The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

AllanStanglin.com

Page 285 of 493

The Almost Impossibly Hard Thing

September 9, 2014 / / 1 Comment

Soren Kierkegaard said sin is substituting things — any thing — for God. Good things, bad things, it doesn’t matter. If you find your identity, if you find your true self, your self worth, your emotional well-being, if your life is centered on any thing other than God, that is sin. Using this definition, Timothy Keller categorizes a lot of what we pursue as modern day men and women as sin in his terrific apologetics masterpiece, The Reason for God:

~If you center your life and identity on your spouse or partner, you will be emotionally dependent, jealous, and controlling. The other person’s problems will be overwhelming to you.
~If you center your life and identity on your family and children, you will try to live your life through your children until they resent you or have no self of their own. At worst, you may abuse them when they displease you.
~If you center your life and identity on your work and career, you will be a driven workaholic and a boring, shallow person. At worst you will lose family and friends and, if your career goes poorly, develop deep depression.
~If you center your life and identity on money and possessions, you’ll be eaten up by worry or jealousy about money. You’ll be willing to do unethical things to maintain your lifestyle, which will eventually blow up your life.
~If you center your life and identity on pleasure, gratification, and comfort, you will find yourself getting addicted to something. You will become chained to the “escape strategies” by which you avoid the hardness of life.
~If you center your life and identity on relationships and approval, you will be constantly overly hurt by criticism and thus always losing friends. You will fear confronting others and therefore will be a useless friend.
~If you center your life and identity on a “noble cause,” you will divide the world into “good” and “bad” and demonize your opponents. Ironically, you will be controlled by your enemies. Without them, you have no purpose.
~If you center your life and identity on religion and morality, you will, if you are living up to your moral standards, be proud, self-righteous, and cruel. If you don’t live up to your standards, your guilt will be utterly devastating.

The only real solution is not simply to change our behaviors, but to reorient and center every part of our lives on God. Our self worth and sense of purpose and reason for living and emotional well-being must all be found in Christ. If he is not the center, we’re going to be in trouble.

This passage from C. S. Lewis’ essay “Is Christianity Hard or Easy?” sums it all up pretty well:

The ordinary idea which we all have is that we have a natural self with various desires and interests. And we know something called “morality” or “decent behavior” has a claim on the self. We are all hoping that when all the demands of morality and society have been met, the poor natural self will still have some chance, some time, to get on with its own life and do what it likes. In fact, we are very like an honest man paying his taxes. He pays them, but he does hope that there will be enough left over for him to live on.

The Christian way is different — both harder and easier. Christ says, “Give me ALL.” I don’t want just this much of your time and this much of your money and this much of your work — so that your natural self can have the rest. I want you. Not your things. I have come not to torture your natural self; I will give you a new self instead. Hand over the whole natural self — ALL the desires, not just the ones you think wicked but the ones you think innocent — the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead.

The almost impossibly hard thing is to hand over your whole self to Christ. But it is far easier than what we are all trying to do instead. For what we are trying to do is remain what we call “ourselves” — our personal happiness centered on money or pleasure or ambition — and hoping, despite this, to behave honestly and chastely and humbly. And that is exactly what Christ warned us we cannot do. If I am a grass field — all the cutting will keep the grass less but won’t produce wheat. If I want wheat, I must be plowed up and re-sown.

Everybody is living for something. Whether you think of it that way or not, whatever it is eventually becomes your Lord.

Where are you pouring most of your time and energy, your money and resources? Where do you find most happiness and fulfillment? What are you pursuing more than anything else? The answer to that question is the lord of your life. And if its anything other than Jesus, it’s not going to work for too much longer. Jesus says lose your life for me and I’ll save it. Throw it away for me and I’ll give you eternal life forever. Make yourself last for my sake and I’ll exalt you on high.

Peace,

Allan

How ‘Bout Them Cowboys?

