Underdogs

If you just watched the SuperBowl as I did, then you know all about underdogs. The New York Giants had a great season, shadowed by the Patriots' undefeated season. Granted, I wasn't exactly fanatic, watching every game I could or focusing on a particular team. I watched the Chiefs until their season was done and then watched more of the games because the hype began about the Patriots.

I cheered for the Giants for the following reason: the underdogs winning is a parallel story to the story of Scripture.

SUPERPOWERS

Patriots
They were undefeated going into the SuperBowl. They were assumed to win, as they had proved themselves to be powerful and victorious. It's obvious that they were a good solid team. I don't doubt this.

Rome
They were the superpower of the world. Prosperous and widespread. Just as with the Patriots, I don't exactly know all the details of their reign, but Rome was powerful, no doubt about it.

UNDERDOGS

Giants
They had a great season, but it wasn't perfect. They had legitimate claims to their potential but next to the perfection of the Patriots, they paled in comparison.

Jesus
He led a great life. He claimed to be the son of God; a blasphemous claim. Compared to the rule of the Romans, his future reign of the kingdom paled in comparison.

BUT LOOK WHO WON!! JESUS MAY HAVE BEEN VIEWED AS THE WEAKER POWER, BUT HE WAS ONLY VIEWED TO BE SUCH. HE WAS, IN FACT, THE MORE DOMINANT 'TEAM' AND HE KICKED SO MUCH TAIL!

I'm lucky; I was born into a Christian family. It was easy for me to recognize God as the eventual overall winner of the world. For you, you may perceive it as a bad choice to leave the power behind and accept Christ.

God loved you enough to set up a story to prove it to you. He may even have led the Giants to win so that we could see that power isn't everything. He loved you then and He loves you now.

I cheered for the Giants and I cheer for Jesus.
Who's team are you on?

Ultimates and Ultimatums

ULTIMATUMS

I've made a few hard-to-keep ultimatums with myself. It's been a year since I've knowingly or purposely drank alcohol. That's been a very good personal decision. I don't picture myself finding a positive reason to drink again. I won't lie to you; every now and then I really desire to have a beer. Just remember that denying those things that you feel you need is a way to glorify God.

A harder ultimatum to keep is cursing. I find no positive reason to curse or use inappropriate or unnecessary language. It truly is unnecessary, even if the situation may dictate it. Most situations could be funnier if they involved cursing which is a huge temptation for me. I love making people laugh.

ULTIMATES

The ultimate after-graduation situation

1. Form a rag-tag country group to tour around and play small shows and bars.
1a. Being the lead singer/guitarist of said-group.
1b. Learning how to sing and play guitar better and at a semi-professional level.
1c. Learning to write the melodies/harmonies to go along with the lyrics I write.

2. Spend the nights hanging out with random people I meet in various cities.
2a. Encourage these people to accept the semi-hidden Christian message in our songs.

3. Use the rest of my free time to write.
3a. Write plays with Christian messages for Dordt's theatre department (and other dept's)
3b. Write movies with Christian messages for Hollywood
3c. Write books with Christian messages for America so that we can actually become a light to the world.
3d. Use my writing to change the world.