Stumbled and Fumbled!!!!!

I was watching College Football Live the other day and they asked "What Would Have Happened if Clint Stoerner hadn't fumbled near the end of the UT/Arkansas game in 1998?" For most of the Vol faithful we know it means that we wouldn't have won the BCS championship that year. On a rainy, misty fall afternoon in Neyland Stadium, the Vols ran through the T for the first time as the No. 1 team in the nation since the 1950s. All was right on Rocky Top. The Vols were 8-0 and ready to roll through the light part of the season. Arkansas brought their faithful en masse, as a crowd of 106,000+ was on hand. The Hogs were very much alive and well in the BCS hunt, and this was a rare SEC showdown - the latest two undefeated SEC teams had met in the season in almost 30 years.


But we weren't worried.


Legendary Vol Network radio man John Ward had it right in the pregame: "Everything...everything...is riding on this football game."


I was a student at UT at the time and I, my mom, and several cousins sat in the stands drenched beyond belief. When I say drenched I mean I can still remember how heavy my jeans were walking back to my dorm room. I remember having to give my cousins girlfriend a pair of pants so she wouldn't die of pneumonia on their way back to Murfreesboro. I remember my hair being a COMPLETE disaster. As in no relaxer could save me. 


That game was BRUTAL. Arkansas put it on us early. Everything was on the line. The undefeated season, the BCS championship and maybe the SEC championship as well. Tennessee fell behind 21-3 in the first half, but capped off a season-saving comeback with a Travis Henry touchdown run in the final seconds. Henry had 197 yards rushing and the deciding touchdown. The key play of the game and possibly the season occurred in the 4th quarter. Arkansas was nursing a 24-22 lead late in the game and was attempting to run out the clock. DT Billy Ratliff pushed Arkansas G Brandon Burlsworth into QB Clint Stoerner, causing him to stumble and fumble. Ratliff recovered the ball and allowed Tennessee the chance to drive the field and score the game winning touchdown.


The crowd went NUTS. I remember screaming like I had just won a million dollars. I've been at many games that took on way more importance than what a game should. This game ranks only behind the Tennessee/Florida game of the same year. My question today is what's the BEST game you've attended? GO VOLS!

Happy Birthday MA!

Ma,
I want to wish you a wonderful birthday today! You are the best mother a girl could ask for. You are supportive, kind, understanding, and have always been there for me. I'm not sure how a sensitive Cancer mother could deal with an OVERLY dramatic Leo child but you do it like a pro. All my life I heard girls say "Oh my mom is my best friend." You made it clear early in our relationship you were my MOM- the friendship would come later and it has. We've always been close and I have always been confident that I could tell you anything. As a matter of fact sometimes I forget that I can tell you everything. (Remember when I told you I was having a Pepsi and appetizers at Pat O'Brien's- you knew I had a Hurricane the entire time- LOL!) You're my confidant, my support, my soror, my stylist (LOL), and my travel buddy. You always support my decisions and you definitely let me know what you think. :-) I'm not sure how you know what I need to hear at the right time but you just do! You're the reason I love reading, the reason I wanted to be an Alpha Kappa Alpha woman, and definitely my guide to God from the womb. Just the other day at one of my jobs everyone in the room seemed to have siblings but me. Through our closeness (and 25 first cousins) I never felt that I missed out on siblings- you and I were enough. I love our family and I am eternally grateful that God chose you to be my Ma. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!


Your daughter,
Anetra

The Decision or What Lebron taught me about Dating

I, like the rest of the world watched LeBron James make "The Decision" on ESPN last Thursday night. I had heard earlier that day in a report from Chris Broussard that LeBron was leaning towards Miami. Poor Cleveland I thought. All that time, love, and energy spent on LeBron only for him to leave them ring less and alone. In the end he picked Miami. He left his steady gal, Cleveland, for the  Glamorous, Glitzy, Exotic Miami. The "Decision" reminded me of how I have been Cleveland, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles and Miami in past relationships trying to find my King.


Cleveland: In the beginning it was GOOD! The King could do no wrong. I was a "witness" to his greatness and I was sure a ring was just around the corner. We had incredible highs during our relationship. I thought the ride would never end. Then he began to lose interest. You know the feeling. He goes from 250 texts and 2 calls a day to a response text every other day.  So I begin a campaign to rein him back in. Telling him how great the two of us are together and how it's meant to be. He's not impressed. As a matter of fact he's kinda annoyed with me at this point. He thinks there's a better one out there.


Chicago: The King has heard about me around town. I'm the cool chick that can make a good pizza. I'm hot when I'm hot and when I'm cold I'm damn near a blizzard. I'm attracted to him he's attracted to me. I want him but I've had a superstar boyfriend before so although it'd be nice to date him- I've had better. We flirt a little but in the end I find someone with less issues and stick to what I know.


New York: The King knows he SHOULD date me but  he convinces himself that I'm just too much TOO for him. Too big, too bad, too fly, too perfect, too loud, too messy, too expensive, too much. Plus he hears that my crush on Amare Stoudamire is near stalker level.


