Beale Memorial Baptist Church

Race fans start your engines!

Well, at least try to start your engines.  Our first AWANA Grand Prix Race was held Saturday evening with 49 cars running in the event.  Antwan Grey was the over all winner beating his age group, the older students and even the adults.  Congratulations Antwan!

This was my first Grand Prix Race and I did not have a clue as to what might happen.  Kids loved it and the parents were getting into the race as well.  Thank goodness Litte E didn't take anyone out like last week in Daytona....I was worried a brawl might break out on pit-row. 

Here are a few images of the evening.

Cahterine Claire Larson and Bishop Emmanuel Katongole have written two books related to the genocide in Rwanda.  Both are difficult to read and brought me to tears on mulitple occasions.  And both have a significant message for the church to hear.

Larson wrote, "As We Forgive," and it is an account of survivors who are processing the heinous events that destroyed their lives in the spring of 1994.  "As We Forgive," is not easy to read, the pain is tangible.  However, the stories of forgiveness bring to life the power of the Gospel.  All of us struggle with forgiving people who have hurt us.  Here is a treatise on those who are actively forgiving the unimaginable.

A second book I want to recommend is, "Mirror to the Church."  Bishop Katongole is a professor at Duke University.  He was born in Uganda to Rwandan parents.  He became involved with the ministry of reconciliation in Rwanda after the genocide.  His book is a good read for followers of Christ to contemplate our identity as Christians. 

Both of these books are available on Amazon or you can check them out of the library at church.

And when you have a moment, check out this website.  You will meet survivors and perpetrators of the genocide.  And then you will be introduced to an organization that is actively pursuing redemption from the ashes.

www.livingbrickscampaign.org

This hasn't been a stellar week for sports fans.  ARod has found himself in a heap of trouble and a high school baskeball game in Alabama got seriously dangerous.  A fight on the floor led to both benches getting involved and fans brawling in the stands.  All of it was caught on tape and it was not a pretty sight.

However, I do have a story to share that will brighten your day.  The story comes Yahoo Sports and you can find it on Rivals.com

Check it out.

February 18, 2009

Associated Press

The coach never considered any other option.

It didn't matter that his DeKalb, Ill., High School basketball team had ridden a bus two and a half hours to get to Milwaukee, then waited another hour past game time to play. Didn't matter that the game was close, or that this was a chance to beat a big city team.

Johntel Franklin scored 10 points in the game following the loss of his mother.

Something else was on Dave Rohlman's mind when he asked for a volunteer to shoot two free throws awarded his team on a technical foul in the second quarter. His senior captain raised his hand, ready to go to the line as he had many times before.

Only this time it was different.

"You realize you're going to miss them, don't you?" Rohlman said.

Darius McNeal nodded his head. He understood what had to be done.

It was a Saturday night in February, and the Barbs were playing a non-conference game on the road against Milwaukee Madison. It was the third meeting between the two schools, who were developing a friendly rivalry that spanned two states.

The teams planned to get together after the game and share some pizzas and soda. But the game itself almost never took place.

I sent this email out last week from San Diego.

Greetings from San Diego.  I am at the National Pastor’s Convention and will be returning home on Friday evening.  I am having dinner with Jim and Francis Dillard this evening.  They live near here and are driving in at 5:00. 

A very special family lives here as well.  You have heard me mention their name on several occasions.  They are the Kay family.  Their son Jesse died of cancer three years ago when he was 16. 

Doug, Jesse’s dad, spent the day at the conference with me yesterday.  It was a busy day but very positive.  We had dinner with my brother and then headed on to the evening session.  

During the evening session the worship leader led us in the song of, “Blessed Be Your Name.”  I didn’t say anything to Doug, but at Jesse’s funeral they sang this song. 

He looked at me with tears in his eyes and asked if I knew this was sung at his funeral.  After that, Doug just broke.  I held him for a while as he cried and then he did something I didn’t expect.   Doug lifted his hands heavenward and sang, “Blessed be your name, in the land that is plentiful, in the streams where abundance flows, blessed be Your name.  You give and take away.  You give and take away.  My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name!”   Tears continued to roll, for both of us now, but watching my friend raise his hands in worship was an over-whelming moment.