A Big Change

We've changed the name of our blog, and for a wonderful reason.

This blog will now be knows as "The Faughn Family of Four," because Turner Eric Faughn is here! He was born on Monday, March 26th, at 3:50 PM. He weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 22 inches long.

Leah is doing very well, despite having a C-section.

Don't worry...pictures are coming soon!

Thank you for all your prayers and concern during the last 9 months. God--and His people--are good to us!

Why Believe What They Say?

Lying has, sadly, become a part of our everyday language. Nearly anything someone says has to be examined, and the listener has to wonder if the speaker is really telling the truth.

One area in which this is seen all too often is in sports. College coaches tell their recruits and current players they'll be around for a long time--usually as long as that recruit is going to be at the school--and then, in a few months, the coach bolts for more money or a more "high-profile" job.

This week it has happened again. Tubby Smith left the University of Kentucky to go to the University of Minnesota. As one who likes UK, and has family members who love Wildcat basketball, this is not an article attacking Coach Smith. While he may not have had the record fans wanted, he did a lot of good for the school.

Sadly, though, just a few hours after losing to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament, Tubby Smith told reporters he wanted to stay in Lexington. Four days later, he was gone. Just last week, the athletic director of UK said, "Tubby's our coach." One wonders if, a week later, that same AD told Tubby to move on to avoid the embarrassment of being fired.

Some have said that the nature of coaching today almost forces these men and women to lie. If that is the case, then we need to change the "nature of coaching!" There should be nothing that forces someone to lie. Tubby Smith may have been telling the truth on Sunday night, and then the circumstances changed. I doubt it, though. He knew all too well that he was in very hot water. It's hard for me to believe that he honestly thought he would be around Lexington for a long time and then, four days later, all that changed.

Coaches, these young men and women deserve the truth. If you are thinking of moving, they need to know! NCAA, the rules need to be changed. Tubby will coach next season at UM, but, if one of his players decides to transfer so he can continue to play for Coach Smith, the player will have to sit out a year. Fair? Totally unfair.

But, far more importantly, we all need to learn to tell the truth no matter what. Can you imagine what would happen if one of these coaches actually said he/she was thinking of leavi....

....it has happened! Ernie Kent, coach of the Oregon Ducks men's team, told reporters that he was interested in the open job at Michigan. He was crushed in the media. Why? The man told the truth!!! While, in the minds of many, it might have not been the best move from a basketball standpoint, it was the truth. I'm thankful someone was willing to say something like that.

The ACLU Strikes Again

The American Civil Liberties Union, long known for "backing" anti-Christian activities has done it again. This time, it might affect your home.

The following comes from Reuters, and was posted on their website today.

A U.S. federal court ruled on Thursday that a 1998 law designed to block children from viewing Internet pornography violates the U.S. Constitution's free speech protections.

The ruling sided with a challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, which had argued that the provisions of the Child Online Protection Act were too restrictive.

Judge Lowell Reed of the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia wrote in his ruling that while he sympathized with the goal of restricting minors from seeing pornography, other means that were less restrictive of free speech, such as commercial software filters, were available to block pornographic content.

The Child Online Protection Act made it a crime for any person to provide minors access to "harmful material" over the Internet. Violators could be fined up to $50,000 and imprisoned for up to 6 months.

Sad. Because there are filters, we shouldn't try other means to keep children from viewing pornography.

If this ruling is upheld, parents could have even more to worry about when their children are online. The ACLU continues to try to tear apart the home and our moral fiber.

Wait (Bulletin Article for March 25)

I don’t like waiting. When I have to wait for a traffic light or an appointment, it drives me up the wall. While I’m working on it, patience it not always my strongest attribute.

Some of you have waited for days or weeks for a very important phone call or doctor’s report. Those times seem to drag along, and cause many sleepless nights. Others wait to close on a house or for word about a promotion at work. These cause anxious moments as we think about our family and finances.

Now it’s my turn again. Billions over the years have waited for a child to be born. Excitement, nervousness and joy all take over (often at the same time), as hours turn into days. Women begin to feel as though “this baby” is never going to be born. Husbands wonder if they should just go about their everyday routine, or change it to be there for the wife in the last few (??) days.

As anxious as any of these situations are, sometimes nothing can compare to waiting for an answer from God to a prayer. We pray—earnestly pray—and, then...nothing seems to happen.

We are not asking for anything that we know God cannot do. We are not asking while lacking faith. We have asked God and now we want our answer.

But, sometimes the answer to our prayer is, “Let’s wait awhile.” For many, this may be our least-favorite answer to prayer. Sometimes, we would rather be told “no” than “wait.”

We always need to keep in mind that we are not on our own time-table; but God’s. He is in control, and we need to trust that He knows what is best for us. Sometimes that means...waiting.
And, sometimes, during that waiting period, other things will happen that will cause us to look to God. They will cause us to appreciate Him even more.

When we have to wait, whether for an earthly thing or an answer from God, let’s keep our faith strong in Him.

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
(Isaiah 40:31, NASU)

Book Review: "Seeking a Life That Counts"

G. Scott Gleaves has written a unique book in many ways. Seeking a Life That Counts: Finding True Happiness is a Bible class study book that covers the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.

If you are like most people, and you look at your bookshelves, you will not find many volumes that deal exclusively with Ecclesiastes. We often hear "fear God and keep His commandments..." from that Old Testament book, but, sadly, that is often about all.

There is far more material in Solomon's sermon, and brother Gleaves brings us 13 lessons that are filled with information. If you teach a Bible class, you will find yourself having a great amount of trouble getting through all the information in just 13 Sundays.

If you preach, this book contains much good preaching material, including several good lists that would make excellent points to a sermon.

The book's 128 pages help the reader see that Ecclesiastes is not always negative, as it is sometimes portrayed to be. Solomon's sermon does contain many negative thoughts ("vanity of vanities..."), but many of those are meant to help his listener then see the positive side of life. In this way, Ecclesiastes is a well-crafted paradox that proves a divine point: "Fear God!"

Available from Yahoo! shopping for $8.99, this book will be a welcome addition to your library. The book is also available from Gospel Advocate (the publisher), but is not yet listed on the website.

Should Christian Teens Attend the Prom? (by Todd Clippard)

[NOTE: The following article was sent to me via email from brother Todd Clippard, who preaches for the Burleson church of Christ near Hamilton, Alabama. The PROM is a major event for young people, but brother Clippard presents some very important truths for us to consider. The article is reprinted here with his permission and with my total agreement.]

Among the many misplaced priorities of America’s young people and the media targeting them is the hoopla surrounding the Prom. Teen-oriented magazines begin at the first of the year to promote this "once in a lifetime" event. Untold time and money are spent on what is considered the crowning night of one’s high school experience.

Tragically, many Christian teens and their parents lose all rationality and common sense when it comes to the Prom. Should Christian teens have anything to do with the Prom? An ungodly world puts tremendous pressure on God's teenagers to join with them in worldly recreation. While not wanting to sin, God’s teenagers do want to enjoy these years. It is for this reason that sin needs to be defined and lines drawn so that they can know what is right and what is wrong. So, with that in mind, what does the Bible say about the Prom?

The primary focus of the Prom is the dance. God’s word is clear in its condemnation of dancing. In listing the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21, dancing is condemned three times: as lasciviousness, reveling, and "such like." Lasciviousness is "indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females" (Thayer’s lexicon, p 79-80).

