Football!!!

You don't have to be a guy to love football.....I'm sure there have to be some football fans reading the blog. If you aren't one of them, you might still want continue to read a bit.....I threw in an awesome recipe toward the end of this post just for you!!!

First, can you believe the Saints/Vikings game? What a great game! I was pulling for Brett Favre (he makes me feel young), so I wasn't particularly thrilled with the outcome; however I was happy for the 23 year old field goal kicker (Hartley) for making his kick in a true clutch! I bet he'll never see that much pressure again in his lifetime. Do you remember, he was the one who MISSED the "final seconds of the game" field goal in the game against Tampa Bay a few weeks ago? I couldn't help but think of his momma; you know she was saying alot of prayers!!!

Second, the Colts game......even though I am a Petyon Manning fan, I have to admit, I was kind of secretly hoping the Jets might pull out the game (especially when they started out so strong this evening). QB, Sanchez, was a college student last year at USC, and this year leading a pro football team to a potential AFC victory??? Get out! How cool would that have been? Ah well, it wasn't meant to be.

That's what I love about the game.....it is so unpredictable. Players are expertly trained, coaches are prepared for the other teams' maneuvers, and the officials are supposedly able to see what is going on on the field at all times. (Sometimes I doubt their vision, however---especially in tonight's Saints/Vikings overtime). But isn't that what makes it fun??? Do you get mad at the officials and stand up and yell? We do. Do you cheer like crazy when a quarterback throws a bomb into the endzone and an impossible catch is found cradled in the receivers hands just over the goal line for a touchdown? We do. Football is a wonderful family-friendly phenomenon.

I heard a football analogy once where God was called "Coach". The field, the players, the officials, and the stands of spectators.....all represent the world. First of all, it should be noted, the Coach's job is NOT to get in the game, but to direct those who are in the game. He recognizes the talents and gifts of each player and puts them into the position that will benefit the team as a whole. The Coach is not making decisions based on "favoritism", but He is objective as He looks at the total picture. Some of the players come out to play their hearts out; they leave it all on the field. Others, however, only give the minimum that is expected. They complete their tasks, but they come out of the game with only a few bumps and bruises. As for the spectators, they love to scream and shout and complain, but they never get their hands dirty at all-----and the officials (those who are payed generously to make sure the rules are being followed) stand in judgement making decisions that affect the whole game; but, oh how they can be swayed by the world by way of hidden bribes or by dislike of a certain individual who plays for one of the teams on the field.

I guess the question remains: Who are we? I don't know about you, but I want to come out of the game with more than a few bumps and bruises. I want the coach to find me being carried out on a gurney during the last few seconds of the fourth quarter with an IV stuck in my arm and blood staining my jersey. I want to give THAT much....to leave my all out on the field of life. Then, the coach will grab me up by the jersey and tell me: "Great Game!"

Tonight, to make game day a little extra fun, the girls and I made homemade chili and poured it over fritos....then we sprinkled cheese on top. Yummy, not healthy, but yummy. Then, we topped off the night with a little Cherry Surprise. Here is the recipe for you to enjoy:

Preheat oven: 350
Fill the bottom of a 9X13 glass dish with Cherry Pie filling (2 large cans are enough for us, but you can use an extra)
In a large bowl, beat 1 egg mixed with 1 tsp. baking powder. Add 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix well.
With your hands, gather the mixture and press it between your palms causing it to form into clumps. Lay clumps on top of the cherries using all of the mix.
Pour 1 stick of melted butter over the top and bake for 45 minutes.
Serve with ice cream!!!

On a final note, we had a GREAT time together as a family today. Lydia and Hopey have been feeling a bit under the weather, so we dragged down a spare twin mattress and covered it with blankets and pillows for them to watch the game in the great room with the rest of us....pretty soon, Natalie and the dog (Trudy) had joined them. We cooked together, ate together, cheered together, "boo-ed" the officials together, explained football to the girls for the 100th time together, and just simply enjoyed creating a memory. It didn't cost much, but it was valuable. As I sat and looked around the room today, I made another mental picture that I will tuck away in my heart. We ended our evening with our nightly Bible Study and prayer time....followed by lots of hugs. Thank you Lord!

"From a survey of 26,000 teens, 52.4% say that spending time with their parents is one of their favorite things to do."

We have to meet them where they are.....and have lots of fun!!!

"A leader must manage his family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he be of help to other believers?" 1 Timothy 3:4,5



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