Tim Ellsworth

They’re absolutely paranoid about snow here in the South. It’s 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday night, and I just heard that the public schools here are closing tomorrow because of snow.

And how much has it snowed thus far?

Nary a flurry, folks. Nary a flurry.

I just looked outside, and there’s not a single flake of snow on the ground, with none coming down. But because they’re FORECASTING snow for tonight and tomorrow, people are already going berserk over it.

Amazing.

From BP:

Smith also wanted to spend part of his allotted time talking about what was most important in his life, his faith in Jesus Christ.

“God is the center of my life. It controls all that I do. I hope I don’t have to spend my time telling my players I’m a Christian. I hope they see it in my life every day,” Smith said.

Why do I always feel the need to take a shower when I read comments by Scott Boras? Is there a bigger sleazebag in sports?

Yesterday, Curt Schilling forever secured his place as a baseball god in Boston.

The 40-year-old, in talking about his plans for the future, said he plans to pitch through the 2008 season. He had previously indicated he might retire after 2007, when his contract with Boston ends.

But Schilling said he would pitch in 2008. He would like for it to be with Boston, but he said he would pitch for another team if it didn’t work out for him to return to the Red Sox. It just wouldn’t be the Yankees.

This is a man who understands baseball. This is what Johnny Damon should have done when he left the Red Sox after the 2005 season. Damon didn’t have to return to Boston in order to remain a Red Sox icon for the rest of his life. All he had to do was spurn the Yankees. But he chased the money, and now he’s forever a pariah in Beantown.

Not so with Schilling. He said the right thing. He understands the meaning of a rivalry. And even if he doesn’t retire as a member of the Red Sox, he just earned the undying affection of an entire city.

Someone just got here through a Google search for: obese people named Tim.

Egad.

I’m taping the show tonight, so I’ll be about an hour behind those of you watching it. But I figured I’d go ahead and post the topic. I’ll not read the comments until after I see it.

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized today.

First Stephen Colbert was on Bill O’Reilly’s show.

Then O’Reilly returned the favor and appeared on the Colbert Report.

I’ve about decided that Stephen Colbert is the funniest man alive.

The city of Miami is planning a huge party in the Orange Bowl when Fidel Castro dies.

Some items of interest from the past few days:

Coach Calm: Colts’ Tony Dungy puts faith to work on sidelines (World Magazine)

Yankees announcer, former All-Star Murcer battling his ‘biggest’ challenge (The Christian Chronicle)

If it’s rated ‘R,’ who brought all these children? (Christian Science Monitor)

Should spanking be banned? (Time)

An STD vaccine for all girls? (Time)

New underwear promises to ease pain of passing gas (FOX News)

California man wants to take his wife’s last name (AP)

A Washington man didn’t like his wife’s 79-year-old grandmother telling him how to discipline his son. And so he pulled out a Taser and zapped her when she refused to leave his house.

Aaron de Bruyn, 26, was charged with fourth-degree domestic violence assault.

The argument began Wednesday morning when his 7-month-old son tried to reach behind the family’s entertainment system to grab the electrical wires, de Bruyn told The Columbian newspaper of Vancouver.

Fearing the boy would shock himself, he told the boy “no” a couple of times and gave the child a swat on his diapered bottom.

De Bruyn said his grandmother-in-law, Rosemary Garlock, told him that was child abuse and threatened to have the child taken away. He said he then told Garlock to leave and she refused.

Jeff Weaver will sign a one-year, $8.3 million contract with the Seattle Mariners. The Cardinals are believed to have offered Weaver a two-year deal worth about $12 million.

Sayonara, Jeff. Have fun stinking in Seattle.

Only 20 days until pitchers and catchers report.

Among the field of those who have declared themselves as presidential candidates in 2008, whom do you support?

Right now, I’m torn between Mitt Romney and Sam Brownback. Brownback probably would get my vote.

“Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce,” by John Piper

William Wilberforce might not be a household name among evangelical Christians. But it should be.

Wilberforce was the British Member of Parliament who successfully crusaded against the evils of slavery. His efforts took 46 years and were filled with repeated defeats, threats, setbacks and trials. But Wilberforce persevered.

It was that determination that attracted Piper to Wilberforce – “his reputation as a man who simply would not give up when the cause was just.”

Despite phyiscal afflications, the loss of friends because of his abolitionist efforts and threats against his life, Wilberforce was a man of immense joy. That joy sprang from Wilberforce’s “entireness of trust in the Savior’s merits and from love to God and man,” according to one of Wilberforce’s acquaintances.

In this short book (76 pages), Piper gives a brief overview of Wilberforce’s life. He provides a basic biography of the man, but he also looks at the work that God did in Wilberforce’s life.

What made Wilberforce tick was a profound biblical allegiance to what he called the “peculiar doctrines” of Christianity. These, he said, give rise in turn to true “affections” for spiritual things, which then break the power of pride and greed and fear and lead to transformed morals, which lead to the political welfare of the nation.

In short, Wilberforce set about to abolish slavery in Great Britain because he considered the practice to be offensive to God. And because of his convictions and concern for the righteousness of a nation, Wilberforce managed to change the world.

I highly recommend this little book to you. I read it one night in about an hour. The next night, I read it again. If you have any plans to see the upcoming feature film about Wilberforce, “Amazing Grace,” opening Feb. 23, I’d suggest you read this book before doing so.