Handmade Birthday Cards and Georgia vs. Florida

You may wonder what a homemade birthday card has to do with the Georgia/Florida game. My daughter gave me a homemade birthday card with stick figures playing football on it. A large scoreboard in the background said: Georgia 1,000,000 Florida 0. She is such a great daughter. O that every dad who is a Georgia Bulldog fan would have a daughter like her.

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Some things that irritate me and some things that I appreciate (part 2)

What irritates me: When people state the obvious and think they are something for having noticed it. For example, you’re favorite college football team is down by ten in the fourth quarter. They get the ball in good field position, and the TV play-by-play commentator says, “They really need to try to score here.” More irritating is that the guy gets paid to say it.

What I appreciate: Larry Munson, who has done Georgia football games all my life.

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It isn’t walking on water…

but it is amazing. YES!!!!!

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28 Weeks

It is 28 weeks until Georgia kicks off against Georgia Southern.

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All Things New

I have never been one to get excited about New Year’s Day or getting to the New Year. I have not often stayed up to midnight to bring in the New Year. The most I have ever been excited in my life about the coming of New Year’s Day was when Georgia was playing Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl with the national championship on the line.

Celebrating a New Year never seemed important to me. Perhaps now I look at it as a time for reflection, evaluating my life and making new goals. But the day itself is only important if Georgia is playing. I remember a Family Circus cartoon where the children looked out the window on New Year’s Day and one said, “It looks like the same old year to me.”

That defines how I look at it. Nothing is really new. Problems, debts, and difficulties don’t magically disappear at midnight. The bad habits that I had at 11:59 pm were still there at 12:01 am. On New Year’s Day nothing is really new.

However, there is One who makes all things new. When we come to Jesus as Lord and Savior the Scripture says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2Corinthians 5:17 NASB) We also have the promise that someday all things will be new:

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
(Rev 21:2-5 NASB)

So, this New Year’s Day I want to give thanks that all things are being made new. By the grace of God, those of us who have placed are faith in Jesus Christ and being changed to be like Him in every way. Someday we will have a new earth and a new heaven. Only God can make all things new. Only He will get the glory on that day.

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Proof there is no justice…

I am a graduate of the University of Georgia and love college football.  As I expected, they got passed over for the so-called National Championship game.  My wife is a graduate of LSU and probably would not know that LSU is in the National Championship game if I didn’t tell her–to which she responded, “Oh, OK.”  That was it–no emotion at all.  In the meantime, Georgia will play the Rainbow Warriors, and I’m not even going to make a comment about the impression that makes.

One safe prediction: If LSU destroys Ohio State, which I think they should, Ohio State fans will fill their blogs and fan bulletin boards with statements that “really” Ohio State is the best team.  They did it after losing to Florida by a ton.  They will do it again.

Anyhow, I hope LSU wins, and that Georgia makes a statement that will be remembered next year.

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An old cliche revived: How ’bout them Dawgs?!

I haven’t said a lot about college football in several weeks because I have had very little time and would rather write on things of greater eternal significance. Still, it has been fun to hear of the revival of excitement for the Georgia Bulldogs. It has also been interesting to read the complaints and criticisms of Coach Mark Richt from fans of other teams and some journalists.

College football is a passion (and religion) for many people. It brings out the worst as this article about an incident in Nebraska shows. I remember when Alabama fans threw rocks through Bill Curry’s window when he was coach there. While a student at UGA, I remember having to leave a game because I got disgusted at hearing the racial epithets yelled at Wayne Johnson and James Jackson when they threw interceptions.

But, college football is a game, and a fun one at that. It seems Georgia’s team is having fun and the coach is, too. However, many think that somehow he has changed as a person. I think a better explanation of the difference can be found here. I am surprised that dancing on the sidelines some how brings accusations of being a group of thugs. Some have suggested that Mark Richt has lost control of the team and that he is acting less than Christian. It seems that to some people if 18-22 year olds have fun and score more than 40 points a game, it is somehow un-Christian. I’ve been looking at blogs by Georgia fans and have come to the conclusion that UGA has produced way too many Democrat lawyers with too much time on their hands. Some have suggested that we now have an “Evil Richt” or “Darth Richt”.

In any line of work, the Christian should strive for excellence. For a college football coach, that is measured by wins and losses, graduation rates, and influence on young men. Many think Christian athletes do not care about winning. Not worshiping at the altar of wins and losses and not caring are two different things. One can care about winning, but not see it as eternally significant.

It seems to me that all Mark Richt is doing is trying to push his team to a new level of excellence. Like many leaders, once he was able to see the big picture after having to fix details, he has been able to push the team to a higher level of performance. It happens in sports and in business.

I am happy that the excitement and fun is back in Georgia football. Sadly though, too many people worship it, and the man they hail as hero this week will be villain next week if they lose to Kentucky.

Have a great weekend.

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