Some honest teens would ask, "What would be wrong in attending the Prom if I did not dance?" Paul warned Timothy, "be not a partaker of other men’s sin, keep thyself pure." Ephesians 5:11 forbids the Christian from having any "fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." Furthermore, dancing is an inherently sexual art form and as such incites lust. Paul admonished the young Timothy to "flee youthful lusts" (2 Tim 2:22).

While the word Prom is a shortened version of the word "Promenade," it might as well be a shortened version of Promiscuity. A Google search of the words "Prom" and "sex" resulted in over 1.4 million hits. Admittedly, not all of these were concerned with sexual activity as it relates to the Prom, but most were, including the very first one. This link sent me to teenadvice.com and its "Prom Central." Here I found a long list of links to articles about the Prom. Among these articles was a "how to have sex on your prom night." Among the other links were numerous articles which promoted Prom as the night to lose one’s virginity. This thing is "not done in a corner" (Acts 26:26). Any Christian parent who does not know these things only does so by turning a blind eye to the whole situation.

While working with teens in Tennessee, I asked them to consider the following questions as they considered their participation in the prom.

• How much time will you spend shopping and primping for the prom? How does that time compare with the time you spent helping the church outside of the worship services?
  
• How much money will you spend preparing for the prom? How do these figures compare with your church contribution in the previous month?
  
• Would you invite Jesus as your guest for the prom? If not, why not?
  
• Would you ask Jesus to dance with you? If you would, do you think he would accept?
  
• What effect will going to the prom have on your influence as a Christian?
  

I believe any honest person can clearly see that Prom is no place for the Christian teen.

Lazzzzzzzy

I was recently on another blog and found this picture. The owner of that blog said he got it in an email and did not know where it came from.

If anyone knows where this picture originated, please let us know.

The picture shows how far some will go not to work. It's kind of funny at first, but, the more you look at it, it gets more and more sad.

This picture should serve as a reminder to all of us (me included!) to work as best we can. Sure, we will "slack off" from time-to-time, but that should be the exception and not the norm. And, if we do ever find ourselves being lazy, we should repent and work harder. The Bible makes it clear, both in the Old and New Testaments, that a follower of God should be known for diligent work.

Another Sign of the Loss of "Lady-hood"

The word "lady" is overused in our society. It seems that any female can be called a "lady." But the word "lady" carries an idea of class and proper demeanor that is lacking today. We don't have very many "ladies."

Why?

There are multiple reasons, but one of the main reasons is that women are trying to act more like men. They are trying to be tough and rugged. Sadly, many men are looking for that type of woman, and that only adds to the change.

A recent study shows that female college students are even binge drinking nearly as much as men. While drinking is wrong (period), the study just serves as another reminder that we live in a time when ladies are not ladies anymore.

The following begins a press release from WebMD about the study:

A report released Thursday shows what researchers call an alarming rise in binge drinking among college women, part of a trend of rampant drinking and drug use on campuses nationwide.

And a second report released by the government concludes that young girls are increasingly turning to household inhalants to get high, a practice known as "huffing."

It isn't clear whether the studies, which were released separately, point to an overall trend in increased drug use among women and girls. But they are two examples of females catching up in two forms of substance abuse once dominated by males.

Drinking on Campus

Men have historically reported higher rates of drinking than women. But the difference now seems to have evaporated, according to a survey released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), a nonprofit drug abuse research group.

The report found a 16% rise between 1993 and 2005 in the number of full-time college students who acknowledge frequent binge drinking. But binge drinking was up 22% in women, nearly double the increase in men. At the same time, 37% of college women said they drank on 10 or more occasions in the last month.

The study, using a survey of 2,000 students on 400 campuses, also found a steep rise in abuse of prescription pain drugs by college students. Nonmedical use of narcotic drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin shot up 343% between 1993 and 2005, the report shows.

The report "reveals not only a lack of progress, but rather an alarming public health crisis on America's college campuses," says Joseph Califano, president of CASA and a former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in the Carter administration.

To read the rest of the release, click here.

We need mothers who will teach their girls how to truly be ladies--not just females. A lady is prized in the Bible. Take the time to re-read Proverbs 31 or the book of Esther. These were truly ladies, and we need more like them today...

...and we need more real "gentlemen," too, but that's another post!

NCAA Tournament Preview (The Final 44) by Matt Reaves and Adam Faughn

In case you have missed part 1 or part 2 of this preview, we are giving you three facts about each of the 65 schools that make up the tournament. Also, the schools are ranked by the likelihood of their winning the entire tournament.

We begin this "Final 44" with...

#44: George Washington Colonials

• Why they will win: They have already proven they can beat tournament-level competition, having defeated Virginia Tech, and playing close to Southern California.
• Why they won't win: They also lost to St. Louis and Dayton.
• One interesting fact: Wonder where they got the idea from? The school yearbook is known as The Cherry Tree.

#43: Long Beach State 49ers

• Why they will win: Conference player of the year Aaron Nixon averaged 18 a game. This team also starts five seniors. Mix that along with the 12 beating a 5 scenario...
• Why they won't win: This team doesn’t feature a true center. It is also their first tournament appearance since 1995.
• One interesting fact: Nope, the 49ers is not just about the California gold rush. The school opened in 1949.

#42: Xavier Musketeers

• Why they will win: Until their Atlantic-10 conference tournament loss, this was one of the hottest teams in the country. Getting an at-large bid from the A-10 this year means they have done something.
• Why they won't win: This team lost to Duquesne and Cincinnati. Enough said.
• One interesting fact: Talk about a rivalry. Xavier and Cincinnati's campuses are just 3 miles apart.

#41: Purdue Boilermakers

• Why they will win: The Boilermakers are led by two seniors, Carl Landry and David Teague. How they go, so goes Purdue.
• Why they won't win: With their last appearance coming in 2003, this team has no experience in the tournament whatsoever. Their opponent in the first round, Arizona has made the tournament twenty-three times in a row.
• One interesting fact: If you think Nebraska's agricultural nickname is strange, keep in mind that Purdue, for a while, was known as the Pumpkin Shuckers!

#40: Texas Tech Red Raiders

• Why they will win: Like it or not, Bobby Knight can coach.
• Why they won't win: This team played terribly out of conference, with their best win by far coming against Arkansas. Did they beef up on lesser competition?
• One interesting fact: The original team nickname was the Dogies, but a former school president's wife didn't like it, so it was changed.

#39: Virginia Commonwealth Rams

• Why they will win: Head coach Anthony Grant was an assistant on Florida’s National Championship team from last season. Sophomore Eric Maynor led the CAA conference in assist per game at 7.2. They are also facing the worst Duke team in years in the first round.
• Why they won't win: Oh, I nearly forgot. . .Duke is still DUKE! As much as this writer (this isn’t Adam) would love to see Duke go out in the first round, I’m not getting my hopes up. VCU also doesn’t have much depth on their team.
• One interesting fact: We almost had another "devils" team in this tournament. The parent school of VCU, Richmond Professional Institute, used the nickname Green Devils for its sports teams.

#38: Winthrop Eagles

• Why they will win: This team had near-misses this year against high-level competition (Wisconsin, North Carolina).
• Why they won't win: They didn't win those games!!!
• One interesting fact: Winthrop used to be an all-girls school, and, even today, the female-to-male ratio is 3:1.

