WWJD?

I got home from Amberton last night in time to watch Nightline for a few minutes. They had a couple on there who are strident atheists. In fact, they have made it their mission to destroy all "superstitious" religions. They are convinced that they can outreason us into atheism. The guy conducting the interview asked them a final question: "When will you be satisfied?" They answered, "When Christianity has disappeared from the planet."

During the part I saw, they showed the reaction of "Christians" to this couple. Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, but I was thinking, "How sad." Here are two people who obviously have had something bad happen in their lives to make them feel such disgust for people of faith. And then to have that reinforced by people who act so godless -- in the name of God! Telling them that they are going to hell. "You're gonna burn!" Yes, sir. That's the way to share the love of Jesus with them.

Unfortunately, a few years ago that would have been me. But my first thought last night night was, "What experiences have they had to make them feel so much pain?" "What is their story?"

Here's a good one: What would Jesus do?

The Divine Conspiracy

I tend to be way behind the "hot" TV shows, movies, books, etc. I usually find out about a good TV series after it is in reruns. Movies? The ones I watch are usually in the "old release" section of Blockbuster. And books? I usually read something several years after everyone else was talking about how good it was.

Such is the case with a book I am currently reading: The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard. In the book, he is calling Christians -- who too often reflect our culture -- to "fly upside down" from the world. As I read this in bed last night, I began to laugh (and cry):

"Commericals, catch words, political slogans, and high-flying intellectual rumors clutter our mental and spiritual space. Our minds and bodies pick them up like a dark suit picks up lint . . . Must one not wonder about people willing to wear a commercial trademark on the outside of their shirts or caps or shoes to let others know who they are? And just think of a world in which little children sing, "I wish I were a [certain kid of] weiner. That is what I really want to be. For if I were [that certain kind of} weiner, everyone would be in love with me."

"Think of what it would mean to be a weenie, or for someone to love you as they "love" a hot dog. Think of a world in which adults would pay millions of dollars to have children perform this song in "commercials" and in which hundreds of millions, even billions, of adults find no problem in it. You are thinking of our world. If you are willing to be a weenie to be loved, what else would you be willing to do? Is it any wonder that depression and other mental and emotional dysfunctions are epidemic? Who is it, exactly, that is flying upside down now?"

Miscellaneous Monday

Today I have blogger's block. So, I will mention a couple of things and be out of here.

TIger Woods (wow!). Won his 7th straight PGA Tour event. That is the 2nd longest streak in history -- behind Byron Nelson's 11.

He and Roger Federer (tennis star) are good friends, and text message each other constantly -- raising the bar for each other. They are both on very similar winning streaks, and have won about the same number of majors. I heard Tiger in an interview about this, and he said one advantage he has is the longevity of a career in golf. He may be right.

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It's looking like Norv Turner may be the new Cowboys' head coach. I like him. I think he got a bum rap for his work in Oakland (an impossible assignment). I hope he gets the job.

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So who is your favorite for the Super Bowl? I like both coaches. The Bears have a rookie defensive back from ACU. I'd like to see Manning win the big one. So I will barely be pulling for the Colts. I'll mainly be pulling for a good game.

Friday Stuff

I went and played golf yesterday afternoon. Wow! What a gorgeous January day! Today looks like more of the same. It was so nice after two straight weeks of overcast cold days. Looks like next week will be a return to more cold, though. Oh well. That's what it is supposed to be like in late January and early February.

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I heard on Good Morning America this morning that Hillary Clinton is by far the front-runner for the Democratic nomination next year (over 40% to Obama's 20%). I realize it is still very early in the process, so things are likely to change a lot. Interestingly, she also has the highest percentage of disapproval. I was surprised last week to hear that John McCain led all candidates in polling.

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Here's one to try on your wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend. I think that I read it came from Winnie the Pooh. "If you live to be 100, I hope I die one day before -- because I never want to live a day without you."

An Incredible Conversion

I love our Wednesday night men's class at the Decatur Church of Christ. Each week, I am built up as we open up and share our lives with each other. It really causes me to look forward to "hump day" each week.

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This Sunday I will be preaching from Acts 9 -- the conversion of Saul (Paul). We've heard it so many times, I fear that we don't grasp the significance of it. Two Jewish lawyers several years ago set out to discredit Christianity. They felt that the two things they must disprove (what they considered to be the two greatest "proofs" of our faith) were the resurrection of Jesus and the conversion of Saul. They examined them from every legal angle, and came away affirming the veracity of these events.

