Category: Stanglin Family (Page 25 of 25)

Is A Popular God….? Part Two. No Asterisk.

August 8, 2007 / Allan / 14 Comments

Today’s blog post contains a heavy amount of sports and sports analogies. But it is not tainted! It’s not! It’s not tainted!

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Continuing the thoughts from yesterday on “seeker-friendly” worship services, let me insert a comment from Cynthia that maybe some of you missed.

Thanks for saying so well what troubles my heart so often. We speak of making the church more attractive to seekers, but why do we assume that they are seeking more of what they already have in the world? If the life Christians live in Christ is different than the life lived in the world, shouldn’t the homage and adoration of our worship experience differ from the adulation given to cultural celebrities.

More and more, I am convinced that private worship (the assembly of the church) should not be attractional. Rather, it is in our public worship (Christ living in us as we move about in the world) where we should seek to attract the unbeliever.

I took the girls to the Rangers game last night and enjoyed a fairly well played, exciting at times, sporting event. Whitney and I spent a great deal of time talking strategy — hitting behind runners, playing at double-play depth, and running out grounders — using baseball-specific terminology such as RBIs, bullpen, full-count, hitter’s eye, foul ball, off-speed, check swing, ERA, and dugout. That communication during the game enhanced our enjoyment of the game, our appreciation of the game, and our relationship with each other in connection with the game.

Now imagine that, instead of Whitney, I was sitting next to someone who had never in his life seen a baseball game — a guy from another country, who’d never been to a baseball stadium or held a bat or seen a game on TV. There’s no way in the world that guy can attain the same level of understanding and appreciation for the game after watching it for those three hours that you and I have after watching it for 40 years. How long would it take him? Even if I tried to explain every single nuance of every single play and every single word in the baseball language, how long would it take?

Then why do we think we can convert a person who knows nothing about Jesus during a one-hour worship service? Why do we try? Won’t that person have to come to our services over and over again, for weeks and months, before he gets a sense of what we’re doing and why we’re doing it?

Maybe this is a better analogy. Suppose you’re the football coach of a playoff team in the championship game. Everything’s on the line. You’re in the lockerroom just ten minutes before kickoff, going over last minute details and instructions that will be critical to your team’s success. These are things that your team needs to hear and remember and immediately apply if they’re to win the battle.

“Charlie, remember that if the tackle moves into that three-gap he’s stunting inside. Make sure you release into the flat as a safety valve”

“Dan, don’t forget they’re going to cover-two deep but they’ll disguise it every time with a 4-3 blitz look just before the snap.”

“Kevin, we’ve been working on the deep fly to the Z back all week, but we’re changing our protection. Sid’s going to stay in the box and pick up the corner.”

“Watch the weak-side double. Remember to read the tight end’s stance. Don’t get suckered in on the draw…..”

And in the middle of all that — you giving your troops these critical instructions that mean success or failure in the fight — the team owner walks into the middle of your lockerroom and says, “Coach, I’ve brought in these seven guys from Kenya who’ve never seen a football game before. They only know soccer. They’re going to watch the game with me in my box. Can you explain to them everything you’re saying to your team right now? Help them understand what you’re saying.”

Right there in the middle of your pre-game speech, right there in the middle of your lockerroom. How do you do that?

Why do we try?

Origen said that if someone wanders into our church building off the streets while we’re praying, he should sense a “double church,” one that is seen, which may not always be attractive, and another that is unseen. Visitors should expect a little vertigo when they worship with us, a little disorientation. Allan McNicol says Christian worship done well communicates to outsiders that it’s not on a mundane dimension, it involves another world. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:25 that the unbeliever who comes into our midst will be so moved by the other-worldly nature of our worship that “he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!'”

The greatest gift our worship can confer to a believer and to an outsider is a glimpse, however fleeting, of another city, another scene, another dimension.

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Back to last night’s ballgame and Barry Bonds* and Michael Irvin right after this……

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Legacy Worship Center Construction Update

The massive piles of dirt have now been dubbed the “Legacy Mountains.” I’m looking forward to watching several impromptu games of King of the Hill tonight after Bible classes. In fact, I’d be disappointed in the young people of today if I didn’t see any of that this evening.

