R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Thoughts

“One last point: Sometimes the tournament isn't rational. The glorious part of the tournament, of course, is that some things can't be explained.” ~ Grant Wahl, sportswriter and professor about the NCAA Basketball Championships (i.e. – “March Madness!”)

I don’t know about you, but I love the NCAA Basketball Championships! Our family really gets into “March Madness.” Every Year my younger brother organizes a Goodvin NCAA Championship Pool. He calls himself “The Exalted PoolMaster.” Everyone who is allowed in the pool must be related by blood to the PoolMaster or at least know someone who is related by blood to the Pool Master.” The winner gets a little plastic traveling trophy and $100 which is usually donated to charity unless someone really needs it that year. The second place finisher gets “You did a very good job” commendation. Third place finisher gets “You did a good job.” I love that we have all ages in our pool from 5 years and up. We e-mail almost everyday giving trouble to participants who think their team will win instead of ours, making comments about life, philosophy, and anything else that comes to mind. What I love about the NCAA “March Madness” craziness, is that no one knows how the games will turn out until they are played. We can figure and guess and look at statistics and read articles, but the way the games actually turn out sometimes can’t be explained. Sometimes the favorite team loses in the first round. Sometimes the little, almost unknown, school can upset the best team in the country. There is agony and defeat and the thrill of victory in every single game. And, of course, even though it’s not always rational, it’s going to be glorious for at least one team. I just hope it’s the team I picked! Without stretching this analogy too far, this tournament is sort of a microcosm about life. We don’t know how the tournament will end up until the last buzzer sounds. But you know what, even though we experience agony and defeat at different points in our lives, the real winners keep on keeping on. The real winners stand straight and tall and try again next season, even if they got beat in the first round this season. But the absolutely best part of all is that if we believe in God and are doing the right things and are getting up after our defeats and can see the glory in playing the game every day --- at the end we will definitely know the thrill of victory ---- a victory that’s promised and a victory so bright we can’t even imagine it.

“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long until the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 (The Message)

REPEAT NOTICE TO ALL BLOG VISITORS! I am near “at capacity” on this blog and am not sure yet how to extend that capacity. So if all readers could please send me a message at suzysuccess@kc.rr.com, I will have your e-mail address on file and I can get RADICAL Thoughts to you if something happens to this blog. (Technology is wonderful, but can be very frustrating!). I am going to be experimenting, and if I get it figured out before my space completely runs out we’ll be okay. But if not, I may have to start a brand new blog, so I don’t want to lose track of you if that happens. SO AGAIN, PLEASE SEND ME ANY MESSAGE AT suzysuccess@kc.rr.com. THANKS!