Has there ever been a conversion to rival that of Saul/Paul? He was a 1st century terrorist -- as far as Christians were concerned. What changed him? Well, obviously seeing and hearing Jesus on the road to Damascus. But I think seeing the innocence in the faces of those he arrested must have had an effect, too. Remember: He saw Stephen killed. Luke says that Stephen's face "shown like the face of an angel." Where did Luke get that information? Probably Paul.

We ask today if such a conversion could still occur. Could Osama Bin Laden become a Christian? I certainly believe that Jesus has the power to change such a heart. But I wonder how much we hurt the process? What kinds of reactions has Bin Laden seen from "Christians" today? I understand that in many ways, I am comparing apples to oranges. But it does make me wonder.

Spiritual Mountain Climbers

I did not get to hear the State of the Union address last night. It will be interesting to see what happens politically in the next couple of years. President Bush is definitely the scapegoat for anything that is not going well right now. It seems that both Democrats and Republicans are doing their best to position themselves away from him. I feel badly for him. I don't agree with every decision he has made, but I don't think he is deserving of the current treatment he is receiving.

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I really appreciated Tozer's remarks in yesterday's daily devotional:

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. --1 Corinthians 9:27

What must our Lord think of us if His work and His witness depend upon the convenience of His people? The truth is that every advance that we make for God and for His cause must be made at our inconvenience. If it does not inconvenience us at all, there is no cross in it! If we have been able to reduce spirituality to a smooth pattern and it costs us nothing--no disturbance, no bother and no element of sacrifice in it--we are not getting anywhere with God. We have stopped and pitched our unworthy tent halfway between the swamp and the peak.

We are mediocre Christians!

Was there ever a cross that was convenient? Was there ever a convenient way to die? I have never heard of any, and judgment is not going to be a matter of convenience, either! Yet we look around for convenience, thinking we can reach the mountain peak conveniently and without trouble or danger to ourselves.

Actually, mountain climbers are always in peril and they are always advancing at their inconvenience. I Talk Back to the Devil, 48.

Bye, Bye to Big Bill

So, Big BIll is gone. I don't think his heart was ever here. He's a northeasterner at heart. This "hall of fame" coach ( I question whether he belongs there. Nothing really against him, but I just don't think he ranks with Landry, Shula, etc.) was unable to work his magic in Dallas. Barely over .500 winning percentage. Backed into the playoffs twice, and lost both games. Hardly the resume of a "legend."

I don't know about you, but Parcells reminds me of an old grandfather that no one wants to be around because he is so grumpy. He was always snippy with the media here. Just didn't seem happy.

And now, even as he leaves -- it seems he is taking a parting shot. No press conference. Simply an email announcing his retirement.

But the BIGGEST shot may have been taken at Jerry Jones. Parcells was never on board with bringing T. O. in. Remember him? The self-proclaimed greatest receiver ever -- if only he could catch. Unfortunately, catching the ball is a prerequisite -- as unfair as it might seem -- to being considered "great", T. O. So, Parcells has delayed announcing his retirement until most of the "hire-able" coaches have already been snatched by other teams. Could this have been "pay-backs" to Jones for bringing in "The Headache" (reference to "the greatest receiver ever").

So, who is out there? Maybe some college coaches. But other than Jimmy Johnson, it doesn't seem that college coaches transition very well to the NFL. I was having trouble naming any yesterday.

So how about Wade Phillips? Norv Turner? Good coordinators, but haven't faired all that well as head coaches. Why not bring them both in, and let them share the duties? You would have one of the best defensive coordinators and one of the best offensive coordinators in today's NFL. I don't know if egos would prevent that or not.

Thoughts?

Super Bowl and Baptisms

I entered Sunday hopeful that it would end with Mavericks, Saints and Colts victories. The Mavs had me biting my nails -- but came through at the end. The Saints had a meltdown. And the Colts? Wow! Largest comeback in Conference championship history.

So, it will be the Colts and the Bears in the Super Bowl. I will be pulling for the Colts becasue Tony Dungy is a Christian (deacon in the Church of Christ) and Payton Manning needs to have a chance to get rid of the ridiculous monkey the media has placed on him. I think he will.