September 6, 2014 / / 2 Comments

The Dallas Cowboys are 136-136 since the end of the 1996 season. That was a long time ago, pardner. Since then, the Cowboys have had more players named Roy Williams than playoff wins. Since the Cowboys last played in a conference championship game, Derek Jeter was named AL Rookie of the Year. The Cowboys’ mathematically perfect 17-year run of mediocrity is not the most terrible news on the eve of the 2014 campaign. Tony Romo’s spinal column is being held together with duct tape and twisty ties. And his backup is Brandon Weeden. Last year’s third worst defense in NFL history is now without DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher. The team’s best defensive player is out for the first four games with a drug suspension. And Jerry Jones having his picture taken with a couple of strippers is only 4th or 5th in a list of the terrible decisions he’s made since last year’s 8-8 finish. Should the Cowboys complete this season at 8-8, they will become the first team in NFL history to go .500 in four consecutive seasons. If the Cowboys go 8-8 this season, they should give Jason Garrett the Coach of the Year award.

I think the Cowboys will go 6-10 this season. Here’s how I see it playing out:

Sep. 7 v. San Francisco – Dallas has won two straight openers; but not this year. Scott Linehan, the Cowboys third different offensive coordinator in the past three years, calls DeMarco Murray’s number on 13 of their first 15 offensive plays. The Cowboys are 11-0 when Murray gets 20 or more carries. Oops. Make that 11-1. Murray nets only one run for a first down while Frank Gore runs for 125 yards and 2 TDs for the 49ers. Linebacker Sean Lee, watching from home and disgusted by the performance of the Dallas defense, gets up to change the channel and breaks his leg in three places. All the Dallas scoring comes from four Dan Bailey field goals. Dallas loses 35-12.

Sep. 14 @ Tennessee – Tony Romo throws for 299 yards, 161 of them to Dez Bryant, against the overmatched Titans secondary and the Cowboys win in a shootout, 41-38. Morris Claiborne gets burned for two touchdowns for the second week in a row and explains to reporters afterward, “Hey, at least I’m not doing steroids!” It looks like when Stephen Jones physically restrained his dad from drafting Johnny Manziel back in April will be the best defensive play made by any Cowboy all year. Romo says his back is just fine.

Sep. 21 @ St. Louis – In an awkward moment captured by FOX cameras, Rams coach Jeff Fisher embraced Cowboys practice squad player Michael Sam during pre-game warm-ups and whispered something into his ear. St. Louis defensive coordinator Gregg Williams places bounties on Tony Romo and Jason Witten. But the Cowboys win anyway, 33-28. Both of Dallas’ wins have come against two teams with a combined record of 0-6, but Jerry Wayne tells reporters he’s starting to feel things turning their way.

Sep. 28 v. New Orleans – Drew Brees brings the Cowboys back to reality by throwing for a record 516 yards and five TDs in a 53-10 rout on Sunday Night Football. Jimmy Graham has his way against the Cowboys defense, scoring on a reception, a run, a flea-flicker pass, and a drop-kick field goal on third down. Sean Lee, watching from the sidelines on crutches, trips over a headphone cord and tears his MCL. After the game, Rolando McClain retires. Again. He says he’s not in good enough shape to chase all those receivers down from behind. An optimistic Jason Garrett says, “We’re continuing to get better in certain areas each week. And our goal is to keep getting better in other areas each week.” Not even Tony Dungy on the post-game show has anything good to say about Dallas.

Oct. 5 v. Houston – Orlando Scandrick’s return to the Cowboys secondary can’t prevent the team’s second consecutive defeat, 27-13. The worst news, though, is the loss of quarterback Tony Romo. J. J. Watt and rookie Jadaveon Clowny make a Romo sandwich on a vicious sack in the second quarter, breaking Romo’s collarbone and Jerry Wayne’s heart. Backup Brandon Weeden came into the game — that’s like being in a sinking ship and discovering that the emergency life raft is a styrofoam Toot n Totem ice chest — and went 2-19 with two interceptions. Babe Laufenburg actually started warming up in the broadcast booth. Coach Jason Garrett says they’ll simplify the playbook for next week’s game at Seattle.

Oct. 12 @ Seattle – The Super Bowl champions demolish Dallas 38-17 and it wasn’t even that close. Brandon Weeden missed the first set of downs when he lost his way coming out of the visitors locker room. Dez Bryant stormed off the field with still more than four minutes to play. Cole Beasley took a selfie with Richard Sherman after the game. On the way home, Troy Aikman tells Joe Buck he’d rather do some of the divisional baseball playoff series than another Cowboys game this year. Jerry Wayne considers calling Quincy Carter.

