Earlier this week, I attended a retreat down in SW Arkansas. I was a gathering of a few ministers from around the state, most of whom serve in churches that help support Christ on Campus. I have been attending these since the fall of 1982. It was a good couple of days with some lively discussion and a chance to visit with friends, some of whom I have known for over 25 years.

Though there are many ministers that are well known in our country, the men who were there aren't among them. They don't serve megachurches of several thousand. For the most part, they serve small churches in rural areas. They are part of their communities, loving the people among whom God has placed them. They perform their marriages and their funerals. They attend the junior high and high school football games. Most don't have youth ministers or music ministers. But they do their best to fill the roles that are needed and to live out the gospel in places like DeQueen and DeWitt and Dumas. And they faithfully do it without fanfare or notice or high salaries. And in their communities and corners of the state, they are far more influential and far more important than Rick Warren or Joel Osteen.

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A couple of news items for you ...

Read about the postman in Germany who pulled a "Newman" (that's a Seinfeld reference) and didn't deliver over 20,000 pieces of mail.

Science proves that being a vegetarian or vegan causes your brain to shrink at a faster rate than those who eat meet. So go eat a burger!

Gina, Stacy, Ryan, and I had the opportunity to attend the UofA's tribute dinner for John McDonnell, the men's cross country and track and field coach who retired this past summer. About 800 folks gathered to honor him from around the country. It was a really good event. Several members of John's family came over from Ireland to be a part of it. There were a lot of the athletes he had coached over the past 36 years. Several "dignitaries" gave speeches. I was invited to give the invocation. Video presentations were made, including the preview of a documentary on John's life that will be finished by next summer. 

I've written about John's retirement in the past, so I won't rehash all that he has accomplished. But all the hoopla was well-deserved. I'm proud to call him a friend. Plus, anyone who still calls me "kid" at my age is OK with me.

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I'm a big fan of the Ryder Cup, which is being played this week in Kentucky. If you're not a golf fan, you may not be familiar with it. It takes place every two years and is, basically, a team competition between 12 of America's best golfers against 12 of Europe's best golfers. Because it is a team competition and the format of play is different, it is always fun to watch. There is more emotion and a rowdier crowd than most golf events. I think that this would probably be one of the top two or three sporting events that I would most like to attend - up there with the Olympic Games and the Master's.

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In case you need to be reminded, studies in Great Britain have demonstrated that sending text messages while you drive is dangerous. In fact, their studies show that texting while driving is more dangerous driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. So stop doing it!

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And finally, for those of you like Guitar Hero but would prefer more "wholesome" music on the game, Guitar Praise is now available. Same idea but with Christian music.

Last weekend was a good weekend all the way around ...

On Friday night we got to babysit the "Carter kids" and had a good time watching Cinderella with them.

Later Friday night (Saturday morning) we had our 2:00 AM Grill on Dickson Street. We had a pretty steady flow of folks and gave away quite a bit of food. I also had some good spiritual conversations with folks who came by. Now just pray that the seeds bring a harvest down the road

On Saturday we had a good group of students serve lunch at the Seven Hills Shelter.

Later that afternoon Gina and I went to see maybe the "chickiest" of all movies and then to dinner at Herman's (thanks to Thomas and Kimberly).

On Sunday we had a good day at church. I asked students to put down in writing how Christ had changed their lives and/or how they needed Christ to change their lives. It was great to read the testimonies and to begin praying for those changes to happen. Austin and the worship team are doing a great job with the music.

Of course, Ike blew threw on Saturday night/Sunday morning. There was no major damage done around here, but (as of this afternoon) we were still without cable, internet, or phone service at the house.

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It has been a little while since I wrote about the Olympics or track and field, so here are three articles that I've come across recently that I thought were worth reading ...

The first is Doug Logan's blog. He is CEO of USA Track & Field, the governing body of the sport in the US. In this post he writes about the US performance at the Olympics and some of the changes that are on the horizon.

The second is an article about estimates done by some physicists on Usain Bolt's world record in the 100 meters. According to their figures, if he had run all the way through the race, he would have finished in 9.55 seconds. I'm not sure I trust their work ...

The third is an interview with Carl Lewis regarding this past Olympics and some of the performances there. As Carl can be, he is controversial.

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Finally, another Youtube video for your enjoyment. I saw this on my friend Jennifer's Facebook
page. Now you know why Gina and I took dance lessons.

On a university campus, you can find some of the most intelligent people in the world, as well as those with the least common sense. A case in point ...

You may have read or heard about an initiative by some college presidents in the US to lower the national drinking age back to 18. Their theory is that alcohol abuse is a major problem among college students (which it is) because it is against the rules. If we make it legal, then it will lose its appeal and students won't drink as much. Therefore, less students will get drunk, drive drunk, or have alcohol related accidents.

Right.

As you can image, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and others groups are against such a proposal. And, to his credit, the UofA chancellor has refused to sign on. Studies show that since the drinking age was raised to 21, alcohol-related accidents and deaths have dropped significantly.

What needs to happen is more consistent enforcement of drinking laws on college campuses and college communities. Parents need to take the reality of alcohol abuse on most college campuses seriously. Both need to get past the "kids will be kids" mentality and deal with a major social problem with serious ramifications.

To further this thought, see below ...

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I have a new book sitting on my desk called Guyland. You can get the idea of the book in this article from Newsweek.

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I hope you have been aware of the sweeping persecution of Christians in India over the past few weeks. If not, this article will fill you in a little bit. Please be praying for them, their safety, and their witness.

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And for those of you who enjoy the more "unusual" things I sometimes post ...

Read about the man in Great Britain who saw his father alive and on television, even though he had been cremated in 2003!

Increase your knowledge of physics by watching this rap video.

Today is Gina and my 29th anniversary.

God has been so good to me and blessed me beyond anything I can imagine or deserve. I was raised in a great family, have two wonderful daughters, a "job" that I love, and good people to work with. But the greatest blessing he has given me in this world is Gina.

I'm not too poetic, but I do want all to know how much she means to me and how fortunate I am to have her in my life.

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We got to spend the weekend in Ft. Worth, TX. We went down for Thomas Wolfe and Kimberly Forman's wedding and stayed an extra day to celebrate our anniversary. The wedding and all the festivities were great and it is always an honor to be asked to serve in such an event.

Ft. Worth was nice, but not the most exciting city to spend time in. But one of the interesting things we did was attend church at Lifechurch.tv. If you're not familiar with Lifechurch, it is a multi-site church based out of Edmond, OK. They have twelve "campuses" around the country, each with its own worship band, children's programs, small groups, and ministers. But the messages from from their senior pastor - Craig Groeschel - (or another teaching pastor) via satellite simulcast or video.

The service we went to was good and everything was done in an hour. Groeschel recently spoke at Willow Creek Community Church's Leadership Summit and I had heard that his message was great. The message at the service on Sunday was a shortened version of that talk, so I was glad to hear it.

