Guess What We Learned Today?

Posted on October 3, 2007 by Jason


Joshua’s allergic to mosquito bites!

Doesn’t he look like that kid from Pinocchio?

Posted in Humor, Kids, Random | 5 Comments

Sports Quick Hits

Posted on October 2, 2007 by Jason

This has to be my favorite time of the year for sports. The NFL is in full swing, college football is back and the baseball playoffs are just about to get crankin’. Absolutely perfect. Now if the weather would cool off a little! Quick hits from the sports landscape:

  • Last weekend, something like 7 of the top 13 college football teams were upset. Those games, coupled with early season losses by Michigan and Louisville (preseason Top 10 teams) prove the absolute absurdity of the preseason polling system. I’ve said it every year and I’ll say it again: in order for these rankings to mean anything, they shouldn’t even vote on them until October. Otherwise, they’re flimsy.
  • Two weeks from now we’ll have a possible Super Bowl preview as the Patriots and Cowboys square off. I’m predicting we’ll see 80 points scored in that one.
  • Well, I guess it’s time for me to finally eat crow about the Cubbies. I’ll admit, I took delight in their early season scuffle and enjoyed kicking them while they were down (see here). But I give credit: they somehow backed their way into winning the worst division in baseball. Hey, it worked for the Cardinals last year, so you never know. But I’ll still be rooting for ‘Zona and anybody else the Cubbies happen to play.
  • You heard it here first: the Cleveland Indians will win the World Series. Sabathia and Carmona are as good a 1-2 combo as anybody and they have 6 or 7 guys in their lineup that can beat you anytime. Their one weak link: closer Joe Borowski. Don’t put too much stock in his ability to put out any late-inning fires.
  • After winning 14 of their last 15 to win the NL Wild Card, the Colorado Rockies deserve a postseason berth. Regardless of how they fare in the tournament, two of the Rox are worthy of individual accolades. Despite a great offensive performance by the Brewers’ Ryan Braun, Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will be your NL Rookie of the Year. And if Matt Holliday (the NL leader in batting average and RBI) isn’t the NL MVP, it’ll be the league’s greatest travesty since Ozzie Smith was robbed of the 1987 award by Andre Dawson of the last place Chicago Cubs.
  • After a disappointing 2008, Tony LaRussa mulls his future as the Redbirds skipper. My opinion: I’d love to have Tony manage the club as long as he wants to. But if he decides to walk away, I want Joe Girardi. The former NL Manager of the Year is a hot commodity — and always seems to be linked to the potential Yankees vacancy if (when) Joe Torre is fired in the Bronx — but as a former Cardinal, I’d like to think we have some ties there. But like I said, I want Tony to stay as long as he wants.
Posted in Baseball, Sports | 5 Comments

The Living Word expressed in the words

Posted on September 30, 2007 by Jason
“We seek the Living Word expressed in the words.” — Karl Barth

Today promises to be one of the great highlights of my career in ministry. As a part of a special worship service at our church this morning, I’ll have the distinct privilege of reading from a 1611 First Edition, First Printing King James Pulpit Bible. I’m told there are fewer than 50 of these original printings in the world. Call me a geek, I guess, but I kinda get goosebumps when I think that I get to read from this same Bible that so many others have read from over the centuries. I wonder how many people have heard the Living Word proclaimed from this very Bible. And today, that number will grow yet again…

Our worship planning committee gave me license to choose what text I wanted to read. I thought long and hard about what passage of Scripture would be appropriate to read from this ancient book on this special occasion. A lot of great texts came to mind (Psalm 23, Isaiah 53, Philippians 2, Colossians 1), but at the end of the day, Romans 8 just wouldn’t let go of me. I guess if I had but one message to preach, it’d be this. So today, I’ll have the honor of proclaiming the words of life that Paul penned so many years ago.

May these ancient words allow for a hearing of the Living Word in our midst this day:

28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30: Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31: What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32: He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33: Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36: As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Posted in Church, Ministry, Scripture | 4 Comments

Goober

Posted on September 29, 2007 by Jason

This morning, Abby Kate climbed up on our bed and did a cannonball jump right on my chest. After laughing with her, I said to her, “You’re a goober.”

She replied, “I’m not a goober, Daddy. I’m a princess!”

Posted in Kids | 2 Comments

Great Quote

Posted on September 27, 2007 by Jason

As I try to find that ever-elusive sense of balance in my life, I came across this quote from Thomas a Kempis. It was a blessing to me and I hope it’ll be a blessing to you, too.

At the day of judgment we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done; not how eloquently we have spoken, but how holy we have lived.

Posted in Quotes | 2 Comments

Jackson Laughs!

Posted on September 25, 2007 by Jason

Check out our little guy…I think he had the giggles!

Posted in Kids, Video | 1 Comment

MyPod: Remedy

Posted on September 25, 2007 by Jason


Today the David Crowder Band released their latest album Remedy. Needless to say, I’m stoked. If you’ve never been exposed to the greatness that is DCB, go out and get this album right now. It’ll be a blessing, I promise you.

Posted in Music | 2 Comments

Best Friend

Posted on September 21, 2007 by Jason

Wednesday night, I met Sunny and the kids for dinner at Chick Fil-A before church. I sat next to Joshua and halfway through the meal, he leans over, puts his head on my shoulder and looks at me and says, “Daddy, thank you for being my best friend.“

If you only knew, son…

Posted in Blessings, Kids | 4 Comments

The Final Nail in the Coffin

Posted on September 20, 2007 by Jason

A fitting end to a rough season. I have to admit, this title defense has been pretty pathetic. After making it to within a half-game of the division lead, the wheels have definitely fallen off the Redbird bandwagon. However, the injury bug has not been kind. The following Cardinals have been sidelined for significant portions of the season:

  • Ace Chris Carpenter, arguably the best pitcher in the NL, pitched only 6 innings all season.
  • 3B Scott Rolen, after playing only 112 games, is done for the year.
  • SS David Eckstein missed more than a month with a bad back.
  • 2B Adam Kennedy has played only 87 games with a balky knee.
  • #2 starter Mark Mulder missed virtually the whole season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
  • RF Juan Encarnacion is done after only 78 games.
  • LF Chris Duncan, the Cards only other legitimate power threat besides Pujols, is out right now with a sports hernia.
  • CF Jim Edmonds missed significant time with a pinched nerve in his back.
  • C Yadier Molina has played in only 109 games with a fractured left wrist.
  • Backup infielder Scott Spiezio, after dealing with an infected finger, checked himself into a substance abuse rehab facility.
  • Reserve OF Preston Wilson has missed most of the season as has RP Josh Kinney.

If you’re keeping score at home, that’s the starting infield, the starting outfield, 40% of the rotation and several key reserves and relievers. Of course, it should also be noted that this team had to endure the emotional loss of RP and teammate Josh Hancock who, you’ll remember, died in an automobile accident in April. All that said, I still don’t think the ’07 Cardinals were a very good team to begin with. But given all their injuries this season, I honestly think they’ve overachieved. Here’s hoping for a productive offseason and a Cubs collapse down the stretch.

Go Cards!

Posted in St. Louis Cardinals | 3 Comments

Family Picture

Posted on September 19, 2007 by Jason
The Bybee family, circa Sept. 2007

Posted in Blogging | Leave a comment