Word Champions

Why do we experience so much joy when our team wins? I didn't play an inning. I don't personally know any of the coaches or players (although I feel as if I do). But it's joy I feel. I just watched the Boston Red Sox win the World Series. They won four games to one over the Dodgers (the one game they didn't win went 18 innings and was the longest game in MLB playoffs history—and yes, I stayed up until 3:30am to watch).

You should know that I've loved the Sox since I was a kid. But this year has been special. Yes, they won 119 games in all (third place in all time most season wins). Yes they dominated the playoffs. But it was special to me (you might think this is dumb) because I watched more baseball—Red Sox baseball—than ever in my life! That's because I broke our TV when we moved back in March. Yes, that's right. And when we bought a new TV, Roku was a free service with the TV that let me choose to have the MLB Network for FREE (I would have broken that old TV much sooner had I known!). I also had a sabbatical this summer. I'm telling you, the only TV I watched all summer was Red Sox baseball, which I could watch anytime I wanted! And did I say it was free? Not just that, but Rich Hatter and I decided to buy tickets to watch the Sox play the Braves in Atlanta way back in February before the season started! He's a huge Braves fan and we thought it would be fun. We joked about how cool it would be if they were both in first place when they played in August—a date that seemed so far away! You guessed it, they were both in first place! And you know who won the game—swept the series in fact—the Red Sox!

The season was full of fun memories: so many late inning come-from-behind wins, so many home runs, so many impossible defensive plays, so many personalities! These guys were serious yet playfully fun. They really like each other. And they were humble. Besides all the other things I love (sometimes irrationally) about baseball, this team was special. And now they are World Series champions. Wow. I can't get this goofy smile off my face!

I was right, now it's official. Red Sox are #1.

Now, why does it give me so much joy?

First, because of something Jesus said. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). As I wrote in a previous post,

To understand [this verse], let’s get the images in two key words: “treasure” and “heart.” 

The word, treasure, is the Greek word, thēsauros. It literally means a “place of treasure,” where one puts one's investments. 

The word, heart, is the Greek word, kardia (yes, like "cardio" and "cardiograph"). It can mean the physical blood-pumping organ, but here "heart" is the symbolic “seat of the passions, desires, affections.”  

Now: notice the tenses of the verbs “to be”: “is” (present tense), “will be” (future tense). 

So here’s what it’s saying:
Where you place your investments NOW, that’s where your affections WILL BE.

Yeah, I invested quite a bit of time and interest in the Red Sox this season. I thought about them, I talked about them, I admired them. My affections followed.

Second, because there's something in the human soul that loves winning. It bothers me a little, but it's true. I like it when my team wins. You do too.

Ok, so here's my big point. God loves when we experience joy. It is a taste of the ultimate joy we have in Christ. Now because he is the only thing that truly satisfies here. It's also known as "abundant life." Later in an incomprehensible way when Jesus returns. That's because we win. Not just the World Series. Everything. Jesus conquers all evil and wins the final battle. Good wins in the end. And those of us who love him win big. We get God in all his fullness without hindrance. We get new resurrected bodies that are free from sin. We get the riches of heaven.

That's why we are crazy not to invest ourselves fully in him. God help me learn this lesson and invest in you with all I have and everything I am.

Yummy Low-Carb Brunswick Stew

There are certain rituals I love. Fall has quite a few for me. Yes, there's football, hunting, leaves changing color, MLB playoffs, the weather, fall fruits, and fall food. Regarding the latter, when the weather turns cool and ALCS and NLCS is happening, to spend a few hours making a big batch of Brunswick Stew. I didn’t have the time to do it before THE RED SOX WON THE ALCS (yeaaaa!), but today I finally did. Every year I make a big batch so that I can freeze a bunch of quart-sized containers. Brunswick stew makes the best quick lunch! I love having the option to throw a quart in the microwave and enjoy a hardy bowl of steamy hot goodness during the winter months. But I’ve been thinking for about three years that it would be awesome to have some low carb Brunswick stew, and I’ve looked and looked for a good low-carb recipe. When nothing tickled my fancy, I decided to come up with one myself. 

I must say…I think it was a success.