Multi-site churches seem to be the current "in" thing right now. And there are some groups that are doing them very well. I think the live worship is important and the local staff can meet the personal ministry needs. And if we are honest about it, many (if not most) of those in ministry have great hearts for people but may not be the most gifted communicators. This model allows a gifted communicator to teach in a variety of places and, with modern technology, you don't really notice that he isn't there!

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Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate. I can't decide if this is the biggest mistake in recent political history or a strange, genius decision. Right now, I'm thinking mistake. I don't doubt that she is bright and energetic and conservative. But her level of experience is so small - mayor of a town of 7,000 and governor of Alaska for two years. Plus, McCain admits that he had only met her one time before choosing her as his running mate. There goes any leverage John McCain may have had to make Barak Obama's experience an issue.

Any time I'm asked about me favorite movies, the top two on the list are always High Noon, a classic Western with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, and Chariots of Fire, the story of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

On today's Olympic broadcast, Mary Carillo did a really good piece on Eric Liddell that included interviews with his daughter and others who knew him. If you don't know the story, Liddell was the son of Scottish missionaries to China. He won an Olympic gold medal in the 400 meters (47.6 seconds) after refusing to compete in the 100 meters heats (his intended event) because they were held on a Sunday. Liddell later returned to China to serve as a missionary, where he died. In fact, there is a monument in his honor in China - a pretty amazing thing for a Scottish missionary. If you can find the video online, it would be worth your time to watch it.

The first Olympic gold medalist born in China? Eric Liddell.

Let me just offer my opinion that, regardless of the publicity that Michael Phelps received, Usain Bolt is the outstanding performer at the Beijing Olympics:

* Three events
* Three gold medals
* Three world records

I know that Phelps won eight gold medals and set several world records, but Bolt also did what had never been done and was more dominating in doing it. Plus, no one had got within .30 of a second of that 200 meter record since it was set in 1996.

Bolt is the champion.

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Part of the sadness of the US failures in the men's sprints at the Olympics is that the two athletes in the midst of it all are former Razorbacks and men that I know. Both Tyson Gay and Wallace Spearmon are humble and personable individuals who represent Arkansas and the US well. It hurts to see the frustrations they have faced in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4x100 relay. Here is an article from NY Times on Wallace's disqualification.

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One of the realities, and frustrations, of the current state of US athletics is the competitiveness (and often pettiness) of shoe and apparel companies. At the Olympic Trials, we couldn't wear our usual uniform. We had to wear new shirts with the Nike logo because they were sponsors (and we were in their home territory). Some of you will remember the fiasco of past Olympics where certain athletes would cover the logo's on their USA uniforms because they were paid by a competitor. The latest incident: Carl Lewis refused to make a comment on Usain Bolt's performance because Lewis is on contract with Nike and Bolt is sponsored by Puma.

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Amazon.com has some free music downloads if you are interested. There are over 3,000 free songs, though most you won't have any interest in. But there are selections by Benny Goodman, Mahalia Jackson, and Billie Holliday!

Though we are moved by and celebrate those who accomplish so much at the Olympic Games - Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, and the rest - I am also moved by those who work so hard but come up short:

* Alicia Sacramone of the US Women's Gymnastics team, who fell on her last two events of the team finals and then finished fourth in the vault final.

* Four years ago, in Athens, Matt Emmons was leading the pistol shooting competition when, on this last shot, he aimed and hit the wrong target. This year he was again leading going into his last shot. But instead of shooting at the wrong target, somehow his gun went off before the was finished aiming and he again lost.

* Sanya Richards in the track and field 400 meters, who has been the best runner in the world for the past four years and yet finished third.

* Lolo Jones, whom I have watched run many times when she was at LSU and has been the best 100 meter hurdler in the world this year. You may have heard her story on the broadcasts - growing up homeless and living in the basement of a church and then in foster homes. She had dominated the preliminary rounds at the Olympics and was leading the final until she hit the ninth of the ten hurdles and fell back to seventh place. How could you not feel for her when you saw the look of agony on her face as she knelt on the track.

* And, finally, our friend Wallace Spearmon. Born and raised in Fayetteville and the son of a former Razorback All-American. To finish third in the men's 200 meters and then have the medal taken from you must be worse than not winning one at all.

NBC could do a great segment on the heartbreak of the Olympics.

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As big a star as Michael Phelps has been, in my mind (and maybe it's because I'm a track and field fan) Usain Bolt has been just as incredible. His easy wins in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes - both in world record times - were incredible. In the 200 meters, he broke a record that many thought wouldn't be broken for another 20 years (no one had gotten within .30 seconds of it) and beat the rest of the field by over a half a second. Most track athletes don't reach their prime until their late 20's. Bolt is just 21.

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Even for all of the work that China has done, and for all the effort they have made to improve their image, the nature of China's totalitarian government still shows through. Of course, there was their move in the Opening Ceremonies to have a "cute" girl lip sync the song rather than have the "uglier" (and more talented) girl sing.

Here is an article from the New York Times on their move to "re-educate" two elderly women whose homes were taken to build the Olympic development.

For all of the difficulties our country faces, we are so blessed to have the freedoms that we enjoy and often take for granted.

The track and field portion of the Olympics haven't started off too well for most of the Razorback participants:

• Nicole Teeter dropped out of the 800 meters after just a few steps (illness/injury)
• Deena Kastor dropped out of the marathon after just a few minutes (injury)
• Tyson Gay didn't advance to the finals in the 100 meters
• Allistair Cragg didn't advance out of the first round of the 1,500 meters (but he was using it as a warm-up for his main event - the 5,000 meters)
• Amy Yoder Begley finished 26th in the 10,000 meters (though she wasn't expected to be a leader in the event)
• The good news is that April Steiner-Bennett advanced to the finals in the pole vault

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Did you see Usain Bolt of Jamaica run the men's 100 meters? His quarter-final win was pretty impressive: a 9.92 while he was jogging down the track, looking around. Then, in the finals (though it hasn't been shown on TV yet), he broke his own world record of 9.72 by running a 9.69. As a 6'5", 21 year old his potential in huge and his best distances are going to be the 200 and 400 meters.

OK, I just watched the 100 meter final. Now that was incredible! If he hadn't started celebrating with 15 or 20 meters to go, who knows how fast he would have run. Wow.

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As one who works with college students, I found this editorial in the Wall Street Journal interesting. Any thoughts on it?

A quick post with some Olympic ramblings ...

The Olympics have taken over the TV at the Armstrong house, which is fine. You can find us watching every night. Of course, the "real" Olympics start tomorrow with the beginning of the track and field competition. Though I've enjoyed watching those sports that I only watch every four years - swimming, volleyball, men's gymnastics, etc. - I'm ready for the "main event" to get started. Of course, my excitement about it has grown as I've had the chance to meet and work with more and more of the athletes who compete on that stage from a variety of countries. It will be fun to watch them.