#37: Creighton Bluejays

• Why they will win: Creighton comes from a much stronger conference than Nevada, the MVC. They make their free throws and have a coach in Dana Altman that should get another chance at a BCS school very soon if desired.
• Why they won't win: Creighton is a terrible shooting team that averaged around 60 points a game. Not a good thing if matched up with an up-tempo team, though they could give Memphis all they can handle in round 2.
• One interesting fact: Are there mountains in Nebraska? The original nickname of Creighton was the Hilltoppers.

#36: Michigan State Spartans

• Why they will win: The Spartans hold opponents to jut 56.7 points per game.
• Why they won't win: The Spartans score only 65 points per game, and scored just 38 in a game against Purdue.
• One interesting fact: The statue of Sparty that is in the athletic center weighs over 3 tons and is now over 60 years old. It was made by art students at the school.

#35: Gonzaga Bulldogs

• Why they will win: Tournament experience, depth, and head coach Mark Few. Senior guard Derek Ravio continues a long lineage of great guard play from the Zags.
• Why they won't win: The Zags have had trouble rebounding the ball since Josh Heytvelt’s suspension.
• One interesting fact: The Bulldogs (or Zags, which is not really a nickname) were originally called the Fighting Irish (Gonzaga is a Jesuit school).

#34: Kentucky Wildcats

• Why they will win: Randolph Morris is finally beginning to play like..well, Randolph Morris.
• Why they won't win: Is there a team who is more streaky when it comes to shooting?
• One interesting fact: Kentucky is one of the rare schools that has never changed mascots--they have always been the UK Wildcats.

#33: Brigham Young Cougars

• Why they will win: BYU shoots over 50% from the field and over 40% from three point range. They are also a great rebounding team with four of their five starters being over 6’6”.
• Why they won't win: Their second round opponent is Ohio State. With Greg Oden on board along with OSU’s great guard play BYU will not make it past the second round at best.
• One interesting fact: BYU was the home of the first college gymnastics team west of the Mississippi River.

#32: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

• Why they will win: Youth. Shooting. Athleticism. This team was hot at the end of the year, beating North Carolina and Boston College at the end of the regular season.
• Why they won't win: Youth, youth, youth. They may be athletic, but that can only carry them so far.
• One interesting fact: Georgia Tech actually has three nicknames that are used by the school: Yellow Jackets, Ramblin' Wreck and Engineers.

#31: Butler Bulldogs

• Why they will win: Butler is sixth nationally in defense, giving up just 57.1 ppg. They also start three seniors and two juniors and have the nations top free throw shooter in A.J. Graves (95.8%). They also beat heavyweights such as Notre Dame, Indiana, and Gonzaga during the regular season.
• Why they won't win: This isn’t a very good rebounding team and they have also lost three of their last six heading into the tournament.
• One interesting fact: Before the Bulldog days, Butler (a Christian school) called its teams the Christians.

#30: Villanova Wildcats

• Why they will win: Strength of schedule. Despite finishing 9th in the regular season in the Big East, Villinova was constantly ranked in the top 15 of the RPI. Also, Curtis Sumpter is healthy again.
• Why they won't win: This is a team that plays very spotty defense. Sometimes you can't score a basket for 10-15 minutes, sometimes you put up 45 in a half.
• One interesting fact: Villinova calls two different areas "home courts," but plays only a handful of games at the home of 76ers. If they played more than they do, they couldn't play an NCAA tournament first round game there.

#29: Indiana Hoosiers

• Why they will win: very balanced team with depth. The Hoosiers are a good shooting team that can play defense.
• Why they won't win: Head coach Kelvin Sampson. He was the worst coach in the Big 12 last year. Remember, this is the same conference that had Quin Snyder as a coach last year. Hopefully Kelvin paid his players well entering the tournament. They are also a true Big 10 team, which according to Sports Guy Bill Simmons equals a physical WNBA team that can dunk. They will also suffer from the curse of Bobby Knight.
• One interesting fact: What is a hoosier? Many people think that it comes from an Indian word hoosa, which means "corn."

#28: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

• Why they will win: Shooting the 3s. Notre Dame hit enough 3s to score 103 points at the Carrier Dome against Syracuse (a record for points by an opponent).
• Why they won't win: Shooting the 3s. If ND is not hitting, they will get crushed. They play Winthrop in the first round, and that game, seriously, could feature 50 3-point attempts.
• One interesting fact: After the "four horsemen" days of the early 1920s, the teams were known as the Ramblers. Fighting Irish was not adopted until 1927.

#27: Marquette Golden Eagles

• Why they will win: Second team All Big-East Jarel McNeal should be back from his thumb injury if they advance past the 1st round. They are also led by first team All-Big East Dominic James at guard.
• Why they won't win: Very young team that may be a year away from making some noise. Have lost five of their last eight. Oh, nearly forgot, if they win in the first round there is that problem of facing North Carolina in the second round.
• One interesting fact: Personally, I wish the school would have kept their original nickname. No, not the Warriors. For several years, the teams were the Golden Avalanche.

#26: Arizona Wildcats

• Why they will win: This team may have as much talent as any other in the nation. They also played the #1 schedule in America.
• Why they won't win: The talent is young and very inconsistent. At one point in late February, they were ranked #6 in the RPI and were actually on the bubble because of their inconsistent play.
• One interesting fact: Arizona's school colors are Cardinal and Navy only because a student manager got gear in those colors cheap...in 1899.

#25: Nevada-Los Vegas Runnin' Rebels

• Why they will win: This is a team that feels slighted having received a 7 seed. I like teams with chips on their shoulders heading into the tournament. They play great defense and have turned back into the “Runnin Rebels”. They also start a guy by the name of Wink Adams-great name.
• Why they won't win: You always have to question any Vegas team after the 1991 UNLV threw their 1991 semi-final game against Duke-keep the gamblers and point spread makers away from this team. They also rely a bit too much on the three pointer-not a good thing if you are not a good shooting team to begin with.
• One interesting fact: Vegas is the last school from a "non-BCS league" to win the national title.

#24: Vanderbilt Commadors

• Why they will win: This is a team that didn't just beat Florida--they bombed the Gators. When they shoot well, they are almost unstoppable.
• Why they won't win: They don't shoot well often enough. This is also a team that lost to "last team in" Arkansas twice in the last 2 weeks.
• One interesting fact: In case you didn't know, the "star" that is the school logo (with a "V" inside) is the naval rank insignia of a commodore.

#23: Southern California Trojans

• Why they will win: Freshman Taj Gibson. He averages 11/8 a game. Junior Nick Young is a very good scorer.
• Why they won't win: I actually expect USC to get bounced in the first round by the last team in the field, Arkansas (your classic 12/5 upset). Tim Floyd is their coach-uh oh! Next year could be a different story so long as recruit O.J. Mayo isn’t in jail.
• One interesting fact: Contrary to what many think (including me until a couple of weeks ago), USC is not a public school. It's a private Methodist university.

#22: Nevada Wolfpack

• Why they will win: Nick Fazekas. It is rare that a "mid-major" has a center of his caliber. They have built the team around him very well.
• Why they won't win: This team is stumbling down the stretch and lost two games to Utah State (a good team, but not an NCAA tournament team).
• One interesting fact: You may have been to Nevada and seen the brush that grows in the desert. That inspired the original team name: Sagebrush Warriors.

