KLOVE Racing

“I don’t want to gain the whole world and lose my soul.”

“Write your story on my heart.”

“The honest cries of breaking hearts are better than a hallelujah.”

These are some of my favorite lyrics from my favorite radio station, KLOVE. KLOVE is a nationwide, listener-supported Christian radio station. They feature a contemporary Christian music format featuring such artists as Toby Mac, Amy Grant and the Newsboys.

KLOVE radio also sponsors a car in NASCAR, fast becoming my favorite spectator sport. Driver Michael McDowell drives the #95 KLOVE car. KLOVE sees their NASCAR vehicle as an outreach effort, hoping to make more NASCAR fans familiar with their Christian music and Gospel message. I think it is a unique and admirable mission outreach. While I have yet to see McDowell win a Monster Energy Cup race (I did see him win an Xfinity race), I always root for him to do well because of his connection to KLOVE and Christianity.

RACING ON A PRAYER

“Oh say can you see?” In the United States, amateur and professional sporting events usually begin with those words, the first lines of the National Anthem. It seems perfectly fitting and appropriate to me to pay patriotic tribute to our nation before boxing, basketball and baseball. But there is one professional sporting event in America that does more than just the Star Spangled Banner. NASCAR begins their pre-race event with a prayer. A Christian prayer. They pray to God. They say “in Jesus name, Amen.” I love it. The televised prayer comes just before the anthem and the four most important words in racing, “Gentleman (or Drivers) start your engines.” Why don’t more sporting events start with prayer? Why is only NASCAR willing to honor the Almighty? A couple of quick thoughts as to why: 1) NASCAR is very big in the South, known as the “Bible Belt.” The people of the Southern United States seem more predisposed to accepting Christian tradition. 2) Auto racing is a very dangerous sport and the prayer almost always requests that the Creator keep the cars and their drivers safe from harm. When you have large objects made of metal hurling around a circle at 200 mph, praying for safety seems wise. Regardless of why NASCAR does it, I am grateful they do. My son loves to watch NASCAR. And every week he sees the drivers and their pit crews praying on national TV. The prayer is always offered by a pastor, usually one from the local area of the race track. For those at the venue who are looking for a home church or some spiritual guidance, they now have a name and a face to look up in their region. And to the national TV audience watching at home, often on a Sunday, praying in Jesus name reminds them of God, maybe even convicts them of sin. Praying before the race is a win-win for everyone involved. Let’s pray that more of the sports world will follow NASCAR’s lead.

Blogging about Blinkers

We have lost our ability to use our blinkers. As a nation, collectively, we have lost our ability to use our blinkers. Just like we have lost the ability to resist trashy reality TV programming. The Kartrashians could move next to the Osbournes and they could open up lemonade stands in their driveways and it would be a top ten hit. I think our blinker issue is because of all the processed food we eat nowadays. Let’s blame it on the Twinkies. I am convinced there is some chemical in Twinkies that has altered our mental ability to anticipate and use our car blinkers. Even when Twinkies went away for a while (Oh, the horror. My therapist is still on speed dial.) we still failed to use the blinker. Maybe if there had been an afterschool special when we were younger about the trauma caused by not using our blinkers, starring Scott Baio and Cloris Leachman, we would have changed our blinker-avoiding ways. But we’re beyond that now. All because of Twinkies. And NASCAR. Yah, NASCAR doesn’t help. You don’t see Kurt Busch using his blinker when he cuts off Brad Keselowski on the third curve of the 240^th lap. That is about as likely as Jeff Gordon stopping in the middle of a race, blocking a lane and rolling down his window to ask Jimmie Johnson, “pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?” Not gonna happen. NASCAR vehicles don’t even have blinkers. When I die, hopefully not as a result of someone failing to use their blinker, I want a simple phrase on my tombstone. “He always used his blinker.” It’s true. Always have, always will. Except occasionally when I forget or I am in a hurry to get home because I really have to pee. But most of the time I use my blinker. It frustrates me when people don’t use their blinker. Perhaps we could save the younger generation by inventing a video game where the goal is to use your blinker. In order to save the queen, or win the battle, or plunder the treasure (or whatever you do in video games these days), you have to excel at using the blinker. Use your blinker and get 500 points. Use it two times in a row and get an extra life. Use it with your left hand while holding your cell phone in your right hand and you get nothing. Because talking on your cell phone while driving is even worse than not using your blinker. I can’t put anything about that on my tombstone because, in all honesty, I need to work on that. But you can put the part about the blinker. Maybe my tombstone could even have a blinker, a light that flashes on and on while the throngs of people come to visit my grave. Or not. Just when you come to visit, please use your blinker.