One question that someone may have an answer to: what is the difference between swimming and track and field that allow an athlete like Michael Phelps to be able to set two world records within a couple of hours? One of the Razorback track coaches brought this question up but we didn't have a definitive answer. No track athlete could do the things he is doing. I don't think it is because they are less talented or aren't in as good of condition. There must be something in the nature of the sports. A track athlete couldn't run through 17 rounds of competition over 10 days and still be competitive. Tyson Gay pulled a hamstring on his sixth round at the Olympic Trials. Angelo Taylor qualified for the Olympics in the 400 meter hurdles, but 30 minutes later couldn't finish the 400 meter dash. I don't know if it is the way lactic acid is built up or dispersed, if it is the water, if it is the lack of "pounding", etc. Anyone have some wisdom on this?

One last Olympic issue before I quit. There has been some discussion on athletes from one country competing for another. There are US citizens competing for other countries in a number of sports, including track and field. These athletes didn't make the US team but found ways to compete for other nations - family heritage, playing professionally in other countries, etc. Are these athletes traitors to the US? Should they have said "no" to the chance to compete in the Olympics? One of these is a "friend" of mine. Jangy Addy was an All-American decathlete at Tennessee and is a great young man. He finished sixth at the US Trials, but because his parents were from Liberia he is able to compete for them. In fact, he carried the Liberian flag in the Opening Ceremonies.

On the other side of that coin are those athletes who weren't born in the US but not compete for the US as naturalized citizens. None of the three men running the 1500 meters for the US were born here (and there are some US born middle-distance guys who aren't too happy about that). Leo Manzano moved here with his family from Mexico when he was four. There wasn't much he could do about that. And Lopez Lomong was one of the "lost boys of Sudan" - orphaned and kidnapped, who finally found himself in a US foster home, then a US citizen, and now on the US Olympic team. That is a pretty sweet story. And then there is Bernard Lagat. Lagat won medals in the two previous Olympics for Kenya. Now he is a US citizen and running for the US. Let's just say there are a lot of cynical folks who wonder about his motivation for leaving home and coming here.

Here is an interesting editorial on the subject - just to get you thinking about it. Let me say, though, that I don't agree with the author in many of his points.

August is here and the new school year is around the corner. As with most in campus ministry, we are busy preparing for the arrival of a few thousand new students and the return of those who are coming back. Final programming plans, publicity, social activities, etc. are all coming together. Preliminary plans for mission trips in the fall, spring, and summer are being made. And our staff is making regular trips to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport to pick up newly arriving international students. It is a busy and exciting time and it will stay busy and hectic until at least the end of September. Then we will start thinking about slowing down a little.

Here is some interesting information regarding college students for you ...

The intro to an article from the New York Times:

"Many people associate property crime and other delinquent behaviors with low social status and a lack of education. But new research has identified a surprising risk factor for bad behavior — college. Men who attend college are more likely to commit property crimes during their college years than their non-college-attending peers, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Boston this weekend."


Some other items from the Ivy Jungle Report:

Inconsistent Religion: Although the US is one of the most religious nations in the world, a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows many believe things which contradict their stated faith. 70% of those who claim religious affiliation believe multiple religions can lead to salvation and 68% believe in multiple interpretations of their own religion. 57% of self-identified evangelicals believe multiple religions can lead to salvation. 21% of self-identified atheists believe that some kind of God exists. 80% of respondents believe in moral standards of right and wrong, but only 29% claim their religious teachings help them determine those standards. A copy of the report can be read at www.pewforum.com (SFGate.com June 23, 2008)

Emerging Adulthood: Sociologists have remarked that being 35 today is much like being 35 in previous generations: career, family, marriage are part of most lives. However, being 25 today has changed significantly. In 1970 only 21% of 25 year olds had never been married. In 2005, that was true of 60% of 25 year olds. When asked what marked entering "adulthood," 96% of young adults identified having a full-time job. Less than half said being married. Jeffery Arnett, author of Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from Late Teens through Twenties has remarked on the very amorphous definition of entering adulthood. For most it meant "accepting responsibility for the consequences of one's actions." Often, parents are discouraging their young adult children from getting married to soon. Rather they encourage establishing a career and finishing graduate school before taking such a "destabilizing" step. Young adulthoods often enter a path of serial monogamy, living with partner after partner before marriage. 65% of young adults cohabitated at least once prior to marriage. However, research shows that those living with a boyfriend or girlfriend live lives much more similar to singles than to married couples. (UnMarried, Still Children in Touchstone June 2008 p. 15-18)

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I hope you got to see the Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games. It was spectacular! Even better, I didn't get to watch it live, so I DVR'd it and watched the whole thing in a little more than an hour.

I am a big fan of the Olympics and I'll be posting thoughts and interesting things I find online about them. To get you started, here is one from the Washington Post about Olympic athletes and religious expression.

Odds and ends for your enlightenment ...

With the 2008 Olympic Games beginning on Friday, here are a couple of interesting web sites to get you prepared.

The first is Sports Illustrated's pictorial list of 24 track and field athletes to watch for at the games. Two of them are former Razorbacks.

The second is a series of short video interviews from the New York Times featuring eight gold medal winners from previous years from various sports. It is good.

And take time to watch Chariots of Fire over the next few days.

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You have probably heard about "six degrees of separation" - or the theory that everyone in the world is separated by just six relationships from everyone else, or at least from Kevin Bacon. Now there is research that indicated that this might very well be true!

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I have only heard from one who is interested in the "one hundred push up challenge" - and he had already started it. If you want to do it, let me know!

Gina and I have just returned home from a week in Omaha. It was a good trip with dual purposes: time with Erin and officiating the National Junior Olympic meet. During the day I would be at the track and Gina and Erin would hang out, shop, go to a movie, etc. On the two days Erin had to work, Gina worked on school stuff and other projects. Then, in the evenings, we would have time to spend together. We got to spend some time with Rick and spent an evening with his parents and aunt. The meet also had some special events planned that we were able to take part in - a dinner and evening at a local museum and a dinner and evening at the zoo. It was a good week all the way around.

Officiating the Junior Olympics (this is my second one) is a far different thing than the Olympic Trials. The Trials have a lot of down time with smaller fields, fewer competitions, more days, and more officials - 10 officials for 10 competitions over 8 days. The JO's had larger fields with 20 competitions over 6 days with 6 officials. Working with the 9-10 year olds is always fun - they are so attentive and so eager to compete. And there are some great efforts and great athletes. Many of this year's Olympians once competed in this meet. We had a 12-year-old girl set a national record in the high jump by going 5' 6 1/2". The previous record was held by Jacqueline Johnson, who will be competing in the heptathlon at the Olympics.

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Check out this article and test your "Pole Vault IQ".

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I found this website off another blog, so I'm gong to do the One Hundred Push-up Challenge. Want to join me?

Final Trials Installment - And Another World Record

Saturday, July 5

There were two major (in my mind) happenings on this last Saturday of the Trials. The first was our last high jump event - the men's final. It had the promise to be a wide open event with several of the athletes having jumped over 7'6" this year. But when it came down to the competition, only one cleared 7'6 1/2" on this day - Jesse Williams. Jesse was a four-time NCAA champion at USC. Andra Manson and Jamie Nieto tied for second with jumps of 7'5 1/4". But, of course, it wasn't quite as simple as that.