It’s basically a modified version of my old Brunswick Stew recipe with the following changes:

I replaced all the sugar with Sucralose (Splenda), the potatoes with cauliflower, and the BBQ sauce and ketchup with sugar-free varieties. I decided to keep the other sources of carbs (like corn and tomato puree), because I don’t know of an adequate substitute, but I cut the amount.

Here’s the recipe, make sure you have a HUGE pot because it makes a lot.

Chad’s Low Carb Brunswick Stew

Ready in 4-5 hours and serves 20 people

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves

1 large rotisserie-roasted chicken (yes, from the grocery store)

1 lb. pulled pork bbq (I bought mine from Buddy’s)

1 large onion (diced)

6 stalks celery (finely chopped)

1 bag (1 lb.) frozen shoe peg or white corn

1 bag (1 lb.) fresh frozen butter beans (the big brown/speckled kind, not the lima/green kind)

1 large (28 oz.) cans pureed tomatoes

60 oz of cauliflower half riced and half diced

1 bag (1 lbs.) fresh frozen okra 

2 cups G Hughes Sugar Free ketchup

4 tablespoons (=1/4 cup) sucralose (Splenda)

(Optional) 1 teaspoon dark molasses (to provide that brown sugar taste)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 stick butter

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup G Hughes Sugar Free Hickory BBQ sauce

1 bay leaf

6 tablespoons (=3 oz.) salt (more if desired)

5 teaspoons course-ground black pepper (more if desired)

Directions:

In a large stock pot (this makes over 3 gallons of stew), cover chicken breasts with water and cook until tender. Remove chicken from stock (keep stock/broth in pot!) and, when the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull chicken apart, removing any gristle or fat. Pull the chicken so there aren’t any chunks larger than your thumb. While the breasts are cooking, pull all the meat off the roasted chicken in the same way.

Return all chicken and pork to pot with remaining stock. Add celery and onions, and simmer until tender. Add the cauliflower, corn, and butter beans, and simmer an additional 20 minutes.

Finally, add tomatoes, ketchup, Sucralose, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, butter, bayleaf, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Cover and simmer at least two hours. Add okra last (about an hour before serving). Remove bayleaf before serving.

Stir often and be careful not to burn the bottom!!! Nothing burns like Brunswick stew, and it ruins the whole pot!

Verdict:

I’ve got to say, I was pleasantly surprised about how good it is! I mean, I seriously think I like it as much as the original! That says a lot!! This really makes me happy. I’ll be enjoying Brunswick Stew all winter long—with no regrets!

How many carbs per serving? Here’s my math:

Meats and celery and other- 0

Onion- 10g (net 8)

Cauliflower- 84g (net 28)

Corn- 68g (net 58)

Tomato Puree- 74 (net 58)

Okra- 16 (net 0)

Butter beans- 91 (net 70)

Ketchup- 16 (net 16)

BBQ sauce- 8 (net 8)

Molasses- 5 (net 5)

Total (almost 4 gallons) - 372 (net 251)

Per quart (huge bowl full)- 23g carbs (16g net carbs)

Per cup (little bowl)- 6g carbs (4g net carbs)

10 Reasons Why I Love Watching Baseball

A familiar sight: J.D. Martinez praising God upon 
rounding the bases after hitting a home run.

 

I’m making a confession: I love watching baseball. I have watched more this year than any other season in my life, primarily for three reasons: 1.) My favorite team, the Red Sox, are absolutely dominating Major League Baseball; 2.) I’ve got MLB.tv with our (minimal) cable package; and 3.) I had a sabbatical this summer that allowed me time to watch. There are a handful of things that cause me to relax and feel happy as soon as I start. Baseball is one of those things. It doesn’t matter if it’s on TV or live, the effect is the same. So I’ve been wondering, “Why do I love it so much?” On this short post, I’m going to attempt to make a list.

1. I so admire the skill it takes to play the game well. Whether it’s a high school game or the Sox, these athletes are just different from most others. They’re not the fastest, tallest, or strongest athletes in sports. But they are so specialized with certain skills, and could be among the smartest or quickest thinkers in the sports world. I was not a very good baseball player (probably due to that “smartest” thing), so that makes me even more impressed with these talented athletes.
2. It’s a thinker’s game. The rules are many and the strategy is multi-faceted. In many ways, it’s like chess with real people. It’s not just the coaches who must do most of the thinking. One small mental lapse from one player can cost the whole team a game. And often does. And it’s the only sport I know that keeps record of errors!

