December Madness – Ranking the top Christmas Carols

I usually restrain my Christmas music listening to the 10 days before the big day, but this year was different. During the #bestyearever I started as soon as the calendar turned December. I’ve always enjoyed Christmas carols and everybody has his or her favorites. So this year, I decided to take a nationwide poll to determine the top-ranked Christmas carol. Gallup was busy, so I turned to Facebook for my research.

December is also the month when the college hoops season begins to heat up. Therefore, in honor of basketball’s glorious March tournament, I bring you December Madness -- the Road to the Christmas Carol Final Four. 

To begin with, the songs have been placed in a bracket consisting of seeds 1-16. 

1.    Hallelujah

2.    Silent Night

3.    O Holy Night

4.    Joy to the World

5.    Little Drummer Boy

6.    Mary, Did You Know?

7.    What Child is This?

8.    Hark the Herald Angels Sing

9.    God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

10.  O Come Emmanuel

11.  O Come All Ye Faithful

12.  Angels We Have Heard on High

13.  Come Let Us Adore Him

14.  Away in the Manager

15.  Do You Hear What I Hear?

16.  O Little Town of Bethlehem

Seedings were given out based upon votes received during my online polling. I then took the competition to the streets. For the first round games, I stood outside my grocery store, polling shoppers entering the doors while boxing out the Salvation Army guy collecting coins. For the second round matchups, I moved down a few yards and questioned the Douglas Fir-finding consumers in the Home Depot tree lot. For the two Final Four matchups I spent an hour in two different Starbucks locations, polling people frantically seeking caffeine like the shepherds looking for the baby in the manger. Then, I had to go big time for the championship game: the mall. I went to the food court, the perfume department at Macy’s, and of course the Foot Locker, since this is a basketball-style tournament. Note: Beautiful Karla cast the deciding vote when a tiebreaker was needed.

The Results:

Shockingly, the tournament opened with a major upset, not unlike No. 1 Virginia losing to 16-seed University of Maryland Baltimore County in last year’s basketball tourney. O Little Town of Bethlehem’s stunning upset of Hallelujah is one for the ages. Also the matchup was a true David and Goliath confrontation. Interestingly, Hallelujah is about Israel’s King David, who hailed from all places, Bethlehem. Personally, I was glad to see Hallelujah get the boot, because without any references to Christmas, I’ve always wondered why it is played during the holiday season.  

The next three top seeds all cruised to victory, Both Silent and Holy Nights, as well as Joy to the World. But the brackets were further busted when Angels We Have Heard on High took down the 5-seed Little Drummer Boy. LDB, perhaps overconfident, or lacking a big man in the paint, was one of the tournament’s biggest disappointment. AWHHOH was quick to give glory to God in the highest after its victory.

Two songs with a lot of question marks entering the tournament both advanced easily: Mary, Did You Know? and What Child Is This? The closest first-round contest was the 8-9 game featuring Hark the Herald Angels Sing and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. GRYMG, which presents one of the clearest gospel messages in the tournament field, kept the game close thanks to a little known version sung by Annie Lennox. But the former Eurythmics vocalist wasn’t a match for Carrie Underwood on this night. Underwood’s version of Hark led the way to a close two-point win for Charles Wesley’s famous hymn.

Second Round:

In the next batch of games, Silent Night squashed the Final Four hopes of Little Town. It was also a bad day of action for the shooting cherubim. Both Angels We Have Heard on High (to Mary, Did You Know?) and Hark (to What Child is This?) went down in defeat. Perhaps the most intriguing match-up of the tournament was No. 3 O Holy Night’s showdown with No. 4 Joy to the World. These are two heavyweights. While dozens of uber-talented vocalists from Mariah Carey to Aretha Franklin have belted out JTTW, tonight Celine Dion’s version of OHN was the only song repeating the sounding joy.