As I've mentioned earlier, an athlete has to have the Olympic "A" standard (since Jan. 1, 2007) to make the team - not just finish in the top three. There were six athletes in the competition that had the "A" mark - 2.30 meters, or 7'6 1/2". And though Nieto had won the 2004 Olympic Trials and finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Athens, he wasn't one of them. When the competition ended, the six who had the mark had finished first, tied for second, tied for sixth, ninth, and eleventh. So we began to do a jump-off to determine the last spot on the Olympic Team. The jump-offs were purely administrative and didn't effect the placing. First, we had Manson and Nieto jump-off their tie for second in hopes that Nieto would get his "A" standard (which was where their jump-off started). Unfortunately, he didn't make the height and, in retrospect, it probably wouldn't have counted if he had since it was not part of the competition per se and just administrative. The next two athletes with the "A" standard were tied for sixth (Dusty Jonas and Scott Sellers), so they had a jump-off for the final Olympic spot. Dusty won the position. He has had a great season, with the world's leading jump at 7'8 3/4".

The other major happening of the day was Tyson Gay's crash in the 200 meter quarterfinals. You have probably seen it on TV. He had a leg cramp and went down hard. You could hear the entire stadium groan. Fortunately, he should be healthy in time for the Olympic Games and he has his spot secured in the 100 meters. But he won't be able to run the 200 (where he is the defending world champion and has the second fastest time in history) since he didn't finish in the top three at the Trials.

Sunday, July 6

Those of us on the high jump crew got to spend the last day of the 2008 Olympic Trials in the stands. It was a great final day of competition - and a good day for those with Razorback ties as three more made the Olympic Team.

The first was Christin Wurth Thomas in the 1500 meters. When I watched Christin run during her first two or three years at Arkansas, I had no idea that she would ever reached this point. But she has worked extremely hard and has improved so much as an athlete.

The second was Wallace Spearmon in the 200 meters. Man, I wish he would learn to run the first half of that race! He had to come from way behind to finish third and make the team.

The third was April Steiner Bennett in the pole vault. Before this, she was often more well-known for winning Fear Factor. But now she is an Olympian. Check out her website. There is a great clip from a Little Rock TV station on her and her job as a middle school PE teacher. You can also contribute to the fund to help her parents and husband make the trip to China.

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In my last post, I mentioned that my home town of Ft. Scott, KS had recently set a couple of world records in the area of putting down rows of pennies - one for the fastest time to lay down one mile of pennies and another for the longest row of pennies (over 40 miles). I've had a couple of responses to that. Trevor, being Trevor, was motivated to get out is calculator and figure out how many pennies were needed for those efforts. John, however, was amused that I would brag about such things or a town that did them. But then, John lives in Cane Hill, AR - a town that makes Ft. Scott look like a metropolis!

It has also come to my attention that another record was set in Ft. Scott that weekend. A young man names Sean Durnal, age 17, ate five McDonald's quarter-pounders with cheese in less than three minutes.

What a town.

Olympic Trials (Part 4) and two world records in my home town!

Thursday, July 3

Something that you didn't notice if you watched the Track & Field Olympic Trials on TV was the amount of security that accompanies this meet. I also officiated the 2004 Trials, but the level of security in Eugene seemed even more intense that it was in Sacramento. Every night, the stadium and grounds were "swept" by bomb-sniffing dogs. Everyone who entered the stadium - fans, officials, and athletes - had to go through an airport-like security line with bag searches and metal-detectors. (Fortunately, we got to keep our shoes on!) Not only that, but in various places around the perimeter of the stadium were sniper nests! Security was intense.

One of the events on Thursday was the qualifying round of the women's pole vault. I mention it because it had three current or former Razorback athletes in it. In fact, there were at least four events during the Trials that had three athletes with Razorback ties - the women's pole vault, the men's 100 and 200 meter dashes, and the men's 1,500 meter run. There were at least 21 current or former Razorbacks (men and women) competing in the Trials. I don't know if anyone counted, but I doubt if there were many schools with that many representatives. When it was all said and done, there will be seven Razorbacks on the US Olympic Track and Field team (Tyson Gay, Wallace Spearmon, April Steiner, Nicole Teter, Christin Wurth Thomas, Amy Begley, and Deena Kastor) and at least two others representing other nations (Veronica Campbell Brown of Jamaica and Alistair Cragg of Ireland).

One of the upsets of the Trials occurred on this day as LaShawn Merritt defeated defending Olympic and two-time world champion Jeremy Wariner in the men's 400 meters.

Friday, July 4

One of the characters of US Track & Field - and one of the stars of the sport - is Breaux Greer - also known as "Hurricane" on American Gladiators. Breaux is by far our best javelin thrower and the only one we have who is really competitive on the international scene. But Breaux has had numerous surgeries on his knees and shoulder - the latest being rotator cuff surgery about six months ago. Because of that, Greer was unable to even make it out of the qualifying round this year.

Friday also was our first high jump final. The women's final went pretty much according to form with Chaunte Howard winning, Amy Acuff in second, and Sharon Day in third. Chaunte took last year off to have a baby and came back to win and make her second Olympic team. This will be Amy's fourth Olympics.

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My home town of Ft. Scott, KS set two world records this week. One was for laying out a mile of pennies in the fastest time ever. The second was for laying out the longest row of pennies - over 40 miles worth! You can read the details here.

A break from the Trials and flying in a lawn chair ...

The US Olympic Track & Field Trials have eight days of competition with a two day break in the middle.

Tuesday, July 1

On Tuesday, the officials working the Trials loaded up in buses and went to the Pfeiffer Winery outside of Eugene. We were there as guests of the Men's and Women's Track Committees. The evening featured wine tasting and a very nice banquet, all underwritten by Nike. We also had a chance to meet the coaching staff of the Olympic teams.

In many ways, these have become the "Nike Trials." Nike, of course, is based close to Eugene and is a major financial supporter of USA Track and Field. But their presence was more obvious than normal and wasn't always appreciated by some. The conspiracy theorists felt that they had too much influence on some of the decisions on who got into the meet (see Adam Goucher). For us who were officials, we received Nike shoes to wear, as well as other clothing items. In fact, we weren't allowed to wear our usual uniform shirts because they didn't have a Nike logo. We were issued new shirts to wear, with the "Swoosh." That wasn't too well received.

Wednesday, July 2

On Wednesday, Bobby James (another official from Arkansas) and I spent the day driving up the Oregon coast. It's a beautiful drive - much like the coast of Central California - with lots of cliffs, sea lions, and some lighthouses. We also were able to see a whale when we stopped by the little town of Depoe Bay.

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There are some who feel that the US way of picking their track and field Olympic Team - based on performances in this one meet - is not the best way. That maybe the team should be selected by a committee or by a series of meet set up over several months. Their thought is that one bad meet or one minor injury can keep your best athletes off of the team or that it causes athletes to peak for this meet rather than the Olympic games.

