Live in Awe

Set the stage and picture the scene.

The clouds that had been looming over the small boat had been growing over the past few hours. This one looked like it was going to be big. It started with a light drizzle. Then the sky let loose.

Along with the rain, came strong winds that swept into the enclosed lake and caused the waves to toss the boat back and forth across the water.

Those inside were horrified. They shivered as the rain saturated their clothes and they feared the boat would sink as they watched it slowly fill with the water that was being both tossed in from the lake and poured into from the sky.

The men inside were certain of their death.

As they panicked on the top, they realized that their leader was alseep below deck. His pillow nestled below his head. He was comfortable and resting after a days of teaching the seekers and healing the sick with more to come.

The men had seen him cast out demons. They had seen him bring life to legs that were once dead. They had seen him fill empty nets with thousands of fish. And yet they were still fearful. If only they believed.

They rushed below to ask him why he didn't care. "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" As if they were already in the process of dying.

What was Jesus thinking as he got up? I know what I would've been thinking. "Seriously? You woke me up because of this stupid storm? Have you no faith, yet?"

Then he did it. "Peace! Be still!" No dying down. No time in between. The wind and waves stopped. They obeyed without question.

The disciples were dumbfounded. As they looked at the sun appear and the waves stop, Jesus asked them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" After all he had done in their short time with him, how could they not believe yet? He wasn't done. It would only become more powerful from here.

Then there was the question. Those who walked with Jesus day in and day out. Those who witnessed firsthand hundreds of miralces couldn't believe what they saw.

"Who is this that even the winds and waves obey Him?"

What a powerful question. They didn't realize who Jesus was yet. Despite what they had seen and heard. They didn't know. Jesus had just displayed his power and they didn't know where it came from.

The Creator commanded His creation.

I love that story. I love that story because Jesus showed such awesome power that it left those who knew Him best awestruck and dumbfounded. Confused and amazed. Scratching their heads and falling to their knees.

"Who is this that even the winds and waves obey Him?" Translated: "What have we gotten ourselves into? This guy is amazing. Did you see what He just did? Where did He come from?"

They knew Him. They had witnessed amazing things, but yet, they still lacked faith.

There is a vast canyon between knowing someone and believing in someone.

This is The Guy who commands the winds and waves. He is worthy of our praise and demands our awe and wonder. Live in awe. Choose to do that now, because, eventually, you won't have a choice about it.

It's a Family Affair...

I seem to take occasional hiatuses from blogging, but tonight, the girls are in bed and it's still early. And by girls, I mean all 3. And by early, I mean 9:15. I on the couch watching Apocolypto by Mel Gibson and thinking about a passage of Scripture that I read last night.

Mark 3:31-35

Brief summary: Jesus is chillin' and his mom and brothers come and ask for him. When he's told that they are waiting for him, he says, "Who are my mother and brothers? Here are my mother and brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

I've always had a tough time with this passage. I do understand that Jesus is emphasizing the importance of our brothers and sisters in Him. No arguments there. However, it seems like He's tossing aside his mom and brothers. That I don't get.

Hannah suggested that we don't know what had gone on in their personal lives. Had any of them not believed in Him? Had any of them turned their backs on God? We'd like to think, "no," but we can't deny that it's a possibility, right? It was in His hometown that Jesus said a prophet is without honor because no one believed.

Is Jesus implying that our earthly family holds little importance when compared to our Christian family?

I don't have the answer for what Jesus intended about His biological family. I wish I did. Here's where it'll get fun, though. Do you have the answer?

Now...back to the last few minutes of Apocolypto.

Cowboys' Draft Analysis and Other Nuggets From the Draft Weekend

The 2010 NFL Draft has come to a close, so I figured that I'd take a moment and let my thoughts be known about the Cowboys' draft and a few other things that I found intriguing.

Cowboys' Draft:

NOTE: of my 9 coveted prospects in my previous post, the Cowboys ended up with 2 of those guys. Dez and Akwasi. Pretty good turnout...for me, anyways.

