I try to use my blog to address church, cultural, leadership and Biblical issues ... but I am vacation this week and decided to write about something that is heavy on my mind these days ... Gator football.

I spent my middle and high school years in Austin, Texas ... home of the Texas Longhorns. I would say I was a fan and, to a degree, still am a fan.  I mean, dad and I had season tickets for several years and it was fun and all.  But everyone seemed to know that the "real" football nuts rooted for Texas A&M.  I mean, psycho stuff like standing the whole game pretending they wanted to coach to put them in with the whole 12th man thing, bizarre cheers, no female cheerleaders, military band ... so back home, you had a team you liked but you weren't really nuts unless you were an Aggie.

Then we moved to Florida ... and to SEC football ... a place where people would introduce themselves, ask what you did for a living, then ask ... the all important ... "who do you pull for?"

It was my first Sunday in Gainesville, Florida on staff at a Baptist church when my family and I were being introduced to that church as the new Associate Pastor that the pastor I was to work for asked that million dollar question for the first time ... and in front of a large number of people ... "Paul, you are a Gator fan ... aren't ya?"  Considering my prospective employment by a church in that town, home to UF and in a church populated by students, faculty, parents of students, former students, prospective students ... there was only one answer: "I am now!"

On that day, I meant it as an obligatory and humorous answer but four years, several Homecoming parades, multiple trips to the Swamp (and other UF sporting venues) later ... I am proud to be part of the Gator nation.

In 2006 when UF ... ahem ... destroyed Ohio State for the National Title I was pastor at a church in Virginia where the church had too many Ohio State fans but, fortunately, my worship pastor was also a Gator ... it was tougher to be a Gator there.

But now we are back in Florida ... and just in time!  So in case you are planning to get me something for Christmas and wondering what I would like?  A National Championship would be just great. 

For those of you who don't get football, don't care to get it and can't wait until the season's over ... well you've almost made it.  As a matter of fact, this extended rant is an effort to get it all out of my system so you won't have to hear it from me anymore - I mean, except the next two Sundays then I promise not again until ... March (the Gators have a basketball team, too).

Now, if you pull for a different team then that is your prerogative ... but as a Christian person, don't we all have an obligation to support our guy Tebow?  Special thanks to Justin Stricklin for his Photoshop skills:

 Go Gators!