GOLDEN DAYS - A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE EGG BOWL TROPHY - EPISODE 1

This is brilliant.

A View Of What I Hope Is To Come

The guy who has been making these MSU highlight videos this year is mucho talented. Of course, when you've got the year we had to work with, it probably makes the job a little easier.

Here is the final installment of the year. A year-in-review, if you will. And a glimpse of what I hope is to come for the future of Mississippi State football. (It's the only thing getting me throug basketball season right now.)



And can I just say this again? National championship or not, I wouldn't trade Chris Relf for Cam Newton for a million bucks. Or 200,000 of them. The kid is class personified and I hope next year is an even better year for his has he closes his career out as a Bulldog.

About Last Night...

Just in case you were living under a rock (or snowed in with no electricity), Auburn won the national championship last night in the Tostitos BSC National Title Game in Glendale, Ariz. And yes, you heard it right. Brent Musburger did say, "This is for all the Tostitos," just before Auburn's kicker nailed the game-winning field goal. Lame? Probably.

I have an interesting point of view on this national title game, not because I'm a girl living in the South, and we all know that we Southern Belles love us some college football. My view point comes from that of a girl living in Alabama. The heart of Alabama, people.

Now, I'm from Mississippi. I understand rivalry as much as the next person. The only thing that I could possibly love more than a Mississippi State win is an Ole Miss loss. I LOATHE the RebelBears more than my worst enemy. I think "fire of a thousand suns" would be the appropriate phrase to describe my hatred for them.

However, my approach towards rivalry is much different than than of my Alabama/Auburn comrades. My approach is to 1) chuckle at the dumb decisions TSUN makes on a daily basis (offensive coaching staff makeover when there were obvious defensive deficiencies this year), 2) say the appropriate rivalry-related things during games, but 3) to just try to ignore them like they never were there in the first place.

What good is it going to do to sit around and pine and hem and haw over "that other team" 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year? Nothing. All it seems to be doing to my friends of Crimson and White and Burnt Orange and Navy loyalty is skyrocketing blood pressure numbers and unnecessary doctor's bills. Not to mention that it's just annoying.

So, I say that all to say this. Last night, even those I had (literally) no dog in the fight, it was a lose-lose situation for me. Auburn loses, the Barners (Auburn fans) whine for the duration of the year and the Tiders yell about "The Bear" a little louder. Auburn wins, the Barners continue the obnoxious bragging until the end of time. The Tiders continue mourning "The Bear" and talk about how Auburn cheated and they will be stripped of their title in due time.

This is what I put up with on a daily basis, people.

Nevertheless, Auburn won. The SEC claimed its fifth-straight national championship and its six in seven years. Alabama kind rules in football right now considering back-to-back Heismans and national championships. And I guess since I'm technically a citizen of the state, that cool and all.

However, my win of the night was these wicked sweet unis that Oregon donned.

Technically, those are the wrong pants and the ones they wore last night was even cooler. But y'all, I've never seen a cooler helmet and the sheer fact that the yellow socks and shoes made them look even more like actually ducks on the field was, well, it was just priceless.

Here are my thoughts on the unis (ignore the third and fourth):

Oregon, for the win. Or loss. There's always next year.

This Makes Me Sad The Season Is Over. Oh, Wait...

It's not! 1.1.11. The fat lady will sing. And she will be singing "Hail State!"

I could watch this over and over again...

It's Our Time

I love these game week videos Mississippi State is putting out, and this week's has to be my favorite. It's got it all. Mourning and joy, highs and lows. While honoring our late fallen Bulldog, Nick Bell, it also sets into focus what Nick Bell would have wanted his team to focus on. BEATING ALABAMA.

I won't say much, but I will say this: I got a feeling. And it's not a bad one either.

And you better get ready to head bang and fist-shake with the best of them because this video will make you do that. And if you have a cowbell, get ready to ring it after you what it because well, you're gonna want to.

GO DAWGS!!!!

24

Saturday night could not have brought me greater joy if Ed McMahon had been standing on my doorstep with a check for 22.4 million dollars. (That may or may not have been a gross overstatement on my part.)

Why?

Because this happened.

And then, this happened.

And Ole Miss lost. Which was really the icing on the proverbial football-shaped cake, if you ask me. And y'all, I've been snacking on that cake ever since. And it is G-O-O-D.

A few Monday morning SEC football notes for you:

- All but one SEC West team (can we guess who?) are in the top 25. Only one SEC East team (South Carolina, yay for the Beamers!) is still ranked in the top 25.