Oct. 19 v. Giants – The Cowboys’ losing streak hits four in a division loss at home to New York. Eli Manning, who looks like the junior high kid who still has to use the safety round tip scissors in class, throws for three touchdowns.

Oct. 27 v. Washington – In a secret agreement brokered by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Jerry Wayne brings Michael Sam off the practice squad and makes him a defensive starter four days before the nationally televised Sunday night game on ESPN. Goodell hopes the publicity surrounding the first openly gay NFL player will distract the media from the worldwide protests against the politically incorrect name of Daniel Snyder’s team. What he doesn’t realize is that it’s not the name “Redskins” that is offensive; it’s the team itself, the Redskins, that are offensive. They’re terrible. Washington turns the ball over four times and the Cowboys end their losing skid 24-10.

 Nov. 2 v. Arizona – Larry Fitzgerald catches eleven passes for 201 yards and three scores as the Cardinals hand Dallas its sixth loss this season 34-24. Brandon Weeden was only allowed by the Cowboys coaches to hand the ball off to Murray and throw safe balls in the flat to Witten. It’s rumored that Romo will be able to return following the bye week. Jerry Wayne is googling Vinny Testaverde.

Nov. 11 v. Jacksonville in London – In an effort to globalize American football, the NFL flies the Cowboys and the Jaguars across the pond to stage a real regular season game in England. Too bad they didn’t send over two real regular NFL teams. This is bad football. And boring. The mostly Cowboys partisan crowd starts the wave during a lull early in the second quarter and keeps it going throughout the Spice Girls halftime show. Doug Free scores the game’s only touchdown on a tackle eligible fumble-rooskie. Dallas enters the bye week with a win 13-6.

Nov. 14 – The biggest news of the bye week is that Tony Romo appears to be fully recovered from his week five injury and is ready to quarterback the Cowboys down the stretch. That’s good because Drew Henson wasn’t returning Jerry Wayne’s calls. At 4-6, Dallas is still alive in the playoff race, only a game back of the Eagles and Giants in the dismal NFC East. In other news, t’s discovered that while in London the week before, Jerry Wayne spent almost one-and-a-half million dollars wining and dining NFL referees on a party yacht. The league declines to investigate. They figure even with crooked refs, the Cowboys can’t win.

Nov. 23 @ Giants – It’s hard to believe that Tom Coughlin is still the Giants’ coach. Tony Romo looks solid in his return, throwing for three scores in a relatively easy 35-21 victory on Sunday Night Football. Jason Witten becomes the Cowboys all-time leading receiver with his third grab in the third quarter. And after the game, Jerry Wayne announces that Rolando McClain has rejoined the team. Asked by reporters why he would bring back a guy who has been arrested multiple times and retired multiple times, Jerry replied, “I just really like his story.”

Nov. 27 v. Philadelphia – Eagles coach Chip Kelly never let up, running his no-huddle offense up and down the field and all over the Cowboys, ruining Thanksgiving Day in Dallas 42-27. At one point late in the first half, Jason Garrett intentionally spilled a plate of nachos onto the field near the hash marks at the 40-yard line to force an official time out. Who needs DeSean Jackson? Nick Foles completed an NFL record 19 one-yard passes to Darren Sproles in the blowout win.

Dec. 4 @ Chicago – In a rare scheduling quirk that has the Cowboys playing on consecutive Thursdays, Jay Cutler and the Bears beat the Cowboys 41-38. Cutler becomes the third quarterback this season to pass for more than 400 yards against the Cowboys defense. Jason Garrett reminds reporters that Dan Bailey made all five of his extra point attempts. Jerry Wayne contacts Nick Saban and tries to set up a lunch.

Dec. 14 @ Philadelphia – This game was originally set for prime time Sunday Night Football on NBC. But the league’s flex schedule moved it to the Lifetime Channel in order to show Buffalo versus Tampa Bay. Even on ten days rest, Dallas didn’t look ready in this one. Philly won it easily 27-13. Jerry Wayne gives Jason Garrett a confusing vote of confidence after the game. “I see progress every week with Jason,” says the owner. “I know what we’re doing at head coach. And until we stop doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep doing it with Jason.” When a reporter asks Garrett about his teams’ notorious December swoons, the coach says, “There’s still a lot of football to be played. We’re just trying to get better every week.”

