West Cocoa Chat

When I arrived at our field today I ran into one of our coaches. He isn't just any Coach. This Coach is the "Dean of Brevard County / Space Conference Baseball." He has coached since the 1970's and won 2 Class 5A State Baseball Championships in his career. He has coached untold numbers of kids that have gone on to play both College and Professional Baseball. "John" is also known (his words to me the other day) as a "straight shooter." Irregardless of how he feels about you as a parent, volunteer, and person, he will tell you if your kid has or doesn't have the skills to play at the next level.

At a work party (there's an oxymoron) at our field Saturday, John told me that Steven has the talent to play at the next level if he will only "keep his head screwed on straight." For Coach John, that means for Steven to practice his mantra of "middle / backside" when it comes to hitting.

John told me before today's game that he (he's taken an "Assistant Coaching" position to help our new former All-American / AAA Baseball Pitcher learn the nuances of coaching) "went to bat for Steven." Steven, who had started the year off as our lead-off hitter was now bouncing between the 7 and 8 hole as they say in baseball. Steven had a monster game this past Friday including a double that hit the top of the Space Coast Jr/Sr. High field fence.

Coach John petition the other coaches in starting Steven again in the leadoff spot. Coach John also told me that he told Steven, "I went to bat for you with "Coach Mike." You keep thinking middle/backside because if I see that long, looping homerun swing come back, you're going all the way down to the 9-hole in the hitting order."

How did Steven respond? At his first at-bat he launched one out of the park for a lead-off homerun. I saw Coach John congratulate him and then question him on his swing. The next at-bat he reached on an error. When he came up for the third time he hit another rocket over the leftfield fence. When it came time for this 4th at-bat the Head Coach pulled him out of the game. He told Steven that as former pitcher, he felt that Steven was headed for a date with a bean ball from the Pitcher. The Coach told him he didn't want to risk losing him for the rest of the Season.

Bottom line, it was good to see Steven make "Coach John" look like a genius. It was good to be both Dad and Announcer as I said, "That's Steven Walker's second home-run of the ball game for the Tigers."

Thanks for reading and once again, putting up with proud Papa. I only have 6 more regular season games to play that role.

Update - Although his 2 game slump wasn't one of the main causes of his "week," going 2 for 3 tonight with a single and RBI double that hit off the fence didn't hurt.

"Keeping it real" is one Pat Pugh's favorite sayings. Perhaps I've been guilty of not doing that here from time to time. Like a proud parent, I'm sure the percentage of times that I've shared with you when things were going good for me, my wife, or my son is significantly higher than when we've messed up. Let the word go out from here - We mess up! As Jeff Walling so eloquently puts it, "We need a "MESS-iah" because we're a MESS." So forgive me if I've given the false impression that our family or any one of us individually "has it all together." If I have, then I haven't been "Keeping it real."

Steven has had a tough week this week. Without going into detail I'll shut up and let him speak. I asked him permission to share this poem he wrote. It comes straight from the heart of young man who likes his father, can be a mess, and like his father, needs a "MESS-iah." God bless.

"Lord, first of all let me say
thank you for holding all this way.
I want to be a man for you
holding on to all I know is true.
I want to have my heart catch fire
but I cling to what my head desires.

How can I break this evil stage?
I need you Lord reveal to me your face.
I stretch my hand only for you to grab it
timid and scared I pull back with Satan's habit.

He's got a grasp I cannot break myself
and half the time I don't ask You for help.
My personalities changing and my light dims away
I'm drifting in the ocean as I feel cast away.

My prayer life time I'm slowly losing
as I gain wasteful time I find myself using.
I'm changing Lord and for the worse
Satan's got me like in some kind of curse.

A worldly person I start to become and reflect
rather than shining the light and evil I reject.
Numerous times have I bust out in sprint
but I've never tried running with a mindset of steady distance.

But there's hope in You and Your Word of Truth
Who cares if I'm only 17 years of youth.
I will not let anyone but You look down upon me
but rather set an example for strong or weak.

I'm not a perfect kid and nobody is
but I'm the person who strives for perfection only hit or miss.
I need full faith and I need to believe
I will not accomplish anything going half speed.

Give me the heart of a warrior for You
because your my hero and this battle we will not lose.
I'll end this poem and I'll end it like this
You are God and that's just the way it is.

