Hockey

I have been waiting for this day for quite some time -- NHL opening day. I love opening days, especially in the NHL. This is the year that the Blues finally...make the playoffs. I know that no one cares about hockey, but here is my season preview blog.

Let's start with the Blues. The Blue Notes are coming off a very disappointing season in which they found themselves 9-2, and the top team in ESPN's power rankings after the first few weeks. Unfortunately, the wheels came tumbling off as Halak wore down, Perron took a nasty hit to the head, and Oshie landed on his foot. Some bad luck, mixed with playing in the toughest division in the NHL resulted in a nasty slump and the Blues missing out on meaningful hockey. To rub dirt in the wound, the blues finished the season just strong enough to have to forfeit their conditional first round pick to Colorado. After a season of disappointing losses, the Blues needed to lose their last game to retain their first round pick, but they found a win in the one game they didn't want it. All this to say, I am glad it is opening day.

The Blues have a lot to prove this year. Davis Payne's honeymoon is over, Oshie and Berglund no longer have any excuses, Halak must step up, and all this to entice a buyer to purchase the Blues before the year is over. In my very amateurish opinion, these are the keys for the Blues this year:

1. Goaltending Consistency
Halak has shown that he can be spectacular, but he hasn't proven that he will show up every night. Halak's save percentage must improve over last year, especially considering how well the defense played. If Halak is consistent, the Blues will be in the playoffs.

2. Special Teams Production
Much of the dominant penalty kill from the 09 season is gone. Last year's penalty kill was adequate, but not the heartbeat of the team. The penalty kill can be just as energizing as a powerplay conversion, and the Blues must take pride in shutting other teams down. The injury to Crombeen will not help to begin the year, but the addition of Scott Nichol in the faceoff circle should be a huge improvement.

The powerplay lacks creativity and a lethal scorer. Steen will have to get his confidence early with his one-time slapper, and Backes will need to be more of net-front presence. If McDonald is willing to get to the net, he should lead the team in powerplay goals.

3. Faceoffs
Faceoffs are about effort, and the blues weren't trying very hard last year. With Backes as the first line center (converted from RW), he is still perfecting his skill on the dot. The addition of Nichol and Arnott will certainly help in the circle, but Berglund and Backes must lead the way with face off wins. For the Blues to be effective with their aggressive and physical style, they need to control the puck. Plus, nothing helps your special teams units more than a faceoff win.

4. Chris Stewart
I am somewhat disappointed to see that Stewart is not starting the year on the first line. With the addition of Langenbrunner, Stewart will begin the year on the second line. For the Blues to be effective this year, Stewart's goal production needs to be significant (30 goals seems realistic). If Stewart and Backes stay healthy and motivated, the Blues can be the toughest team to play in the Western Conference.

5. Avoiding Sophomore Slumps
Now that E.J. and Brewer are gone, the weight of the defensive responsibility rests on the shoulders of two sophomore D-men, Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk. Both guys had amazing Rookie years and will need to avoid the sophomore slump for the Blues to be a top 8 team. The blues are deeper on defense than ever before, but the top guys must prove that they can keep guys out of the middle, and pucks out of the net. Defense always comes first, but the forwards will need some help with point production as well. Hopefully, these guys will make me forget about Erik Johnson completely.

My prediction: The Blues make the playoffs as a 6 seed, and upset the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs.

Now the rest of the league...

My previous two preseason, cup-winner predictions have fared pretty well. Chicago got it done two years ago, and the Canucks were 1 game away from making me 2 for 2. So, here is my pick for this season:

SJ Sharks defeat the Washington Capitals in 6 games.

I am not as confident as the previous two years, but I am feeling lucky!

If you hate hockey, I am sorry you wasted your time reading this post. If you have read every word, we should hang out and watch some hockey together this year. Let's all hope this is the year that Blues finally get back to where they belong; playing hockey games with 20:00 minute overtimes.

Happy Hockey!

