What grips You at Christmas?

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Thankful for Grace

11-12-13

Today is almost over.  As I have been writing down the date numerous times at work during the day I was reminded there will only be one day in history with the date -- 11-12-13 -- being in consecutive order for the month, day, and year.   Similarly, I have been camping in the book of Philippians for part of this year as I study through it with a friend.  These verses in Paul's letter to the church of Philippi come to mind that have 11, 12, and 13 in them.

Philippians 1:11, "filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ -- to the glory and praise of God."


Philippians 2:12, "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,"


Philippians 3:12, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."

Fifty

Today my parents celebrated a milestone, 50 years of marriage.

Rewind: It's Bristol Baby!

In late August I took a road trip to Bristol, TN with my friend, Don.  Now, I am not a big NASCAR fan. But, I have been told that if you can go to one race in the Sprint Cup circuit it is the night race at Bristol.  The race is run on a half mile oval known as "The Last Colosseum".  160,000 fans can view the race from any vantage point.  Bristol is fourth largest sports venue in the United States and the eighth largest in the world.

When we arrived in Bristol early Saturday afternoon, I experienced NASCAR culture for the first time. It is a unique culture.

The Thrill of Victory, The Agony of Defeat

Soccer season is in full swing for the Messiah College men's and women's teams.  Last year both teams won Division III national championships.  The men have won nine national championships and the women have won five.  Messiah College is the only college in the NCAA to win both the men's and women's soccer national championship in the same year with their wins in 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2012.

Here is a shot from last year's men's semi-final game when they scored the goal to win the game, 1-0, over Loras College.

Tebow's Future - Certain

Over the weekend the New England Patriots, in preparation for the regular season and having 53 man team roster, released Tim Tebow from their team.   Tebow had signed with the Patriots in June for a two year deal without any guaranteed money.  Some thought he would make the team, be tutored by future Hall of Fame quarterback, Tom Brady, and his playing skills refined by future Hall of Fame coach, Bill Belichick, but this wasn't the case.

Tim Tebow drew a lot of media attention during the preseason workouts and games.  His New England Patriot game jersey, #5, was a hot seller too. With over 2 million plus Facebook fans and counting, Tebow attracts attention wherever he is.  I think this is great. Why? Because Tebow lives his life for one single purpose -- to glorify the Lord in everything he does whether it is playing football, working with kids through the Tim Tebow Foundation, or simply living life.

Prior to Tebow's release from the Patriots he told reporters, “I’m blessed because of my faith, because you don’t have to worry about the future, because I know who (God) holds my future."  Tebow continued, “A lot of times people use that as a cliche, but it’s something I try to live by. It really gives you a lot of peace in whatever circumstance you’re in.”