#21: Virginia Tech Hokies

• Why they will win: The Hokies start three seniors which include Zabian Dowdell, who averaged 18 a game this season.
• Why they won't win: Tournament experience-this is Virginia Tech’s first tournament since 1996. A very inconsistent team during the second half of conference play. They are also a 5 seed.
• One interesting fact: What is a "hokie?" The nickname was chosen because it was the end of a school cheer. It, honestly, means nothing.

#20: Boston College Eagles

• Why they will win: Toughness and the flex offense are a rare combo, but BC has both.
• Why they won't win: Can't seem to win a big game. Had Duke and North Carolina in the same week at home and lost both games convincingly. Can they beat teams like that on neutral floors?
• One interesting fact: Boston College is not in Boston...it's in Chestnut Hill.

#19: Virginia Cavaliers

• Why they will win: Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds make up a very good backcourt-both players average 18 a game. They also finished in a tie for first place in the ACC this season.
• Why they won't win: This team averaged more turnovers than assists this season.
• One interesting fact: The original school colors of UVA were red and gray, to commemorate bloody Confederate uniforms. Why did they change? They uniforms didn't look good in the mud of football games!

#18: Duke Blue Devils

• Why they will win: That is still Coach K on the sideline. Also, Josh McRoberts, when he plays well, is a match-up nightmare.
• Why they won't win: Too young and far too many turnovers.
• One interesting fact: (from College Names of the Games) : "The Blue Devil nickname is derived from the French Blue Devils, a first-class Alpine corps, which wore a striking blue uniform with a blue beret."

#17: Southern Illinois Salukis

• Why they will win: A very experienced team which is led by a great coaching prospect in Chris Lowery and MVC player of the year Jamaal Tatum. The Saluki’s play very good defense only allowing their opponents 56 ppg. This is a sleeper Elite 8 team-the MVC is a very underrated conference.
• Why they won't win: Tough road ahead, potentially including Kansas and UCLA in their bracket.
• One interesting fact: The over under on announcers mentioning that a Saluki is an Egyptian dog is set at 1,024.

#16: Louisville Cardinals

• Why they will win: Rick Pitino. UK fans don't like him, but they don't like him because they know he can win. This team also has a ton of talent that just didn't play well early in the season.
• Why they won't win: They shoot way too many threes for a team that doesn't shoot them well. Against DePaul late in the year, they started 1-13 from the 3-point line. That won't do against high level competition.
• One interesting fact: Louisville, originally a Bible school, was first known as Jefferson Seminary.

#15: Washington State Cougars

• Why they will win: Their head coach’s name is Tony Bennett-(insert crooner/Italian mob joke here). The Cougars run a very methodic, ball control offense that results in many low scoring games (Princeton offense minus the Princeton offense). Lead the Pac-10 in turnover margin.
• Why they won't win: I nearly picked Oral Roberts (who beat Kansas at Kansas earlier in the season) to defeat Washington State. First tournament since 1994 (in other words I wasn’t even driving yet the last time Washington State made the tournament). If Oral Roberts is hitting threes in round one it will be one and out.
• One interesting fact: The famous logo (seen above) was originally only used on trucks around campus.

#14: Maryland Terrapins

• Why they will win: Once again, strength of schedule. Maryland played a tough out-of-conference schedule AND a tough in conference schedule. That is a rare combination, and should have this team ready.
• Why they won't win: They play from behind too much, and there is only so often you can come back (unless you are the Kentucky Wildcats of 1998).
• One interesting fact: The Terrapins are named for "terripan soup," a local dish.

#13: Tennessee Volunteers

• Why they will win: They have one of the nation’s best players in Chris Lofton. They also had the highest scoring average in the SEC at 79 ppg. Plus head coach Bruce Pearl will wear that orange jacket and perspire through it. He is a Degree anti-perspirant advertisement commercial just waiting to happen.
• Why they won't win: They also ranked last in the SEC in scoring defense at 74 ppg.
• One interesting fact: From the "that can't be right" file: "Rocky Top" is not actually the school fight song.

#12: Oregon Ducks

• Why they will win: They are hot and are pounding good teams (see USC in the Pac-10 title game). If they shoot well, they are very hard to beat.
• Why they won't win: Their defense is suspect. They play a lot of zone, even though they don't play it very well.
• One interesting fact: The original nickname? The Webfoots, but it had nothing to do with a duck. It was a reference to soldiers led by George Washington across the East River in 1776. How it got out west as a college nickname, no one is really sure.

#11: Pittsburgh Panthers

• Why they will win: The Panthers did very well against a tough non-conference schedule as well as Big East play. They start three seniors including 7 footer Aaron Gray.
• Why they won't win: Pittsburgh is a team that always seems to underachieve in March. Possible second round opponent Duke could exploit some mismatches.
• One interesting fact: Don't call them "Pitt." The university has contacted every major media outlet and asked them to refer to the school as "Pittsburgh."

#10: Wisconsin Badgers

• Why they will win: Defense wins championships, and this team can play it. Plus, they have some guy named Alando Tucker.
• Why they won't win: They are missing too many parts and can't score enough in the clutch.
• One interesting fact: The "Badgers" were not named after animals. "Badgers" was a nickname for miners who came to the area and had to "burrow" underground to sleep at night in some warmth.

#9: Memphis Tigers

• Why they will win: Memphis is currently riding a 22 game winning streak heading into the tournament. They are also coached by Slick, er, John Calapari. This is the highest paid team in the league (just kidding) that feature two first team all conference players in Joey Dorsey and Chris Douglas-Roberts.
• Why they won't win: Their best wins this season are Kentucky and Gonzaga (in overtime). There is a reason why only one team made the tournament out of the mid-major known as Conference USA.
• One interesting fact: The school has had each of two different nickames twice. They were the Teacher, the Tigers, then the Teachers and the Tigers.

#8: Texas Longhorns

• Why they will win: Kevin Durant...
• Why they won't win: ...and who else????
• One interesting fact: A Longhorn is a type of cow that has been in American since Columbus' second voyage. He brought them here from Spain in 1493. (No word if he "hooked 'em.")

#7: California-Los Angeles Bruins

• Why they will win: They made the championship game against Florida last year as a two seed. Despite the loss of Jordan Farmar, this year’s version is a better all around team. Pac-10 player of the year Arron Affalo averages 16 a game and is looking to improve his performance after his lone dismal game in the Pac-10 Tournament. A team that I (Matt) am picking to go to the Final 4 and one of the eight teams I can see winning this tournament. Lucked out by getting perennial choke artist Kansas as the number one seed in their bracket.
• Why they won't win: This team struggled down the stretch, losing their only game in the Pac-10 tournament to Cal.
• One interesting fact: They sure have grown up. In 1919, the football team at UCLA was defeated by the Manual Arts High School 74-0. At that time, appropriately, the teams were called the Cubs.

#6: Georgetown Hoyas

• Why they will win: This team causes match-up problems all over the place. A rare combo of a semi-Princeton style offense and a team that can score a ton of points if needed.
• Why they won't win: They sometimes rely on one position (either inside or outside) too much. It's rare for G'Town to have a balanced scoring game.
• One interesting fact: Time to answer an important question: "What is a hoya?" While there are theories...the answer is...no one knows!