Final Four:

Semi Final Game One – What Child is This? vs. Mary, Did You Know?:

Boy, was this a matchup or what? Mary, a relative newbie to the Christmas carol landscape, seemed unfazed by the history of WCIT. All the question marks went out the window as these two song played on. The wonderfully creative Mary, powered by the version of Kenny Rogers and Martina McBride actually took a lead into the fourth quarter. But the powerful rendition by Andrea Bocelli and Mary J. Blige was the difference maker for WCIT.

Semi Final Game Two – Silent Night vs. O Holy Night:

This matchup was the Christmas Carol equivalent of a Duke - North Carolina showdown. Unfortunately, the game didn’t live up to its billing. Silent Night came out weak and uninspired. Maybe because it’s just too hard for an average churchgoer to sing. Even with Bing Crosby on lead vocal, Silent Night was so quiet from the field that everybody, including the round yon virgins, headed for the exits early. Meanwhile, Johnny Mathis’ version coasted to victory.

Championship Game:

No. 3 O Holy Night vs. No. 7 What Child is This?

With Bocelli and Blige on the bench, WCIT went with Faith Hill’s version. However, O Holy Night had Josh Groban waiting. This game went down to the wire. But OHN was powered by the simple phrase, “The thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices”. To me, “The thrill of hope” is one of the best expressions in the English language. And it’s why OHN is the tournament’s champion.

Hope, for the Christian is the certainty of getting what is promised. It’s not wishing for an easy, trouble-free life. It’s knowing that in all things … sad times, hard circumstances, difficult seasons … God, in his love, goodness, and faithfulness will see you through them. I know this is true. I have first-hand experience. It’s a hope that only Jesus provides. For me, it’s why a weary world and a weary person can rejoice.

CBS always ends its NCAA Tournament coverage with a video montage to the song One Shining Moment sung by Luther Vandross.

One Shining Moment. 

I can’t think of a better name for a time when the Son of God entered the world to bring peace and hope –

under the glow of a twinkling, bouncing,

basketball. 

… I mean

star. 

The Best Seat in the House

I love a Game 7. 

5:24 p.m. – I started last night’s version between the Brewers and Dodgers 15 minutes late. I wasn’t tardy or stuck in traffic on Lomita Boulevard. I was mopping the floor, watering the grass, and taking a shower.

I zipped through two minutes of commercials in time for Joc Pederson to ground the first pitch for an out. I listened to John Smoltz’s keys to the game and Joe Buck lament about the lack of home runs in this series.

I wondered why Marlin’s Man was absent from his usual spot behind home plate. But then there he was next to his score-keeping lady friend as Justin Turner rolled into a tailor-made double play. Two more minutes of commercials were erased thanks to the greatest invention in the history of sports watching: the ability to record and pause live TV.

Marlin’s Man might have been sitting in the front row, but I had the best seat in the house. With my feet up, I saw Christian Yelich sneak a homer over the wall. I was a mere 10 steps from the restroom. Add a few more strides and I was in the kitchen. I had chips and salsa and a cold beverage that didn’t require a loan from my credit union. From my cushy couch, I could grade papers and fold laundry. Baseball was made for multitasking. 

I went to four MLB games this season, two at Dodger Stadium and two in Anaheim. I paid for two of the games and the other two were gifts. Each time I went with dear friends, from a best buddy of 25 years to a date with Beautiful Karla. 

I’ve had a love affair with baseball since my first game of catch with my dad. I’ve seen games in 16 of the 18 states that have teams. I’ve had two baseball vacations. The MLB Network is my channel of choice. So this might sound crazy, but I don’t know if I’ll ever need to go to a regular-season game again. 

The LA traffic and the exorbitant prices of tickets, parking, and food are serious turn-offs. I grew up going to games at Tiger Stadium. I parked for free. Tickets were cheaper than a movie. A hotdog and Coke were easy to cover with my lawn-mowing allowance. Yes, times have changed. But baseball is going the way of the NFL and first-class air travel. Somebody has to pay for Albert Pujols’ 27 million dollar salary. As Renee Zellweger said in Jerry Maguire, “It used to be a better meal. Now it’s a better life.” Something in my baseball heart dies over this. 