- Two weeks ago, everyone (who played) in the West won and everyone in the East (who played) lost. My friends, the SEC tide has turned.

- There are three SEC teams (Auburn, Alabama, LSU) in the top 8 of the BSC standings - no other conference has more than one. Thanks to @SECSportsUpdate for that tidbit of info.

- MSU is ranked for the first time in nine years. The last time the Bulldogs were ranked, I was a freshman in college. And then Florida whooped our hineys, 52-0, in the swamp, and that was the end of our top 25 days. Until now.

- The last time MSU won in The Swamp? 1965. That's a long beating. A long one.

- Feast your eyes on this lead in the game recap:

"GAINESVILLE, Fla. - No intimidation in the Swamp on Saturday. None at all.
In a venue where Florida has historically flexed its muscles with ease against opposing foes, on this particular night it was Mississippi State delivering blow after to blow en route to a 10-7 upset against the No. 22-ranked Gators in front of stunned crowd of 90,517 at Ben Griffin Stadium."

I didn't know Joe Galbraith could be so eloquent.

(Meanwhile, ESPNU is showing the replay of this game and my office TV is tuned and locked in.

Also, this guy...

Vick Ballard. Also known as, a maroon-colored mack truck with a turbo engine. And also known as, officially, my favorite 2010 Mississippi State Bulldog. This kid, this kid is mucho talented. And I'm so glad that Dan Mullen saw something in this kid that no one else saw because, as much as I would have loved Cam Newton to be our quarterback this year (no offense to Chris Relf and Tyler Russell, because I think those two are the best QBs Mississippi State has seen in a sweet forever), I'm glad Mullen got his claws in this one.

I've said it before, and been cautioned about saying it again, but Vick Ballard has Anthony Dixon/Jerious Norwood type qualities and he's going to do great things for Mississippi State football.

In summary, I see a bright future for Mississippi State football. Hopefully, we respond well to the success and make ourselves bowl eligible with a win over UAB this weekend. Then, let's take care of Kentucky, shock the world against Alabama, have a pig roast the week after, and then get rid of the black bear infestation that has come upon the state of Mississippi within the last week.

And GO SEC! (Boo Ole Miss!)

Linky-Video Madness

Y'all, the bloggy neglect is out of control. You don't have to tell me. This I know.

With the athletic season cranking up, I haven't had the extra time that I usually do to spend blogging away about the nonsense around me. Plus, those episodes of Friday Night Lights and Rachael Zoe Project on my DVR aren't going to watch themselves.

Anyway, to break the silence on the blog today, I thought I'd share some webby nuggets I've either found or been introduced to this week. So here goes...

1. This video by our Director of Multimedia Services here at Samford Athletics makes me proud to work with such talented people. And it gets me excited for next Thursday night.

2. Another incredible post by Don Miller. I love how he focuses in on character on everything he does. Becauser really, that's what we are. And the post is so fitting for me right now as I try to figure out what the next step is for me in life. It's so true that knowing where you are going keeps you out of trouble.

3. Also another fantastic post by Mr. Acuff. So good and again, so fitting for me right now. Sometimes I think what I want to do is impossible. Or even living life the way God wants me to is impossible. And I wonder why God makes it so hard. But His Word says that when we are at our weakest point, that is when God loves to show off. Read it. You won't be sorry.

4. Allow me to introduce you to Catalog Living, if you don't already know what it is. Brilliant.

5. And last but most certainly not least, I hope everyone is as pumped for tonight's MSU vs. Auburn game as I am. I'll be watching with a few State fans and a few Auburn fans and well, y'all pray that I'll display a Christian attitude toward the opposition.

This Week In Sports

There have been a few things this week that have happened in the sports world that I just can't resist talking about here on the old bloggeroo. If you know me, you know I am an opinionated person and it's only a matter of time before I have to put my two cents in.

1. The U.S. of A in the World Cup. Can we just talk about, for a second, how amazing yesterday's match between the USA and Algeria was? I mean, wow. What you saw there was a team who was not going to give up, come disallowed goals or cheap shots to the mouth.

(And can I just take a second to ask what does it take to get a proper call in soccer? After the last two months in professional sports (MLB and World Cup soccer), I hope someone in authority sees how much instant replay is needed. It's sad when a deserving team gets robbed of one win and almost another because the referee was 58 percent sure that there was an offsides call.)

