Don’t know if there are many folks still around, but Open Blog Friday is back. Today’s topic: Baseball predictions for the upcoming season. I’ll start with my NL predictions:
NL East-NY Mets
NL Central-Chicago Cubs
NL West-Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Wild Card-Atlanta Braves
Feel free to make your predictions, or to bring up any other topic you’d like.
Things are slowly returning to normal, so I’m hoping to be back on here a little more frequently. I appreciate those of you who have prayed for me and for Union University. These have been difficult days, but God has sustained us, and we’re optimistic about the future.
A couple of days ago I did a 20-minute interview with the online program Podweather. You can hear the program here if you’d like to get a recent update about how things are looking here at Union.
I’m going to shut things down on the blog for the rest of February. Too much going on in my life right now to think about blogging. I’ll try to resume the first week of March. Thanks for your continued prayers for me and for Union University.
Check out the top story on ESPN’s Page 2 about Union University and the Lady Bulldogs. Here’s a direct link to the story.
The legend returns. Have a good weekend.
Here’s my cell phone usage thus far this month:
987 peak minutes
473 off-peak minutes
384 in-network peak minutes
272 in-network off-peak minutes
Total: 2,116 minutes.
And I still have a week to go in my billing cycle. My guess is I’m going to be pushing 3,000 minutes this month.
I have absolutely no idea what’s happening with baseball and steroids these days. What’s going on with Clemens, Pettitte, etc.? Can someone enlighten me?
I do know that the Cardinals pitchers and catchers report tomorrow. Music to my ears.
Recovering The R.C. Ryan Center for Biblical Studies, with Ray Van Neste:
Kevin Furniss’ Rescue Story:
Yes, I am still around. But after working 16-18 hours per day over the past week, there’s not much time (or inclination) left for blogging. One of these days, we will return to your regularly-scheduled blogging. But I have no idea when that will be.
My family has been gone to my in-laws’ house since Saturday, and I miss them. I’m looking forward to seeing them again on Thursday.
The past week has been so difficult, but God has strengthened me for the task. For that, I am grateful.
Friends,
Thanks so much for your prayers, encouragement and support in recent days. I ask you to continue praying for me and my colleagues in the days ahead. We are tired. We are overwhelmed with the work before us. We need your prayers.
Many people have written to ask what they can do. While some have the means to come and volunteer, and others have the means to provide financial assistance to the university and our students, everyone can pray. Don’t think that by praying you are contributing less than others, because the Bible says that the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
I continue to be amazed at the outpouring of love for Union University. We are so grateful for your kindness to us.
Daniel looks at the damage on the Union University campus. Photo by Morris Abernathy.
Yesterday was a good day. It was a day of optimism. It was a day of hope.
The most newsworthy event of the day was the visit to campus by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. It was quite the media circus.
I continued to be inundated with calls from media all over the country. At 6 p.m., I counted 60 calls I had made or received in the last six hours. And Thursday was slow compared to the day before.
Despite an overwhelming task before us, it was good to see people on campus smiling and working together. The pervading spirit on campus is one of anticipation as we embark upon the rebuilding of our campus.
It was the first time since Tuesday’s tornado that I had a chance to talk in-depth with a few students. That was the best part of my day.
I continue to thank the Lord for His mercy in sparing the students from any loss of life. And I continue to pray for the students still in the hospital, some of them with injuries that are most serious.
Today the cleanup effort begins in earnest. I’m excited about the process, because I know I’m going to be deeply moved by the continued support I see from Union’s friends who are stepping up big-time to help.
Yesterday, I recognized for the first time the path that is laid out before me for the next several years. The task of telling Union’s story will be a formidable one as we rise from the rubble. When our restoration is complete, Union will not be the same place it has been in years past. It will be better. And I’m thankful that I get to be a part of making that happen.