You Still Here?

Blogging Vacation is over. The irony about blogging is that when the most interesting stuff is happening, you have the least time to blog. The holiday season was super busy, but good, around the Wymer household and at Grandview Christian Church.

I hope your entry into 2011 was wonderful. I'll try to be a more faithful blogger for at least a week or two.

Here are the top things I would have blogged about it I had time in the previous months:

1. The Cold!

It has been a cold, cold winter so far in East Tennessee. People used to talk about the weather to pass the time, or as a way of saying "Hello, how are you?" I've noticed that the Global Warming issue has changed that, however. Weather discussions can easily become tense. I've heard people say, "Hey what about this global warming?" as a way of denying the reality of it (this, by the way, is closer to my own jaded, cynical view of anything that gains political momentum). I've also heard people say, "Global warming causes these kinds of cold snaps." In either case, it used to be easier when we just said, "Cold enough for ya?!"

All I know for sure is that I shoveled a lot of snow on Christmas night at my home and at the church. Then I shoveled a bit more on Sunday morning (along with Roger Allman) while we waited upon the the snow plow.

2. The Babies!

We're on a baby run at Grandview. Baby runs warm my heart. On the First Sunday of Christmas I got to use lil' Charlie as part of my sermon on the incarnation (during the 9:30 service). I can't even express what a joy it was to hold him while talking about how God feels about humanity.

But the baby run isn't just at Grandview. Below is a picture of my new niece, Esther, and her adoring cousins and aunt. New life around Christmas time is such a wonderful gift!
3. The Gators
Did you think I wouldn't have mentioned the loss of Coach Meyer? The weird thing about his retiring is that he is well loved by all of the Gator fans I know. But we could all see that his heart wasn't in it the it used to be, so we're not devastated by his leaving. We have high hopes for the next victim ... er ... coach of the University of Florida.

I find myself in a conundrum when it comes to college athletics these days. For a coach to be successful it appears he has to sell his soul (family and all) to the school. I contend that Tim Tebow ruined Coach Meyer. I watched it happen (through the articles I read while he was coach, so my version is 5th hand at best). Because of his interaction with Tebow, Coach Meyer began to take his Catholic faith more seriously. He even went on a short term missions trip with his church (to Costa Rica or Honduras, I can't remember which).

I think his enlivened faith awakened the conflict between family and football for Meyer and led to his retiring to be with family. He may be the first coach to quit during his prime who actually meant it when he said he wanted to spend more time with family.

We Gators wish you all the best, Coach.

4. Tim Tebow
Speaking of the Gators, if you have a few minutes I recommend watching this trailer for an upcoming documentary to air on ESPN about Tim Tebow. If follows him from his final Gator game through the NFL draft. I'm anxious to watch it.

Tim Tebow Documentary from FCTN on Vimeo.