Although I know that most people, especially in the South (ahem...Rick and Bubba), don't get soccer (futbol), don't understand what the big deal is, and think it's a communist sport, I particularly love world wide sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics. As a world, even when we are competing against each other, there is a unifying thread of love for sport and country that is just undeniable. As a country, it's nice to see that even with all the issues that our nation is dealing with right now that we can get behind our fellow Americans and show them how much we believe in their success. It's sad that it can't be that way politically.

2. The marathon match at Wimbledon. I've always wanted to go to Winbledon ever since I took a trip to London after my senior year in high school and saw it on the list of Metro stops. The place has such a neat history of sport, royalty and culture. It's on my bucket list for sure.

If you've been living under a rock for the last three days, American tennis player John Isner (see picture: and is it just me or does he favor Dave Barnes in that pic?) has been trying to win a match over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut for three days, an 11-plus hour match suspended twice for darkness. And just minutes ago, Isner put the final nail in the coffin, winning 70-68. Which, by the way, is...INSANITY!

After having covered tennis my first two years here at Samford, I really came to have an appreciation for the sport and for what these players go through. Having watched one of my own players fight through insane body cramps and a horrible hip injury in mid-90 degree weather against one of his most heated rivals to win a conference championship that rested solely on his shoulders, I can appreciate the pressure that a tennis match might apply on one young man. However, had I been playing in that match, I think I might have offered to buy the guy an ice cream topped with gummie bears and rainbow sprinkles to maybe intice him to stop the madness. But then again, I'm a sore loser so I probably would've fought to the death.

It made history. Longest match in history. Longest five-set match. Eight hours and 11 minutes. 98 minutes more than the longest match in history. It took 65 minutes for him to win today. 2:54 on Tuesday. 7:06 on Wednesday. Seven hours.

I know it might be a little cheesy and it may just be the writer in me looking for something, but I think a day after the U.S. soccer team shocked the world, it's cool to see another young American (and SEC kid -- he played at Georgia) representing his country in such a way. It's sort of a message to the world about how no matter what this country faces, it's people are going to fight to the death to overcome it.

3. Lady Gaga's antics around NYC. First, it was her showing up at a Mets game wearing just a leather jacket over a bikini, causing a rukus and flipping off fans. Then she made an appearance at a Yankees game wearing fishnets, a black bra and a pinstriped Yankees jerseys. She was reportedly banned from the team's clubhouse after being clearly plastered and repeatedly groping herself.

I won't talk about how she's just another attention-hungry pop star who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. That's clearly the case.

What I do want to address is the fact that someone in the Yankees and Mets front office let someone into their gates dressed like she was. I know when you work for a spors organization on the professional level, it's not about what you know, it's who you know. It's not about what you have at your events, it's who you have at your events. However, I don't know that I could honestly say that I wouldn't have refused to Ms. Gaga admittance into my park with her dressed like that.

Just sayin'...

A slice of advice to Gaga. If you don't want people to pay attention to you, try a t-shirt and jeans.

4. Italy, the reigning World Cup champions, just got knocked out of this year's World Cup. By Slovakia. Wow.

5. This is just a bonus. I heart this commercial so much.

And so it begins...

If you need me, I'll be watching a month-long marathon of soccer. It could possibly be my happy place.

Blog-Linkity Goodness 9.10.10

So really, the blog neglect is out of control. But considering that I'm a little overwhelmed with life right now to be able to form complete sentences that might entertain the four people that read this, I'm going to go ahead and tell myself that it's okay.

However, I'm back today with another edition of Blog-Linkity Goodness. And trust me, there's some mega goodness today.

- Bryan Allain lives in Amish country and often times documents his sighting on his blog. This time he got video of them enjoying a little volleyball. I know it shouldn't be funny, but it just is.

- It was the bad call heard around the world. MLB umpire Jim Joyce's blown call last week that erased Detroit Tiger Armando Galarraga's perfect game sent sports fans, and non-sports fans, into an upheaval over whether the call should be reversed. Both Joyce and Galarraga handled it amazingly. And instead of putting my own thoughts here, I thought I'd let a professional do it. Here's Donald Miller's take. And it's a good one.

- If you didn't see America's Got Talent the other night, this is about the only thing you missed. And it was amazing.



Thoughts:
1. Nick Cannon lied. EVERY light didn't go off.
2. I'd like to visit that fraternity house.
3. Um, wow.