As my 18 straight years of attending the Pepperdine Lectures comes to an end this year, I am bolstered by what is taking place at our church here in Florida. This Sunday was especially memorable and it also sparked a couple of memories.

One of them took place when Steven was in Elementary School. We were visiting Greg (http://gregengland.com/) and the family at Long Beach. At the time we were worshipping at a church that was mired in a worship style that for us, was uninspiring. Greg knowing this, asked Steven to pick out the songs for the Sunday Worship that we were going to be present for. He picked out Praise Songs that we listened to on cassette from Ken Young and the Hallal Singers.

Before worship started Greg called Steven up to the front. He had Steven face the church as he stood behind him. With his hands on Steven’s shoulders, he told the Long Beach Church that Steven has picked out the songs they were to sing and that he rarely got to sing those songs back at this home church. Greg gave the church an admonition to join Steven in the joy of his worship and they did. That image of Greg standing behind Steven with his hands on his shoulders will always be emblazon in my brain. The only sadness of that day was the thought that such unabashed worship, led by the Praise Team at the Beach would never, ever happen at a church in Florida.

Lesson #1 – Never say “never” or “impossible” to God.

Fast forward to a decade later, specifically today, as I walked into our Auditorium our Praise (I still have to pinch myself when I say, think, or type this phrase) Team was practicing. It reminded me of the many times I enjoyed listening to the Long Beach Praise Team as they practiced in the morning before Worship. I couldn’t help standing in awe at how good our Praise Team is getting and at how God has brought the same kind of worship that I experienced for years at Long Beach to Cocoa. Praise to His Name.

We also had a brother come forward today who like many of us, is struggling. I felt led by what this brother said to our church to ask anyone who wanted, to come forward and along with me, lay our hands on this brother and pray for him. As a crowd of folks came forward, I moved up to the top of the stage and I received a “mountain top experience.”

As people were coming forward and trying to get close to this brother, they were (I’ll use a different name) whispering, “We love you John, we love you John.” As the crowd got larger to the point they couldn’t touch John, their affirmations, “We love you John,” kept waffling up like a sweet fragrance. Before I ever prayed I felt as if I was standing on Holy Ground.

As I said in my last post, if you are struggling in a church where you don’t see it getting any better or worse, in an “area” where you feel there is no hope for some of the things I described, do not lose hope. Dream big dreams, challenge your fears, speak up, pray, and believe that God can do what seems like the impossible. I’m living proof that he can.

“Who ya for?” This was a question poised to me many moons ago when I attended my first NASCAR (Darlington courtesy of my good friend Bob) Race after several years away from the sport. I was raised on Stock Car racing, both the local variety and NASCAR. When my Dad died my love and interest in Stock Car racing went away.

So there I was, getting into a car with Bob as we left for Darlington. The gentleman driving, a friend of Bob’s brother-in-law asked me, “So who ya for?” My mind drew a blank until there was a re-direct of the question, “Who ya for, Ford, Chevy, or Dodge?” You see, the automaker you support defines who you are as a fan for NASCAR enthusiasts.

Thus (and this may be a bit of a reach) I come to you, with a similar question that may define who we are as followers and fellow disciples of Christ. Are we a denomination? “We” being the Churches of Christ of the “mainstream” variety, what ever that is and I won’t appeal to Dr. Mac Lynn’s guide on all the different varieties of Churches of Christ.

As you ponder that question, let me throw out a couple of definitions of “Denomination” –

· a denomination is an organization that is Christian that has a number of local churches under its auspices. In order to qualify as a denomination, the organization must believe that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and have some sort of authority over more than one local church. a denomination is an organization that is Christian that has a number of local churches under its auspices. In order to qualify as a denomination, the organization must believe that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and have some sort of authority over more than one local church.

· a group of religious congregations having its own organization and a distinctive faith

· A religious organization uniting local congregations in a single, legal and administrative body.

Back to our question, “Are we a denomination?” As I think about my church I would say there was a time when the answer to that question based on how we operated was “Yes.” In fact, there is no doubt in my mind that we “were” part of a denomination. A denomination enforces a strict adherence to it’s rules, mode of operation, and interpretations of Scripture. Those who are brought up under the auspices of a denomination adhere to the denominations rules and “regs” either out of love for said model or a fear of what will happen if obedience isn’t rendered.