Of course I could only go when somebody gives me tickets. And I could eat at home. I could even try to leave early enough to not get delayed by traffic. But who wants to leave at noon for a 7:00 pm start time?

6:07 p.m. -- It was time to go to Beautiful Karla’s house. I sped up the delayed feed, going live only when there’s some action. 

6:32 p.m. -- I caught up to the live action and asked Karla to pause the feed at her house.

7:00 p.m. – I took my seat in the front row of Karla’s den, surrounded by Legos and cushy beanbag chairs. 

7:18 p.m. -- I learned from Statcast that Chris Taylor covered 85 feet of grass to make his diving, run-saving catch on the warning track. You can’t get tidbits like that at the game. I’ve reached the mid-point of the action, when fast forwarding is most crucial because of mound visits and pitching changes. 

Mound visits and pitching changes are two other killers to live attendance. The games are too stinking long. Walks are up, strikeouts are up, batters work the count causing pitchers to throw more pitches which leads to more pitching changes. There’s more dead time than a night at the mortuary. 

7:24 p.m. -- Yasiel Puig broke open the game with an impressive three-run homer. 

8:04 p.m. – I caught up to live action again in the top of the 9^th. Number of commercial skipped: priceless.

Then there are the people. This summer I sat in front of a guy who talked to his buddy throughout the whole game. Granted they were discussing the game, but this guy sounded like Tim McCarver and Vin Scully combined. He thought he knew everything. Half of the time he was wrong. I found myself getting up and walking around the concourse to get a break from him. 

At the second Dodger game this year, Beautiful Karla and I arrived from getting some food to find a family of three in our seats. We asked the dad to move and it was as if we were asking for the blood of his firstborn. He got snippy with Karla and I nearly had to break out my best kickboxing moves. Later on, a group of teens wandered down and sat behind us. They talked loudly, F-bombed, goofed off, and played on their phones so much that we had to move seats. That doesn’t happen at home (or in Orange County). 

I feel like, at 50 years old, my baseball-loving self has morphed into Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino geezer. Instead of, “Get off my lawn” I growl, “Shut up and watch the game.”

8:20 p.m. -- Clayton Kershaw took the mound to close things out. The Dodgers are going to the World Series.

Postseason baseball is a special experience. The adrenaline and pressure of a close game is akin to being at a concert. If the Angels were to reverse their mediocre ways and play in October, I just might consider braving the crowds and paying the prices. 

The World Series starts on Tuesday. My calendar is cleared. I’ll be watching every minute. 

If you want, please join me. You can even bring your Legos.  

Redsox in 5.

When God Does More

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine – Eph. 3:20

My two weeks in Mozambique this past July can be summed up with the words, “God does more.” He often does more than all we ask or even imagine. And this is what he did – and is doing – in Mozambique. 

Below is a brief-as-possible recap of my trip:

A little background:

• This was my third trip to Mozambique and I went with my friend Doug who is the associate pastor at my church, Life Covenant. This was Doug’s first trip to Moz.

• Our ministry, Life for Mozambique, began about 10 years ago under the direction of local Mozambican leaders John and Maria Jone, Americans Alex and Melanie Viana, and Life Covenant Church. We have two orphanages and nearly 100 churches. In 2015, the Vianas, along with their twin sons Josh and Joey, moved to Mozambique.

• One of the prominent tasks for this trip was to film as much digital footage as possible for the purpose of creating a promotional video for the ministry.

Dinner on the Indian Ocean

• After 42 hours of travel that included a lengthy layover in Qatar, Doug and I arrived in Beira, Mozambique on Saturday July 21 in time for rest and a lovely dinner on the shores of the Indian Ocean.