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I received a call at about 11 PM on Saturday night. Two of our teenagers were going to be baptized at 11:30. Now, I turn in pretty early on Saturdays. But I got up and came to the church building to witness these new births.

I guess we, in churches of Christ, are fairly unique when it comes to such events. I have dropped what I was doing to witness baptisms in hot tubs, stock tanks (on a cold November day), swimming pools -- and, of course, the church baptistry. Something about the urgency to "just do it" makes for a really special occasion.

How 'Bout Them Mavs?

It's Friday! We have made it to the end of a really wierd weather week here. Usually after one day under 50, Beverly is longing for summer. After this week, I'm ready to join her. It's been a couple of weeks since I have played golf. I think I'm going into withdrawal.

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I didn't just sit and watch the Mavs' game last night, but I had it on as I was doing other things. They made my day! It's always good to see Kobe and the Lakers get beat. And not just beat. They whupped the Lakers -- and made them like it. 114-95. And that was after letting up a little in the last few minutes.

I love watching a pouty premodonna getting beat. In the NBA, that would include Kobe, Shaq and Tim Duncan.

The Mavs are playing as well as I can ever remember a team playing. They are awesome! There's lots of talk in the Metroplex about Dirk deserving MVP. I would have no problem jumping on that bandwagon. I wonder if he really is, though. As much as I don't like Kobe, I would think if you took him away from the Lakers -- they are toast. Steve Nash is improving on his MVP numbers, but maybe the voters are ready for someone else after two straight years of Nash. So why not Dirk?

American Idol

I have lived in the south most of my life (six months in Lexington, Kentucky being my furthest venture north). I don't remember a winter weather system like this one. Freezing rain on Sunday and Monday, snow and sleet yesterday, and more in the forecast for tonight, Friday night, Saturday morning, and into Sunday. Brrrrrrrr.

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I like watching the first few episodes of "American Idol" each season, as the masses try out to be selected for the group that goes to Hollywood. Simon cracks me up much of the time. It does not bother me when he makes fun of the contestants' singing. I feel like they have opened themselves up to his criticism and ridicule by becoming contestants. I find it very hard to believe that some of them really think they are good.

But here's where I part company with Simon: When he makes fun of the way a person looks. I'm not talking about when someone has dressed goofy, etc. But a person can't help his/her size (to some degree), or the way their eyes look, etc. I think Simon has been cruel at times -- and it really makes him look bad.

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And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. --Matthew 14:23

Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. It wears us out by multiplying distractions and beats us down by destroying our solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our strength before going out to face the world again.

"The thoughtful soul to solitude retires," said the poet of other and quieter times; but where is the solitude to which we can retire today? Science, which has provided men with certain material comforts, has robbed them of their souls by surrounding them with a world hostile to their existence. "Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still" is a wise and healing counsel, but how can it be followed in this day of the newspaper, the telephone, the radio and the television? These modern playthings, like pet tiger cubs, have grown so large and dangerous that they threaten to devour us all. What was intended to be a blessing has become a positive curse. No spot is now safe from the world's intrusion. Of God and Men, 125.

Tozer was wrestling with this several years ago (his writings are from years past). How much more are we bombarded today! We have all the influences of which he speaks -- plus the internet, cell phones, blackberries,and a host of other 'playthings' seeking to devour us. May the Lord help us somehow to escape today and retire to solitude.

Weather: Round 2

Last night I taught class in Garland, and didn't get home until 10:30, so I missed the weather. This morning I got up to go to my small prayer group. It was still dark as I went to let out the dog. SURPRISE!!!!!! I was not expecting to see the ground covered in sleet and snow. Schools are closed. Cars are traveling down our street, so I will brave the elements (wow, I feel like Daniel Boone) to make my 3 mile trek to work here in a little bit.

My precious wife is speaking at the Christian Educators' Workshop in Fort Worth this morning. She speaks at three sessions, and will be finished about noon. I am hopeful that she will be able to come home today. So, please pray for my sweetie.

Don't take anything for granted in this weather! We have had two church members that I am aware of who have fallen and broken bones.

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I listened to the second half of the Mavs game on the radio on my way home last night. They were playing the Houston Rockets. Down by 13 midway through the 3rd period. They ended up winning by 13! These guys are good!

