March Madness

As I write this blog, I am doing one of my favorite events during this time of year. I am watching the NCAA men's basketball tournament. I cannot say I have reached the status of my friend pictured at the left, but I do enjoy watching a little more basketball now than I normally do. I am a part of three different pools filling out the same bracket for all of them. At this point, I know that I am not being called to a career in Las Vegas, but I am not in complete trouble. I still have my Final Four teams playing (North Carolina, UCLA, Georgetown and Pittsburgh), and I have UNC winning it all. I love rooting for the underdog and rooting for the teams I pick. Right now I am watching Duke play West Virginia. I am torn because I cannot not stand Duke, but I picked them to win this game. Who do I root for?

It is especially a good day to spend in front of the television with the snow that fell yesterday. I call it Michigan Madness. We probably received 6-8" yesterday, and I heard this morning that this winter's 105" is the second most snow we have ever received since people have been keeping track. I believe the most ever was 130". I am definitely ready for spring, but the end of the snow is in sight.

My last madness I want to mention in this blog is that this weekend is important to me because it provides me and other Christians a chance to reflect upon the madness Christ endured because He loves us so much. I am currently reading through the book of John in the Bible, and I am amazed at what He knew was going to happen to Him and to his disciples (12 of his followers and best friends) because of the path they had chosen to take. In the face of the coming rejection, humiliation, torture and death, He chose to follow this course to pay the price for our sins that we could never pay ourselves.

I don't know where all of you are at, but I encourage you to check out the four Gospels in the Bible possibly for the first time or maybe all over again. I am amazed how I reread these, and find new ways that Jesus speaks to me in my life now through His words and His life. I am not trying to preach to you, and I definitely do not have all the answers in life (see my NCAA brackets once). I love to hear and to share personal testimonies about what we are going through in life, and I would love to hear some of the insights or questions that you have in life, so feel free to comment. Happy Easter!