Sunday – July 22

Alex, Doug, our translator Zito, and I visited two rural churches outside of Beira. We captured a lot of video of these churches doing worship. We also saw how they are using the audio bibles that were recently delivered by Life Covenant’s Pastor, Tim Morey. Many people in these rural churches cannot read, let alone afford their own bible, so being able to hear the Word of God spoken in their heart language has been transformative.

Monday – July 23

The Vianas, Doug, and I traveled to the town of Chimoio to visit our second orphanage, the Melanie Center 2. Our tasks for the day included touring the center, filming the school that is housed there, leading the children in games, and collecting letters from the children to bring to their sponsors back home. Once our duties were completed, including showing off the drone we brought to get aerial footage of the two orphanages, Alex shared that he had a surprise for us …

More background: 

The Melanie Center 2

• The Melanie Center 2 is smaller than our first orphanage in Beira. It is in a more urban area, surrounded by existing infrastructure. Thus, there is no room for growth. Additionally, the MC2 has a burgeoning school program that is providing much-needed educational support to an overcrowded local school system. Possibly expanding our school program in the future is an option, but more land would be necessary (Thankfully, we have received a large donation for the purpose of buying new land in Chimoio).

Now for the surprise … Our leaders in Chimoio have located a very nice piece of property outside the city limits at a very affordable price! We were able to visit it and get aerial footage of the land. Our team is praying about buying this land and discussing what the best plan is for both it and the existing Melanie Center 2.  One option would be to gradually build a new orphanage on the land and turn the current center into a school. I’ll keep you posted.

God certainly is doing more than we expected in Chimoio.

Tuesday -- July 24

We drove five hours north to the city of Songo to prepare for a two-day evangelism conference. John, Maria, and a handful of our top pastors were already there, inviting people from the area to attend the conference.

A little more background: 

• A lifetime ago, John and Maria planted a church in Songo . After four years of ministry, they had a congregation of 25 people. John’s oldest son Anderson now lives in Songo, along with his family, and he works at the local hydroelectric plant. Anderson and his wife Lana also run a cute little restaurant and lodge, which is where we stayed and held the conference. Additionally, the area around Songo is a very dark place spiritually. It is riddled with witchcraft, ancestral worship, and is home to many Zionist churches that practice a hybrid faith that mixes witchcraft and elements of Christianity. Several of these Zionist “pastors” were invited to our conference.

Wednesday – July 25

Conference in Congo

The conference kicked off with approximately 80 people in attendance. Doug preached while I filmed and help prepare lunch. Several Zionist church pastors and members arrived and stayed for lunch. Everybody in attendance received a huge plate of food and it was really fun for me to be able to serve a heaping plate of beans and rice to adults and kids who might not get that much food in a week’s time.

Thursday – July 26

The day started by Anderson telling John that if a church were to be planted in Songo, he would provide its pastor with a job. This is huge for two reasons: we don’t pay our pastors and jobs are hard to come by. The conference session mirrored the first day, except that the crowd nearly doubled. That’s the power of a hearty meal. Doug and John both preached the gospel and three men received Christ.

The Community Leaders

After lunch, a meeting was called to greet some new converts. I thought it was going to be with the three men who came to faith earlier. Instead, we met with four older men who had also received Christ that day. Three of these men were Community Leaders. In this role, these men oversee life in their villages. They serve as mayor, judge, police chief, and real estate agent. One of the men had even more authority, sort of like a governor in the region. In the meeting, they said they wanted a church. We said we could do that. We asked for land, enough for a future orphanage. They said, “No problem.” We asked for a home for the pastor. They said, “Ok.” 

So, in the course of a few hours an unnamed pastor was given a job and a home; and a future church and a potential orphanage was birthed. 

On the following Sunday, the head leader guy called John and said that 10 people had gathered under a tree for an impromptu church service. He then asked John to send them a pastor. A few weeks later, that number had tripled -- thirty people in a church that doesn’t yet have a building or a pastor. 

God certainly is doing more than we expected in Songo.

Friday – July 27

We drove 11 hours back home to Beira and then rested.