But I like the "do-or-die" nature of the Trials. Athletes have to peak at the right time and learn how to perform under pressure when it counts the most. There is no politics and no committee to complain about. You either perform or you don't. If you don't make the team, there is no one else to look to but yourself and your performance.

Here is a great article from the NY Times that deals with that.

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A few months ago, I posted an article about a man from Oregon who attempted to fly to Idaho in a lawn chair that was carried along by about 150 helium balloons. He didn't make it.

BUT he recently attempted the feat again and this time succeeded. You can read about it here.

Olympic Trials, Part 3

Day Three - Sunday, June 29

There were a couple of highlights on this first Sunday of the Trials. The first was the men's pole vault. Though I am the chief high jump official at this met, I officiate about as much pole vault as I do high jump. So I always watch those events (as well as the combined events, which I do quite a bit as well) with special interest. The best vaulter in the world over the past couple of years has been Brad Walker. In fact, he set an American record of 19' 9 3/4" here in Eugene just a month or so ago. But he just finished third at the Trials. The real story was Jeff Hartwig, who finished second. Jeff (pictured) lives and trains in Jonesboro, AR and held the American record until Walker broke it. I have worked with Jeff (and Derek Miles, who won the event) several times over the past few years. One interesting thing about Jeff is that he collects and raises snakes. He has over 200 of them. And an amazing thing is that he is 40 years old and still vaulting over 19' and making the Olympic team.

The other highlight was the men's 100 meter dash final. When we left Tyson Gay, he had finished an eventful Saturday with almost failing to advance out of the preliminaries and then setting an American record of 9.77 seconds in the quarterfinals. The world record was set just a few weeks ago at 9.72 seconds by Ussain Bolt of Jamaica. Tyson responded on Sunday. When the gun went off, he left the field behind. Over 20,000 fans rose to their feet and gave an audible gasp when the time flashed on the scoreboard - 9.68 seconds! Unfortunately, there was too much wind so it didn't count as a world record. But it was the fastest time ever run in any conditions!

Our high jump crew ran the decathlon high jump on Sunday. I really enjoy combined event athletes (decathlon and heptathlon). They tend to be very laid back and very supportive of one another. It is more of a competition against themselves and the event rather than against one another.

Day Four - Monday, June 30

We began the "open" high jump events on June 30. About 24-26 athletes are allowed into each of the field events and they go through two rounds of competition. On this day, we had the women's qualifying. The 26 jumpers were divided into two groups who jumped simultaneously at the same heights. The competition continues until the field gets down to about 12 athletes and then we quit. Those 12 (plus ties) then come back a couple of days later for the final and we start the competition again. The event went smoothly and everyone who should have advanced did.

The decathlon also finished on Monday, with Bryan Clay (pictured) winning another national championship and finishing with the second highest total in US history. Clay isn't your typical decathlete. He is about 5'10" where most of the better ones in the world are 6'3" or 6'4". But he is a great thrower and works hard at all of the events. Trey Hardee finished second and Tom Pappas finishing third.

Lastly, the men's 800 meters was an exciting raise, especially in this atmosphere. It had a decidedly Oregon flair to it as it was won by Nick Symmonds (who went to an NCAA Div. III school out here) in his usual "come-from-behind" style. But right behind him was Andrew Wheating, a sophomore at Oregon who has come out of nowhere over the past couple of months to make the Olympic team. Then here were two men diving for the finish line and the third spot. It went to Christian Smith who went to Kansas State but now lives and trains in Eugene. Needless to say, the crowd went nuts at the end of the race.

Olympic Trials, Part 2

The US Olympic Trials schedule is modeled after the Olympic Games, so they stretch over ten days - four days of competition, two day break, and four more days of competition. They are also being broadcast every day on either USA or NBC. Hopefully, you are watching them! But if you're not, here are some of the highlights of what you've missed...

Day One - Friday, June 27

Day One is mostly qualifying and preliminary rounds. Our high jump crew had the women's heptathlon event. And in the 5,000 meters, one of the guys from my track Bible study ran. James Strang didn't advance to the finals, but ran well. Plus it is just a thrill for any athlete to be a part of this competition.

The highlight of Day One was the women's 10,000 meter final. It seems strange to think that a 6.2 mile race was exciting and a highlight, but this definitely was! And it was so exciting because of the woman who finished in third place - Amy Yoder Begley, a former Razorback.

One thing you have to understand is that it takes more than just a top-three finish at the Trials to go to the Olympics. You also have to have the Olympic qualifying standard. It is possible for someone to finish in the top three and not go to the Games - or for someone who finished behind them but has the Olympic standard from an earlier meet to go in their place. Amy didn't have the qualifying standard coming in to the race and, though she had third place pretty well assured early on, her trip to China was in question. But she ran an incredibly fast last lap, with 20,000 people on their feet cheering her on, and collapsed across the finish line. She made the qualifying mark by less than two seconds. It was the most exciting distance race I've seen.

Day Two - Saturday, June 28

One Day Two, the women's heptathlon ended with Hyleas Fountain (pictured) dominating the field. The fun part about this event is that most of the athletes I've known for a few years, including all of our Olympic team. In fact, the third place finisher and her twin sister used to come to Fayetteville from Texas as high school students to compete.

But the men's 100 meter dash provided most of the fireworks. In the first round, defending world champion Tyson Gay (another former Razorback) misjudged which line was the finish line and pulled up too soon, almost failing to advance. But he came back in the next round to run a new American record of 9.77 seconds. I've always liked Tyson. He is not the stereo-typical sprinter. He is quiet and humble and polite. And very fast.

For the past few days (and the next few) I'm in Eugene, OR helping to officiate the 2008 US Track and Field Olympic Trials. This is the second time I have been selected to work the Trials - which is the best and most important meet in the US. I'm serving as the chief high jump official, which means that I and my crew of nine are in charge of all the high jump events during the meet. That includes the women's heptathlon, men's decathlon, women's and men's qualifying rounds, and the women's and men's finals. All but the last two are done on two simultaneous pits, so our crew is divided between the two.

I want to set the record straight up front that officiating high jump is more than just putting the bar back up when it falls off! Of course, neither is it rocket science. But there is more to it than appears from the outside. For example, here is a sample "schedule" for the high jump crew for a 7:25 start time:

4:25 - The set-up crew (five of us) meet at the venue to prepare both pits. That will include making sure the standards are vertical and square and marking their location so that they can be quickly replaced if moved; properly placing the mats to provide adequate room for each athlete's approach; putting down a 10 meter white line at each pit to indicate the plane of the crossbar; examining, measuring, and marking at least three crossbars per pit to make sure that they meet USATF specifications and that they are as close as possible to the same on each pit.

5:25 - The entire crew meets in the Officials' Tent to review specific assignments (which were made about a month ago), discuss any issues from previous events, and talk through procedures.

6:00 - The crew goes to the venue to make sure everything is ready and to work with the media on where photographers and television cameras, etc. can be located, set up timing clocks and chairs, and check the calibration of the standards.

6:25 - I go to the clerking area to give instructions to the competitors and escort them to the venue.

