Greetings!
It’s another week in the merry month of March. Basketball is a popular topic right now, and I offer thoughts on such, along with other timely topics in this edition of Doyle’s Half Dozen!
One Shining Moment
It’s already begun. Two upsets involving Iowa State and Baylor and a squeaker win for Notre Dame is pretty much how it works during the craziest sporting event of the year, known as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
So far, what could be THE moment of the whole tournament happened during Georgia State’s game-winning shot over Baylor. R.J. Hunter hit a 3-pointer with 2.7 second remaining to win the game for the Panthers, while his dad and head coach Ron Hunter falls out of his chair on the sidelines. See the video here.
This seems like an Adam Sandler movie. Coach Hunter had to use the sideline stool because he tore his Achilles last week while celebrating GSU victory during the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
This won’t be the last we hear of Ron Hunter. As Karen Carpenter once sang, “We’ve only just begun.” Expect a multitude of talk show references, an SNL skit and other forms of hilarity to ensue.
Sole Purpose
I caught some of UAB’s upset win over Iowa State earlier today. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who noticed the Blazers were wearing shoes that did not match. So I took to the web to see what was up with these basketball players each wearing a green shoe and a white shoe.
The article I found “Why is UAB’s men’s basketball team wearing mismatched shoes?” explains the team is doing the shoe sorting to bring awareness to pediatric cancer.
Blazer coach and former KU Jayhawk player Jerod Haase gives a great comment in the article: “Henry Ford talked about, ‘A business that only makes money is a poor business’ if that’s its sole purpose.”
Though Ford’s motivating thought is great to apply to a charitable cause, how much more could be done when something like what this UAB team is doing when the Gospel is applied.
Bravo for Bibi!
Earlier this week, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won his fourth election. This is a flicker of light in a vast darkness. I was beginning to think the days of conservative world leadership is almost extinct.
Winning this election has major significance that applies to the United States, as well as the world throughout. The mainstream media paints a negative picture, but our country needs Israel to remain strong and able to withstand the threats in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is a strong leader and a powerful communicator, and I personally believe we need more international leaders like him.
The Perils of PCUSA and Other Churches
I have shared my concerns more than once about the dangers of society’s acceptance of same-sex marriage. Baptist Press released a report “Gay marriage festering in CA, AL and PCUSA” of churches including those affiliated with the largest Protestant denomination to broadly accept the growing push of changing how marriage has been defined biblically.
It is one thing for an entity of government to approve, but for those who identify themselves with the Body of Christ to openly accept such heresy and immorality would lead to insufferable consequences.
“A century ago, apostasy was the denial of Christian miracles. Today, it is the denial of Christian morality” – Trevin Wax
“Whoever marries the spirit of this age will find himself a widower in the next” – William Ralph Inge
Bosworth now a believer
A friend brought to my attention an article in the Oklahoma Gazette on Brian Bosworth, former NFL and OU linebacker who was a trend setter in the 80s, especially for impressionable young men in Oklahoma such as yours truly. I had the Sooner 44 jersey. I wore the flattop. Yes, the Boz made me look like a minion.
But this article reveals that Bosworth experienced a life transformation. He stars in the movie “Do You Believe?” which comes out in theaters tomorrow, March 20. While appearing in another Christian movie, Bosworth admits he “came to accept Jesus as his savior” after attending a screening of the movie at a church in Chickasha.
Brian doesn’t seem to be “The Boz” any more. The article states, “Bosworth embodies his belief of acting positively. But he said he doesn’t consider himself a hero for helping strangers in need. Rather, he is simply a servant.”
Easter is coming
I’ve been enjoying my pastor’s series on John 18-19. Last week he shared from John 19:23-29, pointing out how Jesus on the cross demonstrated His obedience to His Father, His love for His mother and His humanity in His suffering.
Time is drawing nigh when we annually celebrate His resurrection. He is Risen… He is Risen INDEED!