What an agonizing game for Colt McCoy last night.  Can you imagine standing on the sidelines for the biggest football game of your life?  I hurt for the young man.  I think his comments at the end of the game, or rather his silence, while trying to answer a question about how hard it was to watch from the sidelines spoke volumes.

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On the other hand, if the second half is a glimpse of the new QB, Texas just may have a shot to remain contenders for awhile.  He looked like a big bag of nerves in the first half – and who wouldn’t in that position – but he came back and showed some poise in the second half.

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Alabama was a good team but I think Texas could have won that game without McCoy getting hurt.
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It’s time to move on.  College basketball and spring training are on the radar.

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Did you hear the Rangers made an offer to Vladamir Guerrero?  Wouldn’t that be a hoot to see him belting a few out of the Ballpark but wearing a Rangers uniform?  I hope they can pull that one off.
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Christmas is over but is the giving season over with it?  I hope not.  I am more aware of hurting people than ever and know there are many who still need help.  I hope the Lord keeps my eyes open to those who need help, a kind word, money, whatever it is.  I want to share the CHRISTmas spirit all year.

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Grace and peace to you.
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I don’t know who reads my blog because there are few contributors (a break for a shout-out to Rick, my consistent responder. See more at rross.blogspot.com) but every now and then someone tells me they are reading it which is cool. Sometimes I even get a response from someone that I never imagined would be responding. Yesterday was one of those times and it makes me enjoy doing this even more.

Adding on to a bit of yesterday’s post, I spoke of my son at baseball practice. He practices at a facility in Keller going by the name of Swing City and run by Luis Ortiz and Jason Noonan. Jason is my son’s coach and the one he has spent the most time working with and Jason has helped him in so many ways. Luis is a former MLB player and has works with my son when he is in town (Luis also works for the Rangers and spends a good bit of time traveling). The thing that strikes me about these guys and the environment is a) their obvious love for teaching and working with kids and b) their ability to figure out how to communicate a concept with the kid they are working with.

At a minimum, they say hi to every kid and parent when they walk in the door and they tell every kid and parent bye when they leave. If they aren’t working with someone at those moments the kids will get a hug or a high five (or wrestled to the ground if they are up for it). It’s obvious these guys love working with “their” kids. Then, they find ways to communicate. I’ve taken my son to several coaches and many of them have good ideas but only communicate it one way. If the kid can’t grab that concept he’s out of luck. Not so at Swing City. These guys find a way to explain it whether the kid is 5 with the mind of a 12 year old or 15 with the mind of a 6 year old (OK, there aren’t that many of the second kind…I hope). It’s a great talent and one of the key things that has allowed me to feel so good about using them for the past 2 years.

If you have or know a kid who wants to be a better baseball player, take them to Swing City in Keller. It’s been a home run for me.

I mentioned Luis and Jason but there are also some other guys there – Jeff, Jared, Kory, Doug and Lincoln – that are all great guys and all of them have some input with the kids at some point. It’s always positive and it’s always helpful and it’s always pushing the kids to be better today than the last time they came.

Check ’em out at http://www.swingcity.biz.
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OK, that’s my non-paid advertisement for the day.
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I love Romans. It’s full of truth and encouragement. It’s full of hope and promise. It’s full of how to live through today while keeping my eye on the fulfillment of the promise. Do you need to hear some good news? Do you need some hope? It’s there in Romans.

Grace and peace to you.

Blogging is not working for me today. I’ve tried 2 different posts and I can’t get traction with either one. I think the mind is overloaded and I probably need to take a few days off. On the other hand, I can fill up the space with mindless wanderings…which may not be much different than what I post every other day.

The Apple tablet is coming out. I bet it’s going to be cool but not affordable for the masses.

Our high school kids get new technology next year. I’m wondering if it will be a notebook or if they will roll out the new tablets. If textbooks were available, I’m guessing the tablet would be a lock but until then the notebooks might be more practical for the first go-round.

My son had his first baseball practice for the spring season last night. It was a pitching oriented practice and one of the guys working with him was D.J. Carrasco who led the major leagues in relief innings pitched last year while playing for the Chicago White Sox. Pretty cool stuff.

We watched him throw for a bit after practice and the ball moves in crazy directions.

Bundle up.

God is good. He leads me through storms and turmoil and gives me peace. He never fails but is always faithful, always desiring to walk with me and always loves me in unimaginable ways.

Romans 5:8

Grace and peace to you.

I’m predicting that Boise State will beat TCU by 7.

What a game. I’m not sure if Boise State is much better defensively than I imagined or if TCU was too tight to play a good game but I give Boise State all the credit for a big win. I hope both teams are playing top schools from the SEC and Big 12 next year so they can really show what they have.
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I finished Crazy Love by Frances Chan and rank it high on my all-time list of books that challenged me. It is one I would recommend everyone read even though I know some people will not like it. He doesn’t hold back from calling people out and calling Christians to a heightened awareness of what being Christ-like should look like. At every point I thought he was going a little far, I took some time to think about what he was saying and usually realized what he said was pushing me to go further in my journey. Since we are all at different points in our walk, the book will affect everyone differently but I don’t think anyone could read it and think they have done all they need to do in service to God.
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Grace and peace to you.

