Eric and Lisa

On this Thanksgiving weekend, I would like to post the lyrics to a song that has recently touched me. I don't think it needs any further commentary. --Lisa

Gratitude, by Nichole Nordeman, 2002

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid

But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time

Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread

Oh the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace may be another world away
And if that's the case...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please...

Here are some highlights from our pastor's sermon from yesterday:
God said to Abram, "Abandon it all so that I can bless you."

1. Trust Me with your unknown future (Genesis 12:1-9). God asked him to leave his home and go to unfamiliar territory.
2. Trust Me when you're most vulnerable (Genesis 12:10-20). Famine came upon the very land that God told Abram to go to, so Abram had to move again, this time to Egypt. However, while he was there, he tried to take matters into his own hands to make himself less vulnerable.
3. Trust Me when the promise seems outrageous or impossible (Genesis 15:1-6; 17:1-8 & 15-19). Abram couldn't believe that God was really serious, but he chose to act out his faith anyway because he trusted God.

Things to notice from these passages:

* There were large spaces of time between these conversations, perhaps because Abram had to have faith that God was going to do what He said. God probably didn't speak to him in this way on a regular basis.
* God is more often in the silence than in the speaking -- that's how faith grows.
* Don't go overboard with attributing your decisions to God "telling" you to -- God doesn't speak that way most of the time. Instead, He usually speaks to us in other ways: when we follow His will; when we live in the Spirit, make a decision, and trust that He is sovereign; and when we are in a community of faith.

An example from the New Testament: Acts 15, the Council at Jerusalem. The council said, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us..." They could have had Peter address the Church and say, "God told us to do such and such...", but they instead acknowledged that a lot of decisions are based on faith rather than an audible "word from God."

Faith and trust are inextricably linked. You cannot have faith in God if you don't trust Him.

It's kind of like a little girl who throws caution to the wind and jumps because she is fully confident that her father will catch her -- because He's done it in the past.

Our faith in God is based on our past relationship with Him. Think about the many times that He's come through for us in the past and guided us in the right direction! We can certainly trust Him.

Just a few quick thoughts concerning why I think there should be a Ohio State - Michigan rematch for the national title.

1. Since we do not have a playoff system, Michigan should not be punished for losing to Ohio State during the regular season. Our current format is designed to pit the top two teams in a championship game. If Michigan is arguably the 2nd best team, then they should be in the title game.

2. So, what happens when you look at the other 1-loss teams, Michigan's only loss was to the #1 team in the country on the road by 3 points. How does this compare to USC, Florida, Notre Dame, and Arkansas?

USC: Lost to 7-4 Oregon St. by 2
Florida: Lost to 10-2 Auburn by 10
Notre Dame: Lost to 11-1 Michigan by 26 (at home!)
Arkansas: Lost to USC by 36

What makes things interesting is that Arkansas and Florida will meet in the SEC championship game, and USC and Notre Dame will play next week.

3. Basically, regardless of how Notre Dame plays, they shouldn't get the nod over Michigan given how Michigan destroyed them. This may sound like the logic for not letting Michigan have a rematch with Ohio State, but it isn't. In deciding who should be the second team in a BCS title game, we have to compare the 1-loss teams relative to one another. If there is a direct head to head result, then the comparison is made for us. Remember, the BCS title game is about pitting the two best teams against one another. That's it.

4. Now, if LSU beats Arkansas, and Arkansas beats Florida, this would leave the winner of the USC - Notre Dame game as the only other viable one-loss team besides Michigan. Given my comments on Notre Dame, as well as USC's bad loss in a mediocre Pac-10, I think Michigan should get the nod. However, I don't think they will have a chance unless Notre Dame beats USC, and the pollsters vote honestly.

All in all. This year is yet another reason why the BCS needs to go.

Well, it's basketball season again (finally), which means that it is time for my predictions. Here we go:

1. Indiana will win 20 games and finish in the top 3 of the Big 10.
2. Ohio State will finish no better than 4th in the Big 10, despite all of the hype.
3. Duke will be a fairly ordinary top 25 team (i.e. somewhere between 10-25), although they will be ranked much higher for much of the season.
4. Florida will not make it back to the Final Four.
5. Duke will not make it to the 2nd weekend of the tournament (that's right, they will not make it to the sweet 16).
6. Michigan will self-destruct (again), and Tommy Amaker will be looking for a new job.
7. Purdue returns to the big dance.
8. NCAA tournament teams from the B-10 (no particular order): Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio St., Michigan St, Purdue.
9. Kentucky will miss the NCAA tournament.
10. D.J. White will return to Indiana for one more season.

--Eric