Category: Dallas Stars (Page 1 of 8)

What Counts

My feelings would be in another universe if the Stars and Oilers were tied 2-2 heading into tonight’s Game Five. My sports heart would be in such a positive place: “We just need to win two out of three, and two of them are at home!” Instead, trailing 3-1, my head knows that Dallas has to win three in a row, and one of them is in Edmonton. That’s a whole different deal. In all of NHL history, the teams that go up 3-1 eventually win the series 92-percent of the time. My heart wants to believe that Dallas can win at home tonight, and that will put pressure on Edmonton. It will force the Oilers to have to win Saturday in Canada to avoid a deciding Game Seven back in Texas. And maybe that pressure will get to the Oilers and benefit Dallas. And then, anything can happen in a Game Seven! Especially at the AAC! But my head knows the Stars are going to become the first team in NHL history to appear in three straight conference finals without winning a Stanley Cup. It may not happen tonight–I expect Dallas to win at home this evening and force a Game Six in Alberta. But it’s already over.

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“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” ~Galatians 1:3-5

Yes, we are still living in the present evil age. And it’s hard for people living in the U.S. in 2025 to see it. Because the current age doesn’t seem so bad.

I’ve got both hot and cold running water inside my house and central air-conditioning and heat and streaming digital TV in four rooms with unparalleled clarity in picture and sound. I’ve got a job, two cars, and a nice backyard. I’ve got a leather couch, a couple of recliners, and some nights I’ve got pizza rolls in the oven. Most of the time, for me, the present age seems pretty sweet. What’s so evil about it?

Well, we know the world is evil. Just pull back a little bit. We know how broken the world is. It’s evil. There is vulgarity and violence, racism and sexism, lying and lust. There’s poverty and disease and death and wars and threats of more wars. You and I–all of us–are negatively impacted by that.

On a more personal level, you and I know that something in this world is going to take you down. Something is going to wreck your life. It might be a tornado or a fire, heart disease or cancer or Alzheimer’s. It might be adultery, divorce, or the death of someone you can’t imagine living without.

There’s no fixing what’s wrong with this present age. The world is broken and we know it. We’re broken. And all the ways we try to fix ourselves and the world are also broken. We can argue about the things we see that aught to be changed and we can fuss about whose party and whose leader needs to be in charge of the change; we can spend our whole lives rearranging the furniture on the Titanic; and maybe we’ll have some success in making life a little more tolerable for our fellow passengers; but we know we can’t stop this ship from going down.

We all need rescue.

There is only one solution for this evil age; there’s only one thing that can fix what’s wrong with creation.

“Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.” ~Galatians 6:15

The only answer to what’s wrong with this world is a whole new world. Not better leaders or stricter laws, not bigger churches or tighter rules, not better science or more technology. The only solution is new creation, a brand new physical and spiritual reality in which the only law is the one Paul states in Galatians 5: one command, one single command, he writes–love your neighbor as yourself.

Only Jesus gives us new creation. And it’s the one thing that counts.

Peace,

Allan

Cory Was Not Arrested

Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Dextor Clinkscale…

Our GCR Worship Minister, Cory Legg, was definitely not arrested at LAX as we were leaving the Pepperdine Bible Lectures on Friday. It was a case of misplaced luggage: it was Cory’s luggage and he misplaced it. The cop was only helping Cory relocate his bag. Yes, I showed this picture to our entire church family at the beginning of yesterday’s sermon. And, no, I did not explain it. Not at all. I just said we were delayed a bit at LAX while Cory was temporarily detained by LAPD. Cory wasn’t at church–he was taking a much-deserved vacation day–so it raised a lot of questions. I think he spent most of his vacation day answering emails and texts. He was still receiving messages from concerned members today at lunch. The real story is that they found his carry-on–someone had turned it in–and everything was fine. The other truth is that I’m holding onto this awesome picture and this isn’t the last time GCR is going to see it.

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Breno and Gabriela Escobar had never heard of tater tots! Somehow, some way, our dear friends from Brazil–grown and married adults!–had never heard of tater tots until the topic came up at lunch yesterday after church. Breno is the professor of practical ministry at the Ser Cris training school in Campo Grande. He and his wife are in West Texas this week to attend a graduation of some friends at ACU, to attend his own graduation for his Masters of Biblical Studies in Lubbock, and to meet some more of us at their partner church at Golf Course Road. This is their first ever trip to the states. So, today our ministry team treated them to lunch at Michael’s Charcoal Grill here in Midland. And their first ever experience with tater tots. A travesty made right.

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Here’s the May update photo of our two grandsons. And their mom. These two boys together weigh a combined six pounds now and they’re both reportedly kicking Valerie in the ribs all the time. I don’t know how she’s going to make it to July. We’re all heading to Tulsa Friday for David’s graduation from law school at Tulsa University and the baby shower they’re throwing for Val at the Jenks Church. Lots of family, special dinners, catching up, and talking about twin babies! I can’t wait to see everybody!

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Mikko Magic. The Dallas Stars new superstar forward is scoring and assisting on almost every goal his team scores and breaking or extending his own NHL Stanley Cup playoff records almost every time he touches the puck.  Mikko Rantanen is on an historic streak–back-to-back hat tricks, gutsy put-backs, laser-precise passes–and remarkably making us forget about Luka. The Stars have an enormous opportunity to take control of this second round series at home tomorrow against Winnipeg. If the Jets don’t double-team Mikko every time he’s on the ice, the loss is on them.