6:40 - Warm-ups begin and last until 7:20. This is often the most difficult part of the whole process, especially with large fields. Each athlete likes to warm-up differently, so trying to accommodate them all and let each be prepared as they wish for competition can be a challenge.

7:20 - Athlete introductions

7:25 - Start the event, which will usually run for about an hour and a half.

So, for a major championship such as this, we will put in about four and a half hours for each competition. And the biggest thing in officiating field events is dealing with people - athletes, coaches, media, meet management, and other officials.

We are very fortunate with our crew. Though they come from New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Minnesota, Oregon, Colorado, Nebraska, Kentucky, and Arkansas I have had the chance to work with all of them over the past three years. So I know their personalities and strengths. And though each of them has been a chief high jump official at national championship meets, there has been very little problem with ego. The crew works well together and enjoys working with one another. In fact, no other crew at the Trials will spend as much time together socially as we will.

Before I close this post I also want to say that there isn't a better place for a meet like this than Eugene, OR. Even though the signs entering Fayetteville say that it is the "Track Capital of the World", it doesn't match Eugene. Hayward Field is a special place. For the Trials, it seats over 20,000 and the fans are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. They are on their feet and loud for every event. And they have had a lot to cheer about at this meet. I'll try to hit some of the highlights in the next few days.

It has been a while since I have posted, so here are some "odds and ends" that have come across my computer lately...

I spent some time in Des Moines, officiating the NCAA Track & Field Championships. I ran the high jump competitions. The men's competition had the potential to be special. Dusty Jonas of Nebraska has the best jump in the world this year at 7' 8 3/4" and Scott Sellers of Kansas State has jumped over 7' 7". But neither jumped especially well and Mickael Hanany of UTEP came through with some big jumps to win at 7' 7 1/4".

The meet was held during the flooding in Iowa. The track was dry and our hotel was dry, but the floods were between the two. Every day more streets and bridges were closed and we were looking for new ways back and forth.

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A writer for The Sporting News put together a list of the ten college mascots you would most want on your side in a bar fight and a list of the ten you would least want on your side in a bar fight.

The Razorback was #2 on the list of those you want. The Jayhawk didn't appear on either list.

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An article in the Austin, TX American-Statesman reports that the University of Texas athletic department spends an average of $210,000 per athlete each year. That's incredible! That is ten times more than the average NCAA Division I school and ten times more than the Texas spends on students who aren't athletes. In reality, the amount of money spent by major colleges on their athletic programs is often ridiculous.

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In news that is weird and hard to believe, read this article about scientists who find bugs who eat waste and excrete oil. Is this a joke or for real?

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For those of you who like to plan ahead and worry about what will happen to your family and friends when you are raptured to heaven and they are left behind, check out this website - You've Been Left Behind. The provide a service that you can subscribe to that will send emails to your family and friends who were left behind six days after the rapture occurs. And it only costs $40!

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Finally, we watched Lars and the Real Girl last night. When this movie hit the theaters a few months ago, it didn't get a lot of publicity. But we enjoyed it. It is a touching movie built around a really funny premise. The Armstrongs recommend it!

Erin got engaged over the weekend. She and Rick came down for the weekend and he proposed to her at the pizza place they went to on their first date. No wedding date has been set, but it will probably be early next summer.

It was a good weekend. They came down on Friday night. On Saturday morning, Rick and I went to play golf while the girls went shopping. That is when he asked for my permission to propose. (Good thing he asked before we played because who knows what I would have said after he beat me.) Then he took her out to eat and proposed. She didn't know it was coming, but the rest of us did. So when she said yes, he texted me and Gina, Stacy, and I joined them at Guido's.

I'm happy for them and I know that Erin is excited. But, as I told Rick, I don't know that any father thinks there is anyone good enough for his daughter. Erin will be 25 later this week and is such a special person - so caring and personable and energetic. I know she's in love with Rick and I know that he loves her, too. He goes out of his way to watch out for her and care for her and sacrifice for her. And I'm proud of the way that he has stepped up spiritually over the past several months. They have found a good church to attend in Omaha and are involved in a small group with some other young couples. That is one area that he and I talked about almost a year ago. He has responded well to that.

So please pray for Erin and Rick as they continue to grow together spiritually and emotionally.

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The other big event of the weekend was the arrival of Stacy's new puppy. When Stacy moved home a couple of weeks ago, she came ready to by a puppy. She has been scanning the paper and online looking for one. And she finally found what she wanted - Rylee Dee, an 8-week-old yorky. Rylee is cute and playful and energetic and (at least partly) house broken! I think she's got a good one. I'm a dog person and I think it is good to have one around the house again. Even if it is a Yorky.

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One final family note: Last weekend Gina and I, Stacy and Ryan, and my Mom got to share in our niece's wedding and reception. Anna is my brother's oldest and the first on my side of the family to get married. She and her new, husband, Milo, will be living in KC.

The SEC Track & Field Championships were held this past weekend at Auburn University. As most of you know, the Razorback head coach - John McDonnell - is retiring after this season so this was his final SEC Championship meet. And along the way, he just added to his legacy.

In the 17 years that John has coached in the SEC, there have been 51 championships awarded (cross country, indoor track, outdoor track). John's teams have won 46 of them. This was his 84th conference championship (SEC and SWC) to go along with his 42 national championships. At is was the 21st time that his teams have won the conference "triple crown" - winning the cross country, indoor & outdoor track championships in the same season.

I know that this one was special to him, as it was his last. And, from being around the athletes on the team, I know it was special to them. They were determined to win it for John and came through with some big performances to make it happen.

Through most of this semester, I have helped to lead a Bible study with some of the Razorback track team. There were three or four who were in and out during the semester, but there were four guys who were there every week. And those four scored 38 points at the SEC Championships. They are good guys and I'm proud of what they accomplished:

James Strang - 18 points (first in the 5,000; second in the 10,000)
Luke Laird - 10 points (first in the javelin in his first official meet as a Razorback)
Spencer McCorkel - 8 points (second in the pole vault)
Tyler Hill - 2 points (seventh in the 5,000)

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Here is an article that starts off this way: "The stallions hang out in bars; the geldings hang out in church."

The point of the article is that the Church is not "man-friendly" - that real men aren't comfortable there. Mark Driscoll, a pastor in Seattle says the church has produced "a bunch of nice, soft, tender, chickified church boys. … Sixty percent of Christians are chicks," he explains, "and the forty percent that are dudes are still sort of chicks."

There have been several books written in recent years that address this issue, such as Wild At Heart and The Barbarian Way. I've not read all of the books written about this, so I can't speak to them all, but I'm not much of a fan of these two books. These two are more psychological theory or personal philosophy with some Scripture thrown in rather than books that look at the Bible first.

But I do think that there is a point here. It often seems that the church's goal has been to turn men into "nice guys" rather than letting them be who they are for God. As you look at some of the men in the Bible, I don't know that they would be very comfortable in the Church as it operates today - David, Peter, Paul, Samuel, or even Jesus.

