Madison vs. The Incredible Scorch

We had some fun with the Kinect again tonight, as you can see above.  There were some new applications in Kinect Labs, and we had a lot of fun trying them out.  We also had some fun sampling a few new game previews - one of them being Kinect Star Wars.  Daddy was not very good at pod racing, but Madison has apparently has a high midi-chlorian count:  she won first place a few times, where Daddy could never even crack the top three.  Go figure!

While serving up milk tonight, Daddy decided it would be fun to show that scene in Episode I:  the great pod race.  Madison enjoyed it very much, eyes glued to the big television.

Work today was somewhat like this:

As you can see, we're all still quite tired.  Mentally too - Summer Xtreme really took us out, and it might take a week to recover!  But there isn't much time for that:  we've got to prepare for a new series. Because our friend Josh loves the movie, we're going with the title "Go the Distance."  It's an Olympic-themed series, something Madison is just learning about in Summer School now:  she's made some crafts (first a torch, and now the Olympic rings using paint).  No doubt she'll be seeing a lot more of the Olympics - and so will you on these pages.  Daddy and Mommy have been to one Olympic Games, as we were blessed to have them so close in Atlanta.  Daddy used up all his vacation time to go to various events throughout the games:  basketball, dressage, jumping, rowing, track and field, baseball, soccer, and more.  The Olympics went to Australia and Greece next, but in 2008, they were hosted by China.  And lo, there Mommy and Daddy were again right in the middle of things.  We arrived just before the Olympic games and all the excitement that surrounds it - only we weren't there to see any sporting events.  We were there to see our little girl for the first time.

That was four years ago.  Can you believe it?  How it all goes by so fast.  Everyone knew London would host the next Olympics, but we never knew four years would go by so soon!

Daddy always wanted to go to the Olympics growing up.  There was something about the way it appeared on television, and something that drew me there.  What a dream it would be to actually travel to an Olympic Games.  When we discovered that Atlanta would host it, everyone scrambled for tickets.  What an amazing once-in-a-lifetime chance!  I remember not getting much initially when we hooked up with the lottery for tickets in advance.  I think we got rowing and equestrian dressage.  Still, that was an  honor to go.  But what happened next was odd to me:  tickets were available the day of the events, just by going to a venue and seeing what was available.  In that way, Daddy would wake up early each morning and make the drive to the rowing venue (Gainesville College back then).  He would stand in line and see what was available.

I remember Ye-Ye wanted to see the Men's Swimming competition most of all.  That's because he is a swimmer himself.  When the lottery determined that they weren't going to get these tickets, it was somewhat of a bummer.

And yet, the day of the event, Daddy got in line and saw the FINALS for this event available to buy!  Six in the morning!  Getting up early was finally paying off.  Daddy snatched those up so fast, and was honored to bless Ye-Ye and Nana with tickets to the Men's Swimming Finals.  I remember the moment I told Ye-Ye.  He already had tickets to rowing that day, and he wanted Daddy to go see the swimming instead.  But I wasn't having any of that:  Ye-Ye and Nana were going to go see the Men's Swmming Finals!

They told me that on their way in, people were offering all kinds of ridiculous money for their tickets - but they just kept walking by, and walking in to a seat at the place of  history.  America whooped up again!  They saw the event they always wanted to (while Daddy went to go see rowing with Aunt Shain and Uncle David).  I don't know who was happier - them, for getting to go, or me, for finding those tickets for them.  That was definitely a God moment - we were all so blessed.

As I said earlier, you'll be reading more as the Olympics approach, and maybe seeing some photos I'll scan as well.  In the meantime, here is the first message I've prepared for our upcoming series based on the Olympic Games, called "The Edge."  I sort of hit on the concept of archery a bit - it seems as if Hollywood is into the bow and arrow this year... here's the message:

     Easily one of the most thrilling events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was the Men’s 4X100 freestyle relay.  Each country had four swimmers swimming across the pool at amazing speeds, and many of those teams were way ahead of the world record.  By the last lap, it seemed as if the French team had things all wrapped up.  The announcers were already calling it a gold medal for France, who had a team member earlier exclaim that they would crush the United States in a race.  Yet, despite being a full body length back, U.S. team anchor Jason Lezak did the impossible:  he completed the fastest 100 meter freestyle split in history, and in the most thrilling finish of the Games, he helped the United States team win the gold by eight tenths of a second.     
     Eight tenths of a second:  that’s all that separated these two teams from gold and silver.  It’s such a sliver of time – it’s such an edge.  But that’s what it took to win.  And that’s what it will take for you to win:  the edge.

      How do you get this edge?  It takes something more.  More practice, more effort, more determination, more of everything.  If you want something you’ve never had before, you’ve got to do something you’ve never done before.  Like an Olympic athlete, you’ve got to train hard – and if you want gold, you’ll have to do more than anyone else.

      A long time ago, a king was asked by the prophet Elisha to do something simple:  get a bow, shoot an arrow, and strike the ground.  At this point, an Olympic archer would be delighted and filled with enthusiasm.  The king did as requested, but only struck the ground three times.  No doubt he felt foolish.  But the truth of the matter is he should have struck it many more times.  He should have done what God said with more passion, energy and determination.  Sadly, the king did not have that edge – and Elisha saw this.  More importantly, God saw too.

      The difference between those who win in life, and those who don’t, is the edge.  An archer aims for the target and will do all it takes to get a bulls eye.  You don’t have to be a hawk eye to be a champion – all you need is willpower, a sight set on the target, and faith in God to see you through.  All you need…is the edge.