#5: Ohio State Buckeyes

• Why they will win: Very talented team which features two super freshman in center Greg Oden (this summer’s #1 overall NBA draft pick) and Michael Conley, Jr. A very deep team which plays more like an ACC/SEC team as opposed to a Big 10 team-always a positive come tournament time. They have won 17 games in a row including the Big 10 Tournament. One of the eight teams that I believe has a chance of winning.
• Why they won't win: They are a very young team which sometimes suffers through lapses during games. One team where you really have to look for reasons why they won’t win.
• One interesting fact: Don't think a buckeye is intimidating as a mascot? Just know that, if you eat one, you will get sick--or worse!

#4: Kansas Jayhawks

• Why they will win: Talent oozing out their pores. This team has athletes and players everywhere.
• Why they won't win: They are Kansas. Isn't that enough?
• One interesting fact: The Jayhawk is not a real animal. Settlers to the area saw there were blue jays and hawks and called themselves "Jayhawkers." By 1866, the school was using the name.

#3: Texas A&M Aggies

• Why they will win: This is the team I’m picking to come out of the South region. They have the most clutch player in college basketball in Acie Law IV. They have the next best coach in Billy Gillispie. A&M can also shoot the rock from the outside. Led the nation in field goal percentage defense at 37.1%. Another one of the eight teams that I believe has a shot of winning.
• Why they won't win: They are going into the tournament having lost two of their last three (with the lone win being against Missouri). Another team that you have to search for a reason to dislike.
• One interesting fact: TAMU joins Kentucky in something. Both have never changed nicknames. A&M is proud of its history as a school for farmers.

#2: North Carolina Tarheels

• Why they will win: Maybe the most talent in the entire tournament. It's young talent, but it's very "talented talent." Also, Roy Williams like Coca-Cola, and that has to count for something.
• Why they won't win: Youth. This team seems to take 5-6 minutes "off" in a lot of games. That could really cost them.
• One interesting fact: Why a ram for the Tarheels? In 1924 a cheerleader thought the school needed a mascot and there was a former famous football player who had been nicknamed "the battering ram." UNC won its first football game with the Ram on the sideline (named Rameses), after the field goal kicker rubbed its head. The score? 3-0.

#1: Florida Gators

• Why they will win (Matt): They are the returning National Champions. It looks as if they flipped the switch on during the SEC tournament. They have the nation’s best dancer in Joakim Noah (who sounds like Mike Tyson when he talks). They are deep down low with Al Horford and Noah. Ryan Humphrey can shoot the three. Forward Corey Brewer will be a lottery pick. Head coach Billy Donovan has a career 16-7 record in the tournament. Hands down the most talented team in the tournament when they want to be. This is the pick to win and repeat as National Champions.
• Why they will win (Adam): They are just better than everyone else. It's just that simple.
• Why they won't win (Matt): I hope they don’t get bored against a lesser opponent. They tend to do terrible in the first half of games keeping teams in games, only to make big comebacks in the second half. Does this team really want to win the tournament? Are they motivated enough? Joakim Noah is also the biggest cry baby in college basketball.
• Why they won't win (Adam): They are the returning champs, and have a huge bullseye on their backs.
• One interesting fact (Matt): Current World Series MVP David Eckstein of the St. Louis Cardinals is a Florida alum.
• One interesting fact (Adam): Gatorade was invented to help the Flor.....oh, yeah, Keith Jackson already told you that on the commercial.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the games.

A special "thank you" to Matt Reaves for all his help in this fun project!

"Doomsday?" (Bulletin Article for March 18)

Gamma ray bursts, super-volcano eruptions and global warming were all listed, as were an asteroid hit, pandemic flu and even an alien attack or robot uprising. All of these were on a recent documentary on MSNBC entitled, “Countdown to Doomsday.”

The premise of this show was that experts had chosen the 10 most likely ways that the human race would either be nearly wiped out or totally destroyed. That network thought this was even worthy enough to devote a 2-hour show to it. (I tried to find a transcript to the show on the internet so you could have the web address, but could not “run it down.”)

As I watched that show, certain things ran through my mind. First, some of these scenarios were totally bogus. An alien invasion? A robot uprising? While movies and television shows may make these look like a possibility, God set man over the earth (Genesis 1:28-30), not aliens or robots.

Also, some of these events had some merit as a terrible tragedy, but God has already told us how the world will be destroyed. It won’t be by water (Genesis 9:11), but, rather, by flaming fire. In fact, everything will melt with “fervent heat” (Second Peter 3:10, 12). Talk about an exciting subject for a documentary!

Finally, one thing was correct about this documentary. Nearly every expert talking about each of the “doomsday scenarios” said something along these lines: “It could happen at any time. We’re just in a waiting game.” They may have had the scenario wrong, but they got the timing exactly right.

There will be an end. But it doesn’t have to be “doomsday.” We know that, when Jesus returns, the end is here. The universe and all that is in it will burn up. For many, as the song says, it will be a “sad day.” But, for those “who love the Lord” it will be a “bright day.”

“Are you ready for that day to come?”

NCAA Tournament Preview (Part 2) by Matt Reaves and Adam Faughn

We began yesterday with the least likely team to win the tournament. We'll continue our countdown now with team 61, and continue today through team 45.

#61: Central Connecticut State Blue Devils

• Why they will win: Don't the Blue Devils have a great history in this tournament?
• Why they won't win: Oh, yeah, they aren't those Blue Devils!
• One interesting fact: Keith Closs is a former player, and Wikipedia lists him as an "NBA superstar."

#60: North Texas Mean Green

• Why they will win: Rebounding. UNT has 200 more rebounds than their opponents this year, an average of over 6 per game.
• Why they won't win: Free-throw shooting. The Green shoot just over 65% as a team from the line.
• One interesting fact: The sports teams were formerly the eagles, but one former football player was so famous that his NFL nickname was adapted for the teams: Mean Joe Green.

#59: Belmont Bruins

• Why they will win: They have outscored opponents in both the 1st and 2nd halves this season, and they hold opponents to 28% from the 3-point line.
• Why they won't win: They have a turnover margin of -2.1 (yes, that's minus 2.1).
• One interesting fact: Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Belmont boasts the Mike Curb college of Entertainment and Music Business. It is the only college of entertainment and music business in the world.

#58: Weber State Wildcats

• Why they will win: They shouldn't have to play another team from the state of Utah. The Wildcats, in succession, lost to Utah State, Utah and BYU this year.
• Why they won't win: It's not a good sign when you have to go to overtime to beat Division-II Alaska-Fairbanks.
• One interesting fact: The staff writer for the Weber State "Spirit Squad" (the cheerleaders who compete in NCAA judged events) knows how to stretch a sentence. After a recent 3rd-place finish, the website said, "The Wildcats earned third place in the event for the second-straight year, having finished in the same position at the competition last year." Amazing! They finished third two consecutive straight years--in a row!

#57: Pennsylvania Quakers

• Why they will win: It's Penn..what can we say? Smarts!!
• Why they won't win: It's Penn..what can we say? Non-athletes!!
• One interesting fact: Among a zillion other jobs, Benjamin Franklin found time to be the provost of the school from 1749-1754. It was then known as the Academy of Philadelphia.

#56: Texas A&M at Corpus Christi Islanders

• Why they will win: They can shoot! TAMU-CC shoots 52.4% from the field, including 39.9% from the 3-point line.
• Why they won't win: The Islanders are 0-2 against teams in this year's field, having lost to both Purdue and UNLV.
• One interesting fact: This is just the 8th year that TAMU-CC has had basketball as a sport, and the first year they were in the Southland Conference.