It is my opinion that for the most part, many of our churches who claim to be autonomous bodies of believers are members of a denomination either out of love or fear. I know from a personal standpoint as well as a member of our church, that the “Church of Christ denomination” will enforce strict discipline on it’s “member” churches and individuals should there be a perception that the accepted model is not being followed according to the Denomination’s guidelines. For many years I operated out of fear of what the Denomination might do to me and to our church should be cross one of their lines. I suppose many of you might be in the same boat. I know many of you are on the same journey – a journey away from denominationalism and towards New Testament autonomous Christianity, for both the individual believer as well as churches.

Let me say this – for those of you who are in fear of what the Denomination or individual members of the Denomination might do to you, believe this – let it come! For when and individual or a church makes the journey from fear to freedom in Christ, it is well worth the any and I mean any consequences the Denomination might hurl your way.

Although I miss my association with some of the Denomination’s organizations and events that were near and dear to my heart, some of which I gave many years of service to I would never go back to where I was as an individual and where we were as a church a little over a year ago. This was brought back to me this past Sunday.

We had a former member worshipping with us this past Sunday. He himself has felt the wrath of the Denomination. After he worshiped with us, he told us that there was no feeling like the one he had where he felt free to Praise the God of the Universe. Free to praise without fear of repercussion or someone holding up the Denomination’s established “model of worship” and forcing him to conform to it.

I don’t know how you answered my question. Your answer might be “no” and that’s O.K. I’m willing to admit that I might be wrong. I do know this, whether real or imagined, living and worshipping in fear is a miserable experience. When one pushes or rather allows the Spirit to push them into freedom, you’ll never ever want to go back to being a member of a denomination.

When Jesus said in John 4:
²¹Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Jesus says that worship will no longer be confined to a place such as the Temple or a mountain. He also talks about “worshipping in spirit and truth.” The Hebrew concept of worshipping in “truth” has nothing to do with worshipping in any order or in compliance to any denominational rules. “Truth” is me taking off my mask before God, coming clean before God and family, when you can worship without fear and in freedom, you can truly worship in truth.

I want to thank everyone for his or her prayers. Steven’s ankle isn’t broken, as we feared. In fact, I went to the ball field to check on him Friday afternoon. When I arrived at the field I had several parents tell me that Steven had to be “chased off the field” by the Coaches. This was due to him running poles in the Outfield to prove his ankle was O.K.

When I went into the dugout I found him stewing on the bench. He looked at me, glared, pointed towards the coaches and said, “They made me get off the field!” I told Steven that the Coaches are smart and know what they are doing with respect to his ankle healing.

Yet, I think I know where he is coming from. Steven has always had a warrior’s heart. He wants to lead and to contribute to the cause, even at (apologies to Alan Iverson and his infamous comments about the importance of “Practice” –

“Now I know that I'm supposed to lead by example and all that but I'm not shoving that aside like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice man. We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you've seen me play right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about practice right now. ... Hey I hear you, it's “funny to me too, hey it's strange to me too but we're talking about practice man, we're not even talking about the game, when it actually matters, we're talking about practice ...”) practice.

I also think being a Senior; he sees everything associated with baseball, as he knows it, including practice, as fleeting. Going on to play College or Major League Baseball is by no means a given. So, combine all of the above and you get the opposite of the “Alan Iverson” when it comes to, yes, even practice. I guess my prayer request now is that Steven doesn’t push himself too hard too soon and cause more injury to his ankle.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. Take care.

Hi family.
Thanks for your comments and prayers concerning Steven and his ankle. We're still awaiting news about the X-Ray from the Radiologist. The Doctor at the Walk-in Clinic who took the X-Ray said there appeared to be a "chip" in the bone as he described it. He also said it could be an old fracture or perhaps nothing in which case we would still be looking at a ligament tear or stretch.

In the grand scheme of things, a twisted or broken ankle pales in comparison to some of the challenges many of you those that we know face. We have a family at church whose 41 year old son was mistakenly sent home by a local hospital only to have an anuerism burst in his brain.