Playoff Predictions

I'm off to a bit of a slow start this morning. Had a bout with vertigo last night, and woke up with a mild migraine this morning. So, I nearly stayed in bed. But I am now sitting at the keyboard ready for a good day.

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I have not even looked at the odds for the NFL Championship games this weekend. But here's hoping that the Saints beat the Bears and the Colts beat the Patriots. Then in the Super Bowl, I don't care. For sentimental reasons, I would like to see the Saints win. But I would also like to see Payton Manning get the monkey off his back.

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W.A.R.M. (Wise Area Relief Mission) is looking for someone to replace one of the two paid employees. The work involves, among other things, interviewing people to determine their needs, dispensing groceries, stocking the shelves, etc If you are interested in the work or know someone who is, either contact WARM at 940-626-4676 or contact me.

Also, WARM is in desperate need of volunteer workers. If you could give two hours a couple of times a month, please consider this good work. Again contact them directly or call me.

Martin Luther King

This morning, I am still at home. It is cold (20 degrees) and icy. I will probably wait until after lunch to go into the office.

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As I mentioned last week, my family celebrated Christmas last Friday night. That's right -- January 12th! It was pouring down rain. We ate our family Christmas dinner (Mexican food), and were headed to the den to open gifts -- when the doorbell rang.

I went to the door -- and could hear caroling! On January 12th! A group of dear friends knew about our late Christmas -- and had come to help us celebrate! Dennis and Sonya Lee, Jacob and Heather Baker, Edwards' and Jones' families and Craig Jordan. It was one of those special memories that Beverly and I will cherish for the rest of our lives.

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Today our nation honors the memory of one of America's greatest leaders -- Martin Luther King, Jr. I can vividly remember as a child growing up in Jackson, Mississippi during the Civil Rights era. I recall how people in our neighborhood would freak out when Dr. King was coming to town. Even at the age of 7 or so, I wondered what it what that they feared about this man. You could see the kindness and love in his eyes -- even as he was being arrested. For what? For peacefully demonstrating against segregation.

I'm glad Dr. King had a dream.

Ho-Ho-Ho, Merry Christmas

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . ." That's right. At the Ross' house, we observe the 19 days of Christmas (Boy, does that ever make the song last forever.) "On the 19th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . ." But the kids are all here, and tonight we will do Christmas. Can't wait!

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Wow! Did the baseball hall of fame voters send a message this week or what? Mark McGwire got less than 30% of the vote! I imagine Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Raphael Palmeiro heard the message loud and clear.

What are your thoughts? Do you think steroid use should keep them out? My opinion: Yes. In fact, any current records that have been set by those who have used steroids ought to be at least asterisked. It's not fair to Roger Maris, Hank Aaron and others who played the game fairly to be written out of the record books by those who cheated.

That's my opinion. And that and $4 will get you a small cup of coffee at Starbucks.

The War in Iraq

I would not be president of the United States for $1 billion a year! I cannot imagine what it must be like to awaken every morning to the multitude of things -- both foreign and domestic -- that would fill a president's plate. And the schedule! It seems that from early morning to late in the evening -- it is go, go, go.

And there is no way to please everyone. Even those who are with you will bale out if the going gets tough. I am one of those people, I guess. I was so supportive of us going into Iraq. As I look back, I think I may have been operating out of a desire to extract revenge for 9-11 (God forgive me). Maybe we would have been better served by limiting our attacks to al-Qaida targets. The skeptic in me is even wondering if the whole reason we went into Iraq was so that our president could get revenge for Saddam's attempts to have his dad assassinated.

But now, I am wondering: Why are we going to escalate our involvement in Iraq? When will we learn from history? Korea and Viet Nam should be enough to remind us that we -- the most powerful nation on earth -- don't do too well when we go into a country and try to make it over in our image. And it certainly does not win us any friends. Why would any nation trust us when we want to come in and "help" them? We will stay only so long as American public opinion polls approve. When the polls flip-flop, we will leave those countries swaying in the wind.

That's my rant for today.

"24"

"24" begins a new season this Sunday night. Two hours Sunday and two hours Monday. A while back, I wrote about how good a show it is, and then wrote back after watching the 1st season in reruns to apologize because it was so sexually explicit. Well, I must confess: We continued to watch it -- and we are now caught up. And while the show is very violent, it has been rather tame sexually. But it is a riviting show! And Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is THE MAN!