#55: Albany Great Danes

• Why they will win: U-Albany has proven they can play. In last year's tournament, as a 16-seed, they led #1 overall seed UConn with just 6 minutes to play.
• Why they won't win: That was last year. This team is athletic, but heavily overseeded at 13. Even the committee chairman couldn't explain why the Great Danes were seeded that "highly." If "highly" is used and you are a 13--that's not good.
• One interesting fact: U-Albany is the home of the training camp of the New York Giants.

#54: Miami (Ohio) RedHawks

• Why they will win: Strength of schedule. The RedHawks played Kentucky, Illinois, Xavier, Rutgers and Michigan (among others) in their non-conference schedule.
• Why they won't win: They went just 1-4 in those games, with the win coming against Rutgers.
• One interesting fact: (from Wikipedia) The 1991 film Little Man Tate with Jodie Foster was largely filmed on the Oxford campus.

#53: Wright State Raiders

• Why they will win: DeShaun Wood. He was honored as the MAC Player of the Year, averaging just under 20 points per game.
• Why they won't win: They might play like they did at the beginning of the year, when they lost to Chicago State, Marshall and Coastal Carolina, or they might play like MAC champions. Too inconsistent.
• One interesting fact: In 1964, the school asked the students to vote for a mascot. It wanted something that tied in to the parent schools (Miami-Ohio, then the Redskins; Ohio State Buckeyes). The students voted for Raiders, which had nothing to do with either one.

#52: New Mexico State Aggies

• Why they will win: Two words: Reggie Theus. The best-dressed man in all college basketball. Is he a Brooks brother?
• Why they won't win: They lost by 25 to an 8-seed in the tournament, Arizona.
• One interesting fact: If you've ever thought that the NMSU mascot and the Cowboy from Oklahoma State looked the same, it's because they are. Both are based on Frank Eaton, better known in the Old West as Pistol Pete.

#51: Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

• Why they will win: For a fairly undersized team, they play great defense, averaging 4.5 blocks per game.
• Why they won't win: As mentioned above, they are heavily outsized.
• One interesting fact: The sports teams were originally known as the Titans because so many students at ORU came from the East Coast and were New York Titans fans. That team is now the Jets.

#50: Holy Cross Crusaders

• Why they will win: This is a sports-crazed school. Fully 25% of the entire student body plays varsity sports.
• Why they won't win: Well, they just won't, but they team that beats them will be happy. In 2002 Kansas knocked off the Crusaders, and in 2003 Marquette did. Both went on to the Final Four.
• One interesting fact: Ralph Willard, the head coach, is the 7th Holy Cross graduate to come back and coach the men's team. They have only had 14 coaches in their history.

#49: Davidson Wildcats

• Why they will win: Stephen (pronounced "steffen") Curry. He wanted to play at a high-major (Virginia Tech), but they didn't want him. Motivation, baby!
• Why they won't win: This team had a great record, but when they played high level competition (Michigan, Missouri and Duke), they lost. Their only high level win was over Arizona State, who went 2-16 in the Pac-10.
• One interesting fact: Davidson has made a serious tournament run before. They went to the Elite 8...in 1969.

#48: Arkansas Razorbacks

• Why they will win: Steven Hill (C) and Sonny Weems (G/F) are two of the most difficult match-ups in the country.
• Why they won't win: Their ticket to the tournament was beating Southern Illinois and Vanderbilt twice. That's not exactly a huge number of quality wins.
• One interesting fact: In 1895, the current red color that is the school color was chosen for the sports teams. It barely beat out heliotrope, a shade of purple.

#47: Stanford Cardinal

• Why they will win: If this team plays to potential, they have talent that is as good an anyone else's in the country. The Lopez twins, Brooke and Robin, are 7-foot towers. They also played a very tough schedule, playing 14 games against tournament teams, and 3 more against "bubble" teams.
• Why they won't win: Their shooting is awful. Stanford shoots just 44.9% from the field, and only 35.1% from 3.
• One interesting fact: Why the tree? The Stanford band, long known for weird behavior, voted for the tree as the mascot. It barely beat out, we promise we're not making this up, a french fry.

#46: Old Dominion Monarchs

• Why they will win: They've already proven they can play with the big boys. ODU went to Georgetown and won earlier this season.
• Why they won't win: Language barrier. The Monarchs have players on their roster from Finland, Lithuania and the Ivory Coast.
• One interesting fact: The school's first name was the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary (go NDOTCOWAM!!).

#45: Illinois Fighting Illini

• Why they will win: Many people thought they should not have been in, but we have seen "last teams in" make seriously deep runs before (see George Mason 2006).
• Why they won't win: Way, way, way too inconsistent. This team could play right with anyone in this tournament (see win over Indiana and close loss to Wisconsin) or get blown out on any given night (see huge loss to Purdue).
• One interesting fact: Adam's uncle made the first basket ever scored in a competitive game at Assembly Hall. He was playing in a state high-school title game.

The "Final 44" tomorrow.

NCAA Tournament Preview (Part I) by Adam Faughn and Matt Reaves

As I've mentioned here before, my favorite hobby is college basketball. The NCAA tournament is the greatest sporting event ever conceived. Of all the "championships," it is the one that never disappoints. There is always excitement.

On April 2, a new champion will take the trophy and CBS will play "One Shining Moment." Between now and then, though, will be over 60 wonderful, hard-fought games.

Who are all these teams, though, and do they really have a chance to win the tournament? One of my friends, Matt Reaves, is helping me with the "first annual Faughnblog" NCAA tournament preview. I know this isn't about religion, but we hope you enjoy it.

We have taken the time to rank the 65 teams in the tournament from the least likely to win to the most likely. Keep in mind, this is not the likelihood to win one or two games, but, rather, the entire tournament. We will be unveiling them over the next three days from #65-#1.

And, when our choice for #1 wins, they'll play "One Shining Moment" just like they did for Indiana 20 years ago.


For each of the 65 teams, we will give you 3 facts to help you as you watch. You will have (1) the reason this team will win the entire tournament, (2) the reason they won't win the entire tournament and (3) one fun fact about the school or team. In total, 195 facts to help you watch the 3 weeks of madness.



Since the tournament officially begins tonight, here are teams 65-62. Enjoy the preview!



#65: Jackson State Tigers

• Why they will win: Trey Johnson. This kid is averaging over 27 points per game, scoring almost 1000 this season (922 to be exact). He is easily the best player in the SWAC.


• Why they won't win: Turnovers. JSU averages 17.9 turnovers per game...oh, and they play Florida first.


• One interesting fact: In 1920 a French teacher who had never played football, Earnest Richards, coached 13 football players to an undefeated record. They were honored as the Mississippi state champions of intercollegiate football.

#64: Florida A&M University Rattlers

Why they will win: The Rattlers' athletic website is http://thefamurattlers.cstv.com/. "CSTV?" Isn't that run by CBS?

• Why they won't win: No fan support. When they played on the road, the average attendance was 5059. At home? 1284.


• One interesting fact: The 1952 team is still called the "FAMU Famed Final Four." No, they didn't go to the "final four," they went to--and won--the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament, winning the title game with only four players at the end.

#63: Niagara Purple Eagles

Why they will win: Niagara has won 20 of its last 25 games, including 11 straight.

