to do the basic maintenance. I am not a gardener. I do not, nor will I probably ever profess to be a gardener. In fact, growing up it was the chore I hated the most. I do not have the patience to nurture plant life; the end result of yard work is never satisfactory enough to warrant the initial effort.

But having said all that, this small garden combined with my limited childhood experience makes me understand why gardeners hate weeds.


Weed
–noun

1.	a valueless plant growing wild, esp. one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.

2.	any undesirable or troublesome plant, esp. one that grows profusely where it is not wanted

Within a couple weeks, these plants can choke out and completely overpower the non-weeds in the garden. Even in places where good plants won't grow, weeds never seem to care. They grow in cracks of sidewalks, up around rocks, in the middle of other plants - just about anywhere. Give them an inch of soil and they'll go to town.

So as I was pulling our flowerbed full of weeds, I thought how much weeds are like those nagging sins in our lives. Everyone has them. Those certain things that no matter how many times you think you've beaten it; they manage to creep back into your life.

Mine is pride. If everyday I do not decide to humble myself before the Lord, I have offered an inch of soil for my pride. If I'm not careful, in a matter of weeks the cracks in my life can be overflowing with the dangerous fruit of pride. One of the best ways I can avoid that is by knowing where are my life's sidewalk cracks. If I am aware of my weak places, I can be more aware of my pride weed growing.

Also, weeds are stubborn. They work REALLY hard to stay put.
1) Sometimes they're prickly - who wants to try and pull a weed that's going to hurt? I mean, how much harm is it really doing there in that small corner of my garden? Maybe the prickly one can stay.
2) Sometimes their roots go deep. It's easy to pull off the green shoots, but without getting to the depth of the problem the weed will keep coming back. Getting the root usually takes longer, but being patient enough to get the root will save time and effort in the long run.

But even if they're stubborn and prickly and 4 inches in the ground; it's very important to seek out and get rid of the weeds. Even a few weeds of sin can do real damage the garden. Also, as difficult as it can be to constantly try and beat those nagging sins, the end result is incredibly gratifying to look back and see the full beauty of the garden.