I saw an article yesterday previewing this season's show. It then talked about the whole premise of "24." It closed with these words:
"24" is a wildly idealized view of our nation's response to the threat of terrorism on our soil, yet -- even within the series' tidy 24-hour window -- it has thus far withheld easy answers and happy endings. Jack Bauer, the nation's point man for homeland security, is valiant but steadily unraveling.

So "24" triumphs as a series it surely never set out to be: an exceptional adventure about lowered expectations. Its message is clear: Prevailing is too much for a nation to hope for. At the end of the day, endurance will have to do."

Those last two sentences really caught my attention as a person of faith. As we battle Satan, we know that ultimately we will win. But prevailing in this life may be too much for us as Christians to hope for. So, at the end of the day, endurance will have to do. That so describes my day-in, day-out journey. How about you?

The Call to Preach

Who would have predicted what happened last night in the BCS National Championship game? I mean, we might have thought Florida had a chance to win -- but 41-14? Wow!

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I haven't shared any Tozer for a while, but I thought this one was interesting. I have heard wise men many times in my life say, "Don't preach unless you have to." And they are right. I resisted the calling for about 12 years myself. But I think I would have to be put in a straighjacket with duct tape over my mouth to keep me from preaching now. So, here's Tozer:

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
--1 Corinthians 9:16

The true minister is one not by his own choice but by the sovereign commission of God. From a study of the Scriptures one might conclude that the man God calls seldom or never surrenders to the call without considerable reluctance. The young man who rushes too eagerly into the pulpit at first glance seems to be unusually spiritual, but he may in fact only be revealing his lack of understanding of the sacred nature of the ministry.

The old rule, "Don't preach if you can get out of it," if correctly understood, is still a good one. The call of God comes with an
insistence that will not be denied and can scarcely by resisted. Moses fought his call strenuously and lost to the compulsion of the Spirit within him; and the same may be said of many others in the Bible and since Bible times. Christian biography shows that many who later became great Christian leaders at first tried earnestly to avoid the burden of the ministry; but I cannot offhand recall one single instance of a prophet's having applied for the job. The true minister simply surrenders to the inward pressure and cries, "Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!"
God Tells the Man Who Cares, 87-88.

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I will begin teaching a new semester of The Gospel of John tonight at Amberton University. Please pray for me and my class. Many of them will not have a clue what the Gospel of John is.

I Feel For Romo

I watched the Cowboys bow out of the playoffs Saturday night. As I watched bits and pieces of "wildcard weekend," it made me wonder how most of those teams even made the playoffs. It sure seems to me that the talent level is watered down in the NFL right now.

I am also reminded, after the Cowboy loss, how fickle we are. Two months ago, Tony Romo could have been voted into the Cowboy's Ring of Honor after only playing 4 or 5 games. I felt like it was unfair for people to be passing on the Meridith-Staubach-Aikman mantle to him at that time, and some people took that to mean that I didn't care for him. I like Romo. I don't think he is a franchise quarterback, but I like him. I just don't think you can make such an evaluation over a month of games. It takes years.

So, Romo botched THE snap, and that is all that Cowboy fans remember. They have forgotten that Terry' Glenn's fumble into the endzone actually turned into 9 points. They didn't notice the disappearance of T. O. against a secondary made up of guys who couldn't play for many colleges -- much less pro. Oh, he did show up long enough to drop another pass that must have been too perfectly placed into his hands. No one has mentioned the usually-reliable Jason Whitten fumbling. And, in my humble opinion, Roy Williams has to be the most overrated player in the NFL.

No, it's all about Romo. From hero to goat. I wonder how he felt that night as he went home. I wonder if Carrie Underwood singing, "Jesus, Take the Snap" would have helped (I am digressing here).

We are just not fair to people who are out front: From politicians to athletes to coaches to preachers and elders. When things are good, they are given too much credit. When things go bad, we are unmerciful.

Just Ramblin'

This morning I am wishing it was June. Not so that we would have 100 degree weather instead of 40. No, what I am thinking about is the Dallas Mavericks. These guys are playing some great b-ball! I am just hopeful that they can keep it up for 6 more months.

