Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The Boy Makes the Paper

When I was growing up, having my name in the local paper for scoring four points in a ten-year-old basketball league game was exciting. I guess seeing ones name in the paper is still exciting, and Mark had his name recently in the Pasadena Star News. If you cannot access the article, or if the cache is removed, here it is:

SOUTH PASADENA - Arcadia High School boys volleyball coach Chuck Freberg expected a battle when his team took the floor Tuesday against South Pasadena.

The Apaches appeared battle ready after giving their coach a glimpse of their resiliency during a three-game sweep - 25-20, 31-29, 25-19 - in a nonleague match at South Pasadena.

After dropping the first game, South Pasadena (5-1), the 2005 Division IV runner-up, appeared primed to tie the match by taking an 18-11 lead in the second game on a hard kill by Tim Tong.

Mark Stochl's kill gave the Tigers a 24-21 advantage and game point.

But Arcadia (2-1), ranked No. 7 in the latest CIF-Southern Section Division II rankings, stormed back and won the game on a pair of kills by Ryan Scott.

Scott led the Apaches with 15 kills and four blocks. UCLA-bound Kyle Matyas collected nine kills, and Eric Robinson-Curry had eight.

"We really stepped it up, blocking-wise," Scott said.

With the momentum squarely in its side, Arcadia raced to a 5-1 lead in the third game and never looked back.

"We were just fired up after coming back from a large deficit in the second game," Matyas said.

Tim Tong led South Pasadena (5-1) with 13 kills and a team-high three blocks, and Stochl had nine kills.

"Arcadia's been the No. 1 program in this area for the last 20 to 25 years," Tigers coach Todd Terzian said. "If you let down on your execution for a moment, they take advantage."
It was a tremendous game, and the Tigers could have won it. Instead, they fought to a three game loss, but gave the larger Arcadia team ll they could handle. Way to go, son!

On a related note, Mark was second team All-League for the Tigers as a defender in soccer. Even though he only played about half the games with a bad leg bruise, Mark's skills and competitiveness as a defender were obvious to all players and coaches in the Rio Hondo League. Another attaboy for Mark!

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Congratulations, Mike, on 500!

Former Minnesota North Star, current Dallas Star, Mike Modano has scored his 500th NHL goal, only the second American born player to do so.

For the non-initiated, this is an amazing feat. First, a man plays his whole career with one team is in and of itself a rarity these days. Seeing Joe Montana as a Chief was gut-wrenching, or Willie Mays as a (shudder) Met. Modano's longevity with the Stars is to be commended.

Second, 500 goals is a lot of goals, and is a huge milestone. Modano started playing in 1989, and 18 years of hockey in the NHL is a long time to play a fast and dangerous game.

I grew up in Minnesota and went to my share of North Star games at the old Met Center. That was when the NHL expanded from the initial six teams. I loved rooting for Bill Goldsworthy, Lou Nanne, Gump Worsley (what a name!), and the other Stars.

Of course, the North Star games were nothing compared to the excitement of the Minnesota State Hockey tournament, and here. I attended several of those as a kid, and they were the most exciting events I have ever attended. I remember the heroes of my youth playing for distant places like Warroad and Roseau, and for local powerhouses like the Edina Hornets.

I could not agree more with the Powerline guys about this being the greatest sporting event ever. And I absolutely LOVE this picture of the guys who just won the game. The sheer joy on their faces has no monetary price.

Congratulations, Mike Modano.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Prayer is a Dangerous Activity

We have been having Wednesday night prayer meetings at Arcadia Presbyterian Church. Nothing earth-shattering, for Baptists, but a step forward for God's "Frozen Chosen". They have been quite remarkable affairs. We even had sixty in attendance on Valentine's night. Either these people love Jesus, or they have no romantic life!

I came across this article today about a political opponent in Zimbabwe who was arrested and beaten after a prayer meeting! We in the West take the privileges and responsibilities of prayer far less seriously than we should. Brothers and sisters around the globe are dying for going to prayer meetings. As John Stott once said in Berkeley, we have no idea about the power of prayer until we also see it as a political weapon.

I do not believe he meant to put prayer in a partisan position. Democrats praying for Republicans to lose, and vice versa. However, the Kingdom of God does have political implications, beyond our present red-blue states, even beyond our Donkey-Elephant divide, even beyond the West versus radical Islam.

When I pray for God's "will to be done on earth as it is in heaven", this seems to have political implications. And too frequently in our divided times, the implications seem to be more on the "them" than the "us". If only Republicans would................... If only Democrats would................. It seems to me that we ought to pray for our own side, first, confessing our sins, and examining our own role in the social/political problem that has arisen. Too often prayer can be a means to maintain the spiritual status quo. We tell God all that needs fixing, out there, and we smugly go home, satisfied that we have done our religious duty.

I believe that prayer changes things. I also believe that prayer changes the pray-er, too. And the former without the latter seems to be a cheapening of what God intended in the first place.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Cal 76, UCLA 69

In the Pac-10 tournament tonight. What a sweet win for the Bears, who have really been struggling of late. Injuries have taken their toll this year, as well as the early loss of Leon Powe to the NBA. This win at least clinches a spot in the NIT for Cal, but maybe, just maybe, an outside shot at March Madness. Probably only if they win the whole tournament is the only way they will be in the Big Dance.

Go Bears!