Who encapsulates class and courage more than Jackie?

3. There is an incredible appreciation for history and tradition. I love that the statistics are riddled with players from every decade from the last one-hundred-plus years. Very little rules have changed. The organ is the same. The uniforms are the same (including metal spikes). The bats are made of wood (I wish this were the case with all ages!). While watching I feel somehow connected with generations past.
4. It’s a game that is diverse. Baseball is no respecter of persons. You can be born in poverty in the Dominican Republic or be from a wealthy family in California. It’s the American pastime, but they play it from Japan to Cuba. I read that about 30% of MLB players were born outside the USA. You can be huge or diminutive in size. I love the diversity. Jackie Robinson. ‘Nuff said.

5. It’s a game that requires courage. You stand in the way of a hard ball coming at you at 100 mph. You sometimes have to dive to attempt a catch or slide head-first. The fights are few, but real. Please forgive me, but I love this part. There is a code of respect that demands repayment for those who do something dirty. Come in cleats up on a second baseman, and expect to get beaned when you get in the batter’s box. Then expect retaliation. And when the benches clear, it gets crazy! It’s a man’s world where pride and honor matter.
6. It offers a break from the usual stressors of life. There is just very little politics or cultural rot that spoils the experience. It occasionally happens, but for the most part people behave because they seem to be there to escape the societal noise, too. There seems to be fewer politically active players using their platform to make their causes known. I really don’t want to know about all their causes. I just want to watch baseball. I hope this doesn’t change.
7. It’s not as intense as other sports. Believe me, I love football. Grew up in a football coach’s home, played it for 13 years of my life, and have coached myself. But football is not relaxing to watch (or play). Basketball seems to stay intense the whole game—and especially the last two minutes (which takes a half-an-hour). But baseball has spurts of intense play and moments of incredible pressure interspersed with long periods of deliberate strategy and intermission. You can have ongoing conversations with others during a game. You can enjoy a hotdog, a pretzel, and eat a whole bag of peanuts, all while sitting down and without spilling your drink.
8. It’s like art marrying science. I almost want to call it beauty in motion. Especially at the professional level; the players catch, throw, and swing with such precision and finesse. They make plays together like a symphony. The mathematical unlikelihood of hitting a small, spinning, spherical baseball moving at 100 mph with a small cylindrical bat into a limited area of play without any of the nine opponents catching the ball…is just amazing in itself. And many players average getting a hit between 20 and 30 percent of the time (some even more)!
9. It is a study on persistence and consistency over time. You can have three terrible at-bats, but the fourth might be a home run. Then you can get in a slump for a few games followed by a hitting streak. Unlike football where you can’t really afford to lose more than one or two games (if that many when you’re in the SEC!), you can lose a lot of games, but if you consistently win more than you lose, you’re in good shape for the playoffs. It really is about who can do the best over the long-haul. A lot like life!
10. Baseball players are just cool. They seem so composed and unflappable. They will accomplish some seemingly impossible athletic feat and just carry on afterward with maybe a quick smile to a teammate. Awesome. I wish I could be so cool!

This one's just for fun. There's no spiritual lesson or observation here, except this: every good gift comes from God. I think baseball is one of those. At least it is to me.

Lessons From Sabbatical

Having been at Providence for over 21 years, I just finished my third sabbatical. As previously explained, sabbatical is a period of rest, research, and restoration for people in full-time ministry and other professions (like academia and counseling) so that they can avoid burnout and renew their creativity, passion, and effectiveness. Traditionally, a sabbatical occurs every seven years. The word comes from Sabbath (Greek, sabbaton; from the Hebrew, shabbath; lit. “rest”), which usually brings to mind the seventh day of the week, the biblical day of rest. Interestingly, the word is used for an entire year in Leviticus 25:1-5.

The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel… For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest…”

It wasn’t just for the land, it was for those who worked the land (virtually everyone in that day). It’s a good idea. And I’m so happy that Providence instituted it for full-time ministry staff from the start.
When I’ve run into people from church this summer, I’ve frequently been asked, “How’s sabbatical going?” I try to give a short answer, like, “Great!” But it never seems to suffice. So here’s one that’s a little more complete with the top seven lessons I’ve learned from sabbatical this summer.