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I always love going to the Rangers games. Valerie and Carley only care about the intrusive music between innings and pitches and the cotton candy while Whitney hangs on every pitch and every play just like her dad. There wasn’t a pitching change made or a defensive replacement brought in or a pinch runner added that she didn’t look up his bio and stats in the program. What a great gal!

Last night we got to watch a rising fan favorite in Marlon Byrd hit a go-ahead three-run homer, some clutch pitching from C. J. Wilson, and some nice defensive plays from Mike Young. It got a little uncomfortable when the A’s started pounding Frankie Francisco and mounted a bit of a comeback. But Texas held on and got the “W” and we all went home happy. I couldn’t help thinking though, from the first pitch to the final out, it sure would be nice if this meant something, if it really mattered at all. The victory keeps the Rangers 17-1/2 games out of first place.

I don’t know what to say about Barry Bonds* that hasn’t already been said, over and over and over again, for the past five or six years. It’s nauseating. What a great contrast between him and Hank Aaron on both personal and professional levels. I suppose if we didn’t have the bad guys, we wouldn’t truly appreciate the good ones. The same kind of contrast was on brilliant display in Canton Saturday evening. Michael Irvin sharing the same stage and accolades as Bruce Matthews and Roger Wehrli and Charlie Sanders brought back memories of the old Sesame Street bit: one of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong.

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Just 22 more days until football season and Bobby Layne is the second greatest player to ever wear the #22. The top honor, of course (come on!), goes to the all-time leading rusher in NFL history, Emmitt Smith. 13 records at Florida. Three Super Bowl victories with the Cowboys. He led the NFL in rushing four times. He was the league MVP in 1993, the Super Bowl XXVII MVP in ’92. He went to eight Pro Bowls. He set the NFL record for rushing TDs with 155. And his 17,418 career rushing yards are the most ever.

As great as he was, he’s routinely left out of most of the debates about best running back ever. And I have no clue as to why. He barely makes the top ten of most national lists. I don’t see how he’s not an automatic top three in every single all-time running backs list that’s compiled by anybody, anywhere. The only argument should be whether he’s the all-time greatest or number two or three. That’s it. First downs. Touchdowns. Durability. Leadership. Determination. Strength. Speed. He had it all.

Don’t say Barry Sanders could have had the record if he didn’t quit. He did quit. And he didn’t get the record. To me, there’s no comparison.

My word, that’s more than enough to chew on for one day.

Peace,

Allan

Practice Playing Second Fiddle

August 6, 2007 / Allan / 0 Comments

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” Romans 12:3

There are certain passages of Scripture that I think should be read regularly in our public Christian assemblies because of the forming effect they have on us. Passages that speak to the loving and gracious nature of our God, his will for his people, and our mission as disciples of Christ serve to shape our mindset and our way of living with each other and in our world. The Word of God should mold us into the image of Jesus. And reading it together, especially passages that speak to these specific things, would go a long way in redirecting our focus from the little matters to the more important aspects of our lives of faith.

One such passage is the very familiar “living sacrifice” section of Romans 12. I’ve read Romans 12 out loud six times already today, once at our regular Monday morning staff meeting. It’s always had tremendous power to properly shape my perspective. In times of discouragment, or in times when I’m thinking too highly of myself, Romans 12 has always spoken to me, turning me towards the big-picture view of life in Christ and my place in it.

Let me share with you Eugene Peterson’s translation of Romans 12:4-21 from The Message:

“We are like the various parts of the human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.

If you preach, just preach God’s message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. ‘I’ll do the judging,’ says God. ‘I’ll take care of it.’

Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, give him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.”

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Legacy Worship Center Construction Update:

Dirt is moving!