Dec. 21 v. Indianapolis – Andrew Luck throws for 428 yards and the  Colts wrap up home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 45-24 pasting of the Cowboys. At 5-10, the Cowboys are officially eliminated from postseason contention. Jerry Wayne places a phone call to Bobby Petrino and tells the Louisville coach they’re fine with office romances at Valley Ranch.

Dec. 28 @ Washington – An awkward moment before the season finale when Jason Garrett and his wife step into a stadium elevator and find Jerry Wayne on his way upstairs with Jon Gruden. Robert Griffin III plays in a full body cast, but it’s not enough to inspire his teammates to avoid the season sweep at the hands of the Cowboys. In a balanced attack, Demarco Murray runs for 127 yards and a touchdown while Tony Romo throws for 260 yards and two scores in the 28-17 victory. The Cowboys defense gives up nearly 500 yards to the team now referred to as the Washington First Americans and finish the year last in the league in every major statistical category. After the game, Sean Lee, recovering from third-degree burns suffered during a holiday cooking accident while deep-frying a turkey, declared himself ready to go in 2015. Jerry Wayne expresses great disappointment and even some surprise at the 6-10 finish. He tells reporters that Garrett and everyone on the staff and the team will be evaluated before the spring scouting combines. Rolando McClain announces his retirement. Stephen Jones begins looking at a list of promising draft-eligible offensive linemen. Tony Romo declares that going 6-10 is not the worst thing that will ever happen to him, while he and Jason Witten hop on a plane to the Virgin Islands.

You read it here first.

Peace,

Allan

Prayer and Peace: Part 3

September 4, 2014 / / 0 Comments

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7

I’ve suggested this week that Paul is telling the Christians in Philippi that giving everything to God in prayer will result in the Lord’s blessings of heavenly peace ONLY in the context of a relationship with Jesus based on the things he had already written leading up to this point in the letter. Giving everything to God in prayer must be accompanied by giving all of your everything to God. Period.

Paul assumes that disciples of Jesus are still awed and grateful for their salvation (Tuesday), still confident of God’s love and care (yesterday), and identified in the Lord.

Timothy Keller gives us a couple of cinematic illustrations at the beginning of his powerful chapter ten (“The Problem of Sin”) in The Reason for God. He points out that Sylvester Stallone’s character in the movie Rocky is determined to go the distance in his fight because, as Rocky declares, “If I go the distance, then I’ll know I’m not a bum.” Similarly, one of the main characters in Chariots of Fire describes his motivation for training for the one hundred yard dash this way: “At the beginning of every race, I have ten lonely seconds to justify my existence.”

Both of these men were looking to athletic achievement as the defining force that gave meaning to their lives. I’m an athlete. As long as I excel in athletics, then I matter. I’m important. I’m a somebody. I have a purpose. But if I fail. I’m a nobody. I don’t matter. Because I’m athlete. That’s a pretty tough thing to live up to.

But we’re all looking for that same significance. Every one of us needs to matter. We all need to have worthy. And if we’re looking to anything other than Christ for that identity, we’ll never have peace.

Think about it for a second. Where is your identity? Who are you? I’m a successful doctor. I’m a business owner. I’m a great mother. I’m a proud American. I’m an elite runner. I’m a loyal Republican. I’m a popular teacher.

If that’s your absolute value, if everything in your life revolves around that identity, that’s a problem. If that’s actually who you are, you’re going to devote a lot of time and energy to it; you’re going to devote a lot of passion and intensity to it. This thing that is central to your significance, your purpose, your happiness — it becomes your god. It’s your savior. It’s where you put all your resources. It’s where you find your emotional well being. And it’s shaky, at best.

I’m a great mother. Well, what happens if something goes wrong with your children? Or your parenting? Now you’re a loser?
I’m a successful doctor. Fine, but what happens if you lose a patient? What happens if technology passes you by? Now you’re a nobody?
I’m a proud American. OK, but what happens if the country starts to go downhill?
I’m an elite runner. Great, but what happens if you get a disease? Or you get old?
I’m a loyal Republican. Well, what happens if the Democrats are in charge?
I’m a popular teacher. Fine, but what happens if people stop coming to your classes?