1. I needed some extended rest.
I’m sure there are some who decry a long break (we provide a month after seven years, and two

Darla & I in a gloating selfie after breaking the paddleball record.
The beach was great (um, after the tropical storm that hit us hard)!

months every seven thereafter). I understand the sentiment. In fact you might be saying, “I’ve been working in my job for 20 (30, 40, whatever) years and haven’t taken so much as a vacation!” While that’s a little extreme (someone actually told me this!), the truth is I understand the skepticism of those who have never had a long break from work. I could absolutely do that too because I love my job! In fact, I kind of let this sabbatical sneak up on me and had to pry my fingers away from doing ministry at Providence. It took me about two weeks to just relax and stop thinking about all the things I needed to do.
Let me say it plainly: I needed this long break. Unknowingly, my attitude, focus, and energy was being affected by what has been an unrelenting last few years, the last one in particular. As the weeks wore on this summer, I could feel my brain decompress. I found myself reinvigorated for my calling and job. If you’re struggling, maybe you need a long break too.

Here's what it looks like today.

2. Building a house is not easy. 
Ok, so I already knew that. Let’s just say that Darla and I are learning this lesson even more! After unexpectedly selling our house and unsuccessfully looking for another, we decided (after a whole lot of praying and seeking wise counsel) in June to bite this thing off and build ourselves, so we bought some property near Edgemoor Road, about 15 minutes from Providence. Whew! Making decisions, finding and scheduling subs, and getting all the details worked out is why people wisely pay contractors. And we’ve really only just begun. Seriously, we feel like we're learning a whole new trade (and I guess we actually are).

Here's the goal!

I’ve also met some good people who I would have never met otherwise and have had some great spiritual conversations. I'm super thankful for friends who are helping us and for Darla who is doing most of the contracting (especially now that I have to go back to work)! She's really organized and I'm good at shooting the bull. A great combo!!

3. Writing a book is real work. 
I’m not a writer so maybe it’s just me, but this task is HARD. I spent several days this summer researching and writing about my dad. It is exhausting! And I feel the proverbial mountain I have to climb to get this book written just keeps getting higher as I write.

A 38-year-old Ken Sparks

Some of the hardest parts include these three: 1) interviewing key people who have first-hand accounts, 2) working through the piles of articles, videos, and statistics to find what I need; and 3) fact-checking all the stuff, especially regarding some of the important games I think need to be described (probably not for the reasons you think!). And it’s emotional for me! I can watch a video on him and be in tears.
The next one is related…

4. I’m reminded how blessed I am for the earthly father God gave me. 
Ken Sparks was a great man. He lived and died well. I pray I can be a steward of his legacy and be like him in so many ways.

5. It's great to see what other churches are doing. 

This is a church in Georgia that has a similar mission & vision
as Providence that we visited. And yes, that's Dara leading!

I got to visit a wide variety (regarding style, tradition, and size) of churches this summer. All of them hold to God’s Word as true, all were fantastic (I tend to not be critical), and I learned things from each of them. I collected lots of printed material, shot lots of pictures and video, and made lots of notes. It seems I always heard from God when I went to worship, regardless of the church. That in itself is a lesson! I love that God uses so many churches who do things so differently to reach all kinds of people. I felt kinship with them all. I look forward to discussing with our staff and elders some of the things I experienced that might help us be better at Providence.
But all that visiting other churches makes the next lesson I learned even clearer...

6. I love Providence Church more than I ever knew.
I really do. The church is a group of redeemed people who have covenanted together to accomplish a mission. I love our people. I love our covenant together. I love our mission. I feel more committed to Providence than ever before! The really cool thing is that our church grew (over last year’s numbers) while I’ve been away! That shows what I already knew: Providence (unlike some churches) is about much more than merely following a man (unless the man is Jesus!). There aren't many pastors who stay at churches for 21 years (my 101-year-old grandmother who was a pastor's wife is still amazed), and there are even fewer who can honestly say that there's no church in the world where they'd rather serve than the one they're at. I'm so grateful. I can't think of a godlier group of elders, I can't think of a better staff, and I can't imagine a better group of people than those at Providence. What an awesome spiritual family I have! I have missed being with my church this summer...a lot!