Maybe I'll write more on this later, but I would like to hear your thoughts on this.

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If you are planning your summer vacation, here are a couple of articles to help you out on that. The first talks about America's Most Sinful Cities and the other will give you the Nine Unhealthiest Summer Vacation Destinations.

We're in the middle of finals week at the UofA. This is a good time of year in campus ministry. The schedule slows down and time is given to hanging out with students and making plans for the summer and next fall. So rather than some deep spiritual thoughts, here are a few things I've read lately ....

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Just when you thought our world couldn't get any more strange, here is an article entitled, "The Silent Scream of the Asparagus." It is about the Swiss government's efforts to pass laws protecting the rights of plants.

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Here is Time's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. I was a little disappointed to find that I knew less than a third of them. How many names do you recognize?

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Here is an interesting article on what Muslims in other parts of the world think about the west. Gallup did a poll in 35 Muslim countries that explored their beliefs and attitudes about us. It is an interesting read.

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Finally, read about the man who attached over 100 helium balloons to his lawn chair and flew almost 200 miles. I'm not sure if that is crazy or brave.

Just two days of classes left at the UofA. It is always hard to believe it when the end of the school year arrives. Here are some random things that have come across my "desk" over the past few weeks ...

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Weather played havoc with the pole vault at the Drake Relays last weekend, which is often the case. It seems that the way the stadium is built produces a lot of swirling winds and cross winds on the vault runways, which all run north and south. The pole vault is dangerous enough in good conditions (running as fast as you can with a 16' pole, bending it, and letting it fling you almost 20' in the air), let alone with 20 mph winds blowing in your face or pushing you one way or another. So the heights for the college men and women and elite women weren't too good. For the elite men, however, we tried something different. Jeff Hartwig (American record holder) had a "plant box" in his truck from the mall vault earlier in the week. (The "plant box" is the medal container buried in the ground that the vaulters put the end of the pole in when they take off.) So we put it in the sand of one of the long jump pits, which allowed us to have a runway that ran west to east with a predominant tailwind. That made for a better vaulting situation! It was the first time I had ever seen that done.

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Here is an article from a recent issue of Christianity Today. The author makes the point that we don't live in "Jerusalem" (a culture comfortable and familiar with Christianity) and we don't live in "Babylon" (a culture far removed for Christianity and which doesn't much care what you believe as long as you keep the peace - see Daniel), but we live in "Samaria." The people of people of Samaria knew a lot about Jerusalem's religion (though some of their information was distorted and wrong) and held a grudge against it.

"So I sometimes find life in America. The problem is not that my religion is strange. The problem is that my religion is familiar. Like Samaritans and Jews, Christians and non-Christians have a partly shared worldview (our Western traditions, which include the Bible), a shared point of origin (Christendom), and well-defined points of contention (the exclusivity of Christ). We are familiar with what each other believes. We're suspicious of one another. So we start off with a grudge."

Read the rest of the article and let me know what you think.

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A recent study cited in USA Today reports that 1 in 4 teenage girls have a Sexually Transmitted Disease. I don't even know what to say to that. That is incredibly frightening and sad.

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Finally, if Dale Armstrong reads this would he please email me. Before I responded to your last email you switched jobs and now the email address I have for you doesn't work!

Some pictures from last night's mall vault (from the Des Moines Register) ...

I've probably officiated 200-300 track meets over the years, but tonight was a first for me. I'm in Des Moines to work the Drake Relays and tonight they held their first ever (and probably America's first ever) Mall Vault. They set up a pole vault pit and runway in the atrium area of the Jordan Creek Mall and six elite vaulters spent a couple of hours in a very spirited and very good competition. An estimated 2,000 spectators lined the runway, the pit, and the rail along the balcony to watch, clap, and cheer the vaulters. And the vaulters responded. Derek Miles and Mark Hollis both vaulted 18' 8.75" (Miles won on fewer misses, but the was an eight inch personal record for Hollis). Considering the balcony rail was 20 feet off the ground, that gave the fans up there a great view! Also competing were Jacob Pauli, Jeremy Scott (a former Razorback and "world's tallest vaulter" at 6'9"), Derek Niedermeyer, and Jeff Hartwig (American record holder and one of those who put the event - and the runway and pit - together). Everyone was excited about the event - vaulters and spectators and organizers - so it could very well be a regular fixture in Des Moines.

I was my intention to post a couple of pictures of the Mall Vault, but for some reason Blogger is not cooperating.

The big news around Arkansas yesterday - at least for a day - was the retirement of John McDonnell, the University of Arkansas' head cross country and track and field coach. Over his 36 years at the UofA, Coach McDonnell became the winningest coach in the history of the NCAA - regardless of the sport. Here are some of the "numbers" from his career:


42 NCAA team championships in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track.

83 conferences championships in the Southwest Conference and Southeastern Conference.

140 national, regional, and conference Coach-of-the-Year honors.

105 individual NCAA champions.

His teams won 90% of the SEC championships since entering the conference. The SEC is the nation's best track and field conference.

His teams won 61% of the national championships competed since 1984.

34 consecutive conference cross country championships.

12 consecutive NCAA indoor championships (1984-1995)

23 Olympians coached, including gold, silver, and bronze medal winners.

5 NCAA "triple crowns" where his teams won all three of the championships in an academic year. In fact, over one three year period his teams won nine straight championships, meaning no other school won one.

I have been volunteering with the Razorback track program for almost 20 years, which has given me the privilege of getting to know Coach McDonnell pretty well. I have often dropped by the track office and sat down to talk about track, politics, the economy, motorcycle safety, his farm, his family, and a dozen other things. Though he has been the most successful coach in NCAA history, he is also a very humble, down-to-earth, and personable man.

He had the ability to take a sport that is often seen as an individual one and make it a team sport at Arkansas, where each athlete - regardless of their ability - saw themselves as a part of a greater whole. He had the ability to help each athlete develop to their fullest potential, even beyond what they thought they could do. He knew how to motivate and prepare his athletes to be at their best at the most critical times.

As a coach, I think his greatest asset has been his ability to help athletes maximize their abilities. He took those athletes without the greatest credentials and made them into champions.

I read these comments today by Curtis Frye, head coach at the University of South Carolina. Coach Frye has developed his own Olympic champions and is a "rival coach" in the same conference. But his words about Coach McDonnell ring so true.

No one will ever accomplish the things that Coach McDonnell has accomplished. The university and the sport will miss him. He will continue to coach the Razorbacks through this season and his professional athletes at least through the Olympics. But mostly he will spend time with his family, seeing the country, and raising cattle.

Now we will see what happens with the Razorback track program. Who will be the new coach? Will the athletic administration see it as a priority or begin to cut the funding? How will the new Athletic Director view it? Lots of questions to be answered...

Here are some things that I have read recently that will you give something to think about as you ponder the world you live in and the room people make for God in their lives.