If anything threatens your identity, you’ll become anxious. Maybe even paralyzed with fear. If my daughter goes down the drain, then my whole life is a failure! If I can’t teach anymore, then my life will have no purpose! If I get that disease, my whole life will be ruined! If they legalize gay marriage in Texas, then we will have lost everything!

Some parents are probably a little too wrapped up in the accomplishments of their children. We all might need to evaluate how much we’re tied in to our jobs. And I think the unrest in the world and the increased secularization of the United States is causing God’s children more anxiety and stress than it should.

Your identity as a person is everything. So, if you lose your identity because somebody messes up or somebody fails, you’ll be resentful, maybe even locked up in bitterness. If you lose your identity through your own mistakes or shortcomings, you might despise yourself or see yourself as a failure your whole life. Either way, these things don’t hold up. There’s no peace.

That’s why Paul reminds these Philippians throughout this whole letter that their identity is in Christ. He addresses it to the saints in Christ Jesus (1:1). I am in chains, he says, for Christ (1:13). You are preaching in the Lord (1:14). We rejoice in the Lord (3:1, 4:4). I’m hoping in the Lord (2:19). I am confident in the Lord (2:24). Euodia and Syntyche, agree with each other in the Lord (3:2). We worship by the Spirit of God, Paul says, and we glory in Christ Jesus and we put no confidence in the flesh (3:3).

“Whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.” ~Philippians 3:7-9

If your identity is in Christ, if your true self is in Jesus, you’ll never be threatened. He is Lord. What’s going to take him down? If everything about you is based on Jesus — your self worth, your security, your future, who you are, your significance, your identity — if all that rests in Christ, you can’t lose it. You can’t mess it up. Nobody else can mess it up for you. If Jesus is your center, nothing can upset that.

Of course, placing your all in Christ is the hard part.

C. S. Lewis, in an essay entitled “Is Christianity Hard or Easy?” summed it up:

“The almost impossibly hard thing is to hand over your whole self to Christ. But it is far easier than what we are all trying to do instead.”

Peace,

Allan

Prayer and Peace: Part 2

September 4, 2014 / / 0 Comments

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7

I suggested yesterday that Paul is telling the Christians in Philippi that giving everything to God in prayer will result in an experience of divine peace ONLY in the context of a prayerful life lived according to the things Paul had already written in the letter up to this point. Prayer is not a technology or a technique in which we try to get God to give us what we want. It’s not a matter of saying the right words or setting the proper mood or how many times you pray or how many people you get to pray with you or for you. Prayer, to Paul, is an attitude. It’s a manner of living. It’s a way of looking at God and the world that’s based on a real relationship with Christ Jesus.

So, yes, prayer results in peace, assuming you are still shocked by your salvation (yesterday) and confident of God’s care (today).

At the very beginning of the letter, Paul says he is confident that this good thing God has started in you, he will finish. He will see it through (1:6). God is working in you, he says, he’s working through you to make sure it happens (2:13). Paul’s in chains, but that’s causing more and more people to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly (1:14). Whatever’s happening to me, Paul writes, will turn out in the end to be for my deliverance (1:19). I am confident, Paul asserts, that I myself will be able to see you soon (2:24).

This isn’t a superficial obliviousness that ignores reality. Paul’s not whistling past the graveyard. He really does trust in the love of God that saves him and the love of God that is taking care of him and protecting him. All of Paul’s circumstances are in God’s hands. God is fully sovereign and totally in control of everything that’s happening to Paul. And Paul’s great with that because he knows that God loves him.

Of course, Paul got this from the example of Jesus.

Peter had the same idea. “When they hurled their insults at Christ Jesus, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to God” (1 Peter 2:23).

Peter’s got it. And Paul’s got it. And they both got it from Jesus.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7) sounds a lot like “Do not be anxious about anything… present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6).

I would encourage you today to give to God in prayer that one thing that’s eating you up. It’s keeping you awake at night and distracting you during the day and totally stressing you out all the time. It’s that thing that’s just hanging over you. Give it to God in prayer right now. Don’t ask God to fix it. Don’t ask him to make it better or solve it or make it go away. Just give it to God and tell him you trust him. Tell him you know he’s in control and you’re good with that. Because you’re confident that he loves you and that he cares for you.

