Not a football fan but Vikings fans...

I am about as superstitious as the next sports fan. I do not have a lucky couch I sit on while I watch a game (heck I only have one couch so it is luck neutral). However, I do live my sports life by the rules I learned in the playground in my time. And last night, there was a straight violation of the playground rules on calling a coin toss.

If you did not play sports or gambled on a coin toss, you may not have heard but:

"Tails never fails."

That is right. I don't care about odds. Don't give me the math. It is not a 50/50 chance. Tails never fails.

Going into overtime, with a Superbowl berth on the line, the Vikings call the coin toss. It went like this:

Ref: "Call it in the air."

Viking player: "Heads" (Saints fans began to cheer as they know they have won the toss before it is even flipped.)

Ref flips the coin.

Tails.

So, while not theological or even very deep. If you ever find yourself in the NFC Championship game calling a coin toss to go into overtime.

Tails never fails.

Humility?

Recently it was shared with me that Christian humility might be misunderstood. For instance, I recently heard a story about a person who experienced humility but the story shared was a story about personal humiliation.

I have not done a word study on the connection between humility and humiliation, I am sure that would be interesting. However, the fact of the matter is, while perhaps connected, humility is not the same as humiliation.

The last time I remember feeling humble is in worship a few months ago. Worship was going on and Reverend Nancy Allen moved down into the community and picked up a baby and read the scripture. The scripture was the story of Jesus calling the children to him. I do not know why I was floored, but I felt the overwhelming power of God move over me in a way that I was moved to tears. I actually had to leave the worship and sit in the back of the sanctuary to not be a distraction during the sermon. I became aware of the fact that there is so much to life that is beyond me, larger than me and yet encompass me. Yes, me.

When was the last time you felt humbled?

Filters

With all the information on the internet from the news reports coming in to the many viral videos circulating around. The emails which have been forwarded 100 times to the RSS reader "bolding" with each new blog post. Twitter and Facebook. Email and Texting.

I have never felt a greater need for filters in my life. Not so much filters to keep things clean or pure, but filters to keep the extra stuff out of that which I seek. It is like these filters are able to help me focus on what "is" rather than what "is not".

There are several filters in my life I use to remove the 'noise' in this information-polooza.

Facebook filter status updates.

TodaysBigThing.com filter viral videos.

Goodreads.com filter books.

Google Reader to filter all the blogs I follow.

Kyle Roberson to filter all things emergent church related.

Wikipedia to filter all my 'unknown' topics.

Rene Girard filters the way I read the Bible.

My wife filters true love. .

Seth Godin and TED talks filter the new and cutting edge.

TIME Magazine filters the news.

Nancy Allen filters spiritual things.

Mom and Dad filter love and support.

My brother filters the a lot of fun for me.

My son filters joy and innocence.

Who or what are your filters? What sources do you trust to filter out all the noise in your life?