Opening Ceremonies

Now there's the Russia I remember!  Daddy and Mommy grew up when it was called the Soviet Union, the place of nightmares where any moment a nuclear bomb could come flying (unless Sting was right when he hoped they loved their children too).  Remember "Firefox," "White Nights" "The Day After," "The Hunt for Red October," or pretty much any James Bond movie from that era?  And of course, there's the ultimate classic "Rocky IV."  Ivan Drago wanted to crush us!  Or how about that old Commodore 64 game, "Raid Over Moscow?"

Back before anyone knew that much about the terrorists we face today, our biggest fear was the USSR.  All we learned in the 80's about the Iron Curtain is that you didn't want to be behind it.

And there was probably a lot of truth to that.  Tonight, broadcasters were quick to remind us of that over and over again, as the Opening Ceremonies in Sochi took place.  Tonight, we got a glimpse of Russian history through dance, ginormous glowing horses, and the usual surreal performances you can only see at an Olympic Opening Ceremony.  It was incredibly awesome.  As in, "Ivan the Awesome."

Madison, Mommy and Daddy munched on popcorn as we watched the presentation, which was simply incredible.  It rivaled the Beijing Opening Ceremonies, although we still prefer the Chinese one for obvious reasons.  The use of technology was stunning, and the visuals were astounding.  

The parade of nations was long - Madison almost didn't make it through all that.  She got really excited when China came in, of course.  And the countries didn't come in alphabetical order either.  Well, they did.  It just wasn't our alphabet.  Remember, this was Russia.

There were so many great visuals.  It was a great thing for Madison to see, and absorb somewhat.  If anything, she learned a lot about all sorts of new countries tonight.  Mommy and Daddy did too, which is sort of funny.  There's always a few names that are called out and you're sitting there like, "Wha?  Where's that?"

And, of course we love the countries that have no snow in them whatsoever competing at Winter Games.  All those island countries, or African desert/jungle countries - it's fun to see them march in.  Of course, the fan favorites in that department are the Jamaicans, who have a legendary bobsled team.  We'll watch "Cool Runnings" before long, as Daddy is wanting to show Madison that over the next few weeks.  It's going to be fun seeing a few of these types of movies together.  Daddy found our copies of "Ice Princess" and of course, "The Mighty Ducks."  Also on the cue:  "Anastasia."  We have that somewhere, but hadn't seen it yet.  I think the Rasputin part was kind of creepy or something, but she's old enough now.

ANYWAY, it's a great teachable moment this month.  We're learning these sports, we're seeing the Olympics again, and we're learning a bit about geography, where all these countries are from and where Sochi is. Which is still a big question for Daddy.  Sure, it's in Russia - but where exactly again?

We enjoyed the Summer Games in London, but these are the Winter Games, which Madison saw last time when she was three years old.  We were at the other house, and watching a lot of it on the computer, including Kim Yu-Na's performance.  She's back again this year, so we'll surely be watching that.  Can't wait.

The rest of the day was a Friday.  Madison was at school, and got an invitation to a Valentine's party next Friday with her friend Elizabeth.  We'll probably go, really.  We initially had plans for Florida next weekend, but might push that off until Spring Break.

Madison fell asleep before the flame came in to light the cauldron, but we'll show her some excerpts tomorrow (if there's time).  We have a pretty busy day planned for her tomorrow.  Somehow, we'll have to squeeze in some piano though - we haven't gotten any of that done yet this week.  It'll be tough tomorrow, because there's just so much going on.  Madison will really enjoy her day we've got planned!

Daddy was at work most of the day, preparing for the weekend.  The next post of the Winter Games Devotional is below, based on a neat Olympic story he read today.  As we close up, take a look-see:

"Even if godly people fall down seven times, they always get up." Proverbs 24:16 NIrV

Take a look at this photo – India's Shiva Keshavan took a major spill today on the luge track.  When you see this photo, consider the fact that the average luge speed is 80 miles per hour!  

Now prepare to be amazed:  Shiva Keshavan actually finished the race!  Somehow, even though he fell face down on the track still going at a blazing speed with no idea where his sled was… he was able to grasp that luge.  And in one swift move, he was back in the race as if nothing ever happened!

The Bible tells us "though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again." Though he made a big mistake, his instinct kicked in:  he was going to finish that race no matter what.  His country sent him to the Olympics to finish, and nothing was going to stop him.

God sent YOU here to finish a race, and if you fall – don't panic.  Everyone makes mistakes.  Just get control of the situation, do your best, and hold on:  He'll get you to the end of the track, where you'll smile and say, "I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."