January 9 – “The miracle of modern bracketing”

I received one of those early morning texts yesterday.  this was a good one, though.  And it really wasn’t all that early.  I had been up for some time.  Chris was still in bed, though, so by definition around here … it was still early.  There was no emergency or anything.  I suppose they still had all of their brand new chickens.  They got a new batch of those weird breeds the other day.  My favorite was the one deemed Nathan’s.  It’s called a Naked Neck.  Don’t know if that’s the scientific name or not, but it has … a naked neck.  No feathers.  Very strange looking.  Anyway, the purpose of the call was to inform us that Cailyn’s basketball team had been entered into a tournament, and their first game was at 10 a.m.  We hustled to get ready. 

 

It was an 8^th Grade Tournament.  Cailyn is in 7^th grade.  That’s right.  They needed another team to fill out the bracket, so the lowly seventh graders suddenly became quite popular.  And then – surprise of all surprises – they won their first game.  That through the bracketing into a tizzy, for sure.  Why?  Because of byes and bracket positioning, that single victory catapulted them into the championship game against the Texas City 8^th graders.  That game didn’t turn out as … positive … as the first one did.  They were defeated rather soundly.  But again, thanks to the miracle of modern bracketing, they actually won second place in the tournament.  Meanwhile, their 8^th grade team ended up coming in third.  If that’s not bragging rights, I don’t know what is …

 

Luke 9:25 says, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

 

Father, please join us at church today.  We’ll be talking to you and about you, after all.  Amen.