9 days...
Started my day at Gerald Ford's state funeral. It was a visual and spiritual journey. Maybe it because I think it is when America is at its best. The pomp and circumstance of the moment with all its tradition. As Holy, Holy, Holy is being played by the Marine Corp band, the flag-draped casket is led from the church down the steps between two rows of uniformed militiary and honerary pallbearers. It was a wonderful way to end the last 9 days.
You could never have imagined that so much could happen in 9 days. Christmas and the ringing in of a new year. The deaths of James Brown and President Gerald Ford. The hanging of Sadaam Hussein. The nail-biting win of our Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl. Such a wide range of emotions, you didn't know what to feel - when.
The night of the execution, time was short and I prayed outloud, May God have mercy on your soul. I don't know how God will handle the Sadaam's of the world - much different than you and I, I would imagine.
It was 11Pm last night when my family and I started screaming and cheering as Boise State beat Oklahoma. The underdogs who were never given a chance, led for 58 minutes, tied the game with 18 seconds to spare and pulled off the win with a stunning 2-point conversion. I learned something from Coach Pete last night - Never Give Up. You see, I had. I had given up in my heart, ready to go home. More than a win, I walk away with an icon that I will hold on to from this day forward.
Our holidays were merry and bright. We followed Santa on the internet this year and when he hit New Orleans, the kids headed for bed. Technology is a beautiful thing. If the last 9 days is any indication, we may be in for a whirlwind year. Whatever happens, I am going to keep on walking, never giving up and loving Jesus, no matter what. As I watched a comedian this weekend talk about our current president as actually believing that God created the world in 7 days, I smiled to myself. In that moment, I realized that its not about whether I believe the world was actually created in 7 days but that I believe that He is able. 2007, here I come!...