West Virginia, Iowa, and Pat Robertson

I don't think you'll have a hard time connecting the two pictures. Congratulations, West Virginia. You completely dismantled my Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl. Ouch!! I'm guessing that the Sooners will never accept another Fiesta Bowl invitation after two consecutive losses there.

The sports media machine was already gearing up to say that the real national championship should have been Oklahoma and USC. Now, all that falls by the wayside. Also, since the Mountaineers won without Rich Rodriguez, I'm wondering if Michigan is rethinking their hire.

Bill Stewart WVU’s interim coach last night had the greatest job interview ever! And indeed, early this morning it’s being reported that he will named the new WVU head coach today. That was a great win for the West Virginia players. Now, in spite of all, the Oklahoma Sooners still have won more games than any team since WWII and since the AP started keeping records. They also have scored more points than any college football team. They have had more 10+ and 11+ seasons than any college team in the country. So I will remain loyal always to my favorite football team. Oh well. Sadly, for all practical purposes, college football starts again in 8 months.

But there are still a few games remaining. Tonight is a game few people outside the states of Kansas and Virginia care about. The BCS thinks that their chaotic system is good for college football because it supposedly "stirs up interest" in the sport. Instead, it creates match-ups that few people find especially compelling. USC against a 3 loss Illinois team. Georgia-Hawaii. Kansas-Va Tech. Hopefully, this one will be compelling. It's a great story for VT as a tribute to the university, families, and victims of the shootings last year. But I’m pulling for another great story that has been taking place there in Lawrence with Mark Mangino and the Jayhawks and quite frankly the Big 12. I hope they win. The big one, of course, is Monday. I'll reserve comment for now.

On an unrelated note, more people are interested in the football game tonight than the Iowa caucuses. Please--can't we come up with a better system for electing a president? It's almost like we've attempted to make the system dysfunctional purposely to hinder great potential candidates from getting involved. Speaking of which, one of my new year’s resolution is to not receive any more Ron Paul emails!!

Finally, God has allegedly spoken to Pat Robertson again, (see foxnews.com/story—January 2, 2008) This time God told Pat that there will be violence round the world in 2008, the US will go through an economic recession, and in 2010 the US will experience a stock market crash. Pat, with much respect and love, I believe that you need to readjust your "hearing aids." Do you remember when you predicted a nuclear weapon going off in the US? Or the time you said that you could squat 2000 pounds? Why does anyone listen to this guy? Why do media outlets report it? Is he that starved for attention? Do they love making fun of religious folks?

There's no conspiracy here. We're just all so interested in the oddities of life in order to distract ourselves from the severe issues facing us. Maybe we do need a little comic relief from time to time. But after a while, certain things boarder on the ridiculous. Can we stop with the "God told me there would be disasters" nonsense? Please. Do you want to know what God is interested in? Let me give you one of many passages where you can find what God wants us to know—the Bible!!

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?"~~Micah 6:8


There you go. Try this for a while and see what happens. God isn't in the destruction business. God is in the business of making all things new. (Isa. 43:18-19; John 6:63; Rom. 8:9; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rev. 21:1-5) Ah yes, there is a common link in these three random thoughts. All of them show the folly of prediction. No one can predict the future. It is not being played out from a script. No one knew WV would beat Oklahoma, just like no one knows who will be president next time, and just like no preacher knows what 2008 holds. We can forecast trends, but prediction isn't in our bag of tricks. It hasn't happened yet. Instead of guessing what might occur, we're better off living today, right now in anticipation and preparation for something we do know is coming one day: the return and judgment of Christ. Let’s all remember the apostle Peter’s admonition: “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand (i.e., destruction of the world—rp), beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.” (2 Peter 3:14).
Those are some of my thoughts on a little sad and sour Thursday morning

God bless,
Robert Prater