Our preacher had the unenviable task of breaking the news to his 11year old son that his Dad will be taken off life support tomorrow and will no doubt die. I can't even imagine.

So, I ask for continued prayers from Steven's ankle but I also ask that you pray for this family. Have a good weekend family.

Good morning. I'd like to ask my blog buddies to pray for Steven today. He twisted his ankle playing basketball at P.E. yesterday and was unable to play in last night's game. We're taking him in for a X-Ray this morning. If the ligaments are stretched then he'll be out a couple of days. It they are torn it could be 2 weeks. We're going for "stretched." There isn't a lot of time for a "7th Inning Stretch" in his Senior season.

Thanks again Family.

What a Monday I had although nothing as “hole-ly” as Greg’s (http://gregengland.com/) day at the Funeral. My plans for my Monday were typical of a Monday with plans for high school baseball and a Weight Watcher’s weigh-in.

1. Go to School. Prepare kids for the FCAT. Pray for the kids.

2. Go to church. Go on my 2 and a half mile pre-Weigh Watcher run.

3. Clean up.

4. Weigh in.

5. Go to the Baseball Field.

6. Run the Scoreboard / play Dee-jay – My partner Tom had the call that night.

7. Eat dinner after the game with wife, Steven, and Liz.

8. Go home.

9. What is becoming a ritual that I look forward to – rehash the game and catch up with Liz.

10. Crash

As Monday went, numbers 1 and part of number 2 went according to plan until “the Call.” I’ve never been accused of being smart and I suppose the route I run would confirm this conclusion. Now, let’s all laugh together before I type this next part. Ready, begin:

“Chuckle chuckle, snort, snort, laugh, laugh.”

The route I run starts off by going “down hill” (yes, we do have some “hills” in flat Florida) along the River Road and then on my return trip it amazingly turns into an “uphill” run. It was on the uphill / return portion that wife rings my cell phone. Seems she has her second flat tire on her Honda Accord in 2 months, a different tire. The effect on the above was:

1. No effect.

2. My nice run turns into (stop laughing) an uphill sprint back to my car.

3. Yes, we have to skip the obligatory cleanup as well. Good thing we don’t have “Smell-a-Vision” on Blogger.

4. No Weigh-in. No time and too bad as well, I would have been way under 189 at this point.

5. Short circuited big time. Anybody ever change a tire on a Honda? I may have mentioned this in a previous post – because of some weird better idea/ Japanese engineering, flat tires on a Honda must be dislodged by not only doing your normal change the tire routine, you must also:

A. Crawl under the car! Yes, under the car.

B. Kick the tire from underneath the car towards the outside to dislodge it.

C. Keep a steady eye on the Japanese jack holding up the car as you’re underneath it trying to change a tire.

· At this point we’re still on number 5 because I have to drive to a local tire shop that’s closing in 10 minutes to drop off said tire.

· During this time I call the Coaches at the field to let them know that Tom will be at the field to announce the game / play the National Anthem/ etc.

· A call comes in from Tom saying he’s stuck in (I know Steve will love this one) “Space Center” (I’m not making that up Steve) Traffic and we’ll be late.

· I drop off said tire at the Tire Shop, drive to the Field.

6. Finally arrive at the field in the following condition:

A. Hot

B. Smelly

C. Dirty

D. Wearing grease covered shorts and t-shirt, oh, and my head band.

· Tom does arrive in time to start the game.

· Before we get to number 7, Steven’s sister calls to tell me that her battery is dead a few miles away from the field.

· Kudos to Preacher Don who helped Liz get her car started and she arrived around the 4^th inning.

· We did win the game in 8 innings, 4 to 3. Steven went 1 for 2 driving in one of our runs with a RBI single, he was hit by a pitch, and he reached on an error. He stole 2 bases and was thrown out twice – another blog post.

We finally got to 7 – 10 and thankfully so. If you’re still here after all that, God bless you. Have a good week Family.

