Lord, give me strength

God, thank You for who You have made me. I know I have my weaknesses and difficulties, but in You I am made strong. Give me the strength to be compassionate, patient, diligent, and possess integrity at work. I want to be proactive and productive. It has been a trying semester, but a great one. I desire to continue growth and study. I am so blessed with a heart for people and I want to use it for Your glory. You always blow my mind. I love you.

The Madness of March

Ah, Spring. The time of year when a young man's fancy turns to intense passion and leaving it all on the floor. This time of year is one of my favorites by far, with the NBA heating up and gearing towards the playoffs, MLB right around the corner, the NFL draft is a big topic after the Combine, and even Tiger Woods returning at the Masters can not dampen my spring sports fever. Because besides all of these aforementioned treasures, nothing can shake me from my roost quite like March Madness.

It has become a cultural phenomenon, kinda like mullets. And Pokemon. And celebrity scandals. Except the difference is March Madness is the kind of phenomenon everyone can enjoy, from young toddler to the old retired person who is about to get a fat check from Mr. Obama. (One could make a case for mullets still being popular, but the people who put those things on toddlers are ungodly.) Terms such as "bubble", "bracket-busting", and "Cinderella team" are becoming household.

No other sport can match the intensity in a playoff system quite like NCAA men's basketball. Sure, the NFL has the highest-viewed playoffs and (you get those fans that come shirtless with the painted chest when it's -30 degrees outside and it's snowing. But I hope you're not THAT guy.) And the NBA, MLB, and NHL have their own best-of-seven versions of what it takes to be a champion. But the way the Tournament works is unparalleled: 65 teams. Powerhouse programs to lowly mid-majors duking it out. Upsets galore. I mean come on! How often is an Ivy League school in any kind of final that doesn't involve the debate team? (See 12th-seed "Cornell: Men's BBall, 2010). Saint Mary's, a 10 seed, is doing work, beating No. 2 Villanova. Number 11 Washington destroyed a good No. 3 New Mexico.

It can be argued that the reason for this is no dominant teams this season. Doesn't that make it even more intriguing?

Like my good friend Kevin Garnett once said, (well, screamed) "Anything is possible".

NashVegas

I had never been to Nashville, Tennessee before this past week. Or Alabama. Or Mississippi. And let me tell you, if there is one thing I learned about those places is that it really is true what they say when they are spoken of as "hick" places. The Southern accents are as thick as molasses. But I learned so much more than just geography. I spent a week with an incredible group of people who had gone through so much before the trip even started, and met more incredible people while I was there.

On Monday we worked with Feed the Children, an organization that gives boxes of goods to needy families. We spent hours packing and re-packing palettes and became very proficient. Tuesday we worked with Habitat for Humanity, and helped them set up several trailers for home sites. We had four work-release inmates working alongside us, and had the opportunity to have spiritual conversations with them. Wednesday we organized boxes upon boxes of clothing, food, and miscellaneous items at the Nashville Rescue Mission. It was there we met Thomas, a man with one of the most incredible testimonies I have ever heard, and now has an incredible fire in his heart and in his life. I know those who were there will not be the same.

God did His thing through us, and I know that I am lucky just to be His hands and feet. Our group grew very close and I love each one of them.

Joshua 24:14-15 - 14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Sex should still be taboo

Sex sells. Everyone knows this. Look at Playboy and television and movies (don’t even start on the internet) and it is in plain sight. In our culture’s never-ending quest to find “self discovery” and “free speech” it has found itself at new places: lowly places. Sex is more prevalent in our society than ever before, but how is this a good thing?

When one thinks of a newspaper many things come to mind, be they news (shock!), sports, what is happening in the city, nation, and world, and classifieds, job openings, etc. Perhaps even an advice column from Dear Old Abby herself. But even inside of this column, who really wants to hear about sexually frustrated old people getting sexual advice from a sexually frustrated old lady herself? (Look at her picture and tell me she is not). Yes, Dear Abby gives us lots of good advice other than sex, so I’m not just bashing her, but the point is this: even if the people wanting this column are not old people but young, hot college students in the thralls of love, who is giving the advice? Are there college students who are “experts” on sex? Is that a good thing?

The student publication of the school newspaper is for the students by the students, so students would be the ones writing the column. Or, there would be a creepy old editor supervising the column and generously gracing us with his experiences and giving his take on matters. Either way, the advice one would get is not from an expert, but from people who just want to talk about sex.

This may be exactly what the heart of the matter is: people simply desiring to talk about sex. For so long sex was taboo, and people are hardwired to rebel, so it is no surprise it would lead to sex becoming okay. The problem with that is, there are many consequences when sex is involved:

· Culturally: When sex becomes okay for the culture, it gives people an opportunity to rationalize having affairs. (I wasn’t sexually “compatible” with my spouse…)

· Socially: Children learn more sex education in elementary schools than their parents could ever teach them. Trust me, I went to elementary school.

· Economically: Here is a website with all different kinds of statistics on pornography. I found it interesting that in referring to pornography “Internet misuse at work is costing American corporations more than $85 billion annually in lost productivity”.

· Morally: If you have to ask, you shouldn’t be alive.

Leave the sex out of a student newspaper. If students want to talk about sex, they can go to the Internet. Or the movies. Or television. Or romance novels. Or…

Study of Elijah

I have recently begun a case study on my favorite character in the bible, Elijah. This man was a prophet of God who was so faithful and powerful, and walked so closely with Him, that he didn't even die. There is so much to this that I'm breaking it down bit by bit. Depending on how long the study goes, I may even move into his successor, Elisha, for he has an incredible calling as well.

To read all about it along with me, here is the story.