Sinner and Savior

Today, I was encouraged by some great artists (Gungor, Kari Jobe, and All Sons & Daughters). God's revelation came in ways somewhat unexpected and surprising. Here are three thoughts that stuck out to me:

1. "You know my every move...You love for me to sing to you"
Kari Jobe has written a song called, "You Are For Me" with this phrase in the verse. As I sang these words, I thought about the unnerving fact that the God I worship knows my every move. More than that, he knows my every motive. As I contemplated the implications of God's all-knowing, ever-present nature, I thought about the Sundays that I lead worship and think to myself, "God doesn't want to hear it from me...not after the week I've had." As if God's acceptance of my worship is based on the pre-requisite of my behavior, I feel that I am unworthy of even worshipping. But, God doesn't feel that way. Just as his love and acceptance is unconditional, so is His grace when accepting our sacrifice of worship. This means there is no more shame, no more guilt, no more legalism. Only Freedom.

2. "I am a sinner, if it's not one thing it's another...You are a Savior and you take brokeness aside and make it beautiful"
As Paul cries out to God to remove the thorn from his flesh, God replies, "My grace is sufficient". Not only is God's grace sufficient, but ONLY God's grace is sufficient. I have been staring my sin in the eyes lately, and sin's scowl is haunting. Sometime's the power of sin seems overwhelming, as if it weren't one sin it would just be another. Yet God is a redeeming God. Not only is God redeeming sinful acts, he is redeeming sinners.

Sinners, like me.

3. "You make beautiful things out of us"
As I listened to Gungor shout these lyrics, I began to think of the beautiful things he has made from the dust of my life, and the lives of the people close to me. It is good to remember the dust from which you came. I thought about these beautiful things:

-- My 83 year old grandpa finding Jesus in the nursing
home and the new life he has inherited.

-- My best friend finding healing and restoration
in Christ after being sexually abused.

-- The miracle God worked in my life to heal me of anxiety
and empower me to live a life free of fear.

There is beauty all around me. May I not forget the dust from which the beauty was formed, and so, neglect the gratitude God is owed.

Our God Reigns

This week, I feel lucky to be able to attend the National Worship Leader's Conference here in town. Year after year, this conference has been an encouragement to my soul and a catalyst for new ideas and fresh movements of God. This year is proving to be more of the same.

The worship sessions at the conference are led by some of the most well-known worship leaders in the world. The production value is through the roof (and on the roof, sometimes), the hunger for God's presence amongst church leaders is contagious, and the level of musicianship and artistry is almost distracting. All that to say, it is easy to find myself 'swept away' in a movement toward God and His praise. This being my third year at this particular conference, I find myself heavier against that natural pull towards total abandon in worship. The enormity of the worship experience is more familiar, and less overwhelming. Which leaves me looking for something fresh, yet lasting and constant amidst an environment swirling with revelations from God.

Tonight I felt as if I were mining for the treasures of God. As I absorbed the lyrics, melodies, words, and images on the screen, I was waiting to here God's voice in a new way; I was trusting God to initiate a worshipful response. During this mining, as one of my favorite worship leading couples were leading, God revealed Himself to me in humbling way through the phrase, "Hallelujah, our God reigns". As we sang this phrase over and over, God revealed the circumstances in my life in which he is now, actively reigning. I began to imagine the broken, fragmented, discouraging, scary, hurtful, jealous areas of my life. Then, I had an image of God reigning in those moments. I also thought of the exciting, new, challenging opportunities ahead of me, and pictured God reigning there as well. Before, 'our God reigns' meant that He is generally in control of the universe and will have the last word. But now, God was revealing that 'our God reigns' means that he is present in our specific circumstances, in control of the chaos, and lovingly leading us.

I thought of our friends who desperately want to have children, but for whatever reason it hasn't happened. I thought of our friends and family out of work, in broken marriages, or in careers that don't satisfy. I thought about my son's arrival here in a few weeks. I thought about the opportunities that await Living Hope as we embrace our new home. The common thread in all of these situations is that I don't have the answers or explanations. To be honest, I don't even know the right things to say anymore. BUT, "Hallelujah, our God Reigns"

That revelation, the image of God as reigning in my specific circumstance, solicits a response. My response will be a life abandoned to the will and way of Christ.