Out with the Tuna, In with the Jimmy

So, old ball coach Bill Parcells decided to retire yesterday. Thanks a lot, Bill, for waiting two weeks to make up your mind, while all of the assistant coaches made their exodus. It's time to bing back the greatness of Jimmy -- he's got to be tired of doing his analyst bit at FOX, and tired of cruising on his yacht in South Florida. Please come back Jimmy -- bring an end to the wandering years of the Cowboys.

Belinda and the Governor

Thought I'd share a picture of Belinda hanging out with Governor Manchin at the groundbreaking on the 12th. She's gonna kill me when she sees this on my blog. Busted!

God Ordained Opportunities

Last night, Jason and I were asked to speak at a candlelight memorial at Woodburn Circle on the campus of WVU to remember the life of Justin Simmons. Justin was a 21 year old student who was killed last Sunday after slipping and falling 70 feet to his death while camping at Blue Hole. He was active in several campus organizations, including the WVU Caving Club, and volunteered as a fireman in our community. Rich Finley, a StoneBridger and president of the Caving Club, had asked us to come and speak during the memorial earlier this week..

Last night we were able to remind the 35-40 in attendance that we can find ultimate healing and comfort by turning to God, and that true satisfaction in life comes from pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ. My prayers continue to go out to the Simmons family and all of his friends and loved ones.

Eat More Chik'in

Mark Batterson shared some disturbing news about cows on a recent blog posting. You can read about it here. Someone call and alert Al Gore...

Groundbreaking

Thank you to everyone who took time to pray for me this week as I prepared to give the invocation at the Augusta on the Square's groundbreaking this week. God gave me exactly what I needed for the occasion. I had a great time, and it was a honor to be included in the proceedings. Governor Manchin gave a great speech talking about how Morgantown is now the gold standard which other cities should look up to in the areas of vision, economic development, and citywide cooperative effort. David and I got a chance to meet and visit with the Governor for a few moments, which was really cool. I also got to speak with Mayor Ron Justice and share with him what is going on with our church in the downtown area.

You can read more about the groundbreaking and see the news feed here.

We are Marshall

I finally got to see this Movie this week and all I can say is, WOW! This movie had me in tears. It's such a moving story and is a must see, especially with people with ties to West Virginia. It almost made me want to be a Marshall fan. Almost. The scene when the Marshall coaching staff goes to Morgantown to visit WVU coach Bobby Bowden is great. Get out and go see WE ARE MARSHALL.

Sledding Pictures

Took the kids out to sled this morning in the back yard. The highlight was propelling Ryan and Janna down the hill on the sled together and watching the powder spray everywhere while they sped down. Janna wasn't too pleased about the powder spray and you can see in one of the pics.

Snow Update

Looks like we received 4-5 inches of dry powder last night. Schools are closed and we are experiencing our first taste of winter. Sledding pictures will follow later in the day.

My Verse for the Day

10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

Exodus 4:10-11

Snow

The snow is finally here and we are temporarily stuck on the mountain this morning. Cars are backed up and I think there was a massive pileup on the Pike.

WVU Takes Their Show on the Road

Tonight WVU rides an eight game winning streak into Notre Dame. The game will be televised on ESPN2 at 7:00 pm. This is a big test since WVU's undefeated Big East record has all come at home. I am predicting an 8 point win tonight for the Mountaineers!

Facing My Giant

Today, I was asked to deliver the welcome and invocation at the groundbreaking ceremony for The Augusta on the Square apartments, a new project adjacent to the downtown campus of WVU in Morgantown, this coming Friday morning. My wife Belinda is the executive coordinator for the project and is the source for my connection. Dignitaries will be present for the occasion, including Mayor Ron Justice and Governor Manchin. The event will most likely get solid newspaper and TV coverage, because The Augusta is the first phase of the largest urban redevelopment project in the history of West Virginia.

Now for the confessional...I'm scared to death of any form of public speaking at this level. I am not kidding. Now I love preaching and communicating and I'm comfortable with that, but I've never done anything like this before. I know it shouldn't be any different, and I am only praying publicly, but I found myself instantly shaking in my boots, cottonmouthed, and a possessor of cold hands when asked to do this. My flesh wanted to run like a cat on fire, but I agreed to do it anyway. I can't help but thinking that this is a God assignment, and this is no accident.

God has really been stretching me and putting me in new situations that are way out of my comfort zone over the past few months, and this is definately no exception. Looks like I'm in for a growth ride this week! My prayer is that God would be made famous and given glory through this brief portion of the groundbreaking this coming Friday.