• Why they won't win: The Purple Eagles have been outscored in the 2nd half and overtime on the season.


• One interesting fact: Gold is actually a school color, too, but is not used on the uniforms.

#62: Eastern Kentucky Colonels

Why they will win: The players from the opposing teams will be trying to figure out how in the world to spell the EKU nickname.

• Why the won't win: They have to play North Carolina first. EKU already lost by 29 to another #1 seed: Ohio State.


• One interesting fact: The school's mascot used to be the Maroons, and that is still a school color. And, yes, the mascot is supposed to look like that KFC guy.

More tomorrow.

The Cathedral of Hope: Is This Where the Church is Headed?

The Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, Texas, is the world's largest homosexual "church." While straight people are welcome, too, the church caters to homosexuals. Even the "pastor," a former Methodist minister, is gay.

The following 3 video clips are all actually one clip. YouTube does not accept video clips of longer than 10 minutes, so this was broken down. This is a DVD/commercial for the congregation that is given to visitors and those who request it from the website. It totals about 27 minutes.

To put it mildly, it is disturbing. There are so many false teachings in this that I don't even want to start listing them.

So, why post these? I grappled with it for a while, but decided to post them anyway. My thinking is that, if those of us in the church don't start teaching and preaching the truth, we will soon have brethren wanting congregations like Cathedral of Hope in the brotherhood. (More after the videos.)







The video is well-produced and presents one side of the story. The "pastor" also takes a shot at "fundamentalists," as does the narration. As yesterday's post reminded us (in a humorous way), we do need to be loving. But we also need to speak the truth, and the truth is that a practicing homosexual is living in sin and cannot enter heaven.

That may sound harsh, but it's what Paul wrote to the Corinthians. The good news, and what needs to be preached, is that those who are practicing homosexuals can be forgiven, as were those in Corinth. They were willing to give up that lifestyle, which showed true repentance. Anyone who truly repents of sin will be accepted by God. That's true of the adulterer, the thief, the murderer, the liar and the homosexual.

Let's never be afraid to preach that truth, even in our postmodern age.

Speaking the Truth IN LOVE

Would any of us be guilty of the same?

Let's remember to speak the truth, but do so in love. We were all once without Jesus, but someone (a parent, friend, neighbor) loved us enough to see past our sins and realize we needed to be a Christian. They were willing to teach us in love. Let's do the same for others.

One Last Chance

Of all my hobbies, college basketball is my favorite. This time of year my brain gets caught up in "bubble teams," "seedlines" and "cinderellas." Of all the great sporting events, I can't think of any that comes close to the madness that is March.

The brackets come out on Sunday, and 65 teams will be happy, while the rest (over 250) will know they didn't make it to the "big dance." A small committee of former coaches and current athletic directors will select the teams that will play in the NCAA men's basketball championship.

This week, however, teams can take their selection out the hands of the committee. By rule, conference tournament winners get into the NCAA tournament. Teams get a second chance.

Watching a few games this week (I've been holding a singing school at night, so I haven't seen much), it is obvious which teams need these wins. They had a bad season, or ended poorly, and know they must win their conference tournament to make the NCAAs. Teams like St. Louis, California, Illinois and Florida State won very important games yesterday to give themselves a chance.

As I watched a game yesterday, I heard former coach Steve Lavin say (paraphrased): "These teams have hope. These tournaments give them second life."

These teams play long conference seasons (either 16 or 18 games), but it's the tournament champion that gets in the NCAAs.

Does that not sound like a lot of people you know? How many people have lived their entire life for themselves and then, as life begins to slip away, realize they need God. Often, we try to teach older people the Gospel because this is their last chance.

We don't need to stop that practice. Some think that "deathbed repentance" doesn't really work. Our job, however, is not to question motives. How often have you and I been driven to our knees before God because we had a tragedy occur in our life?

Many teams use the hope of the second chance to get into the NCAA tournament. Infinitely more importantly, many who are nearing the end of life need to turn to God. Let's give them that chance to taking the Gospel to them.

Just One?

Minooka Intermediate School is an elementary school in the greater Chicago-land area. Recently, a P.E. teacher was suspended after trying to motivate students for a jump-rope competition by playing music. One of the songs on the CD he used was, to put it mildly, inappropriate.

What follows is the online release of the story from the Herald News, and is dated March 2:

A physical education teacher at Minooka Intermediate School was trying to use music to motivate kids during a jump-rope fundraiser.

One of the songs wound up motivating a parent to anger.

During the school's annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser, P.E. teacher Kyle Hasler had a CD mix of upbeat songs put together to play while the students did jump-rope activities. The song "I'm in Love With a Stripper," by Gangsta Grillz mistakenly was added to the CD, Hasler said.

One fifth-grade student noticed the lyrics and reported it to her father. In the graphic version, mention is made of oral sex and pole dancing. A less explicit version is also available; it wasn't clear which version played at school.

Parent Stacy Stark said he pulled up the song on the Internet and was appalled at the lyrics.

"I think it's wrong, so wrong (to play the song in school)," Stark said. "It's pretty hardcore."

Stark spoke with Principal Harold King several times and to Hasler.

"That's not the type of music I listen to," said Hasler, a 17-year veteran with Minooka schools. "It was just a mistake. I was trying not to put on Lawrence Welk or Barney music. I try to do things so the kids can have fun. I regret that it was played in class and obviously it will not happen again."

King stands behind the teacher, saying Hasler has a distinguished record working with young people. As well as Hasler's district experience, King said, Hasler volunteers extensively in the community, including as a baseball coach.

King added that he can understand how Hasler didn't notice the words right away because it's hard to understand the lyrics of a lot of today's songs. The music was put together by someone else, and Hasler didn't listen to it before he played it in class.

No one else contacted the school about the song.

King said from now on all music will be screened by the music department before being allowed in the classroom.

"We are taking this step so it won't ever happen again," said King.

The Jump Rope for Heart program at the school raised more than $3,000 for the American Heart Association.

There are a lot of things about this story that are curious. Most obviously, why did the teacher think he had to use music like this to motivate the young people and, if he felt that way, why didn't he review the CD?

But the part that really stood out to me when I read this story was that just one parent complained! Was there only one child to thought this song was wrong? Was there only one parent who thought something didn't seem right about this? Notice the line again: "No one else contacted the school about the song."

Parents, your children love to be entertained, and there is nothing wrong with entertainment, but they need to find wholesome entertainment. Are you checking in on what they are playing on their CD players and iPods? Are you checking their internet history? Do you let them see any movie they want?

Be honest, parents. If this happened in your hometown, would you have complained? Answering that question honestly will tell you a lot about yourself.

Perfect Attendance (Bulletin Article for March 11)

[NOTE: At the conclusion of each quarter, we publish the names of those who had perfect attendance in their Sunday morning Bible class for the previous quarter. I feel this is important enough to also warrant an article here.]

Our Winter quarter ended in February, and we are now underway in our Spring quarter. We want to thank all who taught during the Winter quarter. You did a great job!