Rd. 1, 24 overall- Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State- Great value for the spot. As the number one rated receiver in the draft, the Cowboys were lucky to get him here. Some love this pick, some think it's risky. I think more is being made of his "problems" than really should be. The kid's never been in trouble with the law. He got scared and lied. I'm not condoning that. Had he told the truth, he would've avoided alot of that, but he's never been arrested and the kid can flat out play. I'm pretty excited about this pick. Rick Gosselin of DMN thinks Dez will be next season's Offensive Rookie of the Year. Roy, you've just been put on serious notice.

Rd. 2, 55 overall- Sean Lee, ILB, Penn State- Solid linebacker out of Joe Paterno's linebacker factory. After talking to Jeff Phillips about this pick, I'm even more excited. As a Penn State guy, Jeff wanted Sean for the Iggles. Apparently, he's got a motor that won't quit and will step up and be a leader on defense. I think he'll have an immediate special teams impact and maybe get some time in a few packages, but he'll have a year or two under Brooking before he really has a huge impact. Something to consider: 9 out of the past 10 years, the Defensive Rookies of the Year have been linebackers. Julius Peppers was the only exception. Just something to think about.

Rd. 4, 126 overall- Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB/PR, Indiana University at Penn.- Probably the guy that I'm most excited about. I know he played in a small school and will have to transition to the competition level at the NFL, but he has serious potential. The Cowboys want to move him to safety. He definitely has the size, speed and smarts to make the transition. Him and Dez could also provided a much need boost to the return game. I'm pretty excited to see what this kid can do.

Rd. 6, 179 overall- Sam Young, OT, Notre Dame- Don't know a whole lot about Sam, but he played at Notre Dame and protected Jimmy Clausen. While ND wasn't great this year, their offense was and that always starts on the offensive line. From what I know, he's pretty athletic and quick, but is only a right tackle prospect. I'm not sure if he's a project or not, but he will provide some depth at right tackle now that Free is going to be at left.

Rd. 6, 196 overall- Jamar Wall, CB, Texas Tech- Wall has some issues with open field tackling and doesn't have great speed. He has great ball skills, though. He was named MVP of the Alamo Bowl due to his play and an interception that set up Tech's win. He'll be a project and we'll have to see what Campo can do with him.

Rd. 7, 234 overall- Sean Lissimore, DE, William and Mary- 7th round from William and Mary. Not saying this pick won't work, but that combination doesn't sound promising. While at William and Mary, he put up good numbers, got some great awards and was a team captain, so he definitely has potential.

Draft grades are pretty stupid right after the draft. Talk to me in 2-3 years and we can assess these guys. At this time though, I think it was pretty solid. The Cowboys decision makers (and by that I mean Jerry Jones) didn't feel we had any great pressing needs. Their strategy seemed to be best available. I like what we came out with.

Thoughts on the rest:

Jacksonville Jaguars- I hadn't even heard the name Tyson Alualu until his name was called in the 10th overall pick. I think he had gone up some draft boards, but was by no means thought to be even a first rounder, much less a high first rounder. Maybe they'll prove everyone wrong, but I agree with most experts. A head scratcher and a stretch.

Denver- Either love it or hate it. I don't like it. I feel that Tebow in the first was a reach. I don't mind the pick up, I just feel it was paying alot (they traded back into the first to get Tebow after picking up D. Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech) to pick up a quarterback who, many feel, won't succeed on this level. I don't mind that they got him, just that they paid so much for him. It's an awfully big risk. I like Tim Tebow and I like the Broncos, so, I hope this works out. He's a good kid, there's no doubt; I'm just not sure he's a good NFL quarterback. Prove me wrong, Tim.

Kansas City- Eric Berry: love the pick. Now, two of my prospects were taken by the Chiefs in round two. Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas. I'm unsure why they took both of these guys. Both, I thought would be for the return game. So, they stole two of the better return men in the draft and are hoarding them for themselves. McCluster is a running back, but they're listing him as a WR (they already have Jamal Charles who had a breakout year last year). Arenas is a cornerback. He was a solid cornerback at 'Bama and he may be good, but I projected him more as a return man...and KC stole both of them.