Peace,

Allan

Trusting the Good News

Every single time the New Testament says somebody is filled with the Holy Spirit, without exception, their mouths open and they start talking about Jesus. Most of those instances are in Acts and Luke, but they are all remarkably consistent. And intentional. The Bible is telling us that the indwelling Spirit gives us the power, he gives us the boldness and courage, to share the Good News with others. You can do and say things for our Lord Jesus with God living inside you that you could never do by yourself.

This is God’s plan. This is how he works. It’s part of the Good News. The problem is, we don’t trust it. We don’t always trust the way God works to spread the Good News and expand his Kingdom to save people.

We don’t trust the Gospel to connect and transform people. Or we don’t trust God’s way or God’s Spirit to communicate his Good News through us. We forget that there’s not one single person I could talk to about Jesus that God’s Spirit hasn’t already been working on. When God puts somebody in my path and an opportunity right in front of me, the fact is that he has been convincing them and drawing them and preparing them for a while now. God’s already started something with this person a long time ago and he’d be thrilled if I just jumped in and shared the fun.

Pew Research released their state of the church report two weeks ago. According to their surveys and research, in 2007,  63% of all Texans went to church at least once a month. In 2024, just 17 years later, the percentage of Texas residents who go to church at least once a month is down to 38%. The odds are right now today higher than they’ve ever been in your life that your next-door-neighbor doesn’t go to church. The odds are higher right now than they’ve ever been since you were born that your co-worker is not a Christian.

And I’m guessing you don’t know how to talk to them about it. The very thought of talking to your friend or neighbor about Jesus or about the Good News makes your stomach fall into your socks. You say you don’t know how to have a spiritual conversation.

Yes, you do. You just don’t trust it. You don’t trust the Good News. Or you don’t trust God’s plan or God’s Spirit.

Talking to people about Jesus is a Holy Spirit activity. You don’t have to start anything with your neighbor or classmate; God’s already started it! Our Lord tells us that God’s Spirit is at work around the clock convincing men and women, exposing what’s wrong in the world, and drawing all people to himself. The Holy Spirit is convicting people of their sin and compelling men and women to seek righteousness and avoid judgment. God’s Spirit is working hard on people all around you. And this same Spirit lives inside you, empowering you like you can’t believe.

Pray that God will open a door, pray that you proclaim Christ clearly, and make the most of every opportunity (Colossians 4:3-5). The Holy Spirit will put the person directly in front of you, the Holy Spirit will tell you what to say, and the Holy Spirit will do with your conversation what’s going to be best, what he’s already planned and been working on. If you’ll only trust the Good News.

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The Dallas Stars have played three games against Colorado in this first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, they have led the Avalanche for a total of just 62-seconds, and yet they are leading the series two games to one. Two come-from-behind overtime thrillers. Last night, the Stars had to kill off a four-minute double-minor power play at the end of regulation and at the start of overtime just to get to Tyler Seguin’s sudden death winner. For drama, athleticism, pressure, grit, adrenaline, anticipation, and edge-of-your seat tension, there is nothing better than overtime playoff hockey. It’s like having a heart attack on a roller coaster in an electrical storm. Can’t wait til Saturday.

Go Stars

Allan

My Sports Heart

My intense hatred for the Cowboys did not happen in a flash. It wasn’t a switch that got flicked on the moment Jerry Wayne fired Jimmy and replaced him with Barry. Almost thirty years of devotion to the Cowboys wasn’t undone that quickly. But I do point to that moment as the cataclysmic event that led very quickly to my disdain for the whole organization and everything it stands for. Or refuses to stand for. It started there and it didn’t take long.

That’s what the Luka trade feels like. I don’t consider myself a Mavs hater. I haven’t thrown out any of my Mavs gear. But my heart is completely void of any feeling or concern for what happens now. I didn’t watch one dribble, pass, or shot of either of their two play-in games last week. I don’t care. The gut-punch that was the Luka trade is getting worse, not better.

Every time Nico opens his mouth, it gets worse. More and more of the hubris of the new carpet-bagging owners and the GM gets revealed every day. More of the arrogance. More of the reality that the financial bottom line is more important than a championship. More of the complete lack of concern for the Mavs’ fans. The more time goes on, the more it looks and feels like a betrayal of a public trust–very much like how Jerry runs my once-favorite-team. Say what you want about Mark Cuban, but he was a Dallas guy who wanted our Dallas team to win titles. Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont said they bought the team as an “in” to doing business in North Texas.

Give me the three-hour heart attack of last night’s thrilling come-from-behind overtime win for the Stars. Give me the hope of a team that’s close–so close–to winning it all, and doing whatever it takes to get there. Give me the loyalty of a GM like Jim Nill who understands the big-picture value of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin and his commitment to the cause to trade for Miko Rantenan down the stretch. Give me Colin Blackwell scoring the overtime game-winner last night in his Stars playoff debut. That’s what I think about every day. That’s what I look forward to. That’s what fills my sports heart.

Peace,

Allan

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