FBC Student Retreat

I just returned from Terra Alta, WV this evening from FBC Inwood's student retreat. FBC is our sending church, and I had a good time hanging out with their people last night and today. Aaron and I were on schedule to speak during the weekend. Aaron spoke last night and I spoke this afternoon. This morning, the group headed out to Wisp ski resort in McHenry, Maryland for a two hour tubing session. Fortunately, there was just enough snow to tube on, although the majority of the ski runs are closed. We are in the midst of our warmest winter in 130 years in this area.

This afternoon I spoke concerning avoiding temptation looking at the life of Joseph and his encounter with Potiphar's wife. I encouraged the students to: 1) make predecisions before encountering temptation 2) maintain distance from tempting situations 3) think consequentially and 4) when all else fails, put on their running shoes. I thoroughly enjoyed my time this weekend.

The Odd Couple

As a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan, I found it intriguing and amusing to see the greatness of Jimmy and Barry Switzer paired together as college football analysts on Fox's pregame broadcast of the Oklahoma/Boise State game. Seeing those two coaches who won Super Bowls coaching the greatest dynasty of all time brought a tear to my eye. I'll be glad when the wandering years of the Cowboys are over.

College Football Thoughts

State Senator Vic Sprouse has a great article posted revisiting the 1987 Fiesta Bowl featuring the #1 ranked Miami Hurricanes coached by the greatness of Jimmy versus the #2 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions coached by JoePa. I vividly remember watching this game in my parent's living room. This is a fascinating article and has great insight to the tradition and culture of the two schools, and traces the beginnings of corporate sponsorships, prime-time bowl slots, and post New Year's bowl games to this monumental affair in 1987. It is a long article, but if you are a hard core college football fan, you can read more about it here.

Trip Snapshots

Texas Trip Travel Log

Friday morning at 2:40 am our family returned from our roadtrip to Texas for Christmas. We logged around 2,600 miles roundtrip, including our zigzags around East and Central Texas. This year's journey was a last minute decision, and we surprised Belinda's family, my grandmother, and extended family with our arrival.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time even though it was short. Highlights included visiting our families, Christmas Eve at my grandmother's house, and exotic foods that can't be had in WV (Ta Molly's, El Chico in Mount Pleasant, and fried catfish at a convenience store in Brinkley, Arkansas.)

This trip was made possible due to several cash gifts from my grandmother, family, and three churches: First Baptist Inwood, WV, Harmony Baptist Church in Prattsville, Arkansas, and Beth Haven Baptist Church in Morgantown. God is so good and blesses our family far beyond what we could ever deserve. Thank you Lord for too much.

Merry Christmas!

Tomorrow the Knight family is headed south to Texas. Belinda's family and my grandmother do not know we are coming, so we are springing a surprise this year, and this also represents our first road trip to Texas since we moved to West Virginia in 2003.

We'll be spending Christmas Eve at my grandmother's house with the rest of the Higgins clan, and el gato loco de Naples Tejas. I can't wait.

Blogging activity will be most likely more sporadic than usual, so I'll take this chance to wish everyone a wonderful, Christ filled Christmas!

Best High School Basketball in the Country is in West Virginia

State Senator Vic Sprouse has a great post about this year's Huntington High basketball team. The team has already won back to back state titles with Patrick Patterson, and now has national phenom (Huntington native) OJ Mayo in the mix. The best team in the nation this year resides in the big WV.

You can read more about it here.

Ridge Stone Church on Hannity and Colmes

Gary Lamb did it again. Unbelievable.

Top Ten Campsites in WV (Continued)

David Letterman only wishes his top ten lists were this suspenseful...picking up from where we left off on September 30th...

#6 - Red Creek Campground - Dolly Sods Wilderness, WV

Red Creek Campground is another Monongahela National Forest campground perched high on the Allegheny Front at 4,000 feet. The weather is unpredictable and snow can be expected any time from September through late April. Red Creek is small, with only 12 sites. If it is full, there are several undeveloped sites within 300 yards of Forest Road 75 which I will discuss in more detail later in the top ten. There are no showers (sorry ladies), but hiking opportunities are abundant with several trailheads within one mile of the campground. These trails pass through open plains, spruce thickets, northern hardwoods, across beautiful mountain streams, and generally offer some of the best unspoiled scenery WV has to offer. Red Creek would also probably rank #1 in stargazing potential out of all the places we have visited in WV.

