Blowing Bubbles...

Kill Your Ipod...

The last few weeks, I have been reading Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death" with my junior U.S. History class. Having just finished the book, as an assignment, the class had a "media fast" for 24 hours. During their fast, they were not allowed to use the cell phone, ipod, video games, radio, TV, etc.

The students journaled their day and expressed how difficult it was to fast and how often they were tempted to turn on their radio, check a text message, or call a friend.

When asked what they spent their time doing, I was amazed at how many of them did things that they would have never given the thought to doing. Some decided to read a book (on their own), play Scrabble, talk with a parent for an extended period of time. Two even attempted to go on a bike ride.

This project got me to thinking about what I am missing as both a parent and a husband with the way I use technology. Do I have extended phone calls with others while I could be spending time with my family? Do I surf the internet for hours and miss valuable time with my wife?

Our time with family and friends is very precious, and as I watch my kids grow up, I am becoming more and more convicted that I am missing precious opportunities like teaching my daughter to ride a bike, or flipping my two oldest on the mattress upstairs, or reading more wonderful stories before bedtime.

Technology is not evil. Blogs are not evil. But after giving it some thought, I think I might be posting a little less and spending more time with the "fam."

100 - 0 = Fired

The coach for the infamous Covenant School basketball team has been fired from his position. He did not agree with the administrations decision to apologize for the shame and embarassment that he brought to the school. He responded via email to the local newspaper, which probably was not the smartest thing to do.

A portion of his response is quite telling:

"My values and my beliefs would not allow me to run up the score on any opponent, and it will not allow me to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity."

I could think of a whole host of things that could have been done to prohibit such a wide margin of victory that would not have required the coach to just pull his team off of the floor.

If you must...here's the article.

In Your Face...

In all of my years playing sports, and in my short career as a coach, I have always been taught (and now teach) that athletics teach many life lessons. I can only imagine the life lessons that both of these teams learned in one game.

Geography Whiz...

Prophetic (pt. 2)?

Prophetic?

Aldous Huxley interviewed by Mike Wallace...

Neighbor Norton's Calf...

"I would have everybody able to read, and write, and cipher; indeed I don't think a man can know too much; but mark you, the knowing of these things is not education; and there are millions of your reading and writing people who are as ignorant as neighbor Norton's calf, that did not know its own mother."

- Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Best Sellers...

"Everywhere I go, I'm asked if I think the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a best seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher." - Flannery O'Connor

Perseverance...

When I was a boy, I used to go to watch Coach Don Meyer pace the sideline in the old McQuiddy Gymnasium as he coached the Lipscomb University Bisons. He was often as enteraining as the game. Coach Meyer never smiled on the sideline (although he has an amazing sense of humor), would bark game notes to his assistant coaches who would scibble furiously on their legal pads, and whisper personal reminders into his hand-held tape recorder.

Coach Meyer's teams were remarkably fundamental, could always shoot the lights out, and played tenacious defense. During his tenure at Lipscomb, Meyer compiled a 665-179 record and led the Bisons to the National Tournament 12 out of his last 18 years as head coach with a National Championship in 1985-86.

Now coaching at Northern State, last night (January 10, 2009), Coach Meyer became the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, surpassing Bobby Knight. However, he had a very difficult road to the top.

The Real Deal...

God has placed Tim Tebow in the spotlight.

If you're not a Commodore, you just don't understand...

A New Year...

“The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul”

G.K. Chesterton

Music City "Miracle"...

This past football season for the Vanderbilt Commodores was truly supernatural. A team that was supposed to be on the bottom of the SEC again, yet ended the season with seven wins. It was a miraculous season in many ways and ended last evening in the same fashion.

This past season, the Commodores won games against South Carolina, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Kentucky that in past years they would have found ways to lose.

Yesterday, Vanderbilt beat the 24th ranked Boston College Eagles only mustering 200 yards, gaining eight first downs and converting just one of 15 third-down situations. The deciding factors turned out to be the fact that Vanderbilt committed no penalties and had no turnovers.

It was a gloriously cold evening, perfect for football. The atmosphere, for Vanderbilt, was electric. It was surreal as I looked around at the Vanderbilt section, watching the faces in the crowd. Many looked as if they were about to watch the Commodores let one slip away. Many looked as if they could not believe we were going to win a bowl game. They were all loud, on their feet, and giving it all they could to help the Dores along. In the end, all were relieved.

In my pessimistic little mind, however, I wonder if I will be 58 years old before we get to another bowl and if I will be 84 before we win another one.

What I am reading...

Preach it, brother...

As you may be aware, Obama will be using the same Bible that President Lincoln used at his inauguration on March 4, 1861.

There are many historical elements to the upcoming inauguration and the entire presidency of Barack Obama. And now, your pastor can get in on the action.

26 Years

When I was six years old, Vanderbilt played the Air Force Academy in the 1982 Hall of Fame Bowl. They have not been to a bowl since...until now.

This coming Wednesday at 2:30 pm Central Time, the Vanderbilt Commodres will kick off against the Boston College Eagles from the ACC. I will, Lord willing, be there.

Year after year, expectations are high going into the season and year after year, each season end in heartbreak. Vanderbilt football teams seem to find any and every way to loose football games. Each football game ends up being one more week closer to basketball season.

This year, thank the Lord, it is different.

I don't know what it is like to root for my college football team in a bowl, but I will know after this Wednesday.

Go Dores!

True, true...

Anticipating an historic day ...

Shakespeare and Emerson...together again

"Well, whiles I am a beggar, I will rail,And say there is no sin but to be rich;And being rich, my virtue then shall be To say there is no vice but beggary"

-- Shakespeare: King John

"Without a rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar"

--Ralph Waldo Emerson