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Thoughts on Clemson and the World Series

So, Clemson pulled off a huge upset Saturday against Miami and control their own destiny to get to the ACC Championship for the first time where they will more than likely face Georgia Tech who barely eeked out a win against the Tigers earlier in the year. Yes, that was a long sentence. Let me see if I got this right. Clemson has 3 losses by a combined 10 pts and merely has to win out to make the championship game. Hmmm. That sounds oddly familiar. I wonder how many callers to WCCP have lamented those losses and regretted being thisclose to being a BCS contender. If and when Clemson accomplishes either of these two firsts(making the Championship game and winning it to earn a BCS bid) I will take my hats off to them…literally. I have 3 Clemson hats that I will burn. I will keep my Clemson toboggan because it keeps my ears warm when I leave the gym. Seriously. I’m 100% positive that moving away from Tigertown removed all orange tinting from my glasses. So, Clemson fans prepare the best(Orange Bowl tickets baby!) or the worst(explaining to your son why Clemson was mediocre again and why next year will be better-just give him the same speech you’ve given him the past 10 years and that your father gave you).

The World Series starts tomorrow night and at a decent hour. Thank you MLB! It’s the first time in a long time that the two best teams from the season are meeting in the World Series. No Wild Card teams here(and no small market/low budget teams either). It should be a great series. However, as a Red Sox fan, I am facing a stark reality: these Yankees are different. There big free agents signings did not blow up in their faces this year(CC and Tex). Every move the Yankees have made in the last 7 or 8 years had been iffy. Jason Giambi, Randy Johnson, Gary Sheffield, Carl Pavano…none of their moves worked out…until now. And so, we are left facing the possibility of a new Yankee dynasty that could run the table for the next 3 or 4 years though Joe Girardi’s managerial moves are often questionable. The Red Sox face some big off season decisions. The last thing we(and the world) needs is more Yankee’s titles.

Lion Chaser Monday-The Montgomery Family

If you watched Extreme Home Makeover last night then you heard the story of the Montgomery family and saw their lives changed. Nathan left his engineering job to start Salt and Light, a ministry to the less fortunate. Somewhere along the way, he and his wife decided to “Chase Their Lion” and because of that countless individuals have been fed, clothed, and helped in their time of need. What if he had kept his old job and not pursued his purpose and passion? How many lives have been changed because of his family’s sacrifice? Sometimes, God births something in our heart that cannot be contained. Fear and doubt creep in and try to dissuade us from walking in obedience. Eventually, we must make the choice to pursue it with all we have or let the dream die a lonely, painful death. Despite obstacles(and probably naysayers) the Montgomery’s allowed God’s vision to become reality in their lives. There’s lots of coverage of their story here. There are many videos covering various aspects of the show and their ministry. It’s a great behind the scenes look at a great show, but also an up close look at the Montgomery family as well. It’s inspiring stuff. You can find out more about their ministry here and make a donation here. They have have a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Are you being salt and light? A great ministry…a great family.

Take Action Thursday-Charity Water

One of the greatest tragedies in the world today is that people are dying because they don’t have clean water. Daily I take for granted the ease with which I can fill and refill my glass, cup, bottle, with cool refreshing water(and ice). The average American uses 150 gallons of water a day while many around the globe struggle to find 5(from the charitywater.org page). It’s not about asking everyone to go overseas and physically dig a well. It’s about all of us pitching in and doing what we can. It’s about moving from the attitude, “How much do I have to give” to “How much can I give?” It’s about asking the question,”God, how do you want to use me in this?” Scott Harrison has an amazing story. Charity Water is the result of God getting a hold of one man’s life and how he responded. What if we all responded to God with passion and vision? This is not a story for the lukewarm or faint of heart(faith). This is story to plug into and make it part of your own. Set aside some time to watch the video below and hear from Scott himself how he’s making the world a better place one glass of water at a time. And by all means, join the clean water revolution by giving today.