Saturday – July 28

Doug Working the Drone

With the end of our trip drawing near, we needed to do a lot of filming of the Melanie Center 1 in Beira. We also had three important interviews to conduct. We went out to the MC1 and met some friends of the Vianas from Josh and Joey’s school who were leading the children through an art project. We filmed the whole MC, including the surrounding community. This was my third visit to the MC and I was blown away by what I saw. It has more than doubled in size so that it is now more like a campus than just an orphanage. And everything there is incredibly well-built, professional (by Moz standards) and legitimate. We brought out the drone and Doug looked like the Pied Piper as throngs of children followed behind him as he maneuvered it around the community. 

Sunday -- July 29

We worshipped in the new church building that was completed last summer. Again, I was blown away by how much was going on. Before the main service, there were numerous bible studies and youth groups meeting all over the campus. Doug, and I were able to visit each of these groups and provide a word of greeting and encouragement from the two visiting Americans. After church, we interviewed a young high-school-aged boy who has been living at the MC for about seven years named Manuelino. Also that night, we interviewed John and Maria about the origins and their vision for the ministry.

Monday – July 30

The Sewing School in Action

This was a jam-packed, whirlwind of a day. We started by interviewing Alex and Melanie for the video. Then we went out to the MC, which was as active as an Amazon distribution center. We saw our vocational sewing school in action. We watched some of the MC children learning math and an adult literacy class for local women. When that class was finished, the room became a classroom for about 50 kids studying Portuguese. We observed our woodworking expert and future pastor Campeira building in his chicken coop turned workroom. Then we helped distribute giant sacks of rice to a group of local woman. The government provided the rice. They give it to us because they know we’ll disperse it honestly.

God is doing exceedingly more than what we expected at the Melanie Center 1. 

Tuesday – July 31

Departure day and the start of a 38-hour trek home through Johannesburg and Qatar. 

Before this trip, one of my top priorities for going to Mozambique was to be a blessing to the Vianas. I think it’s critically important to their work that they received annual visitors from home. But, after this trip I discovered just what a privilege it is to bring back the stories of what God is doing in Mozambique to the friends and supporters here at home. It’s an honor to carry these stories in my heart and to report on the specific and tangible ways how God is doing immeasurably more in Mozambique. 

Divinely Inspired Terms from the Baseball Dictionary

In each of the past five years, I’ve used my Dickson Baseball Encyclopedia to write an annual blog

about some of the more obscure terms related to our National Pastime. I’ve covered everything from animals to political terms. I’m a bit late in doing so this year, but it’s been a busy season. I’ve vacationed in Ireland and celebrated a milestone birthday. I’ve also spent most of the last three weeks in whirlwind preparations for a 13-day trip to Mozambique. In Mozambique, I’ll be helping out with my church’s orphan-care and church-planting ministries. It will be a fulfilling time, but I am going to miss baseball while I’m away. So, I thought I’d bring you the top Bible and churchy terms from the baseball dictionary. In alphabetical order, and leading off is:

Accept the Offering – to swing at the pitch. The job of the Hebrew temple priest.

Angel – a small white cloud that comes to the aid of a fielder by blocking the sun and therefore making it easier for him to catch a high fly ball.  Would a large white cloud be known as an Archangel?

Ascension (balloon ascension) – an occurrence in which a pitcher suddenly loses his control. The term was commonly framed in terms of spectators witnessing a balloon ascending. See also “Up in the Air”.  Had Jesus been a pitcher, it’s doubtful he would have had ascension problems.

Bag of Bones – extremely thing player. Or what Ezekiel called his famous vision.

Batting Out of Order – the act of a player who appears at the plate out of the proper place in the batting order. During a recent trip to Dublin, I viewed an old version of the four gospels called the Book of Kells in which the four authors, Matthew, John, Luke, and Mark, were batting out of order.

Bean Ball – a pitch thrown intentionally at a batter’s head for the purpose of either moving him away from the plate or to punish him, his team, or another player for something he has done. The first recorded bean ball took place in the fight between David and Goliath.