Several students and teachers had perfect attendance for December-February. They were: Bryant Saylor, Helen Mashburn, Monica Pickard, Garrett Clark, Judy Kilpatrick, Sidney Saylor, Wyn McAlpine, Casey Overton, Derinda Moody, Morgan Page, Tabitha Clark, Trey Williams, Roger Moody, Danny Tedford, Dylan Burleson, Trent Williams, Christe Lee Goar, Will Romine, Jackie Albright, Teena Goar, Becky Terry, Suzanne Tyson, David Albright, Mac McAlpine, Sandra Burleson, Debra Hood, Susie Reynolds, Barbara Slatton, Ara Lou Burleson, Martha Burleson, Betty Dobbs, Betty Hughes, Buster Burleson, Don Burleson, Larry Burleson, Harold Coan, Howard Howell, Lois Burleson, Robert Dykes, Velva Dykes, Sonny Fell, Sylvia Fell, James Gaskin, Sharon Gaskin, Hildred Green, Charlotte Harper, Ken Harper, Morris Hatton, Denvil Jones, Tommy Keenum, Mary Mays, Jewell McCreless, Don Smith, Judy Smith, Nellie Tuck, Veda West, D.O. Wiley and Doris Wiley.

With as much sickness as we’ve had, and with the holidays falling during this past quarter, having perfect attendance is an achievement. It also shows dedication to learning about the Bible. All 58 of these individuals should be commended for their dedication to Bible class.

If your name isn’t on here because of travel during the holidays (as is the case with my family), did you take the time to worship God and attend a Bible class where you were? We trust you did.

If your name isn’t on here because of sickness, we pray that you are feeling better and can return to your class, even this Sunday.

But, if your name isn’t on here because you simply decided not to attend, we also pray for you. Friend, Bible class is important! It is a great way to gain spiritual nourishment so you can stand against Satan. If we don’t eat nutritious food, our bodies suffer. If we fail to “eat” spiritually nutritious food, our souls suffer!

Be with your class. Your classmates and teachers miss you. I’ll see you Sunday...at 9:30, with an open Bible.

Cheating is Okay in the Sports Writing Business

You may have come across a short article that has supposedly "exposed" Ron Borges, a sports journalist for The Boston Globe. Borges has been suspended for two months without pay by the paper for plagerism.

In case you haven't seen the story, here is what Borges wrote on March 4th in the Globe:

Jackson was leading the NFL in touchdowns last season when a turf-toe injury forced him to miss the final three games. The injury prevented him from reaching his third 1,000-yard season in four years, but Jackson still led Seattle with 63 catches for 956 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The problem is that, on February 25th, in The Tacoma News-Tribune, Mike Sando wrote:

Jackson was leading the NFL in touchdowns last season when a turf-toe injury forced him to miss the final three games. The injury prevented Jackson from achieving his third 1,000-yard season in four years and the fourth overall.Jackson still led the Seahawks with 63 catches for 956 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Looks kind of similar, doesn't it? (By the way, both quotes were taken from Deadspin.com, a sports blog. I don't want to be accused of plagerism in an article about cheating!) Add to that, Borges has been sited by Deadspin (and other blogs) for six such instances!

Now for the twist in the story. It turns out that this type of information is okay to, well, to copy, according to some. It turns out that there are certain "media pools," where writers submit stories--or parts of stories--and other writers can then use that same information. Cold Hard Football Facts (another blog) contacted a writer and this was the explanation given:

Our source said there are private media forums out there for exchanging content. Sando and Borges both participate in one of these private media forums. Apparently, it’s understood that information that appears in this forum is open for use by any other participant – at least according to this source. He says that he knows that Sando published his Feb. 25 column in this forum and that the assumption for other forum participants, such as Borges, was that it was free for him to use. Our contact actually blamed Sando for publishing his entire piece verbatim in this exchange of ideas, rather than summarizing it.He acknowledged that Borges “made two, maybe three mistakes” in this incident, “but that he was much as victim as anything.”

So, now writers don't have to think? Of course, it's okay to use someone else's material. That's been done for ages. But it has also been the case that you gave credit, as much credit as possible (which is why we nearly always link to other stories when quoting or mentioning them, and we get permission before using a guest article).

Borges, according to the union, did nothing wrong. In fact, according to some Sando made the mistake by putting his story on the "pool."

So, its not cheating. It's just being lazy...and now, that's okay, too. Whatever happened to just giving credit? Is that so hard? Borges may have been trying to look like a football "guy," but now he looks like he's in trouble, and he should be.

Cheating is too common, and we are often told that. But laziness is also sinful, and we need to be reminded of that as well. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Why March Madness is Good

Okay, so this post has nothing to do with the Bible, but we all need to laugh every once in a while.

I love March Madness. It's pure entertainment by guys who are playing for the love of the game of basketball...

...and they are better than this guy.



As least the judges got the scores right!

Advertising for Another Congregation

The Central church of Christ in Paducah, Kentucky, is a special place. My parents and grandmother are members there, and my dad, Jim Faughn, preaches for that good church.

They are great supporters of our youth rally each January. Each year we know that the Central van (and other vehicles) will pull into Haleyville with 15-20 people from Western Kentucky. We are thankful for that kind of support!

Now, we want to return the favor by advertising their first youth rally.

Mark April 28th on your calendar. Todd Walker, from Murray, Kentucky, will be speaking. The youth rally will last from 10 AM until 3 PM and will be a great experience. Eventually, they hope to grow the rally into an overnight one. Your presence at this first one will encourage them in that direction.

For Shame (by Jim Faughn)

[NOTE: The following article first appeared in the February 18, 2007, edition of The Central Message from Paducah, Kentucky. My dad, Jim Faughn, is the author. I used it for my column in our local newsletter this week, and wanted to share it on here. It is used with his premission. Thanks, dad, for another great article!]

Many of us are familiar with the discussions we have from time to time about the little word “for.” Some of our religious friends try to convince us that “for” in Acts 2:38 means “because of” and that we are baptized because we are already saved. We often reply (correctly) that “for” can mean “in order to,” and encourage them to read and apply Matthew 26:28 in which the word “for” as well as the original Greek word is found. It is very clear in that passage that Jesus’ blood was not shed because sins were forgiven, but in order that this might be the case.

Lost in this discussion is the fact that “for” can have another meaning. When somebody says that he or she is for a particular athletic team, politician, proposal, etc., he or she is speaking the language of support and allegiance. It is in that sense of the use of the word “for” that I am for shame.

I’m old enough to remember when there was such a thing as shame. Sometimes, back in those days, somebody would do something that was considered to be unacceptable behavior and they would be told, “You should be ashamed of yourself for…” Some shorter versions of that were, “Shame on you” or “For shame.”

As I write these words a young celebrity has died mysteriously. (I suppose that “celebrity” is an appropriate word for her. She was among what seems to be a growing number of people in our society who are not famous for any particular accomplishment. They are just famous for being famous.)

Now, as you know if you’ve seen any news at all, the fight is on. At the time of this writing, three different men are claiming to be the father of her young baby. Who knows what the number will be when you read this article?! Of course, none of them is her widower. In fact, one is married to another “celebrity.” Instead of slinking off into some corner because of disgrace, they and their lawyers are boldly and proudly proclaiming some of the details about their “relationships” with her.

Whatever happened to the day when people who lived like this were not celebrities and their lifestyles were not accepted as normal? Whatever happened to such things as decency, honesty, purity and modesty?

Whatever happened to shame?

Before we get the idea that shame (or a lack thereof) is no big deal, maybe we need to read Jeremiah 6:15. After reading that verse, I hope you will join me in being for shame.

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
No! They were not ashamed;
Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time I punish them,
They shall be cast down, says
the Lord (emphasis added).