Seattle- Probably the best overall draft. Arguably, the best tackle in the draft fell into their lap, then, 7 picks later, Earl Thomas (Taylor Mays is still crying about that). Golden Tate in the 2nd. What a solid draft. On top of that, they got LenDale White in a trade. He's a solid back when he's healthy and at the right weight. If Charlie Whitehurst is the quarterback that they paid for or if Matt Hasselback returns to form, then they could quickly move up in the NFC West since Kurt Warner is no longer on his throne in Arizona.

Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen- Through the first 47 picks, only two quarterbacks had been taken. Two of the better ones left on the board. Head scratcher. No doubt that Carolina was pumped when Clausen was literally gift wrapped and placed in their laps. McCoy falls to 85. Really? I hope he makes some teams sorely disappointed. I do find it interesting that McCoy and Shipley (best friends since they were kids) end up in the same state, just a couple of hours away from each other.

Houton- Cornerback Kareem Jackson in the first...Kyle Wilson was the higher rated corner. Traded out of their spot in the 2nd so someone else could pick up Toby Gerhart and they were left with Ben Tate later. Head scratcher on both accounts there. I do understand that Houston fans are excited about Trendon Holliday, though.

That's plenty of thoughts for now. I could keep going, but I'm tired and this isn't my job...I should get back to that, though. Let the criticism begin:

Coveted Prospects

These are the guys that I covet the most (excluding OL because they're just harder to see in a video) in next weekend's 2010 NFL Draft. Now, I know that most of them won't make it to 27 and at least one of them will be a 2nd or 3rd rounder. Nevertheless, in my opinion, these guys will be players and I would love to see Dallas land one of these guys:

NOTE to reader/watcher: TURN OFF SOUND!

I should also note that I like Nate Allen, but he doesn't have a good YouTube video of highlights...that's the only reason he's not included here.

Earl Thomas, FS, Texas


Wont' happen, but this guy is the dream pick.

Joe Haden, CB, Florida



Akwasi Owusu Ansah, CB/PR, IUP



Javier Arenas, CB/PR, Alabama


For a struggling return game in a later round.

Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers



Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State


If he falls, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cowboys pick him up...what, you think Roy will be here after next year?

Morgan Burnett, FS, Georgia Tech



Chad Jones, FS, Louisiana State



Dexter McCluster, RB/PR, Ole Miss


Again...for the return game.

Most not all. No particular order..except maybe for Earl Thomas.

Nachos for Jesus?

I heard a story on the news the other day about a church in my hometown (Frisco) that was doing something outrageous. At the beginning of the broadcast when the lady imparting the news began, she said, "The youth group at Northstar Church in Frisco, TX..." I got a little prideful. I puffed up a little. That's my hometown. They're on the news for doing something newsworthy...something for Jesus.

Unfortunately, my pride only lasted a brief second.

They are in the news because they are trying to break a Guinness World Record. For what, you might ask? For the largest plate of nachos. They loaded a trough full of chips, caked it in cheese, threw on some peppers and added a ton of salsa. The final measurement? 3,555.25 lbs. (The old record was 3,158 lbs.)

An article in the Dallas Morning News quotes the assistant pastor as saying, "We want to show you that you don't have to be stiff and starchy to love God."

Really? So, while millions of people around the world are starving to death, a church in a yuppy Dallas suburb is creating a plate of nachos so large that no one who is starving will ever see.

Apparently, there were hundreds of kids there at this event. Are hundreds of kids really going to eat 3,555 lbs of nachos? I don't think so. So, what happened to the rest? I can only guess.

I know that doing fun things can get people into church and our rationale is that once we get them there, they will hear the Word of Truth and be here for good. Dave told me something that he read on a blog when churches were giving away cars and big screen tvs on Easter Sunday in an effort to get people in the church doors: What you win people to Jesus with is what you win them to."

The gimmicks we use to get people in the doors aren't always bad. But, like Dave said, we give away materialistic goods and then later we're going to turn around and no longer endorse being a part of a material driven world. There has to be a balance somewhere.