My good friend Brady (http://www.evendays.org/) has left 2 comments that tie into today’s post. The first one was a reference to my post about all the arrangements we made to get Steven to Winterfest or “The Gamble” as I called it. Brady said, “You really live life on the edge, don't you?” Then Brady commented yesterday about Steven’s homerun at Titusville by saying, “What a neat feeling to have as a dad to see your kid hit it over the fence!” Lets just say that Brady was giving us (as Yogi Berra would say) “dejavou all over again.” Take a look at yesterday’s box score:

Cocoa 9, Merritt Island 8

Merritt Island 040 100 3 -- 8 9 1
Cocoa 013 104 x -- 9 9 4

MI -- C.J. Gonzalez, Tapcyznski (4) and Joey Noble; C -- Steven Schils, Steven Walker (6), Brett Langston (7) and Eric Zarm W: Walker (2-0). L: Tapcyznski. S: Langston (1). 2B: MI -- Earhart, Boyce, Gonzalez; C -- Beck, Zarm, Walker. HR: C -- Walker. Records: Cocoa 8-2.

If you read it right you can see Brady’s prophesy about “living life on the edge” as we spotted Merritt Island 4 runs before Steven hit a double and then scored our first run. Then Brady’s 2^nd comment came true again as Steven hit a solo homerun, his second of the week to tie the game at 5 to 5. Brady, a “neat feeling” was had by all as the crowd (and we had a crowd last night) erupted in celebration.

The support Steven had last night was magical. Of course his (which would include Liz) family was in attendance but there was also the youth group from Central, the Best Man in our wedding, and even a colleague from my school and his wife at the game as well. I’ll never forget the image of Steven’s good friend Zack, walking into our Stadium wearing one of Steven’s practice jerseys! Now that is a true friend. What made the image even better was his girlfriend, a sweet girl in our youth group, was wearing a Merritt Island jersey to support her school and they were walking hand in hand. Oh, did I mention that Zack doesn’t go to Cocoa High but rather attends another local High School. That was class in my opinion.

Then there was the youth group. When Steven hit is solo HR to tie the game, they stood on the bleachers, applauded, and cheered as he crossed homeplate. When Steven was put on the mound in the 6^th inning to close the game out, the youth group “oohed and aahed” at each warm up pitch he threw.

If you have followed our lives you probably know that for the last 2 years, success for Steven on the field has been inadvertent at best. He had some good games, and then he would ride the pine for a while. In fact, the 3B Coach for M.I. was our former Head Coach so I knew for Steven; I won’t say it was so much a feeling of “revenge” but rather a feeling of pride that he experienced as he performed so well in front of his former coach beating his team.

It’s probably here that we can all learn a life lesson. Steven’s passion on this side of eternity is baseball. For the last 2 years he has wanted nights like we’ve had the last 2 games. Yet, he has persevered, supporting his team, supporting his coach, and trying to get better. Now, he hasn’t been perfect in his attitude at times but then none of ever are. I shared a story with Liz last night that I'll share with you. This past Fall, around 10pm one evening, Steven and I went on a 4 mile walk. He was frustrated with life, with baseball, with the fact that no one had called or contacted him about playing college baseball.

I will never forget that walk for it was intense, filled with raw emotion, cutting remarks that Steven made about himself and our support of him, and then it turned. At some point in that walk our talk turned to really important things such as life, his love for us, and how he would be devastated on the day that we pass away. I remember asking Steven to do something that is hard for all of us to do, to get “far-sighted.” I told him that God had a plan for his life that would involve far more important and eternal things than baseball. Our walk ended with hugs, smiles, and new sense of focus.

I’m not saying my son, or any of us for that matter are perfect, we all know better. But the one thing I’m more proud of in Steven than any homerun he hits, and in all of us for that matter, is that in moments of clarity, those of us in Christ, can get a grip on what is really important.

God, we’re enjoying this ride for we have prayed and wished for it for a long time. We also know that all of this is fleeting and can turn on a dime. Yet, in all of Your blessings let all of us always be able to say these powerful words of Job 1:21 -

“….The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD."

For Family, we all know that the ultimate support, in the good times and bad, is the support and love of the Lord.

A little bumper digression for a family update. First, a box score from last night:

Cocoa 8, Titusville 2

Cocoa 130 030 1 -- 8 12 1
Titusville 000 000 2 -- 2 5 6

Ryan Hunter and Eric Zarm; Joey Stanga, Danny Hayes (2) and Anthony Marasco W: Hunter. L: Stanga (1-2). 2B: C -- Tyler Anderson, Ryan Holloway, Brett Langston, Josh Woods, Steven Walker 2. HR: C -- Walker; T -- Hayes. Record: Titusville 3-7.