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We had a fantastic time on our mini-family-vacation to Marble Falls. It was so great to worship with our dear friends at the Marble Falls Church Wednesday evening and to share, in some small insignificant way, the heartache of dealing with the flood of late June. We heard so many stories and saw so many amazing pictures. And the evidence of those horrible days is still all around: flood debris still clinging to power lines some 20-feet above the roads, washed out roads and bridges, creek beds that are permanantly now four times wider and deeper than they were before the rains. We wish nothing but all of God’s richest blessings for the good people of that great town, especially the Jamars as they rebuild their house, the Youngs and the Montgomerys as they continue to clean up, the Burdetts and the Longs as they recover from huge business losses, and the other dozen or so families of Christians down there.

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On the way to Marble Falls on Wednesday we made our bi-annual trip to the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco.

We did a little antique shopping in Salado

We stayed with our great friends Mike & Lee Ann Clark and saw nothing of Jennifer or Ashley, not enough of Logan, and too much of the cats!

We spent all day Thursday at Schlitterbahn and nearly froze our Schlitterbuns!

Friday we took in the Texas History Museum in Austin.

And then Saturday it was movie audition day for Valerie. We waited for almost two hours before they finally called her in. And she was only in there for about 60-seconds! All they did was take a couple of pictures and ask her one or two very general questions about her family and her summer on camera. There were at least 20-25 boys being auditioned from school districts all over central Texas. But Valerie was the only girl in the building. We were told later that they were looking at 300 or so boys, but only four girls. We have no idea what kind of movie this is, what the parts or the roles are, or what they have in mind for Valerie. They only told us it would be six months to a year before we’d be contacted. It’s not quite “don’t call us, we’ll call you,” but almost.

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There are only 24 days left until the REAL football season begins—none of this preseason mess. And today’s number 24 is Johnny “Lam” Jones from Lampasas High School. Johnny Lam wore #26 at the University of Texas where, as a Longhorn, he was a two-time All-America running back and flanker who scored eight touchdowns of 45 yards or longer. He wore #80 as the very first ever professional football player to sign a million dollar contract when the Jets traded two number one picks to the 49ers in order to select him second overall in 1980. But he wore #24 as a Lampasas Badger—the “Lam” stands for his hometown of Lampasas—where he wowed all of Central Texas on the football field and on the track. He won state championships, Southwest Conference championships, national championships, and an Olympic gold medal. And when he played for the Jets, from 1980-86, he was the fastest player in the NFL. I don’t have a picture of Lam Jones in his #24 Lampasas jersey. If you can find one, please pass it along.

#25 is Raiders great Fred Biletnikoff. He was an All-America reciever at Florida State before being taken second overall by Oakland in 1965. He was durable and tough. He had deceptive speed and amazing hands. He was the NFL receptions leader in 1971, made all conference four times, and went to four Pro Bowls. While he was a Raider, Oakland played in nine conference title games and two Super Bowls. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XI. And the Fred Biletnikoff Award goes to the best receiver in college football every year.

Herb Adderley is my all-time greatest #26. Drafted as a running back by Vince Lombardi and the Packers out of Michigan State, Adderley made the switch to cornerback late in his rookie season and had a Hall of Fame career with Green Bay and the Cowboys: 48 picks, 1,046 return yards, five NFL championships, four Super Bowls, and five Pro Bowls.

The greatest to ever wear #27 is Oilers and Redskins safety Ken Houston. Out of Prarie View A&M, Houston was a ninth-round pick of the Oilers in 1967 and then traded to Washington six years later for five players. He had speed, quickness, and size, punishing runners and receivers with huge blows on every tackle. He finished his career with 49 interceptions and nine TDs, made ten Pro Bowls, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

Finally, the greatest football player to ever wear #28 is Abilene Christian and Philadelphia Eagle star Wilbert Montgomery. He didn’t want to go to Jackson State where he’d have to play behind his cousin, Walter Payton. So he wound up in Abilene where he scored a 56 yard touchdown on his first ever carry and a 39 yard touchdown on his first ever catch. He took the ACU Wildcats to the NAIA National Championship in 1973, scoring 37 touchdowns that freshman year, and finished his college career with a national record 70 TDs.