Jerry's New House of Bling

I'm pumped. The Cowboys are getting a new stadium soon, complete with 1/4 mile long steel arches, seating for 100,000, a retractible roof, field level suites, and a 60 yard long video screen. For more on the NEW Texas Stadium, check it out here.

Vision Glimpse

Sunday was a great day. Our church called an audible on the planned service and threw some love toward Jason and me. They honored us with lavish gifts, an iPod for Jason, and a Mossberg 500 12 guage shotgun for myself (bad news for turkeys in WV). For more regarding the day, you can read Jason's post which accurately reflects my sentiments here.

Maybe the highlight of the day occurred when one of our twentysomethings came out after the service and shared this with me, "I have never been a part of a church like this, where I can be honest and open with others about the things I'm dealing with in my life. I love this church! Thank you for all you do."

Good stuff. Way to go God!

Christmas Party #1

Last night I attended my first Christmas party of 2006. Several StoneBridge collegians got together and organized a gathering last night at David and Manny's place. We all had a good time eating, singing and requesting tunes to be sung by David, playing cards, and other assorted activities. Good times.

Y Give? See Isaiah 58

This month we are preaching a 4 part series of messages called "Y? - Why we do what we do". Too often the church communicates the "what" and the "how", but rarely do we talk about the "why". Two weeks ago, I spoke on the subject of "Y Grow", last Sunday Jason spoke on "Y Jesus", and this week I am up to bat again with "Y Give". God has been chiseling away on me throughout the year concerning my level of generosity.

In November 2005, Jason and I had the bright idea of putting a full color church ad in the Dinosaur, oops, I mean the Yellow Pages. Now this has not produced results in terms in new guest visits, but the church line does ring off the wall from time to time...with requests. Requests for food, lodging, help with rent, utilities, a cold beer, you name it, we get it. And to top it off, since the church line is forwarded to my mobile phone, who do you think gets to handle these requests?

As I said before, God has been chiseling away at my heart all year long. First, He crossed my path with David, a homeless guy in DC we met while at the Buzz Conference. God melted my heart and led DStory and myself to provide a McDonalds meal and $20 bucks for a warm bed for David. Then in September, I received a call on the weekend from a lady who was requesting food. I pulled my Scrooge self off of the couch and begrudgingly headed to town to buy some groceries to take to the lady. While I was wheeling the grocery basket thru Kroger, God grabbed my heart and let me know how selfish I was. I was groaning about spending time on my day off to help this lady, while I had so many blessings sitting at home...my family, a warm bed, a refridgerator full of food. God broke me down and changed my attitude that day and has continued to give me a greater desire to help and a better attitude of generosity.

Last night I delivered another load of groceries to a lady in need. Later, I ran into Loren at BCM and asked her what she was reading for her LTG this week. She told me about her journey through the book of Isaiah, and without knowing about my day, shared a verse that had touched her heart for the week. She pointed me to Isaiah 58:10...

"Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness around you and be as bright as day."

OK Lord, I get the message. Thank you for opening my eyes.

Outfoxed

I spent yesterday morning in Taylor County hunting with Jim Cooley, a friend of mine who also pastors a church in Morgantown. For most of the morning I didn't see or hear much of anything until I noticed a bright, bushy, rust colored tail darting across the forest. I guessed that it was a red fox, and it stopped to forage and play around several large rocks. I enjoyed watching it through my scope for about five minutes, but didn't take a shot since I figured foxes were out of season.

When I got back to the truck, I told Jim about my discovery and he said, "Why didn't you shoot? Foxes are in season." Lesson learned: read the regulations before hunting next time.

Parenting 401 (Surgical Procedures)

One of the higher level skills involved in parenting is that of a surgeon. Yesterday afternoon Ryan came home from school with a nice size splinter in his middle finger and he refused to let me "operate", so we waited until Belinda came home yesterday evening. She put on her "surgeon" hat and proceeded to attempt to remove the splinter. I played the role of the restrainer as Ryan viewed the procedure as if we were trying to amputate his arm. Oh well, after 45 minutes of wrangling, coaching, coaxing, poking, and restraining, the splinter was successfully removed.

Maybe this is how God feels when He is trying to mold me and shape me into what He wants me to be, but I persist in my resistance and try to fix my own problems.

"I am the Lord who heals you." - Exodus 15:26

No Three Peat

Congratulations to the Mohigans on another great season and 10 straight years of 10 or more victories.

Parkersburg 42
Morgantown 14

State Semifinal Update

At the half...