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So, we now have a new Congress in session. It will be interesting to see what will happen with a Republican president and Democratic Congress for the next two years. The tables are reversed from Bill Clinton's 2nd term. I must confess: I had high hopes for things when we had a Republican majority in Congress and a Republican president. But other than getting a couple of more Conservative Supreme Court justices, I have been disappointed.

Here's hoping that the Democratic majority can shore up Social Security! Now that I have turned 50, I'm beginning to think more about such things.

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The Cowboys are in the playoffs! Saturday night against Seattle. Yet, I don't hear anyone talking about it. Due to their play over the last month, it seems as if people are holding out little hope that their season will last beyond Saturday night. However, Seattle shows some cracks of their own. In the NFC this year, anything could happen. GO, SAINTS!

Subway Superman

We as a nation are starving for heroes. So, a quarterback leads a team to a come-from-behind victory, and we call him a hero. Or someone hits a three-point shot at the final buzzer to win by 1, and we call him a hero.

By now you have probably heard about the man who has been dubbed "Subway Superman" or "the Subway Savior." His name is Wesly Autrey, a 50 year old construction worker who lives in New York City -- and he qualifies in my books as a REAL hero. Mr. Autrey and his two young daughters were waiting for their subway car Tuesday morning when he saw a young man have a seizure and fall down into the rails. Looking up, Autrey saw a train coming, so he jumped down into the rails and tried to get the man out. Realizing he had no time, he rolled the man into a small pit in between the rails, and then covered him with his own body -- holding down the man's arms and legs.

The conductor had seen them, and had applied the brakes. However, he was not able to stop until two of the cars had passed over the men. The clearance was just enough. In fact, Mr. Autrey had a grease spot on his wool cap where the train had grazed him as it passed over.

After such a heroic act, I was touched as I saw Autrey interviewed. He was so unassuming about the whole thing. According to him, he had done nothing heroic. He just did what had to be done.

But I am left wondering: If I had been in the same situation, what would I have done? Autrey had a built-in excuse: He had to take care of his two girls. But instead, he put his life on the line to save another man's life. THAT'S a real hero.

Capital Punishment?

The headline in the paper this morning is "Pressure Rises Over Executions." The accompanying article reminds us that Texas continues to head the list as "death-penalty leader."

I find it interesting that most of the world -- other than Muslim nations and the US -- no longer practice capital punishment. I used to be a proponent of it. And I could argue it from Scripture, too. Maybe I'm just getting soft in my older age, but I just don't see that it accomplishes much. It doesn't seem to be a deterent to crime. I'm beginning to wonder if its main purpose is to give us some kind of feeling of revenge: "He got what he deserved." If that is the best case we can offer, it certainly is not Christlike.

"What about the victims and their families?" someone might say. And I feel that same emotion. But taking the life of the murderer does not bring any satisfaction. Yes, put the murderer away for life. But I just don't feel so comfortable taking a life.

I'm not on a crusade here. I'm still not even sure I am opposed to capital punishment. But I am certainly leaning more away from it. And I am much more sympathetic to those opposed to it than I once was. Yes, I could still make a Scriptural argument for it. But as I am more and more being drawn to Christlikeness, I am also more inclined to extend mercy and grace.

Back at Work

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am so praying that 2007 will be the most fulfilling year of your life -- and mine.

I am torn today. I have a lot of work to do to catch up after having been out of the office for a week. But I would love to be able to watch the funeral for Gerald Ford. My patriotism soars when I see the grace with which we as a nation commemorate such events.

Lots of football to be seen over the last few days! I can't say I watched a whole lot. I watched parts of the Cowboy meltdown. The Jones dynasty has become a greater embarrassment than any time the team was under the ownership of Clint Merchison. Yes, I know about the three Super Bowls (credit Jimmy Johnson for that), but that was 12 years ago. Since then, the Cowboys' best seasons have been mediocre. GO SAINTS!

So far, teams I have rooted for in the bowl games have not faired so well. Texas managed to squeak out a win. But Nebraska lost, as did Arkansas and Michigan. I did stay up last night to watch the end of the Oklahoma-Boise State game. WOW! I never thought I would see Bob Stoopes outcoached. But Boise State pulled out some plays that were absolutely incredible -- and perfectly executed.

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So, any New Year's resolutions? Mine are to be more passionate about life, and more surrendered each day to allow the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in me: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.