Beat the Bushes – to look for baseball talent in the minor (or bush) leagues. See Moses trying to put out a fire.

Bible Hitter – A hitter who swings at the first pitch “That feller is a dead first-ball hitter: Thou shall not pass”. With the rising strikeout rates in today’s game, there are more and more Bible hitters.

Body Armor – padded protective equipment worn by batters. Or what David shunned before battling Goliath.

Cardinal Sin – Gambling on baseball or issuing a walk to the pitcher. These transgressions can only be atoned for by sacrificing a bird from St. Louis.

Cross – to outguess an opposing team or player. What Christ did to the forces of hell at Golgotha.

Dying Quail – a pop fly that drops suddenly and unexpectedly, like a bird that has been shot on the wing. Or what the Israelites ate in the desert.

Early Man – A player who takes batting practice before the players who are in the starting lineup that day. Though not stated in Genesis, Adam was an early riser, eager to get started on his daily tasks of naming animals and tending his garden.

Fall off the Table – A curve ball with such a dramatic break that it appears to appears to “fall off of a table”. Or what the dogs waited for food to do in the parable of the Canaanite Women.

Fatted Calf – a player who is not in good physical condition. This is also what teams ate while celebrating their Jerusalem 40 and over rec-league softball championships.  

Give Oneself Up -- To hit the ball behind a teammate on base in an effort to bring him home or advance him to scoring position. This is obvious proof that baseball is divinely inspired. In no other sport are participants rewarded for modeling Christ’s love by placing others (the team) above self (the individual).

Green Cathedral – A baseball park, field, or stadium. The new Jerusalem as described in Revelation is purported to have a Green Cathedral in every neighborhood.

Muscular Christianity – The religious belief, primarily in the 1850s and 1860s that baseball could overcome a negative attitude toward recreational sports. Religious leaders invoked the vigorous physical activity of baseball as a source of moral instruction. Further proof that baseball is divinely inspired. Also there is no such thing as muscular soccer.

Rainmaker – A towering homerun, one that seems capable of rupturing a cloud and bringing rain. What Noah christened the ark two days before the downpour.

Sacrifice – a battled ball that advances a base runner at the expense of the batter being put out. The Old Testament’s method of atoning for sins. Usually a lamb, bull, sheep or bird. Jesus led the Nazareth Little League in sacrifice bunts each year.

Sacrifice Fly – A fly out or pop-up that is hit deep enough to advance a runner. Or when a bird purchased for sacrifice escapes before reaching the altar.

Sacrifice Hit – A bunt that moves a runner to the next base. Or how the priest would first render the sacrificial animal unconscious. Usually with a club or heavy stick.

Sacrifice Hitter – A hitter who makes a sacrifice bunt or fly. In the Old Testament, a sacrifice hitter was the temple priest. In the New Testament, it was the Roman soldiers.

Sacrifice Play – synonym of sacrifice hit. Or what the lambs and baby goats did in the fields before being taken to the temple for sacrifice.

“Say it ain’t so, Joe!” – The oft-heard lament in reference to Shoeless Joe Jackson that came to represent the 1919 Black Sox scandal in which the World Series was “fixed” to accommodate gamblers. Or what Joseph’s friends and family cried when they learned Mary was with child.

Take the Apple – Synonym of “feel the apple”. To choke under pressure. The term is in reference to one’s Adam’s apple. Also what Eve did for the first Cardinal Sin in the original Green Cathedral.

I can’t wait to go to a game when I get home. As they say in Mozambique, “Leva-me ao jogo de bola” (take me out to the ball game). 

America's Milestone Memories

Dear America,

For 242 years old, you’re looking good. Of course, realistically, you’re still just a pup. On a recent trip to Ireland, I sipped whiskey in pubs older than 242. Heck, I think even the barstools in the airport pre-dated the Second Continental Congress. The friends I visited in Prague live in a renovated 250-year-old farmhouse. The Hapsburgs were working on their 7^th monarch when Thomas Jefferson started rough drafting your famous declaration.