As #31 with the Philadelphia Eagles he ran over the Cowboys in the 1980 NFC Championship Game for 194 yards. Montgomery went 42 yards for a score on the second play of that game, setting the tone for what was a long, frigid afternoon in Philly for the Danny-White led Cowboys. Following his eight years with the Eagles, he finished up with two seasons in Detroit. Montgomery’s in the College Football Hall of Fame (check out his ‘do!) and the forty-second leading rusher in NFL history. The great Darryl Green deserves honorable mention, but Wilbert Montgomery’s the best football player to ever wear #28. Thanks to Kipi and Paul and Gary for helping me hunt down the pictures.

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I’ll close today with the words of a dear friend of mine, Charlie Johansson:

“Never doubt yourself because you are called and gifted by God. He will use the good times to encourage you and the bad times to humble you. Both are needed.”

Peace,

Allan

Who Needs the Quick-E-Mart? I dooooooooo…..

July 5, 2007 / Allan / 2 Comments

I hope your Fourth was fantastic.

Ours began early and ended late. And, aside from the blowout and flat tire on Loop-820 at 10:30 last night following the fireworks, it was terrific.

Whitney and Valerie went with me early yesterday morning to pick up the old console stereo that was being repaired in Garland. Being that close—Northwest Highway just west of Central Expressway—to one of only eleven 7-11 stores in the country that’s been transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart to help promote The Simpsons movie, I couldn’t resist. We went. We gawked. We took pictures. We laughed. And we purchased a box of Krusty-O’s cereal (they were limiting everyone to just one box each) and a six-pack of Buzz Cola. While I could make the case that The Simpsons, while not really appropriate maybe for children, is the most morally responsible show on network television, I’ll save that for a later day. Maybe after I see the movie.

My parents and my grandmother arrived at the house at about noon for grilled burgers and dogs and some wonderful little jalepeno popper things stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. Two good meals, lots of visiting and catching up, air hockey, football, baseball, backgammon, bike riding, and another little 30-minute rain shower. Excellent afternoon.

Then it was off to the North Richland Hills fireworks show at Broadway & Avenue 26 with our good friends David & Shanna Byrnes and their 17 kids. (Just 4. Sorry.) More football. Snacks. Great visiting and a fairly decent display of fireworks. I love listening to the kids talk and visit together and comment on what they’re seeing and experiencing all around them. They’re so funny. And innocent. Mostly.

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Only 56 days until football season and today’s #56 is Lawrence Taylor.

I know. I know. I hate it, too.

I wouldn’t have put him in the Hall of Fame based solely on his off-the-field issues. And I would have been completely unapologetic about it. But his on-field performance as a dominating linebacker for the Giants in the ’80s is without question among the best ever, at any position, in any era.

L.T. was the Giants #1 pick out of North Carolina in 1981. And he was in attack mode all the time. I’m not sure the NFL had ever seen that exact combination of strength and speed before or has seen it since. He totally redefined the outside linebacker position and dominated opposing offenses. He was All-Pro his first nine years in the league, All-NFC ten times, made ten Pro Bowls, won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award three times (’81, ’82, and ’86), and made the NFL’s 75’s Anniversary Team. He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in ’99. But with his continual and admitted drug use on and off the field, before, during, and since his career, it’s a tainted honor at best.

Tomorrow’s #55 is one of whom we can all be proud.

Peace,

Allan

More Cowbell!

June 18, 2007 / Allan / 2 Comments

“Prayer does not equip us for greater work, prayer IS the greater work.”

~E. M. Bounds

I miss a lot of things about Marble Falls. Roy Swann’s smile and encouragment. Yoko Ezell’s sweet spirit. Brian Jamar’s dry humor. Jim Dobbs’ vision and wisdom. Marti Futrell’s laugh. I could go on for pages about the things I miss. The thing I miss most, however, is the 30-minutes before Bible class every Sunday morning. Jim Gardner and I would pray together every Sunday morning in one of our offices. Jimmy joined us once he moved in. And the three of us together would pour out our thanksgiving to God and ask his blessings on the entire church. We would pray for each other’s wives and children and families. We would ask God to be present in our assembly. We would ask for courage and boldness and confidence as we preach / teach / lead singing that day. And it was always a powerful way to begin each Sunday. I always left those times of prayer feeling so uplifted and so certain of the Lord’s blessings and presence with us.