Peace,

Allan

Prayer and Peace: Part 1

September 2, 2014 / / 0 Comments

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7

Prayer is not a technique. It’s not a formula. Prayer is not a technology which we use to get a force or a “higher power” to do what we want. When Paul talks about prayer, he’s talking about a prayerful understanding, a prayer attitude, a particular way of looking at life. Paul wants the Christians in Philippi to have a prayerful relationship with God based on everything he’s written in the letter up to this point.

In order for prayer to result in peace, Paul expects Christians to be still blown away by their salvation.

I think the fact that we are saved by the amazing grace of a merciful God should startle us every single day. The fact that a holy and righteous Creator sacrificed everything in order to save a wretched sinner like me — it should overwhelm me every couple of hours or so. Several times a day, I think, I should be shocked by it all over again. My salvation is impossible; yet it’s real! My salvation is beyond comprehension; it’s a miracle!

And Paul is careful to remind the disciples in Philippi they can’t ever forget it.

He starts the letter by reminding us that God is bringing this wonderful miracle of salvation to completion (1:6). We are pure and blameless, he says, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus (1:10-11). In chapter two, Paul points out again just what Jesus did for us. He gave up everything! All this grand, sweeping poetry about the sacrifice of our Lord who, he says, is right now working inside us according to his wonderful purposes (2:13). Then we’re told that our righteousness is not our own — we don’t have any righteousness — all of it comes from God (3:9). It’s an outrageous gift from our God!

We are beloved children of that merciful God. We are chosen subjects of that glorious Lord. And we are privileged citizens of that heavenly Kingdom…

“And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” ~Philippians 3:20-21

You are in the Lord, Paul says. You are in Christ. And don’t you ever forget that you never did one crying thing to deserve it.

Every now and then, we might think that we’re better than other people. Sometimes, we might even think we don’t need nearly as much of God’s mercy as somebody else. Prayer will not result in peace unless we are still shocked by our salvation and driven daily to new levels of humility and gratitude to God because of it.

Peace,

Allan

The Peace of God

August 28, 2014 / / 1 Comment

“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:7

Shalom. Peace. It’s the perfect state of harmony and communion between God and man, between men and women, throughout all creation. It was promised to the patriarchs. The psalmists wrote about it. The prophets foretold the deliverance of this ultimate peace in the Messiah. For centuries, every generation of God’s people longed for that peace. They sang about it. They preached about it. They looked for it. They waited for it.

That peace of God, that perfect shalom, has come to God’s people in Christ Jesus!

Now that Jesus has won the great victory at the cross, now that he’s defeated death and sin and Satan, now that he’s been raised and exalted by the Father, now that he reigns in all glory and power from his heavenly throne, we possess the peace of God.

Paul says Jesus himself is our peace. He tells the Ephesians that Christ has destroyed the barriers, he’s abolished the wall of hostility. Jesus has forever eliminated the things that separated men and women from God, the things that divided us against each other. All those things are nailed to the cross! Dead! Gone! Obliterated!

“He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” ~Ephesians 2:17-18

May we dwell in the joy of the Lord. And may the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The high school football season begins tonight with our Amarillo Sandies hosting Palo Duro at Bivins Stadium. And, as always, the Stanglins are all in. As is our tradition around here, we attended the pep rally this morning to cheer the team, to celebrate with the Seniors (including Valerie), to boo the Freshmen (including Carley), to be proud of Blakelee (cheerleader) and Boyd (drum line), and to welcome the new season with the rest of our community. We’ll tailgate tonight with our normal crew and live and die with every snap of another Sandies campaign.

It feels a little bit strange kicking off the season on a Thursday night instead of a Friday. Going to work and school again tomorrow after a late night football game isn’t anybody’s idea of fun. But this is what happens when you share a football stadium with the other high schools in town. And I’m still not totally sure about this new 6A classification. It doesn’t sound right.

But at 7:30 this evening under a blue-gray cloudy sky in Amarillo, the drum line will march, the cheerleaders will yell, the coaches will inspire, the referees will blow their whistles, and the Sandies will launch their 116th football season. And all will be right in the world.

Blow, Sand, Blow!

Allan

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