I’ve been listening to some sermons from Desiring God over the past week or so, discussing the Supremacy of Christ in the Postmodern World. In one of the sermons, Tim Keller talks about this topic in regards to the Gospel, and he brings up the point that it’s really hard to understand what it means to be saved by grace until you’ve been humbled. He quotes John Newton on this idea, and I can’t seem to get it out of my head:

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.

‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“‘Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”

So we got knocked out of the winner’s bracket in softball. But fortunately, it was double elimination, so we still had a chance, it just meant we had to win more games…

Which, of course, we did!

The championship was scheduled for Wednesday night, and if we won the first game, we would have a double-header with the same team. If we lost the first game, we would have been eliminated. Well, needless to say, we won the first game 30-6. On to the second game, which was the *actual* championship match. Yeah, we won that one too, 24-10 or so

And my claim to fame? I hit a three-run shot over the fence. The exciting part for me is that it was my first *ever* out of the park homerun. And it came in the championship match. So yeah, something to tell the grandkids I guess!

Oh yeah, and as you may have guessed from the post title, we won last year as well!

Thanks again to those of you who put up with the cold and drizzle to watch the games!