- Improv Everywhere does it again. Their latest mission.



- I've said it before and I'll say it again, these kids are amazing. And that voice is coming out of a 10-year-old.



- This post of Jon Acuff's from Stuff Christians Like spoke straight to me heart yesterday. Sometimes we're okay with letting God take over the steering but we still want to control the speed.

- And finally, Dave Barnes made his soap opera debut on All My Children yesterday and he'll be on again today with a real speaking part. If you missed it, full episodes are on ABC.com or catch the replays on SOAPnet. This is huge and I hope it's just the jumping off point for him. Here's a little behind the scenes look from Dave.


Y'all have a great Thursday.

The Weekend That Was - Part 3

The final installment of "The Weekend That Was" features fantastic music, football players and fun friends.

At Kelly and Raymond's wedding, a friend from my church small group mentioned that she had a couple of free tickets to see Needtobreathe at Sloss Furnace on Sunday night. I had wanted to go to this concert all along when the concert was scheduled for Saturday but my friend Nicole and I had decided not to because it would almost be pushing it to get back from the wedding and then to the concert.

But the monsoon rains on Saturday forced the Sloss folks to postpone the

concert until Sunday night so Emily offered up some free tickets and Nicole and I gladly accepted. This made the third time that Nicole and I had seen Needtobreathe together. Tradition, anyone?

(L to R: Emily, Dana, Heather, Me and Nicole)

Needtobreathe has quickly become one of my favorite bands and they really do put on a great show. Matthew Mayfield (Birmingham native) opened for them (for the second show in a row that I've seen) and the kid is mega talented. So that was a plus.

The guy standing in front of me looked kind of familiar but I was with all of the people that I knew that liked Needtobreathe so I didn't think that it would be anyone I actually knew. Then, he turned to ask a question and it was none other than my assistant volleyball coach, Reggie. So it was fun to add another two people to our group and to introduce someone else to some great music. Reggie had never heard of Needtobreathe.

After Matthew Mayfield finished, there was a small break. I turned around to see how the crowd looked and I saw another familiar face. It took me a little longer to figure out who this guy was but once I figured it out, I was giddy like a school girl. Who was it?

This guy. Tyson Lee. And people, he is just a precious as he looks. I didn't get a picture with him because I thought that might be pushing it a little but I did talk to him for about 10 minutes and he was so very nice and interesting. He was more interested in learning about me than talking about himself and soaking up compliments, and that really impressed me.

So all in all, it was a good night. It was good times with good friends and good music with a little extra fun. And it was a great ending to a great weekend. I couldn't even remember when I had a weekend that I really enjoyed as much as I did that one.

Stay tuned for a pictures and recap of my trip to Charleston, S.C., for the SoCon Baseball Tournament. I may have it up by Christmas...if you're lucky.

Blog-Linkity Goodness 5.19.10

It's time for more linkage. The internet kind. Not the hot dog kind.

- While my daddy was taking a little doctor ordered rest time last month, he decided to go fishing on day and take my furry little brother, Randy, along. Randy always makes things interesting. This outing was nothing different. Check out his story here.

- Also get his take on cowbells here too. It's always good to hear a players' perspective on the subject.

- This post of Jon's at Stuff Christians Like is hilarious. It includes Justin Beiber, Ludacris and the Black Eyed Peas.

- I'm not a big Paul Finebaum fan but the day I read this I was. He wrote a great article on Dan Mullen and the future he has in college football. If you bleed Maroon and White and haven't read it yet, click here.

- Did you see American Idol last night? Did you see Lee Dewyze, who might have to fight Tim Tebow, for my hand in marriage? No? Watch this.



- Last but not least, I hate that I've waited this long to share this with you bloggites, but it's only because I've waited this long to watch it. This is a link to my church's Easter service. (And just for fun, I've embedded the video player below.) David focused on the Love Story that is presented in the book of Ruth. If you don't know the story, please go read it. It's only four chapters and it will change your life. I think I've studied this story about three times in the last three years and it gets better every time. It's such a beautiful, TRUE, realization of our need for the redemption that can only come from Jesus Christ and the immense love of a God that actively pursues us day after day. I love it even more because Mandi Mapes was able to display the amazing gifts that God has placed in her life through her testimony and her talents. Mandi is the girl singing those songs and she wrote them all as well. If you like, you can get them on iTunes.

