Normal mode of operation: Be humble, reduce expectations. Don’t believe your own hype. Don’t embarrass your partners while drawing all attention to yourself. Be confident, but classy.
Today, in West Virginia, a former member of the KKK will be honored at our State Capitol, with the first black President there to praise him.
Kind of remarkable. Much like the life of Robert C. Byrd.
I won’t go into the “Things I Disagree With Senator Byrd About List.” It would be a long one, but that’s not at issue today.
The longest serving Senator in U.S. history was from my home county, Raleigh. He apologized again and again for his early involvement with the Klan, and denounced them publicly, repudiating their views.
He was, by all accounts, a faithful and devoted husband to his wife, Erma. Theirs was an unusual, moving, love story. From early courtship in poverty (where a stick of gum constituted an extravagant gift) to him caring for her through Alzheimer’s. Those close to him said that he never got over her death.
He rose from poverty to the heights of public office. His death marks the end of an era in West Virginia politics. He has been in federal office about twice as long as I have been alive.
My prayers are with the Byrd family, and the many they have impacted in life.
Sharing something is special. This is a video of fans in Seattle gathered in the last moments of the must-win-to-stay-alive U.S. soccer match in the World Cup –from The Seattle Times. Note: This goal is what they were viewing.
Check out the dude on the right with the spiked hair. Classic. I felt exactly like that.
OK, here’s another video which shows many different reactions across the nation (and one in my old home province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa –Durban).
Tomorrow at 2:30 EST the U.S. takes on Ghana in the knockout portion of the tournament (you lose you go home). But…we’ve already experienced that.
So, what’s your prediction for the game? Final score? Hero? Number of good U.S. goals disallowed?
The poor English goalkeeper, Robert Green, is behind the tears of many in England. His botching of a routine stop allowed the U.S. to draw even and cause a tie in Saturday’s World Cup round one match. The man of the match? Our goalkeeper, Tim Howard.
As for us, the U.S., we’ll take the tie over the favored English and hope to seal our advance with two important wins in the next weeks.
Here’s the video of the tie-allowing goal. (I have scored some weak ones like that myself, actually. Back a million years ago when I played. But not against England. Yikes.)
Also: I did tell you to look out for Clint Dempsey (the guy who scored for us). I guess Robert Green, shockingly, is one of the few international sports stars who doesn’t read this blog.
I am very excited about the World Cup, an unmatched sporting event. In America we have a hard time understanding, or appreciating the scale and importance of this tournament.
Also, the host country is my beloved South Africa. I have seen some rugby matches at some of the stadiums they are using.
Cool: All the games are going to be available on ESPN 3 this time.
The U.S. team’s opener is Saturday, June 12, at 2:30pm. We play some team called England, or something.
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It’s after 2am, and I’ve just learned that (as of now) there are 25 confirmed dead in this horrible, coal mining disaster in my home county here in West Virginia.
I don’t have much to say beyond asking for prayers for the families. Reportedly there are 4 more men down in the mine who may need rescue.
I don’t know why things like this happen, but am convinced that when we receive the gift of life for one day it is a profound mercy, and on the other hand this kind of thing is not how the world ought to be. Someday all things will be made new, and this from Jesus Christ. Not because people are good enough to earn merit with God, but because Jesus (God the Son) will do it for the glory of God and the good of his children.
God is sovereign, and good, all the time.
Pray with us, not because God needs us, but because we need him.