The Cowboys are 3-0 since Jerry Jones posed for a picture with my son. The clinched the division and a home game for the playoffs. What’s that worth to Jerry? I’m thinking he should share a little of that with his new, good-luck charm. 🙂
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I enjoy the picture/video recaps of the year that just went by. I forget so many things that have happened in the past year and seeing the pictures always evokes different memories as I watch.
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I’m surprised by the controversy over what Mike Leach did to Adam James. It was wrong, simply wrong. On the other hand, I’m a bit surprised it resulted in a firing. What has resonated with me are the players that are coming out against Leach. I know every player doesn’t like every coach but I’m not hearing sour grapes. Instead it seems like level-headed comments on Leach becoming too big for his britches.

My bet is that Leach will be an offensive coordinator somewhere within the month.
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I think TCU will win by 9 tonight.
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I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10, 11

Grace and peace to you.

A new year is upon us and I approach this one differently than any in the past – with more desire than ever to seek God’s will in my life and to be willing to fulfill his desires for me.

My hope for you is that you will find God’s blessings in the sunshine and the storms, in the ups and downs of life. He is always there. He never turns away. He is faithful to his promise to you and to me.

Grace and peace to you.

Happy Birthday LeBron. Happy Birthday Tiger.

One of my darling children was texting me last night to find out when I was coming home from work. When I talked to the darling child, he asked if I wanted to play his new video game when I got home. Sure! Great! As I pulled up in the driveway, 2 darling children were hiding in the trees with snowballs at the ready. Sneaky kids.

The snow was beautiful yesterday. I didn’t like driving in the ice too much last Thursday but loved seeing the snow on the ground this week. Being that we are in Texas, it’s already melting away from yesterday very quickly.

2010 is a couple of days away. I am wondering what the next year will bring more than I ever have and I am praying that my resolution will be lived out each day. LORD, reign in me.

Grace and peace to you.

As I talk to people about the spiritual battle I have come to see, I often get bobbing head syndrome where I think they are agreeing with me so I won’t say anymore or they just don’t want to say they think the elevator has quit hitting the top floor. I’m OK with that because I was in the same boat for a number of years and it took a blow to my heart for my eyes to be opened. Today, I found the following from John Eldredge:

Let me say this again: the story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it. I hope you are beginning to see that more clearly now. Otherwise, much of the Bible will not make sense to you. Much of your life will not make sense to you.

I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. (Isa. 45:2–3)

Doesn’t the language of the Bible sometimes sound . . . overblown? Really now—God is going to level mountains for us? We’d be happy if he just helped us get through the week. What’s all that about breaking down gates of bronze and cutting through bars of iron? I mean, it sounds heroic, but, well, who’s really in need of that? This isn’t ancient Samaria. We’d settle for a parking place at the mall.

If we are in an epic battle, then the language of the Bible fits perfectly. Things are not what they seem. We are at war. That war is against your heart, your glory. Once more, look at Isaiah 61:1:

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners.

We are in a battle. Our lives are not the result of what anyone has done to us but a result of our heart relationship with our Creator. It’s not the absent father’s fault or the drug addicted mother. It’s not spoiled child’s fault or the lack of education. (How can we celebrate “success stories” from these conditions and turn around and blame them for the person who doesn’t rise above it?) It’s a battle for the heart and soul and mind from forces that are far stronger and far more shrewd than the people we are around daily.

I pray God will continue to open my eyes to who the fight is with and prepare me for battle to his glory.

Grace and peace to you.

The Cowboys are 2-0 since Jerry took a picture with my son. Coincidence?
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This is always a crazy week for me. It’s the end of the year so I’m trying to remember all the things we need to wrap up for year end and it’s time for some great high school hoops action that I always want to go see. It looks like I’ll be working more and seeing less basketball than I would like but that’s the way the ball bounces sometimes.
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As I end 2009, I look back at some rough seas and plenty of storms but I can only leave the year hope-filled because of the miles I have traveled getting closer to my Lord. He is patient, he is faithful, he is loving and merciful. He has held his arms open waiting for me to come to him. I am humbled that he never turned away, that he never gave up on me. Through my lifetime, there have been plenty of opportunities for God to see me as a lost cause but his love and concern for me is so overwhelming that he waited patiently for me to give him my heart. I pray that 2010 will continue to find me emptying myself of my desire and control by dark forces and living in submission to the Lord’s will for my life. I pray that he will use me to his glory. It’s a scary prayer because I know I might have to go places that aren’t in my regular rounds but I also believe that being a disciple means I will find comfort in the uncomfortable because he is with me.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…

Grace and peace to you.

My dad got his first hole-in-one yesterday. He sounded like a kid on Christmas morning when he called to tell me about it…and he should. That’s a cool pre-Christmas present. Way to go, Dad!

The Whataburger basketball tournament cranks up next week. One of my favorite things to do every year is spend some time watching some great teams and college bound players hoop it up.

Christmas Day is around the corner. For me, it can easily become a time of constant tension because of the pace at work and all the activity that surrounds this time of year. I’m wanting to take some time this Christmas Day to talk to God and thank him for the birth of a savior, a gift to me and to the world who has changed the course of history (or maybe I should say eternity), who took on evil, who lived and loved and showed me what I can be and who I should be, who forgave all sin – even putting him to death on a cross.

Merry Christmas!

Grace and peace to you.