Video Wednesday

I hate that I've been neglecting my little blog here but the past couple of months have been nothing but insane. So whatever energy I would've had to blog about the fun and weird things that have happened in my life lately has been spent on one athletic event after the other and restored on my trusty old couch watching American Idol.

However, today I did want to share a few videos with you guys because they make me happy.

First, Hanson. I loved them then and I love them now. This video makes me want to go do choreographed steps in the street.


Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

HANSON MySpace Music Videos

Second, Dave's new video premiered today on AOL.com and it's just as precious as he is. And it even features his cute little wifey, Annie, at the end.

Click here to watch it. You won't be disappointed.

Lastly, this is our freshman closer on the Samford baseball team. The kid is multi-talented and could be playing in the majors right now but decided to come to Samford and get an education. And he's a Mississippi boy. Tupelo, to be exact. This is what he does to get his team pumped up before games. Seems to be working too. 22-14 on the year. Second place in the SoCon.

Golden

Compliments of The Onion, people. Good Stuff.


Kentucky Violated NCAA Rules While Recruiting Basketball-Playing Dog

This, also, solid gold. And it quotes Rick Stansbury.

March Gladness

Let me tell you something right now. Whatever power it is that March Madness has over the disposition of human beings, someone should figure it out and bottle it up and sell that junk because. MY GOOD GRAVY, that is some magical good stuff.

Madness. That's what it is. But this year, more than any other (I guess because being 26 makes you more observant), I have noticed the magic that the NCAA Basketball Tournament brings to sports fans and non-fans alike.

People who don't even care anything about college basketball are filling out brackets and glued to the television for 12 hours a day, all in the name of being right.

That's my kind of day right there.

No. Really kidding. Although, I do love being right. And I don't mind 12 straight hours of basketball.

However the other day as I was watching some games at a restaurant with friends/coworkers, and as I began to realize that the crowd had trickled out and we were just about the only ones there. It didn't matter. We never even noticed. Our eyes were fixated on the jumbo flat screen as we cheered on teams that we had never would have cheered for before. I mean, really, I can count on my thumb how many times I've rooted for New Mexico and Baylor and Georgetown in any type of athletic competition.

But as New Mexico and Tennessee and Wake Forest hit their final shots last night, I found myself cheering louder than I have all year (outside the confines of my apartment) and giving hi-fives and fist bumps to people I barely knew.

And maybe talking a little trash as well.

It all brings this back to one main point for me. The reason I love sports. The reason I'm so passionate about this thing that consumes my life day after day.

The reason?

Sports brings people together. How many times have you been to a football game in the freezing cold or the blazing hot temperatures, and it comes down to the wire? This is go hard or go home time for your team. Your team either has everything to gain or everything to lose. One play and your world is rocked. You're either bear hugging the stranger in the seat in front of you, holding hands with the person beside you, or passing the Kleenex to the row behind you.

It's the championship basketball game and you've already sat through two overtimes. Two free throws is what it all comes down to. And you find yourself participating in superstitions with the people around you.

Or its the biggest baseball game of the year. Against your biggest rival. A lot at stake. Your best player, who has been "O-fer" all day, steps up to the plate with two outs. Do you look on? Or do you shut your eyes and throw up a prayer to heaven for the walk-off homer with the person sitting next to you?

It's all about team. Cheerleading is as far as I got to being on any kind of team, unless you count kick ball in fifth grade recess.

But it's also about coming together for a common purpose. And hope. You know we all inevitably HOPE our teams wins. Even though your team may be down 45-3 at the end of the third quarter, (if you're like me) you still have that hope of a miraculous comeback. I guess that's why I never leave a game early.

Anyway, that was my small sports-fanatical schpiel for the week. I hope you enjoyed.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go check my brackets.

GO TEAM!

Go check out Jon Acuff's humorous take on NCAA brackets and gambling. Because we all know, when it comes to gambling, filling out an NCAA bracket doesn't count.

Blog-Linkity Goodness 2.24.10

A few nuggets from the interweb. Click away.

1. SWAT Team. Jarvis Varnado is eight blocks away from breaking the all-time record for blocked shots. It could happen tonight against Alabama. Great article.

2. What's an edition of Blog-Linkity Goodness without something from Jon Acuff? Dude is legit and writes in a way that just makes me want to read his stuff over and over and over. This post is one part gross a thousand parts ugly truth sprinkled, okay maybe drowning, in a whole lot of God.