And yet, at 242, I’m worried about you. You’ve got a few issues, but it’s your birthday, so let’s not talk about any shortcomings. Today, we’re celebrating. We’ve got 361 other days to try to mend the places where you’re taking on water. I too am having a birthday. It’s next week and it’s a big one: 50. In light of my milestone, I thought it’d be cool to look back at some of your momentous birthdays.

Sweet 16 (1792) – With George Washington as president, the US Post Office Department was created. It’s also the year that Benjamin Franklin added the term “going postal” to his Poor Richard’s Almanac. Notable births: John C. Calhoun’s wife. Notable deaths: George Mason and John Paul Jones.

21 (1797) – You were finally old enough to drink and you got your second president when GW turned the office over to John Adams. 1797 is also the year that Sam Adams retired as governor of Massachusetts and started his Boston-based brewery. Interesting timing, don’t cha think?

30 (1806) – You decided to put your youthful, carefree days behind you. You had 15 stars on your flag and it was time to put down some roots, puff out your chest, and make a name for yourself. With Jefferson in office, Lewis and Clark returned home after exploring the uncharted territories to your west. Too bad they whiffed on finding the Northwest Passage during their three-year expedition. Ironically, sometimes it takes me three years to cross the Sepluveda Pass on the way out of Los Angeles. Notable births: Jane Pierce (Franklin’s wife). Notable deaths: Benjamin Banneker and Henry Knox.

40 (1816) – You decided to go quietly into your 40s. I understand, 40^th birthday parties can often be quite embarrassing. Other than adding Indiana to the union, the only big news from 1816 was James Madison becoming president, defeating Rufus King in the process. Even though Madison is an important figure in your history, I think it would have been pretty dang cool to have a POTUS named Rufus.

50 (1826) –Once again you entered a new decade of existence rather quietly. The strangest news story of the year was the Eggnog Riot at West Point. Apparently, some thirsty cadets turned the academy into a 19^th-century version of Animal House with a rowdy two-day, pre-Christmas party. Arms were drawn, arrests were made, and several cadets were court-martialed. Among those not disciplined was future confederate leader Jefferson Davis. Rumor has it that U.S. Grant sent Davis 50 barrels of eggnog after the Civil War. Interestingly, both Davis’ and Grant’s wives were born in 1826. Notable deaths: Jefferson and John Adams, both on July 4^th of all days.

75 (1851) – Well, America, you were officially a geezer in the 1850s. Millard Fillmore was your president and you had 31 stars on your flag. The Gold Rush was in full swing and up in Oregon, a coin toss was used to determine the name for a new city. The options were Boston and Portland. I’m happy with the outcome because the Boston Trailblazers just doesn’t sound right. Doc Holliday was born; while Thomas Lincoln (Abe’s dad) and James Fenimore Cooper died in 1851.

100 (1876) – You really went big for your centennial. Alex G. Bell made a memorable phone call (Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you), Tom Edison patented his mimeograph, Custer made a last stand, and the National League of Baseball Clubs was formed. Grant was president, Heinz made ketchup and Adolphus Busch marketed Budweiser. There were no notable births and nobody famous died, other than, well, General Custer.

200 (1976) – The bicentennial. Your first big birthday that I remember. I was eight, and both my parents had afros that would have made Dr. J proud. In the world of sports, the ABA and the NBA merged, which was good news for Dr. J, except that he had to travel to Portland, not Boston, to play the Trailblazers. A pair of Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, formed Apple Computers, Patty Hearst was found guilty, and Viking 1 landed on Mars. Notable births: Reese Witherspoon and Peyton Manning.