With two Sunday morning worship services at two different times, it hasn’t been as easy to get that same kind of thing going with the ministers here. Our two youth ministers, Jason and Lance, are only here for Bible class and the second service. Our involvement minister, Jim, needs to spend that 30-minutes before the first service meeting and greeting those who are coming in the doors. So I’ve been praying on Sunday mornings with that day’s worship leader. And I must say that praying with Gordon and Howard and Lance those days has been special.

And then Friday night at the Cotton Belt (that’s another story, hang on) Mark Richardson and Paul Brightwell approached me and asked if I would join them Sunday morning for prayer. They had a group of half a dozen men who had committed to praying for 30-minutes every Sunday morning and wanted me to be there with them. What a blessing! I’m never more encouraged than when I’m praying with a small group of godly men. I accepted their invitation with much enthusiasm and anticipation. And Sunday morning we sat together in the conference room and one-by-one poured our hearts out to our Savior. I’ve always said you can learn more about a person praying with them than in doing just about anything else. And it’s true. I’ve come to love and appreciate each of those six men after just one 30-minute prayer session, listening to them open up to God and express their feelings and dreams and concerns and desires. I’m so grateful for their friendship and for their invitation. I’m amazed at how our God keeps putting great men of faith into my life to encourage me and push me and walk with me.

There are several members of the Legacy church family who play in various bands. Ronnie Bates, the brother of my good friend from college, David Bates, has a band. Kent Garrison, the son of one of our elders, Russ Garrison, just signed a record deal with the Universal / Motown label and is touring the midwest and northeast, doing something like 60 shows in 75 nights. And Friday night we were blessed to take in the band “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” led by our own Vic Akers and Shanna Byrnes with Kevin Hart on drums and Sam Anderson on guitar and vocals. The Cotton Belt has a great family-friendly outdoor venue for concerts. And we had a blast with all of our new friends. At one point Vic got Carrie-Anne and Carley up on the stage to sing backup vocals on “Mustang Sally.” It was easy getting Carley up there. And if you know C-A, it was murder getting her up there. Being on a stage anywhere in front of any kind of crowd is not her cup of tea. But she finally gave in and belted out “Riiiiiiiiiiiide, Sally, Ride!” with the rest of them. And Carley played the cowbell. Not quite as enthusiastically as Will Ferrell in the “More Cowbell” sketch from SNL fame. But almost.

JohnHannah 73 days until football season. #73 in our countdown is longtime New England Patriots guard John Hannah. Coming out of Alabama where Bear Bryant called him the “greatest lineman I ever coached,” Hannah was a ten-time All Pro during a 13-year career with the Pats. He was their #1 draft pick in 1973 and retired immediately after the Patriots loss to the Bears in Super Bowl XX. He was the first ever Patriot to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And he was certainly one of the best, if not the best, run blocker to pull out on a sweep ever. If you’re younger than 30 years old, you don’t even know what a pulling guard leading on a sweep is. And that’s a shame.

Getting caught up from the weekend: #74 is Mr. Cowboy, Bob Lilly. The Dallas Cowboys’ first ever draft pick, out of TCU where he was a two-time All-America, Lilly made eleven straight Pro Bowls, played in five NFL or NFC title games, and two Super Bowls. He only missed one game in 14 years. It was Lilly who chased Bob Griese down for that long sack in Super Bowl VI. He was the first Cowboy inducted into the Ring of Honor and the first Cowboy in the Hall of Fame. Longtime Lion Doug English and old Houston Oiler Bruce Matthews get honorable mention. But Lilly is a no-brainer at #74.

Finally, #75 is Mean Joe Green. He was the Steelers #1 pick out of North Texas State in 1969 and became the cornerstone of the great Steel Curtain defense that dominated the decade of the ’70s. He was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, went to ten Pro Bowls, and won four Super Bowl trophies. Even with his Hall of Fame career, Green is probably best remembered for the Coke commercial he filmed in the tunnel at old Three Rivers Stadium. Remember? The kid offers Green his Coke and, after Green reluctantly accepts, he smiles and tosses the kid his jersey. “Here kid, catch!” They made a movie off that commercial.

