Dear Colt McCoy,

(I know. I'm an Alabama fan. I shouldn't be writing fan letters to the other team's quarterback. But I'm a Christian before a football fan, and I would be amiss to not use this opportunity to recognize a testimony of God's grace and power in the life of one of His people.)

I know that this is not how you imagined your last game in college football. I know that the disappointment must be overwhelming. I am very sorry that you ended your college career helplessly on the sideline.

I have to say, though, that it points to the sovereignty of our God that He authored such a complete testimony from a single player's life. We've seen you win with grace. We've seen you lose with grace. Now we've seen you sit out with grace. The last is definitely the greatest challenge, but you rose to that challenge. As your Christian sister, I am grateful for your faithfulness. Thank you for using every opportunity to speak with grace, and for not missing a chance to point to the One who matters above all else.

I'm an Alabama fan, so I was very happy to see my team win. But I gained the most pride from you, Mr. McCoy. Keep standing on the Rock, dear brother. See you in the NFL!

Gratefully,
Hannah A.

The Day Hath Come

Today is the most important of unofficial Alabama state holidays (and let me tell you, that's a stiff competition). That's right, today is the day of the Iron Bowl. The Iron Bowl, for those of you who aren't affiliated with Alabama, (or worse, don't care for football [gasp!]), is the title given to the Alabama vs. Auburn game.

I've heard some people say that there are other rivalries that are just as intense, but these people have never experienced the phenomenon that is the state of Alabama the week of the Iron Bowl. Everything centers around this one game. Coaches have lost their jobs, Mike Shula most recently, due to an inability to win this single game. Even in the midst of Alabama's currently undefeated season, it just isn't good enough until we see a "W" representing the defeat of mighty Auburn.

Allow me to say that my best friend is an Auburn fan. More than that, she and her husband graduated from Auburn. He even received his Master's degree from Auburn. For them it is a moral battle. I can understand where they're coming from, but I just can't cheer for the orange and blue.

I'm an Alabama fan. I have no good reason. My uncle is an alumnus, and Edwin's brother attended for a time before transferring. That's as closely related to either school as I get. For whatever reason, Alabama Crimson is simply a part of me. My dad's an Alabama fan. Edwin's an Alabama fan. After years of cheering for Auburn, my mom is an Alabama fan, as is my brother. Nicholas, who just joined the family, is still cheering for the dark side, but he'll come around.

We're getting a pizza. I've made nacho cheese sauce and cookies. I hope that it will be a good game, a close game. But at the end of the day, I hope that this ridiculous losing streak to our arch rivals will come to a close.

Oh, and ROLL TIDE!