There you have it, America. I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane. But, I have to wonder, what did you think back in 1776 when this little experiment in democracy got underway? Things could have gone wonky from the get-go (remember the Articles of Confederation?). You’ve weathered trying times and bloody wars. What if Lee had won at Gettysburg? How would you look today had the Allies failed at Normandy or the Marines not captured Iwo Jima? It’s almost as if you’ve been guided along through these 242 years by a higher power, someone holding things together and pushing back the forces of evil. For me, such a concept is a self-evident truth. It’s something Jefferson was on to when he wrote:

We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Many call this one of the greatest sentences in the English language. I tend to agree. It’s right up there with:

“A government of the people, for the people, by the people shall not perish from the earth.”

America, some other nations out there would like to see you perish from the earth. And to be honest, I am worried that our own internal discord and divisiveness is going to prevent you from reaching your next milestone. Be it 250 or 300.

What’s that, you say? We need more people to do what the delegates did every morning when the second Continental Congress was in session? What did they do?

Oh, right. They prayed.

Good call.

Happy birthday, America!

Help Send Tony Back to Mozambique

Dear Friends and Family—

Some of the Melanie Center Kiddos

God is continuing to do amazing things in Mozambique. The children in our orphanages are thriving (lifeformoz.com). Churches are being planted (unofficially about 100). Pastors are being trained, our classrooms are full, and local women are learning a vocation (sewing). Praise God!

In a few weeks (July 19-31), I have the amazing privilege of returning to Mozambique for the third time. I’ll be going one of my pastors, Doug Lee, and we have a whirlwind trip planned.

Some HighLights include:

• Visiting both orphanages and spending time with the kiddos (I will be leading games, activities, and lessons)
• Experiencing glorious Mozambican church services in our new church at the Melanie Center
• Loving on our amazing American family, the Viana’s
• Potentially researching the plans for a school at the Melanie Center 2 (the teacher in me is overjoyed by this possibility)
• Filming a promotional video to help facilitate how we share what God is doing in Mozambique
• Traveling to a far-away location to host a conference with pastors from that area who will work to evangelize and plant churches in this region

  

  Pastor and friend Doug Lee

The cost to get to Mozambique is pretty steep. My flight and entrance visas total roughly  $2,550.00. I will be covering my on-the-ground expenses during our 11-day stay.

HELP?!

Would you like to partner with me and be a part of the amazing work God is doing in Mozambique? If so, your donation options are plentiful. 

Venmo? You can find me if we're friends!

Cash? Probably only a good idea if you're local.

Check? Yep. You can mail one to me at: 

24312 Lucille Ave.

Lomita, CA 90717

Checks can be made out to Life Covenant Church. 

PayPal? Yep. Here's a link for you:

click here to donate

If you use the pay pal link, please message me the amount for my record keeping. 

Here's our itinerary:

7/21 –         Arrive, shower, eat, SLEEP!

7/22 –         Church (John and Maria will already be in Songo)

7/23 –         Drive to Chimoio to visit MC2. I'll be in charge of stories, games, prizes and things for the kids

7/24 –         Drive to Songo and help set up for conference – 5 hours. 

7/25 –        Conference Begins 

                          Salvation Message –     Doug

                         

Life in Christ -               Doug            

Q & A Time -                 All

7/26 – Final Day of Conference

                           Spiritualism 1-             Melanie: Give the scriptural foundation for leaving witchcraft and other traditional practices.

Spiritualism 2-              John & Pastor Kangazera: Address difficulties in following Christ and not letting go of the old ways. Share testimonies of pastors who have walked away from being witch doctors.

Altar Call-                     Doug: Refresher on salvation and a call to follow after Christ, living in imitation of Him. 

7/27 – Drive Back to Beira. John and Maria to follow the next day. (9-10 hours)

7/28 – Day of Rest

7/29 – Church in Manga                       Doug will be preaching

7/30 – Day at MC1 in Beira.                I'll be in charge of stories, games, prizes and things for the kids 

                                                                    

7/31 – Return Home   

More Photos:

2014: Preacher for a day

The beautiful Viana family

Our wonderful Mozambican leaders, John and Maria

2016: distributing food kits to local families