In my mind, I have a hard time justifying building a huge plate of nachos purely for the sake of getting people in the doors of the church. Not when it's excess. Not when alot of it probably went to waste. Not when a church will take the glory for breaking a record. "By faith in God Northstar Church broke a world record in nacho building." Yeah, I don't think we'll see that added to the Book of Hebrews anytime soon.

Did people come? Sure they did. I'm not saying that I wouldn't have been tempted to drive out there and see or even eat some of these nachos, if, for nothing else, to say that I was a part of breaking a world record.

But those unchurched people who did come, what is their perception of God and the Church? Do they view church as fun, fun, fun? 'Cause, you know, it's not all about fun. Live life to the fullest, yes, but it's not all cherries and roses and we can't lure people into the church believing that it's all fun and games.

Maybe I'm being too harsh. I know that their motives were pure. I'm sure that their sole desire was to bring people in. I know that they had honest intentions. And they are just a springboard for me to focus on a larger issue.

How far is too far in gimmicks? Maybe you can help me with this. What is too much?

Whatever happened to the Word. What happened to the Words that were as sharp as a double-edged sword that could pierce to very marrow of the bone?

Mock Draft 1.0

For those of you who care, I'd like to know what you think of these picks.

It'll be interesting to see just how inaccurate this eventually ends up being:


1. St. Louis Rams- Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma-- While probably not the best player in the draft, the Rams need a franchise quarterback. Bradford could be that guy. After releasing Marc Bulger, the Rams are paving the way for Bradford to step in and start.

2. Detroit Lions- Ndomukong Suh, DT, Nebraska-- The best, most physical player in the draft. To me, this pick is a no-brainer for a defensive minded head coach like Jim Schwartz.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma-- Bucs have a lot of needs, but the best bang for their buck is gonna be McCoy.

4. Washington Redskins- Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State-- Unless they sign a guy like Flozell Adams before the draft, expect an OT here. This draft is deep with OTs, so I could see it being Trent Williams from Oklahoma, or even Bruce Campbell of Maryland. Without a solid OT, Donovan McNabb is going to be forced into retirement after the beating he'll take next year. I would be surprised to see them pick up a quarterback. I think they may have their eyes set on Colt McCoy in the 2nd...if that's the case, it would be very hard to like Colt for a while...

5. Kansas City Chiefs- Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma-- What don't they need? Even after paying Cassel out the nose, they may need a quarterback if he doesn't play better than last year. Still, I don't see them giving up on Matt yet. Just get someone in there to protect him. Oklahoma dominates thus far...

6. Seattle Seahawks- Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame-- Peter Carroll has studied this kid for the past several years. He knows what he's got and he knows that Hasselbeck is old and fragile. No slide for the Golden Domer.


7. Cleveland Browns-Earl Thomas, FS, Texas-- Thomas has a buzz about him that has me believing he's going up draft boards, not the other way around. This is a surprise pick. Most have Eric Berry of Tennessee here, but I think the Holmgren will be fascinated by Earl's nose for the football.

8. Oakland Raiders- Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers-- I'm not so confident in this one (like anyone can have any confidence in a mock draft). An OT just doesn't seem a "sexy" enough pick for Al Davis. Had they not taken a WR last year, I would be tempted to say Dez Bryant...still wouldn't surprise me.

9. Buffalo Bills- Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa-- If Clausen should fall at all, look for it to be a short fall. Without a solid first round QB to pick up, I see them going with the person who will protect their future.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars- Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech-- Big, strong and fast. Charlie Casserly had the right idea a few years ago when he took Mario Williams to attempt to terrorize Peyton Manning. Look for Jack Del Rio to follow suit.

11. Denver Broncos- Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee-- I could see them picking an offensive lineman here, but my money's on defense.


12. Miami Dolphins- Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida-- Bill Parcells will pick up a DeMarcus Ware body type (but 2 inches taller) that will make Tom Brady's weak in the knee...ha! Another outside possibility would be Sergio Kindle. I'm pretty sure Tyler Potts still wakes up sweating when he's been dreaming about that hit...