New Jersey: All the guys notice New York in the crew not her little line sister hanging in the background. I've been her too. The King sees me. He's sort of attracted but not really. He's even heard from people that it'd be a good idea to date me but he thinks he'll pass. I try a few enhancements here and there but to no avail.


Los Angeles: No. I've never been a Clipper. I refuse.


Miami: I've been the hot chick. The party girl. Mysterious, sultry, and aloof. Paid the King no mind. I feign interest every now and then but if he decides not to date me I'll be OK. I have two guys in line anyway. I launch no campaign. I don't even talk about the guy all that much. People start to question if I'm really into him. I have a guy that I've talked to for a while and there's a new one on the horizon. I actually don't care if the KING dates me or not. He loves this version of me. Crazy I know.


Guess who he picks and promises rings to- Ms. Aloof herself. Miami. No campaign, hidden interest, and no shrine to his glory. The one who didn't let on that they liked him all that much. I'll keep that in mind for this next one. He keeps asking why I don't call...maybe he should re-watch "The Decision".

Dreams: Is God Trying to Talk to You?

“For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That He may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.” (Job 33:14- 18).

Last night I had the weirdest dream. My mom and I were waiting for my aunts to get ready so we could go on a vacation. I am not sure where we were going and why we were waiting but I kept getting angrier and angrier. I was ready to go SOMEWHERE or do something but I have no idea what I was waiting to do. I woke up this morning hoping God would give me some clarity. Basically He told me that I am waiting for something. I got that much, but now I want to know what. I definitely believe God speaks to me through my dreams. I mean let's face it HE is God and can talk to me anyway He wants to. I've had dreams that told of how a relationship was going to end. I've also had dreams about jobs, money situations, and travel. Now I can't wait to see what God will reveal about this one. There are about 121 mentions of dreaming in the Bible. Since I have been taught and believe God is a God of purpose that number leads me to believe they are pretty important.


In the Old Testament, the Lord used dreams for various reasons.

There were times when God used a dream to give a warning. Consider the twelfth verse of Matthew 2 where the Bible says, "And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way." The Lord appeared to the wise men here for the purpose of warning them not to return to Herod, but to go back home another way. In the very next verse Joseph is also warned of the Lord in a dream to flee into Egypt with the Lord Jesus. The very first dream that I have seen in the scripture is when God spoke to Abimelech and warned him that he had taken another man's wife. Obviously this is a common purpose of dreams within the context of scripture.

There were times when God used a dream to reveal prophecy. Joseph was a man subject to dreams and the interpretation of dreams. In Genesis 37, Joseph dreamed a dream about his brothers bowing down to him. If you know the story of Joseph, you know that the dreams are the only evidence of this occurring until he was promoted to the second in command under Pharaoh. For approximately 13 years he had nothing else but these dreams that told of the future. In my favorite book, the Book of Daniel, you will remember that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams that have a tremendous amount of prophecy in them. 

There were times when God used a dream to encourage. I would have to say that this is nowhere near as common as the first two, but I do believe there is an instance that could be construed as a dream for the purpose of encouraging obedience to the Lord. In Judges chapter 7, we find the Lord thinning out the army of Gideon before he goes to battle with the vast army of Midian. Gideon begins with 32,000 soldiers. In verse 3, we find that 22,000 went home because of fear and in verse 6, we find that 9,700 went home because of the way they drank water. This left Gideon with an army of only 300 soldiers. In this same chapter the Lord instructed Gideon that if he was afraid he should go down unto the host and then he would be strengthened. When Gideon arrived in the host, he heard a man telling a dream to another man. The interpretation of the dream just so happened to be that the army of Gideon was going to defeat the Midianites. Immediately upon hearing of this dream, Gideon was strengthened and he worshipped God. Surely the whole purpose for this man's dream was the encouragement of Gideon.

If you've ever thought that dreams just aren't that important just turn to the New Testament. In the first two chapters of Matthew, dreams are mentioned five times.


An angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Matt 1:20
Magi were warned in dream to not return to King Herod. Mat 2:12 
An angel appears to Joseph in a dream to go to Egypt and flee from King Herod. Mat 2:13 
An angel appears to Joseph in another dream and tells him to go back to Israel. Mat 2:19, 20
Joseph was warned by God in a dream to go to Galilee. Mat 2:22 


All five of these dreams were significant to Joseph and his family. They gave direction from harm. It is very telling that in the first few years of Jesus' life, his parents were taking direction from God in dreams.


Can you imagine your husband waking up and saying, "Hey, pack up. God said move so we're leaving today." Most of us would have told Joseph to stop playing, and yet Mary followed.


Just think of how many dreams you've had without even thinking that God was talking to you. Only recently did I stop to think that maybe I should pay attention to them or that God might have something to say to me through them.


Are there any dreams that you can remember now and say, "God really was speaking to me then." Have you ever received a dream that gave you direction for you life? Please post a comment.