Steven had another “3/4 of the Cycle Night” hitting a single, double, and a 2-run home run last night in our game with Titusville. When he came up to bat one of my fellow “Dads” said, “You know, with the way our boys are hitting the ball along with the wind blowing out, you’d think one of those “big boys” would hit one out.” It was about that time that Steven, the shortest kid and lightest kid in the lineup blasted one over the center-field fence. There were 4 of us Dads that were not only cheering but laughing as Steven crossed the plate and was congratulated by his taller teammates, some of them 6-3 and 6foot-6inches tall by being patted on his helmet. It was truly a picture of irony that the shortest kid in the starting lineup took the only ball yard.

I’m sure some of you are wondering how our experience with Steven’s sister, Liz, is going. I can only say that we’re growing to love her more and more and are blessed each time she visits. She has added a dimension to our family that amazes me each time she visits.

This past Sunday at our church was dynamic. Liz was with us again and I’ve never heard our Praise Team sing as well as they did. They were able to take our church to a level of worship that I’ve only dreamed about whenever I visited the Long Beach Church, gone to the evening worship at Pepperdine, or what you experience at the Zoe Conferences. I think the difference maker is that not only is the “technical level” approaching excellence with respect to our Praise Team but they’re also family. It’s tantamount to hitting a home-run. A home-run of any kind is impressive but when it is family like your son, there is another level of admiration, appreciation, and adoration that takes place because of the family connection.

Don’s sermon was powerful as he continues to challenge all of us (or as we say in the South – “step on our toes”) with some of the latest statistics from Barna on the way Christians make their decisions. The statistics are grim and frightening with respect to how Christians make decisions along with their lack of a “Biblical World View.” As Don said, we have so many voices vying for our attention, our minds, and ultimately our actions. I’ll leave us with this verse from Colossians 3:1 – 4:

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is your ^[life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

This is a little post about our trip to Winterfest. It was amazing how it worked out that we were able to get Steven to Winterfest for the very first time and in his senior year of H.S. In the past he was unable to attend due to his commitment to baseball. As I said in a past post, I noticed that unless we made the Championship Game of our Season opening Tournament, I thought we had a chance to get the boy to Winterfest.

It was a financial gamble to be sure because there would be airline tickets involved, rental car, and the usual cost that goes with hanging out with 20,000 teens in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Oh, not to factor in a possible rain-out day that would push the tournament back into the President’s Day Weekend. Then it happened – rain!

All the games on that Wednesday night were rained out pushing the tournament back one day. This would cause my “cheap” $39 tickets to go up because we would need to change our flights to Saturday instead of Friday and we would now have to fly to Chattanooga instead of Knoxville. My only and I mean my only saving grace was that I had purchased “insurance” at $7.50 a ticket so I would not have to pay the $50 booking fee per ticket to change them. Oh, did I mention that there was a possibility that there would be no seats available on the Chattanooga flight and if there were, there was a limited supply of $39 seats available that at this late date would be long gone? Of course this would be mean that if there were seats available that we would be paying more money for the change in tickets and did I mention that there was a chance of rain for Thursday night as well? Let’s just say that wife was not very happy with me at this point.

O.K, what would you do at this point on Wednesday night?

1. Eat the tickets and the “crow” that would go along with it.

2. Re-read Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

3. Gamble again and change the tickets for Saturday’s flight to Chattanooga.

Well it’s a foregone conclusion which option I went with, yes - #3. Things worked out in our favor as the Tournament was bumped back by one day. We played Thursday night and were able to fly out on Saturday.

BTW – I want to give props to (http://www.allegiantair.com/) Allegiant Airline. They were great from the cell phone call that was dropped and the Ticket agent calling me back to finish the change in tickets to the Jet itself. It was new, had extra leg room, it was on time, and it was cheap, well sort of. The only drawback was being a small airline they only fly once a day to your destination. That is why the afternoon flight to Knoxville (less than one hour away from Gatlinburg) on Friday would not work for Saturday.

But God was with us throughout the process and I’ll post some pictures and Winterfest stories including yours truly stopping traffic in the middle of Gatlinburg to allow a certain young man to get in our church bus going the opposite direction.