Peace,

Allan

Concerning Fin, Dad, and The Toe

June 15, 2007 / Allan / 7 Comments

The picture says it all. OK, not all. I’ll say something more. I love Michael Finley. And I’m so happy today to know that he now owns an NBA Championship ring. More than Dirk and Nash, I’ve always liked Fin. I’ve always admired his humility and his attitude and his hustle. Nobody worked harder, nobody practiced longer, and nobody took it more personally when they lost than Finley. For as long as he was in Dallas, the Mavericks were his team. Maybe it’s because he was the best player during those years when the Mavs were the Tampa Bay DevilRays of the NBA. Maybe it’s his maturity and leadership skills. Maybe it’s that it was so obvious he was the only one for so long with any talent on that squad. He was just so intense. Dedicated. Passionate. He could score a double-double, but if the Mavs lost, he’d blame himself for not doing more. He could also go 2-20 with 10 turnovers and he’d still be one of the first ones in the lockerroom to answer questions and talk with us about his performance. I was calling for the Mavericks to cut him or trade him a year before they did. He was becoming more frequently injured, his injuries were taking longer to heal, and it was taking him longer and longer each time to find his shot. They needed to get younger and more athletic. And they did. And I’m glad. But I’ll always love Michael Finley. And I was so glad last night to see him get the ring. And he got it before Dirk and Nash.

I didn’t watch hardly any of the series. It’s been way too busy at church and at the house. But we all sat down and watched the 4th quarter of last night’s clincher. Whitney’s my sports buddy. She watches it all and eats it up. Valerie and Carley will only watch when they can sense it’s something important, when a “big trophy” is involved. At one point last night, when the Cavaliers’ crowd was chanting “Deee-fense! Deee-fense!” Carley asked me, “Are they saying Cheetos?” That’s what it’s like watching a game at our place.

Four titles in nine years. The Spurs are the oldest team in the NBA. How do they keep doing it? And why can’t the younger, more athletic, more talented Mavs do it? Concentration. Intensity. Passion. With 30-seconds to play and the game virtually over, there’s Manu Ginobili diving into the bench to save a ball off the baseline. Tim Duncan had done the same thing on the sideline a couple of possessions earlier when they had an eight-point lead. It was just the opposite of watching the Mavericks get outhustled and outefforted (I just made that word up) against Nellie’s Warriors. The Spurs are not my favorite team. I’m not a big Duncan or Popovich fan. But they play ball the right way.

Now let me introduce you to my dad.

Dad loves talking about the weather and gas prices. He’s the one who taught me the importance of having a rain gage in the backyard. He taught me how to throw a spiral, how to shoot a free throw, and how to hold a tennis racket. He taught me how to drive and how to change the oil in the car and the filter in the air conditioner. My dad taught me how to lead singing and how to pray. He showed me how to love my wife and how to care for my children by the selfless way he loved my mom and showered us kids with blessings. He faithfully studied the Bible with us every morning and night. I’m so thankful for my Father and for the legacy of his name and his faith that I diligently strive to uphold. I love you, Dad. Happy Father’s Day!

There are 76 days until football season. And #76 is Lou “The Toe” Groza, the best kicker to ever wear double-digits on his uni. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 – 1967—a 21 year career during the time pro football was in the formative stages. He played in nine NFL championship games and won three. He’s still the all-time leading scorer in Browns history. He’s a pro football Hall of Famer. And it’s the Lou Groza Award that every year goes to the best kicker in college football. The Toe was the NFL’s first great kicker. And he’s our #76.

Finally, our coyote is still at-large. I saw her at 7:15 this morning crossing Mid-Cities Blvd coming onto church property near our sign. She likes to hang out in the amphitheater area on the west side of the building. I don’t think she’s there to pray.

Peace,

Allan

Category: Stanglin Family (Page 25 of 25)

Is A Popular God….? Part Two. No Asterisk.

Practice Playing Second Fiddle

Who Needs the Quick-E-Mart? I dooooooooo…..

More Cowbell!

Concerning Fin, Dad, and The Toe

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