75-49

Hokies win big...again. Next up - Ole Miss at the Cassell in the quarterfinals.

Hokies in the NIT

In honor of my new blog background...

My Virginia Tech Hokies are playing as a #1 seed in the NIT (National Invitational Tournament). Now, the NIT is often viewed as a consolation prize for teams left out of the "Big Dance," but can still be just as exciting and rewarding. Just ask the teams that aren't playing in ANY tournament right now. Many expected VT to be one of the bubble teams that got into the NCAA tourney, but alas, they were left out. Hence, the #1 seed in the NIT.

VT won the NIT in the mid-90s and are hoping to do it again. They crushed Morgan State in their 1st round match-up and will be playing UAB tonight at 9 p.m. on ESPN. Should be a great game as UAB's had a great season, too. GO HOKIES!

Once Again a Virginian

...at least for a little while!

And no--before you get smart--I didn't say "Once Again a Virgin."

The dust has settled somewhat and we find ourselves in a place I never imagined possible - the house I grew up in. There are Lathams on Ferry Road once again. Never thought I'd see the day...

Linds has asked me a couple times if it's weird being back here, but I can honestly say it doesn't feel like the house I grew up aside from its little quirks that subconsciously come back to me (like how to jiggle the front door key just so, pull up on the bathroom door a bit to make sure it's closed, etc.). Other than that, it feels distinctly "us" because...well...it's US in it!

We are very thankful that we have a soft place to fall during this season of unknowns. To have my parents' old house vacant for the first time in 35 years is nothing short of a miracle. We are very thankful for their willingness to let us crash here for a few days or weeks (hopefully not too many months!). We know it's quite a financial burden on them, so we are praying that God would continue to meet our needs, especially now that it is affecting other people.

Our Salisbury chapter is behind us. There are many things and people we will miss, but truth be told, we are very relieved to leave Salisbury behind. I told Linds as we look back at our three years in Salisbury, they will be distinctly defined by the word "struggle." We have some wonderful memories and great friendships, but it will be remembered as a time of refining, building of our faith, and tempering of our calling to follow God on this journey called ministry. From start to finish, we faced obstacles and challenges, but we understand that they were all part of God's greater purpose. So, we embrace it...as we let it go.

Now, on to the next challenge!

So, How Come...

...nobody comments on my blogs? When I blogged once a month, I got comments. Now that I'm trying to blog every few days or more, all I hear are...[chirp, chirp]...crickets!

Role call!

Talk vs. Power

"For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."

~ 1 Corinthians 4:20

I am by no means a biblical scholar, but having read quite a bit over the years I'm pretty familiar with most of the key themes and phrases throughout Scripture. Every now and then I'll come across something that totally strikes me as "new." Although my eyes may have passed over the words on the page, my heart and spirit sometimes tune out. I wonder how many times I completely miss the power of God's Word to mold me!

As a blogged last time (mere days ago!), I'm making strides to become more disciplined in my spiritual life. One of the changes I'm trying to make is to approach Scripture reading/meditation more systematically rather than randomly. Right now, I'm reading through Paul's letters. As I was reading in Corinthians today, the verse above jumped out at me as "new" for some reason--at least new to me. Maybe it's that it resonates more with me today for some reason. Regardless, I think God put it in my path. It's so short and simple, yet deep and profound.

For the Kingdom of God...
The Kingdom of God is situated squarely in the hearts of people, not in the physical realm. It is not forced or coerced, but freely within our choice to accept or deny. When God reigns in one's life (or that of a body of people), God's Kingdom prevails over this dark world. His Kingdom has been established already through Christ, is being established as the Church fulfills its purpose from His commission, and will be established permanently when Jesus returns. Right now, we are privileged to be involved in the expansion of His Kingdom as we reach a lost and hurting world, which is only our temporary home.

...is not a matter of talk...
Wow - talk about conviction! In many ways, we (the Church) have created a paper kingdom based on nothing more than...mere talk. Either we're so caught up in yesterday that we can't see today, or we're so hell bent on tomorrow that we miss today. Thing is today is TODAY. How much time do we waste talking about God's Kingdom instead of living and experiencing it? Every new day God blesses us with is an opportunity to experience and share His Kingdom in real and tangible ways. And when God's Kingdom truly descends, it will not be a matter of mere talk, but...

...but of power.
Dunamai - miraculous power (where we get "dynamite"). How often do we experience miraculous power in our lives, power that can only be explained by God? It doesn't have to be in the form of a sensational miracle (i.e. physical healing, water into wine, etc.), but isn't abiding daily in Christ a miracle enough itself? Isn't His forgiveness powerful (as well as the capacity to forgive)? Isn't the call to be the hands and feet of Christ to the broken so utterly far from our ability that we must have His power dwelling within us? To earnestly reach out and pray and witness God's Spirit invade someone's life?

All these things are powerful miracles if we actually partake of them, but we can't experience that power if we're not living in them daily. I think one of the enemy's subtle attacks is to fill our mouths with words that sound good but are completely void of true meaning, action, and subsequently the unmistakable power of God.

Talk vs. power. Fake vs. real. Jibber-jabber vs. "BOOM!"

We are kings and queens of words. It's time to shut up.