7. I love my wife profoundly. 
Of course, I already knew this. But this break has given us significant time together. I’ve never gotten tired of her and she never gets on my nerves (I don’t think she could say the same of me!). As cliched as it sounds, she really is my best friend. We laugh together a lot. We are totally on the same page spiritually. We work well together and compliment each other’s giftedness. She has been through more hard times in the last year than any other year in our lives, and has come through looking even more like Jesus. I am amazed by her and more in love with her than ever. I made a great choice 29 years ago to ask her to be my wife. I had no idea how great. God had something (read: everything) to do with that.

There were many more lessons learned that I could tell you about like, "Life is possible without social media," "Sugar-free gummies cause violent stomach problems," "The beach isn't fun in tropical storms," "Extroverts need people around," "Abstaining from reading/watching news makes you happier," "Beagles like skunks," and "Ticks & mosquitoes suck" (there are stories for all of these!). And many other good things happened this summer. Among them, I read some good books, hiked some great hikes, made some great new friends, ate some good food, caught up on sleep, got to watch a lot of baseball, and (most importantly) spent some great time with Jesus. Thank you Providence, for allowing me to have this time!

Déjà Vu: Sox are Through.

Ok, indulge me a little hyperbolic sports drama.

It's been almost a week and I'm still not over it. The Red Sox are done for the season. I'm experiencing this subtle underlying disappointment. It occurred to me yesterday that I used to feel like this all the time! This is only the third time in the last seven years that Boston has not played in the American League Championship Series. But as most baseball fans know, this level of success has not always been the norm for the Sox.

I've been a Sox fan since the late 1970s. Until 2004, I felt like I was the only one in Knoxville! Here's how it happened: Like most other East Tennessee kids who were not Braves fans, I liked the Big Red Machine—the Cincinnati Reds. Bench, Rose, Morgan, Pérez, Concepción, Griffey, Foster, all led by Sparky Anderson—those guys were great. A really cool style among teenagers back then was to wear one of those fake plastic batting helmets. I wanted one and couldn’t find one anywhere. Some of my friends got theirs at Six Flags in Georgia for $6. Soon thereafter, I went with my church youth group to Six Flags determined to buy one for myself with $6 I had saved. All day, I walked the whole park seeking one of those Reds helmets, to no avail. The Reds were so popular! Finally, at the end of the day, I decided to just buy a helmet of another team. At that time, the Red Sox helmets were red with a navy blue bill, and looked really cool. Pointing to one, I asked the vendor, “What’s the team with the B?” “Boston Red Sox” was the answer (I should have known, they had played the Reds in the 1975 World Series). I bought one. While walking across Six Flags, people kept giving me the “thumbs up” sign saying, “Go Sox!” That was cool. So I started keeping up with them. I started collecting baseball cards and collected all the Sox cards. I fell in love with Rick “the Rooster” Burleson, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Carl “Yaz” Yastrzemski, Butch Hobson, Dwight Evans, George Scott...I can remember them like it was yesterday.

(This is my favorite player Rick Burleson in that cool red batting helmet!)

In high school I got to visit Boston and saw a few Sox games in Fenway. Then I was hooked. It was magic. I also got to see them play in Texas, Atlanta, and Baltimore. Like all true Sox fans, a tragic moment in my life was when the ball went through Bill Buckner’s legs in 1986. I’ll never forget it. I found out later that he is a Christian. I actually got to meet Buckner in 1999. I introduced him at an FCA banquet (I had forgiven him and said nothing of his infamy).

Point is, through all those years, I always got myself worked up that this was to be a championship year. And it never was. In fact, most years we didn’t even get to the playoffs.

That’s why I’m experiencing déjà vu. I’ve been here before. Left feeling empty after the one team I have stood by through good years and bad failed to get past the wildcard series. It’s the team I have loved irrationally and emotionally who play a sport I was never really good at but that I respect and enjoy watching. I really thought they would do it! All my shirts, hats, and jerseys are now useless to me (not really) until next April! That's sports!