Parkersburg 20
Morgantown 14

Deer Camp 2006 Postgame Report

Monday and Tuesday marked my 2nd year to deer hunt. Last year I was invited out to Barbour County and got addicted, even though I didn't see anything. So I had been counting down the days to the start of this year's deer (gun) season and bought my first rifle a month ago from Street's Hardware store in Masontown, WV. After much research on the internet and talking to other hunters, I settled on a Ruger M77 (walnut stock) chambered for .25-06. After church Sunday morning, I loaded up the Jeep and headed to Barbour County. Upon arrival I joined my six compadres for the hunt as we scouted out the deer stands and made necessary repairs. I chose to hunt in the same stand I used in 2005, which was situated close to a gas line and several intersecting deer trails.

Monday I sat in that stand from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm and only saw one doe around 8:00 am. There were 4 bucks harvested out of our group on Monday, the largest being a 7 point. On Tuesday, I headed back out and spent most of the day in the woods, not seeing anything until 2 doe appeared about 40 yards from my stand. Not having seen much of anything for two days and wanting meat for the freezer, I dropped one of the doe in its tracks. This doe represented the first wild game I have ever killed and I was pumped. Thanks to good coaching, I was able to successfully field dressed the doe without losing my lunch. I am not including the picture of the doe because I wouldn't want to brag about the size :)

Here are some highlights and awards I would like to give out for the trip: (initials are used instead of names to protect the innocent)

Best steaks: large T-Bones on Sunday night grilled by MW

Most interesting beverage: Logan County moonshine (I didn't partake :) brought by RP

Most interesting appetizer: fresh cherries marinated in Logan County moonshine (I didn't partake :) brought by RP

Best breakfast item: eggs made to order each morning by MW

Shoutouts are going out to:

KW for coaching me through field dressing my first deer

DD for the best hunting stories and pre-hunt encouragement

RP and CP for ATV transportation, deer pick-ups, and flushing out deer and turkey

PW for building great fires in the lodge during the evenings

All in all, Deer Camp 2006 was a great experience and I'm looking forward to getting back out in the woods to try to harvest a buck before season's end.

Out of the Blogging Fog

Sorry for the recent blogging hiatus. Late last week I went through a case of writer's block, general busyness preparing for Sunday, and then headed for the woods for the first two days of deer season (gun).

Now for some random thoughts concerning the last few days. Attendance nose dived on Sunday due to Thanksgiving break. 75% of the church was gone. Now in the past I would have been ready to go jump off of Blackwater Falls, but this time I really didn't care and took it all in stride. What makes our church really cool and unique is the same thing that causes a mass exodus for the holidays. And that's fine with me.

Morgantown High won again Friday night against Robert C Byrd (Clarksburg) 33-14 to set up a state semifinal showdown with #1 Parkersburg Friday night. Morgantown and Parkersburg are the two most storied programs in West Virginia football and this one is shaping up to be a classic. If anyone would like to make the trip with me Friday night, let me know.

When WVU and Louisville play to a 44-34 score, all of the media pundits declare that both teams have great offenses and lousy defenses, and hint at the inferiority of the Big East. When Ohio State - Michigan play to a 42-39 final score, everyone deems it an instant classic. Hmm.

My fantasy team choked against Matt Brann's "Takin It On the Chin" squad. I was alone in first place at 7-3 and now I'm in a 5 way tie for first place. It was a perfect storm blowing against my squad, "WV's Finest". Everyone had to go wrong for me to lose, and it did.

Sunday afternoon I headed out to Barbour County to hunt for a couple of days which I will discuss in the next post.

How About a Little Sunshine?

One of my shortcomings is my tendency for my mood to correspond with the latest weather pattern of the week. My biggest complaint with WV life is the number of grey, cloudy, often foggy days during the year. According to statistics, North Central WV receives an average of 186 days of sunshine per year, compared to 230 days of sunshine in Dallas, Texas (my previous abode). Contrast that with Phoenix, which receives 300 days of sunny bliss per year.

For the past two weeks, we have been in a weather pattern complete with dark grey clouds, rain, heavy rain, drizzle, and dense fog (which is worse because I live on the mountain). This morning we awoke to watch a beautiful sunrise out of our bedroom window, only for the clouds to roll in from the west an hour later. The 10 day forecast is calling for more of the same, the only change being chances for snow showers over the weekend.

If things don't change soon, I'm going to need to rehab in Phoenix, a welcome excuse to hang out with Belinda's Grandma Jan. Fiesta Bowl anyone?