3. Some goodness written by one of my favorites, BooMama, over at All-Access. That quote for Beth Moore? Does it come in a yogurt flavor? Because all I want to do is pour a bunch of rainbow sprinkles on it and eat it all up.

4. This video had me weeping at my desk early this morning. Not only is the video good but this guy's voice is nutso incredible.



5. Seen this before. Except it was a frat boy in his boxers smeered with all kinds of unmentionable stinky things and hog-tied to a 2x4. And he had just gotten engaged.

Thoughts On Some Things

I'm completely defeated right now. I don't understand why I bust my butt to do my best at something and get it done on time when the people I have to depend on to get the project to its finality completely disregard what I say. Hello. You are an editor. Do some edits. When I ask for something to be changed. Change it. It's frustrating that I get blamed for something not being done on time when I have to depend on other people to help me get it done and they aren't doing their job.

I don't want to talk about the Mississippi State-Kentucky debacle that went on last night in Starkville, but I'm going to. Why? Because some things just can't go unsaid. First things first. From two weeks ago until yesterday, the behavior of the Mississippi State fans, in respect to calling Kentucky forward Demarcus Cousins, was uncalled for. Now, I think it's kind of a fun idea to get a player's number and call and say, "Hey, you're going down on Tuesday," or "Ready to get beat," or whatever. However, calling the kid and making racial and homosexual slurs or talking about the kid's family is really uncalled for and it makes the rest of the nation continue to believe the stereotype of Mississippi people that we have so long tried to move past.

Secondly, the officiating what atrocious (someone give me a benjamin because that's about how much that word cost me to type). From the time that State was up 67-60, the referees called 10 fouls on Mississippi State. TEN FOULS. How many on Kentucky? Zero. ZERO. There is no way that a team that ranks number one in least fouls made per game (13.6) can come out one night against the No. 2 team in the nation and get called for 28 personal fouls. NO WAY.

And while we are on the subject, I know how officiating can set fans off. I know. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Literally. And I have to say, that given the height of emotions and the atmosphere that was present last night, it's commendable to both teams that nothing got out of hand on the court. No punches were thrown, and not a lot of jawing. But the fans need to remember that line that can be crossed and do what the can, no matter what the circumstances or the outcome, not to cross it.

There is a statement made by my conference, the Southern Conference, that I think applies to all conferences and institutions. It says:

"The scoreboard will reflect the quality of the teams in competitions while the kind of support given by the spectators will reveal the character of the fans."

I think that speaks volumes about the kind of character that our fans allowed themselves to show last night. It was embarassing. When the officiating and behavior of fans overshadows the undeniable fight that your team showed, there is major problem that should be dealt with.

I'm even embarassed to say that I am a graduate of Mississippi State right now because that spectacle will be what people remember for a long while. When Mississippi State fans are grouped in the same category as Alabama fans (the nastiest of them all) and Ole Miss fans, when it comes to fans in the SEC, THAT is embarassing.

I just hope that people realize that when you are fan, whether its little league or professional sports, you are not only cheering on your team but you are representing them well. If you wouldn't want bottles and coins thrown at you, take a minute, sober up, think about how you would feel, and then don't do it. Not all emotions are meant to be acted upon, and anger and frustration is one of those. Believe me, I've learned that lesson well in my short 26 years of living. Acting on anger and frustration gets you nowhere...unless you need to bust down a door in an emergency. Then you're like Superman.

Lastly, and to completely switch gears, if you are a Christian (and even if you're not), I encourage you to find a chronological bible reading plan and go through it. I've only read through Genesis, Job and Exodus and am utterly dumbfounded at the truths that are being revealed infront of my eyes and in my heart.

The reason I said "if you are a Christian (and even if you're not)" is because I know that believers and nonbelievers read the Bible through two completely different scopes. There's a whole long explanation that I could go into but maybe I'll save it for another blog post. Let's just say it has to do with when the Holy Spirit indwells us and what he chooses to reveal to us.

Anyway, I encourage you to read through it this way because you are able to see the amazing story of redemption that is threaded throughout the Bible. And if I've already been able to see it through three books, I guess I should brace myself for the other 63 books.

I'm pretty sure my life, my heart and my entire way of thinking is about to be turn upside down.

Phone Tag

Freshman forward for the Kentucky men's basketball team, Demarcus Cousins, has been receiving a number of random phone calls and text messages for the past couple of weeks. Why? Because someone posted his phone number on the internet. It's become a bigger deal this week because, as you'll see in the video, most of the calls are from Mississippi numbers, and the Wildcats are due to play Mississppi State in Starkville on Tuesday.

