"Down She Goes"

Wretched is Moving...Todd Friel just sent a picture entitled “Down She Goes”(excuse me while I pick up that name I just dropped) It is bitter-sweet for me to see them leave this set that has been so comforting, and well, so Wretched for me. I know Todd and the entire Wretched Crew is excited about their new digs...Can't wait to see the new studio, and see what God will do with and through this amazing ministry. Praise God for Todd Friel, Joel Anderson, James Braaten, Tony Verkinnes, Adrian Rink, Won Jang, Blake Ashworth, Joe Wellness, Trish Ramos, Bruce Dorman, and any other Wretches I may have missed. Whether or not you guys know it, you are instruments beautifully played with the Master’s own hands that bring the saving Gospel of our Lord and King Jesus Christ to a world of false converts, and straight-out lost souls. We thank you for all your hard work, labor, and dedication to Jesus. Thank you for the sense of anticipation we get from the very first note of the theme song, or the glimpse of Todd’s tall frame standing in front of the elevator greeting us with a funny quip, or a profound thought just before he hits the button to start the show. Thank you 554 W. Main Street, you have served all very well, but now is the time to move on, the time to say farewell.

The Super Bowl Of Life

So Friends, got any big plans for this weekend? Have you been procrastinating something all week or longer and now you have no choice but to do it this weekend?

You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Boy, Al has really lost it, it’s Super Bowl Sunday, and what could be more important than that?” I know for some it is an extremely significant event. Others (like me) have no dog in the hunt, (Or should I say no dolphin in the tank) as I am a lifelong Miami Dolphins fan.
Even people who are not football fans watch just for the multi-million dollar commercials. Imagine that, we feel compelled to watch the premiere of these commercials that at first or maybe even a few times at best will cause us to laugh, think, or even cry. But inevitably, ad nauseam bombardment of the airwaves will most likely cause us to change the channel at the first flicker of its unmistakable light, the very first syllable of dialogue, or that oh-so-familiar first note of the soundtrack we all (like robots) uncontrollably hum from a remote cubbyhole in our vast and remarkable unconscious mind we forgot even existed.

I hope even with the “Big Game” looming on Sunday, you will take plenty of time for family, and maybe call that old friend you haven’t spoken to in too long a time. Remember that those we have in our lives are divinely there for a precise reason and purpose. Sadly life is as transient as a vapor in the wind, and the world spins more rapidly these days it seems with all life’s demands for our time and attention. In all the hoopla of Super Bowl Sunday make a game plan, don’t punt away the opportunity to reconnect with friends and loved ones. March down the field methodically (one down at a time) towards the goal line that waits ahead. In this life, there are plenty of incomplete passes, and we will find ourselves in many 4th and long situations. Huddle with those that matter, complete the pass, and then go for the extra points. Unlike the outcome of the Super Bowl, when we are connected and engaged in the game, everybody wins, with no penalty flags thrown, for all offenses can be forgiven… but only upon further review.