13. San Francisco 49ers- Eric Berry, FS, Tennessee-- The 49ers have a little bit of flexibility here since they have another pick at 17, but Berry has fallen far enough. There's a need in San Francisco that Mike Singletary hope Berry can fill.

14. Seattle Seahawks- Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State-- A quarterback's gotta have somebody to throw it to, right? Bryant has speed and size. He reminds me of Andre Johnson; probably the best all around WR in the NFL.


15. New York Giants- Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State-- A defensive line that was dominant a few years ago, didn't look so in 2009. The Giants lack a real presence in the middle of the line. Jared Odrick will be surrounded by some good defensive ends to make his job as a rookie little easier.

16. Tennessee Titans- Maurkice Pouncey, C/G, Florida-- I could see the Titans going with a strong DE, but with the loss of veteran Kevin Mawae (most likely), look for the Titans to find someone to fill those big shoes on the OL.


17. San Francisco 49ers- Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland-- I hesitate to put him here because he was one I was hoping might fall to the Cowboys. Alas, he will be gone long before my Boys pick.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers- Mike Iupati, G, Idaho-- Perhaps the Steelers should consider Colt McCoy? You know, Mike Iupati may not have anyone to block for if Ben gets suspended or locked up, so why not?

19. Atlanta Falcons- Sergio Kindle, DE, Texas-- Atlanta is in need of a good pass rusher. Kindle has the size and the speed to be their answer.


20. Houston Texans- Joe Haden, CB, Florida-- After the loss of Dunta Robinson to the Falcons, the Texans are going to need to find a good replacement corner.


21. Cincinnati Bengals- Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma-- Did anybody watch Hard Knocks last year? Me neither. I did catch bits and pieces of one episode. Every tight end they had got busted up. Here's hoping that knee holds up!

22. New England Patriots- Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida-- I don't know. It just seems to make sense.

23. Green Bay Packers- Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State-- With two aging cornerbacks, I think Mike McCarthy will try to get younger.

24. Philadelphia Eagles- Everson Griffin, DE, Southern California-- The Iggles need someone other than Trent Cole to rush the passer.

25. Baltimore Ravens-Brandon Gresham, DE, Michigan-- It's a toss up between DE or CB. Brandon Gresham has more of a first round grade to me that Devin McCourty


26. Arizona Cardinals- Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama-- After losing Carlos Dansby (and everyone else on the team), this team needs a quarterback on the defense.

27. Dallas Cowboys- Taylor Mays, FS, USC-- People have made comparisons to Roy Williams I beause he's a hard hitter. However, Taylor can run. Officially, a 4.43 40. Someone at the NFL Network handclocked him at 4.24. Either way, the kid's fast. I could also see the Cowboys choosing Nate Allen from South Florida. Left Tackle is also a possibility since the Cowboys cut Flozell Adams. If they choose to go that route, look for USC OT Charles Brown. However, the Cowboys seem to be pretty high on Doug Free and last year's rookie, Robert Brewster. I think they'll add some OL depth in the later rounds.

28. San Diego Chargers- Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State-- With LT gone, the Charges will be in need of someone bigger than Darren Sproles. Mathews has the capability to be a strong inside runner and still maintains speed to get to the corner.

29. New York Jets- Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois-- Even with Braylon Edwards, the Jets still need an elite reciever.

30. Minnesota Vikings- Jon Asamoah, G, Illinois-- With little OG depth behind Hutchinson and Herrera, they need someone young to groom.

31. Indianapolis Colts- Brian Price, DT, UCLA-- Add some punch to the middle of that defense.

32. New Orleans Saints- Brandon Spikes, ILB, Florida-- The loss of Scott Fujita to the Browns hurts. He was a productive leader during his time in New Orleans and Sean Payton will need to find his replacement.


So, there you have it. Comments? Criticisms? Complements?

Good, Good Friday

Ask Abby sometime what the Cross means. She'll tell you, "That Jesus loves us."

More than we could ever understand. This is just a little reminder on this, the day over 2,000 years ago that our Savior was crucified. "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all!"