The Idea Camp – Scott Harrison from The Idea Camp on Vimeo.

Kudos to Apple and some other fun stuff

Took my Ipod Touch that had stopped charging by the Apple store on Monday and they replaced it with a new one. It was quick and painless. I didn’t have to beg or fuss. The dude, whose name ironically is Steve for all those who know my latest nickname, was really cool and helpful. I am having a great customer service month. So, Kudos to Apple!

With Halloween approaching, here’s a funny video from the Onion that was posted last year. Note: this is not a real newscast.

Speaking of fake news, a group emailed some major news organizations claiming to be the US Chamber of Commerce a few days ago. The group stated that the Chamber was going to reverse it’s position on climate change and hold a press conference. Reuters picked up the story and ran with it. The group even held a fake press conference which was interrupted by a real rep from the Chamber. On Fox, they reported the Reuters headline while at the same time calling the Chamber for confirmation. The Chamber denied the news and Fox reported that the Reuters report may be an error. Reporters actually showed up to the fake press conference and were angered when it was interrupted. A quick phone call, email, or fact check would have saved these reporters some major embaressment. I guess I’m posting this because of the news media inability to fact check their sources lately. Just in the past week many news organizations falsely attributed quotes to Rush Limbaugh about slavery and James Earl Ray. The uproar lead to Limbaugh losing his spot on an ownership bid for the St. Louis Rams. We do this a lot in our lives. It’s called gossip. One of the 10 commandments even deals with “bearing false witness.” Without further delay, here’s the video of the fake press conference.

And finally, here’s my favorite “fake” press conference of all time. Louie Giglio back-tracking on Twitter.

Purpose Killers-Prejudice and Bitterness

Have you ever tried to pursue something, but you felt this weight that was holding you back? Have you ever felt that there were just some things that you could never get past? Have you ever carried a grudge for so long that it started to eat away at you from the inside? It is impossible for a person to “Chase Their Lion” while carrying a grudge or prejudice against groups of people. You may be thinking to yourself,”I’m not prejudiced”, but certain thoughts and feelings crop up in certain situations or when you hear certain stories. You may not be outwardly prejudice, but you harbor negative feelings towards different races, religions, or people. This is an issue that cuts both ways and always hurts everyone involved. Maybe yours is an issue more personal than that. Maybe someone has hurt you and you carry anger and unforgiveness in your heart. Whatever the case may be, we need to let go of the things that would hinder us. We need to do whatever it takes to become the person God created us to be. And God did not create us for hatred, bitterness, prejudice, or grudges. He created us to love Him and love others and to express that through our service. Here are some resources to help you change your thinking, overcome bitterness, and Chase Your Lion!

Revival, IPOD touch repaired, Idolatry

It was quite the weekend for me. Friday and Saturday, I was up at Victory Mountain Camp for The NC East Youth Fall Rally. I had to leave early to speak at Liberty Wesleyan’s fall revival. Matt Beasley was the speaker at Fall Rally. He’s chasing his lion here. I am still a little sore from playing back to back Flag Football games. Can I just say that the “Official” NFL Flag Football set flags were terrible. Started out with 20 and ended up with 12. That’s after only a few games. After my performance, you would think that I couldn’t catch a cold, but I did. I’m pretty sure there are too many comma’s in that last sentence. Heading to the Apple store in Greensboro because my Ipod Touch won’t work unless it is plugged in. I’m pretty sure they’re going to claim water damage on a device that hasn’t even been near any. Hopefully, they can fix or replace it and I will have as great an experience with them as I have with Verizon the past few weeks. Those people have given us A+ service on a couple of things. People always talk about the mistakes and stuff. I just want to give credit where it’s due and if Apple comes up big today…they’ll get props too. I appreciate all the prayers for the revival I’m speaking at at Liberty Wesleyan. Awesome day yesterday and loved hanging with the Wards! Hope everyone has a great week. Take lots of Vitamin C and drink that water!