As a former Rick's Rowdies officer, I can tell you we went to great lengths to get dirt on many opposing players in order to try and "distract" them during games. But the contents of the phone calls that Cousins has been getting is a little over the top. You'll know what I mean when you watch the video.



Please, if you are a Mississippi State student or fan, don't show your ignorance and stupidity, and furthermore, don't prove the Mississippi stereotype true, by calling this kid and insulting him. This guy is a good kid who is getting an education while doing what he loves.

Freedom Of Speech! As long as I agree...

One thing that irritates me to no end is when people cry "Freedom of Speech" when others oppose the opinions and beliefs that they hold. But when someone else's opinions clashes with what they believe, they want to cause an uproar and rally to make the opposing party cease and desist.

A recent example of this is Focus On The Family's "Celebrate Life" Super Bowl commercial that will feature Tim Tebow and his mother.

For those who don't know the story, the long and short of it is that while on a mission in the Philippines while pregnant with Tim, Tebow's mother got sick and it was suggested that she have an abortion.

His mother refused and a few months later gave birth to the person we know today as Tim Tebow, soon-to-be college football legend and my future husband (okay, maybe the latter part of the phrase isn't entirely true).

Opposing opinions are that the 30-second add "throws women under the bus" or implies that every child not aborted will grow up to be a legendary football player.

I beg to differ.

We know that some people just don't grow up to be fantastic, award-winning sports figures or movie stars or music legends. There are some people who have made bad decisions and gone down the wrong path or just basically are messed up mentally and emotionally and do things that we don't understand.

However, it is not our purpose or position to say if a child lives or dies. We cannot know at conception whether that child will turn out either way. Of course, there are circumstances in which a mother may have to choose between her life and her child's life. Mrs. Tebow chose to trust in The One who created her and who created her son to work out what his purpose was for both lives involved.

No one (besides God) could've known that that little baby would grow up to be Tim Tebow and have the effect on the world that he has had so far in his 22 or 23 years of life. Mrs. Tebow made a decision according to her beliefs. And you can't fault her for that anymore than you can fault her for wanting share her story.

Bare with me for a second. It's soapbox time.

I am a Christian. And I believe that everything that happens in our life is completely planned out by God. I also believe in the Ten Commandments. Do not make anything a priority in your life over God. Obey your parents. Don't lie. Don't steal. DO NOT KILL.

When you have an abortion, you are destroying what God has created. Therefore you are trumping God. And he doesn't stand for that. What right do we have to destroy what God has created? God's most prized creation is the human being. We are even more important to him than the angels. So I hope those who believe in abortion can see where we anti-abortion people are coming from.

I've never had to go through that circumstance nor do I ever wish that upon my worst enemy. I can't imagine what goes through a woman's mind when she is considering the termination of her pregnancy nor do I want to belittle that decision at all. I can imagine that it is not an easy decision. And I don't believe anyone is trying to make such a decision seem small and fleeting.

However, I want to give a viewpoint that I hope makes sense to pro-life and pro-choice advocates alike. The pregnancy rate outside of commitment (marriage) is astronomical. And there are definitely women who become pregnant who do not want to become mothers because they are not ready financially or emotionally. However, there are numbers of couples, just as astronomical, who cannot bear children at all. And who would rather give a child the life its birth mother cannot give it than see that child's life taken away from it before it even has a chance to life that life.

When a woman aborts, no matter how hard the decision may be, she is choosing to...as horrible as this may sound (it gives me chills to write this)... play God. And she is also choosing... (forgive me)..."the easy way out".

However...

Okay, now stepping down from my soapbox.

The main point that I think Focus On The Family is trying to make is not that abortion is wrong and that every woman who terminates her pregnancy is going to hell. Not at all. I believe they are telling their side of the story. They are telling a story of hope and purpose in which they feature a mom and her son who just happens to be making an impact on the world around him.

I don't think they are condemning anyone. I think they are shedding light on a not-so-often thought about result to choosing life. A result that gives a child the opportunity to live and affect those around him in a positive way.

They are allowing women who find themselves in this position, and may be alone in their circumstances, to consider ALL the options. Either way, with any option a woman chooses, she will have to life with that choice for the rest of her life.

So, I say, stop crying mistreatment and chauvinism and let everyone have their voice. A lot of people have died for that voice.

Let it be heard.