A week or so ago I posted a link to a video produced by some Kansas State students that demonstrated how college students live and work today - and how different it is than when I was in college. (Of course, you need to realize that where I was an undergrad was a little different than many schools - no hair on your ears, no phone or TV in your dorm room, in the dorm by 8:30 and lights out by 11:00 on week nights, etc.) You can find that link in one of the posts below.

Here are three articles that talk about spirituality and religious life among today's college students.

The first is from the Pew Forum and is an interview with a professor from UCLA. They did a six year study that tracked the religious and political views of college students. The study demonstrates how those who participated changed in their perspectives from their freshmen to their junior years of college. The main points are that students tend to see the world in more relative and less absolute terms as they move through college (which makes sense since those on a most campuses that aren't Christian affiliated are immersed in a relative culture) and that they tend to become more stressed as juniors than they were as freshmen. That can be due to the increased academic and social pressures on them, or to the drift from their spiritual moorings, or from the fact that many freshmen are pretty clueless and too naive to be too stressed! It is an interesting article.

The second is a piece from USA Today that asserts that religious and spiritual dialogue is still alive and welcome on the university campus, but that the nature of that dialogue has changed. Christians need to speak (and not just speak, but act) to the areas that have interest to this generation of students at large. The good news is that many of the areas of interest for today's young adults are very Biblical issues - concern for the poor and oppressed, justice issues, etc. These are things that much of the Church has neglected for too long but are issues that are close to the heart of God. We need to find ways to work with others - even those who are outside the realm of Christianity - to address issues such as these. In doing so, we can better demonstrate the true nature and values of God and build bridges for dialogue with others. Along this line, I am working with one of our former students to find ways to bring attention to the problem of human trafficking in the world. According the the US Department of Justice (2004):

• 600,000-800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year. Of this number, 70% are women and 50% are children. The majority are forced into the commercial sex trade.
• Every years 15,000-18,000 foreign nationals are trafficked into the US. The number of US citizens caught in this is even higher, with an estimated 200,000 children in the US at risk of being trafficked into the sex industry.

"The righteous care about injustice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." Proverbs 29:7

The third article is from the New York Times Magazine and talks about the rise of "abstinence clubs" on university campuses. These clubs are not necessarily religious in nature, but committed to sexual abstinence.

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Another cultural insight - read this column by Albert Mohler on the move of some "upscale" hotels to remove the Gideon Bibles from their rooms and replace it with a "intimacy kits".

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One last thing. I like gadgets and my latest purchase was a Palm Centro. I have used Palm devices for several years now and when my last one began malfunctioning, it was a good excuse for me to get a new one that also is a phone. Now I can just carry one thing and not two. I've been very happy with the Centro because I have almost everything (and I do mean almost everything - names, addresses, phone numbers, four Bible versions, prayer lists, music, books, New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today, digital camera, email, internet access, Sudoku, and more) all on one little device. But I was also able to figure out over the weekend how to post to this blog from my phone. That means that I should be able to post more regularly since I won't need a computer to do so. Sweet! In fact, the short post just before this one came from my phone. Now some you may prefer posts from my phone since they will probably be shorter ...

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This weekend was the McDonnell Invitational - the UofA's main annual outdoor meet each year. Saturday was beautiful, as you can see. That was good, since I spent about 29 hours at the track on Friday and Saturday!

Not long ago, several of us from Christ on Campus spent part of a Saturday cleaning Dorit's house. Dorit is a 75-year-old lady with whom we became connected several years ago through Faith In Action - an organization that meets the needs of the elderly here in Fayetteville. Dorit's house caught on fire a few weeks ago. And though it wasn't destroyed, there was some fire and water damage. So we spent a few hours cleaning and preparing it for repairs and for her return.

Dorit is an interesting individual with probably more idiosyncrasies than the average person. She is a pretty good artist and is always learning about something - to which the college classes she occasionally takes and the two microscopes she owns attest. Any time spent or conversation with her is always interesting.

But this post isn't really about Dorit or cleaning her house. It is about two men - Jake Tolbert and Austin Brown. Through the years, many from ConC have served Dorit - giving her rides to the store or the doctor, picking up her mail, chopping firewood, etc. But it has been Jake (who was my associate for several years) and Austin (who is my associate now) who have carried the majority of the load. From the very beginning, Dorit began to rely on Jake for so many things. When Jake moved back to Illinois almost two years ago and Austin moved to Fayetteville, he picked up where Jake left off. You can count on at least one call from Dorit every day. Both of these men made themselves available to serve her and care for her and have done it with an impressive example of character, patience, and love. I am not, by nature, a patient or compassionate man. Maybe that is why I am so impressed by those who are. So this post is mostly a tribute to Jake and Austin, men with whom I have had the privilege to work and men who reflect the character of Christ - who came "not to be served, but to serve" - in very clear and practical ways.

God always seems to bring the "least of these" into our lives and into our churches and Christian groups, those who are on the fringe of society and who can't really contribute. The Dorits and the Patricks and the Timothys and the guy who stopped in last Tuesday night needing money. And I believe that one of the great tests of Christian character and maturity - for both an individual and a church or Christian body - is how we treat the "least of these." Not only does it provide evidence of what God has done in our lives, but it can also be a powerful witness to those who watch us.

I'm thankful for men of character and compassion - like Jake and Austin - who model to me what I need to be.

Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, KU!

I know that I have worked on the University of Arkansas campus for almost 26 years, but at heart I am still a Kansas Jayhawk basketball fan. So Monday night's game was wonderful. In reality, Memphis lost the game more than Kansas won it. All Memphis needed to do was make some free throws down the stretch - just foul someone in the last few seconds - and they would have probably won the game in regulation. But they didn't and Kansas made the plays and shots they needed to make to pull it out. So we rejoice as national champions for the first time in 20 years!

Now I need a new KU shirt ...

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Baseball season is now in full swing and this is a week of "opening days" for me. On Tuesday I got to go to Opening Day in Kansas City and watch the Royals beat the Yankee (with the added bonus that A-Rod struck out four times). Thanks to one of my best friends from high school - Allen Povenmire - I was able to attend Opening Day for the first time. The original plan was for four of us who were best friends in high school to meet for tailgating and the ballgame. Unfortunately, Craig's dad passed away and so we weren't able to pull it all together this year. But we will next year ....

On Thursday night Gina and I are supposed to go to the first home game of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals - the Royals' AA minor league team. They have just moved here from Wichita and their brand new stadium is just three quarter of a mile from our house. Their mascot is a Sasquatch. I'm not sure about that.

One of the names suggested was Thunder Chickens. Now that's a great minor league name! I think it would have been much better than the Naturals.

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One more note from Kansas. Check out this video made by some students at Kansas State. It will give you an idea about life on today's college campus and how different it is than when I was in school. Very informative.

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Lastly, one of my "guilty pleasures" is that I have been a fan of Saturday Night Live since it first aired on NBC in 1975 and I still watch it quite often. This past weekend Christopher Walken was the guest host. One of the great sketches in SNL history is Walken's classic "I want more cowbell" sketch. In honor of Mr. Walken, enjoy this video.

Do you have a favorite SNL cast member, character, or sketch?