Lady Dolphins Defeats Paxon!

In a very exciting soccer match the Gulf Breeze lady Dolphins defeated Paxon HS 2-1 in sudden death overtime. That means that this Friday night in Dolphin stadium the girls will host their arch rivals and District runner-ups Washington HS girls in the Regional Final. Friday's match has the potential to be one of the best girls varsity soccer matches the area has seen. I imagine their will be quite a crowd.

Happy New Year 4703 (aka 2006)

"We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery." - H G Wells

Today, 29 Jan 4703, is the first day of the Chinese new year. The 4703 is the year according to the recorded Chinese calendar. It is also the year of the dog. I am sure most of us have noticed the placemat at Chinese restaurants that have animals representing a year. These animals are cycled every 12 years and this year is Xu the year of the dog.

Calendars are one of those things in life we take for granted because of their established historical precedence but I often wonder how many people realize the complexity (astronomical observations) behind establishing and maintaining these time keeping methods.

Annointing With Oil

"How often I found where I should be going only by setting out for somewhere else." - Buckminster Fuller

Anointing with oil is referred to on several occassions in both the old and new testaments. Specifically in the book of James (ch5 v14) in the New Testament anointing with oil by the elders of a church is described as a way to help the sick. I have considered this action more of an act of faith than anything else but I just read an article that states reasearchers at Monell Chemical Senses Center may have discovered a compound (oleocanthal) in olive oil that is similar to ibuprofen. I only make this comment as a caution to myself against readily dismissing acts in the bible as being devoid of scientific or physical reality.

Regional Quarter Final Success

The Gulf Breeze varsity girls (25-2-1) defeated Panama City's Arnold High School 4-0 in a game where the lady Dolphins totally dominated an outclassed Arnold High School (17-8-1) team. The Lady Dolphins take on Paxon High School (15-4-3) next Tuesday in the Regional Semi Final match. FHSAA impressed me by updating the regional brackets in total before mid-night.

14 Consecutive District Championship Title

Kaley Morris gives Amanda Schermerhorn a hug after defeating Washington.

The Lady Dolphins soccer team won their 14th consecutive District Championship title last night by defeating B.T. Washington HS 1-0 in one of the best girls high school soccer matches I have ever seen. Both teams played hard and played all 80 minutes of the game. Gulf Breeze (24-2-1) will host Panama City's J.R. Arnold HS next week for the first game towards a possible Regional title.

Plane Hits Jeep

In the 10 years I have been commuting between Eglin AFB and Gulf Breeze I have seen a lot happen on Hwy 98 but I have never seen a plane being hauled off that had to make an emergency landing.

 

Seeing farther not clearer

"If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants" - Sir Isaac Newton

There was a great article posted on The Register , a techie news site, about the use of Google Earth to mislead/mis-report that USAF C-5 Galaxies on the ramp at the Glasgow Prestwick airport were part of the rendition flights transporting prisoners abroad. The sheer volume of data available via the Internet and the ease at which anyone can access it make me think about Sir Isaac Newton's quote above, but as I thought about that quote in light of the Internet each of us are not so much standing on the shoulders of Giants but on a shaky pyramid built by average individuals.

Always a good experience.

"God doesn't require me to succeed; he only requires that I try."

"We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love."
- Mother Theresa of Calcutta

Sunday evening about 40 of my brothers & sisters in Christ from First City Church got together at a local Soup Kitchen/Shelter called Loaves & Fishes to prepare and serve a meal for the homeless. Loaves & Fishes in the Pensacola area is a really awesome ministry and I am greatful that God has placed that opportunity to serve before us. I also think it is such a blessing to see so many K-12 aged kids from FCC helping out, especially the younger ages. These younger kids are seeing first hand that service to others is real and not just a great scripture to quote.

A Beautiful Day in Northwest Florida

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
"There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no causes that I am prepared to kill for."
-Mohandas Gandhi

I took a long walk this morning and thoroughly enjoyed the coolness of the morning, the crispness of the air and the beauty of a sunrise over the gulf of Mexico.

God is good.

Senior Walk Out

"I played soccer because my friends did. Besides we got sodas afterwards." --Mia Hamm

Tammy & I were reminded again tonight that our little girl is growing up. Amanda, a senior at Gulf Breeze HS and goal keeper for the varsity soccer team, participated in the "Senior Walk Out" tonight along with the 4 other seniors. The girls finished the night beating Pensacola HS 4-1. I think that makes the team 20-1-1 with one more game tomorrow against Washington HS before districts start.

A Change of View

"The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably, magnificent world in itself." - Henry Miller

I started my new position with Air Force Reasearch Labs , Munitions Directorate (AFRL/MN) yesterday. Time will tell but I believe the change will be a very good thing for me. After 10 years of working at Eglin I finally have a window and can see sunlight while I work. Something new to get used to.

Back Home

"Military power wins battles, but spiritual power wins wars."- Gen George Marshall

Well, we made it back from Tallahassee around 5:30pm. The Gulf Breeze varsity girls soccer team defeated Chiles HS this afternoon 3-1. That brings the the girls overall record this season to 19-1-1. Not half bad. Next Wednesday is senior walk out night. I imagine Tammy will shed a few tears as we walk out with our oldest daughter Amanda.

Friday night in Tally

"Everything you learned in school as "obvious" becomes less and less obvious as you begin to study the universe. For example, there are no solids in the universe, there are now absolute continuums, there are no surfaces and there are no straight lines." Buckminster Fuller


The Gulf Breeze varsity girls soccer team travelled to Tallahassee today to play Lincoln HS. The girls played great and won 5-0. Tomorrow we play Chiles HS at 1:00pm.

2006 In with a Bang

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - Albert Einstien

Well, 2006 has already proven to be a year with unexpected surprises. Last night my niece, who plays soccer with both of my daughters, got her right leg's fibula broken when a player from Milton HS rolled up the back of her legs. She is now part of the GBHS walking wounded;
3-torn ACL's (2 preseason with their club teams, 1 during a high school match)
1-broken thumb (car accident)
1-broken fibula (last night)

On a happier note Amanda got to kick a Penalty Kick and scored her first varsity goal. Pretty cool for a coach to let his goalkeeper take a PK.

E-Mail Time Capsule

"The map is not the territory. The word is not the thing" - Alfred Korzybski

I was reading the 01/2/06 daily devotional from RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministries) titled "Doors of the Future" and was intrigued by a web site Ravi referenced. A quick Google of the authors name, Matt Sly, revealed the FutureMe web site. This site allows you to send yourself an e-mail. The catch is the e-mail gets sent to you at a date, at least 30 days in the future, of your choosing. So if you want to ask your self how your 2006 New Years resolutions are going in 6 months send yourself an e-mail.

2006 has arrived.

"Preach Christ. Use words if you must." - St Francis of Assisi

I hope and pray that each of you had a safe New Years Eve and are now looking, with eager anticipation, to the year laid out before you. 2006 will be a significant year in my house. I am changing jobs starting the 9th of January but more significant than that is the fact that Amanda, my oldest daughter, will be graduating from high school in May and is currently enrolled at FSU for the fall.

On an unrelated note, the Times Picayune had an interesting graphic showing the status of the current population of the greater New Orleans area.