Mens College Basketball

Wow, the NCAA tournament is almost down to 4.  Those 4 will play nest week for the Division 1 Championship.  In my part of the country college basketball "is king".  Being from Kentucky and living in Indiana, I have grown up around the best of the best college teams in the country.  University's of Kentucky and Louisville, Murray State, Western Kentucky and the Hoosiers of Indiana University, just North of Louisville.  Quite possibly, two of those teams could play each other nest week in New Orleans, Louisville and Kentucky.  This is HUGE! 

Is it really?  I used to get really into rooting for my team when I was growing up, which for the record was U of L, and then it occurred to me that their winning or loosing did not effect my life in the least.  Yes, I was disappointed with a loss and excited with a win but it didn't get me better grades, make me more friends, pay my car payment/rent/mortgage, etc. 

Once, in high school, I turned over a six foot table after my high school football team lost an important game and have cursed players.  I have more self control today to be a good fan and keep the things of life in perspective.  IU head coach Tom Crean stated Friday night after his teams loss to U of K, in the highest scoring game so far of the 2012 tournament, that his hope for this team is "if God would grant one thing" that they would become the spiritural leaders of their homes (see video starting at 6:40).  Talk about perspective!

He spoke of what they will be in years to come, leaders at home, as husbands and fathers as well as leaders in their jobs.  The most important job a man has is to be a husband and father, the rest will work itself out.  THAT is what it's all about!! Thanks Coach Crean!  I can be a fan of a man that helps young men develop into the spiritural leaders in their homes.  Husbands and fathers that follow Christ and take their Biblical mandate seriously are what is missing in our society. 

The hinge point of society as a whole is that men have left the family, either physically or emotionally...or BOTH.  And, "yes" I think that is why our prisons are so overcrowded today, so many children have grown up in famlies where the father is absent and that makes good male role models really hard to find, so to hear Tom Crean make a statment like that says to me that winning basketball games is nice but you were put on this earth for something much bigger than winning basketball games.  Our families depend on it! Will you partner with me as we work to develop healthy families in OUR OWN HOMES in the name of Christ?

The First Attempt

Hi folks, this is my first attempt at blogging.  As the title "Notes On Life" might imply, I will be documenting life events.  Sometimes as they happen (thanks to smart phones) or from my PC.  I will allow family friendly comments and will delete any comments deemed inapproipriate.
My hope is that this blog will hit all of your emotions as my life is printed on these pages.  The life I speak of is the new life I have found in Jesus Christ.  The bad and the ugly things still happen to me although I am a Christian, but through the Lord Jesus I am able to handle adversity much better than before.  I do struggle with my attitude, just ask my wife!  I am a work in progress but God works it all for "the good of those who love Him and are called by His name" (Romans 8:28).
As I was thinking about what to write on this inaugural blog entry my wife called me and said that the van she was driving with our 6 and 3 year old children had broken down on a busy street. In my best carny voice "we haaave a winner!"  Well the van can be fixed and is off the street, my Father-in-law picked them up and no one was injured.  It could have been alot worse. 

You can follow me on Twitter @mjwsr66 and a Facebook page is in the works.