The NFL draft is coming up this Thursday, and it is definitely one of the things that I look forward to each year. Not only because I am curious as to who the Cowboys will be drafting, but maybe more importantly, it means we’re just that much closer to the start of the NFL season. It’s a part of my personal countdown to September that starts with free agency and the draft followed by OTAs, rookie minicamp, training camp, and the preseason. This year’s draft is particularly more exciting for me because the Cowboys have a huge hole to fill at running back. I’m still hoping that AP will get traded to the Cowboys, but in the event that that doesn’t happen, I want to know who they will be drafting.
Every year before the draft, all the NFL teams go through a process of evaluating the college players. They come up with a board that ranks all the players at each position. They even have an overall board, where they rank who they think the best players are regardless of position. I believe this year, the best player overall is supposed to be quarterback Jameis Winston from Florida State. In order for each team to come up with these boards, they go watch players at the NFL combine and even invite certain players for something called a Pro Day. They watch the players run through drills which vary depending on the position that they play. They interview the players, and they watch their college game films. You can just imagine how much work they put in to evaluate hundreds and hundreds of players, and I’m sure each board will have similarities and differences among the different teams. Then on draft day, they use that board to decide who to pick based on what players are taken and what players are remaining. I can imagine it’s a lot of headache and pressure trying to pick players who they think will be successful in the NFL. If they miss on a pick that means time and money is wasted, and they’ll have to deal with a lot of angry fans.
Which really got me thinking, why would these coaches and scouts put in all this effort to make sure that they picked the “right” players? I conclude that it’s because we are imperfect human beings. Since we are imperfect, we need to find the best in order to succeed. For NFL teams to win the Super Bowl, they need a team filled with as many good players as possible. I don’t think there ever was a team that won the Super Bowl with a bunch of no-name scrubs. There was never a team that won with a lot of “Mr. Irrelevants” on their team. Mr. Irrelevant is the nick name given to the last player chosen in the draft.
On the flip side, we see in the Bible that God didn’t have to put in a lot of effort and research to find the best servants for Him to use. He didn’t have a servant board that ranked everyone from best to worst. He was able to use anyone even the most unqualified. God doesn’t have to stress because He is perfect. He can take a team of imperfect people and make them successful. Jesus had the first football team, the 11 disciples (Judas doesn’t count). They were a bunch of no-name scrubs. They all ran away when Jesus died on the cross, and yet God used them to build the church. God used them to spread the good news. God used them to really change the world!
When it comes to serving, it’s not about our worth. It’s not about our skills or talents. It’s about God’s perfection. It’s about Him. God can use Mr. Irrelevants like you and me to do great things.
From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
April 26, 2015
During Spring Break, my family went down to Orlando, Florida for our very first “legit” family vacation. By legit, I mean it was more than just a one day trip to Ocean City. My wife and I always wondered when would be a good time for our kids to go on a long trip and we felt like the kids were old enough and ready for one this year. Plus, to make things a little easier, my wife’s best friend recently moved down to Orlando so Kyunghwa was looking forward to reconnecting with her friend. And of course, the kids were super excited about riding the airplane for the first time and visiting Disney World. On the other hand, I was such a party pooper all along because I usually don’t enjoy going away to far places, especially to a super crowded place like Disney World. However, thanks to my wife’s “gentle nudge,” I eventually came to my senses and left with a happy heart.
On the second day of vacation, we visited Disney World. The kids were so hyped up for the very first hour but as soon as we started lining up to get into different rides, they weren’t so happy anymore. With the help of the Fastpass app, the kids were able to enjoy a couple rides without waiting in long lines but the majority of the time was spent walking around the park and waiting in lines. So our family’s first experience at Disney World was not so great after all. When people asked the kids about their favorite part of the trip, they don’t mention anything about Disney World. Both kids say that spending time at the beach was the best part of the trip. Oh well, at least my wife and I can cross it off on our list of things to do with the kids. If I were to pick the best or worthwhile moment at the Disney World, I would pick the parade that the kids got to sit up close and see all the Disney Characters in real life.
Other than the day spent at Disney World, we thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the time we spent together as a family. It was great not having to worry about giving rides, packing lunches and other work duties. On the last day of the trip, my wife’s friend took us to a local barbeque restaurant called “4 Rivers Smokehouse.” You might have been to this place if you traveled to Florida. It’s a family-owned company run by Christian owners. Their sign said “closed on Sundays” and their mission statement on their website is very powerful as well. “Our mission is simple – to use our God-given gifts to support the local community, schools, and charity organizations. At the foundation, the 4Rivers brand is exceptional products, community support and uncompromised honesty, integrity, and respect (4rsmokehouse.com). Not only was I impressed to find a well-established restaurant that advertises Christian values, I just fell in love with the food they served. If you ever visit Florida, you have to try eating out at one of the “4 Rivers Smokehouse” restaurants, this place was amazing! You know the saying “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” is definitely true. I would love to go back to Orlando just to eat at that place again and show my support for a great company that brings honor to God through quality service to the local community. And on top of their great food, they even had a separate dessert stand within the restaurant with amazing s’more brownies and huge cupcakes.
It was such a great ending to a busy and stressful vacation. What’s amazing is that despite all the bad experiences that I wrote about our time in Orlando, the pictures say otherwise. As I scroll through the pictures I only see the times of laughter, doing many “first time” activities together as a family and enjoying each other’s company. I’m looking forward to many more family trips in the years to come!
From Pastor Brian’s Heart
April 19, 2015