faithrunner

While I was at the DEEP retreat last weekend, Kim was preparing to take her Plano Senior High Cheerleading competition team to the ACA Nationals in Fort Worth . She has been the varsity sponsor for three years, and this year she leads the JV team. But she is integral to the competition team selection and coaching every year. The group came home with a National Championship in their division , High School Small Coed . Okay, only six teams were in the division, so it's not really a national championship, but it is still pretty good. Ask anyone who has ever competed in one of the events. Way to go, Wildcats! One last brag. Before Kim took over sponsoring, the PSHS teams had never won in a cheer competition--even when both of my daughters were on the teams. She has brought home banners (that's what you get for winning along with a trophy) 3 out of the 4 years she has taken a team, and they were 2nd the one year they did not win. Look out Pat Summit and Bobby Knight, Kim Wilkes ha

The DEEP retreat last weekend was a high-water mark in my experience as a follower of Jesus. I truly experienced how the message of Jesus crosses religious, social and racial barriers. Markus and I were part of the 1oth annual Diversity Educational Exchange Program between two Seventh Day Adventist universities, Oakwood , a "historically Black Seventh-day Adventist institution of higher learning" and Southern Adventist University , a predominately White SA university. The schools have sent students to this event over the years, but this was the first time the presidents, administrators, and faculty were the participants. I am grateful to President Baker , an avid marathoner, and President Bietz for the opportunity to serve with them. We were all different . Race and country of origin could have been a barrier. We were Blacks and Whites and Latinos, and we came from different countries and socio-economic stratas. Our expressions of faith were different. Adventists hold to