Bucket List

Tonight, David is doing something on his"bucket list"!!! He is going to the World Series with a friend - watching the Rays play the Phillies. Good Luck, Rays!!!!

Life is Just a Little Bit Crazy HERE!!!

So Sunday night, while we were at the Bucs game - just down the road and across the bay - the Rays were playing game 7 against the Red Sox trying to win the ALCS. And guess what - from the worst to first in one season!! The Rays are going to the World Series .... or the World Series is coming to Tampa!!! This had to be the sports night of all sports nights!! The Bucs won, Alstott is honored and during all of that the Rays are playing in game 7. Half of the football fans were listening to the Rays game on their headphones. There would be nothing going on down on the field, and all of a sudden everyone would stand up screaming, yelling and high-fiving. At one point, they jumbotron flashed - "quiet please-offense on the field". The Bucs won, game over and we all started heading out of the stadium. Most of us stopped on the way out at all of the tv stations to watch the end of the Rays game, then all of a sudden the crowd starts moving back into the stadium. The last inning of the Rays do-or-die game was being broadcast on the 2 jumbotrons. So back into the seats and we were watching the game!! I cannot tell you how much fun (even at almost 1am) this was!!! So the entire community and beyond is behind this underdog team of young rookies who have proved to all here the impossible is possible. They have lifted our spirits in this season of doom and gloom all around us. Thank you to the boys of summer for taking us into the World Series!!! AND...David already has a tickets for Thursday's game - thanks Martin'!!!!

Not Just Any Given Sunday

On any given Sunday in the fall there is an NFL game going on. This past Sunday, in Tampa, the Bucs played the Seahawks. But it wasn't the game that was so important this week. No, this week - Buccaneer fans watched as their "favorite son" officially retired. Mike Alstott, the "A-Train", #40, "brought the filled stadium crowd to its feet one more time. The former Buccaneers fullback, one of the most popular players in the franchise's history and its career leader in several categories, was honored was honored with a ceremony at halftime...It was an honor to describe his great career, longtime Bucs play-by-play voice Gene Deckerhoff said. "And it was a thrill every time I was able to say, 'Al-stott!! Up the gut!! Touchdown, Tampa Bay!!" Alsott was an incredible team player on the field, but even more than that he is a member of our community. He and his family give back in so many ways through the Mike Alstott Foundation - Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Pinellas, Special Olympics Florida, The Angelus House, All Children's Hospital and the Children's Cancer Center. A-Train, you will be missed on the field - but we are so glad that you are still a part of our community!! Thanks for some great memories!!!

An Email From Max Lucado

The first response to any crisis is prayer; urgent and honest prayer. Before we turn to money managers and governments, let’s turn to the Maker of the Universe.

You Have Our Attention, Lord A prayer by Max Lucado - October 2008 Our friends lost their house The co-worker lost her job The couple next door lost their retirement It seems that everyone is losing their footing This scares us. This bailout with billions. These rumblings of depression. These headlines: ominous, thunderous - “Going Broke!” “Going Down!” “Going Under!” “What's Next?” What is next? We’re listening. And we’re admitting: You were right. You told us this would happen. You shot straight about loving stuff and worshipping money. Greed will break your heart, You warned. Money will love you and leave you. Don’t put your hope in riches that are so uncertain. You were right. Money is a fickle lover and we just got dumped. We were wrong to spend what we didn’t have. Wrong to neglect prayer and ignore the poor. Wrong to think we ever earned a dime. We didn’t. You gave it. And now, tell us Father, are You taking it? We’re listening. And we’re praying. Could you make something good out of this mess? Of course You can. You always have. You led slaves out of slavery, Built temples out of ruins, Turned stormy waves into a glassy pond and water into sweet wine. This disorder awaits your order. So do we. Through Christ, Amen God will always give what is right to His people who cry to Him night and day, and He will not be slow to answer them. (Luke 18:7 NCV) See Max Deliver This Prayer

Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday all rolled into one post!!

OOPS!!

After numerous wonderful emails, calls and comments - I need to clarify that Robert's Homecoming is NEXT week!! I guess you could say that I am just a little too overexcited here!! So keep praying him home and I will keep updating. I am on my way to meet up with a great friend who moved away a couple of years ago. She just flew into town to be at the Brandon Care Pregnancy Center's Annual Gala this evening. Tomorrow is another day - and THEN, David and I are heading north to the real south!! Kelly, I can't WAIT to get to Summerville tomorrow!! Then downtown for some special shopping, Edisto Island to look at a piece of property, and finally - Bowen's Island for dinner. Can you just think of a more perfect day!?! Of course we will be listening to SEC football while we are doing all of this.