Undercover Cameras at the Warner

I didn't know he was shooting undercover video, but Kevin caught this incriminating clip on camera Sunday morning during setup at the Warner. Listen for Jason's Axel Rose impersonation during the clip. Yesterday was a great day, with 79 attending the worship gathering. We have broken the previously elusive 65 barrier four out of the past five Sundays, topping 70 four times. With the holidays coming I know we will take a dip (students and young families go home), but I am excited about what God will do in 2007.

Manny Johnson delivered his first message Sunday and knocked it out of the park and I am really proud of him. For more details on the day, visit Kevin's blog.


Axel Rose Sings "Champion of the World" by the Cathedrals

Spare TV Announcers

Spare TV announcers are driving me crazy. I'm watching the Texas - Kansas State game on ESPN and these spares are killing me. Mispronunciation of names , idle chatter during plays, where is Craig Way (Texas' radio announcer) when I need him?

While I'm on the subject...Jason and I attended the WVU - Cincinnati game in person today. Late in the fourth quarter we slipped out and went in the team shop in the north end zone. ESPN2 was broadcasting the game, and what do I hear?....another spare announcing team. I'm sorry, I know this will be offensive, but there is just NO PLACE for women football announcers in the booth. Women on the sidelines (i.e. Lesley Visser, Erin Andrews) are fine, but don't put a woman in the booth telling me how MY TEAM should be playing the game. BTW, looks like my Texas boys are going down to Kansas State. Can't believe it.

Nothing's Wrong with the Mohigans

Several weeks ago I commented on this site that Morgantown High's football team was out of synch and wasn't playing their familiar, hard core brand of football. They came into the season looking to break the all time WV record for consecutive wins, but promptly lost the first game to H.D. Woodson from Washington D.C. They also lost the sixth game of the season to Wheeling Park. Things looked bleak, but since that time they rolled off four straight victories in convincing fashion.

Last night our family went down to Pony Lewis Field and watched the MHS spank Huntington High 35-14 in the first round of the state playoffs, looking to three-peat as state champions if they can win the next three games. Welcome back Mohigans.

You say Shibboleth, I say Sibboleth

Pronunciations are important. I am having a blast reading through the book of Judges for my LTG reading. Maybe I am sadistic, but I find the story in Judges 12 particularly amusing. If you're curious, read Judges 12:1-6.

Lesson learned: "hooked on phonics" is worth every penny

Fighting Joe

One of the few highlights of last night's election coverage was watching Joe Lieberman come back as an Independent and beat Democratic candidate Ned Lamont, who previously defeated Lieberman in the Democratic primary. Now I never was a huge fan of Joe during the 2004 election cycle, and I still don't agree with some of his policy stances, but I love his spirit and his courage to defend the war in the face of disapproving peers. After the primary, I feared Joe would slip into political oblivion as a martyr, but now he's back.

Birthday Buzz

The Warner Theatre was buzzing today, with our church celebrating 3 years in Morgantown. Jason hit a home run with the message and the worship was solid. I was fairly pleased with the turnout of 101 people, but was hoping for something in the 120-130 range. I think everyone genuinely enjoyed hanging out, eating pizza and B-Day cake, and staying to watch "Cars". John and Ynita kept the lobby buzzing with face painting for the kids and John's balloon art, and their Jonah skit was hilarious.

I thank God for His blessings over the last 3 years, and I look forward to see what He has in store for us in the coming months. Here are some pics from today (Nice hat Veda)

Big Day Tomorrow

StoneBridge celebrates 3 years tomorrow, and everything seems to be set and in order. Jason's live call ins to WVAQ seemed to be very effective and I think we will continue to find the radio to be a great way to create buzz in Morgantown. Fellow StoneBridgers have been intentional in inviting friends and people from the community for the past several weeks and it will be fun to watch many new faces come in tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see what God does tomorrow and my prayer is that He will be honored and praised throughout the morning.

A Fluke Win for the Redbirds

Yes, I said it. Last night's upset victory over the boys in blue and gold was a fluke. Steve Slaton never fumbles, much less twice; and, if we don't turn it over 4 times, its a different game. Division 1 needs a playoff system. This one loss and out business is ridiculous. Even my beloved Longhorns are outsiders looking in at the National Championship game with their one loss in week 2 with a new quarterback (who is now setting TX passing records) to Ohio State.

Yes, last night was a fluke. And I'm going to make a bold statement that WVU won't lose their next game until the 2008 season. You heard it here first.

First Report Card

Ryan got his first official report card of his life on Monday. All A's and a huge from his teacher. Good stuff.