The Cavs' Big Start

 

17-1

The Cavs beat the Raptors a few minutes ago to bring their winning percentage up to 94%, good for first place in the league, a position they have not relinquished since the start of the season.

I don't think anyone was expecting this. First-year head coach Kenny Atkinson has clicked with this team like a key in a lock, and the Cavs have been playing fast, high-powered, disciplined and consistent basketball. It sounds like some of the key improvements have been a better spread of minutes usage across their players, and better, faster ball movement like the Warriors of old (or Spurs - a little older). The result has been a healthy, happy, and extremely good squad that's shooting well, running well, and playing well.

Their single loss is against the reigning champs - the Boston Celtics, who have to still be the favorites to win it all until proven otherwise. But the Cavs fought for every inch of that loss, and they'll have a chance at redemption at home on December 1st. 

Thanks to this great start, I've become more optimistic for this team than I was when the season started. They look to me like a group that has what it takes to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. I think it's going to still take a little more time to get to the very top level, but I love the Cavs' patience in keeping up some nice roster continuity, giving Atkinson a lot to work with - and now it's finally paying off. I think they are already in the kind of shape where they could give the Celtics a good run for their money to come out the East - and who knows? If they can solve some of the puzzles that the Celtics pose, it could be a trip to the Finals that would have been a total shock to any analyst (myself included) in the pre-season. 

Mitchell, Mobley, Allen, Garland, and company are coming into their own. 

Hahn Daily Prayer II

It's time for my second run with Hahn Daily Prayer. The first stretch ended after 28 days - getting through a full cycle of the plan, but losing focus toward the end.

I'm recommitting and getting back on track without any changes; prayer never fails me. I fail to pray. All we can do is lift our eyes again to Jesus only, and give ourselves to prayer. More prayer, more frequently, like the persistent widow begging for the help of a gracious Lord. I will post updates here; looking to complete a 40-day stretch ending with Christmas Eve.

Day 2 (11/16): Got ahead and stayed ahead. I should do that as a matter of course, not as the exception. Getting and staying refocused on the Word and prayer.

Endurance Logbook Update

 

The Endurance Logbook is coming closer to reality, and ideas have evolved along the way. At the moment, I'm leaning more toward a slimmer, less bulky profile. My current planned specifications would be:

• 8 mil waterproof, tearproof Terraslate cover
• One folded 80#T Butcher Blue flyleaf (making 4 pages)
• 44 interior pages of Mr. Pen graph paper
• Inside resources (6 pages worth) including, in order:
• Intro to the Logbook, including a brief summary of the Imperial Transantarctic Expedition and explanation of the cover photograph
• Personal info page, including name, location, time, Scripture, contents, etc.
• Martin Luther LC III quote on prayer
• Unit Conversions
• Hahn Daily Prayer
• "A Clean Heart" Write-up

If I added another folded flyleaf, that would add space for another 4 pages of content. Ideas include hymns, a longer "A Clean Heart" write-up, a longer history of the expedition, or something else entirely.

I will probably order the Butcher Blue flyleaf paper in the coming days, and we will be one step closer to the first prototype. Most of the formatting work still needs to be done, along with rounds of test prints.

My current pocket notebook is Log and Jotter - October. I'll use FN Lake Michigan next, then Log and Jotter - November, then an early Endurance Logbook prototype, and then probably Log and Jotter - December before the very first official Endurance Logbook is complete and in my pocket.

Hahn Daily Prayer

 

Traugott Hahn was an Estonian pastor and a martyr of the Russian Revolution. Hahn went to sleep in Christ on 14 January 1919, joining 18 other prisoners who were shot one by one in a basement in Tartu, Eesti for their refusal to yield their faith to the rule of the Red Terror. Hahn chose to continue preaching in the underground church after most had fled. Once arrested, he did not despair but gave himself to the Word of God and prayer. Those who witnessed his final days were astounded and strengthened by the steadfastness of his silent, prayerful vigil, which continued even as he took his final, untroubled steps toward the peace of the grave. 

A couple months ago, I posted about Gerhardt Daily Prayer, a daily prayer discipline that I had developed and begun to use. With very slight modification, I rebranded it as Hahn Daily Prayer, and have now been, quite frankly, blessed beyond words by it. I want to use this space to update my time in this discipline, and thoughts and insights gleaned along the way.

24 Days In - This is now the second-longest I've stuck with a devotional plan in my life, behind only the summer of 2023 when I was praying 24 Psalms a day, with Psalm 143 as my "Hidden Blade." HDP uses a similar strategy, but with a higher total volume of the Word of God, song, and prayer during the day (to keep me from losing focus for an extended period of time) and a slightly expanded Hidden Blade, which I call 40 (143+957+434). My priorities have entirely shifted, with prayer taking the absolute top priority in terms of things that I cannot and will not forsake, each and every day. It's the first thing we pray in the Lord's Prayer: Hallowed be thy name. And it's happening during a time of life for me that is much busier, much less relaxed, and much more challenging and stressful than the summer of 2023 was. And yet the Lord is able to provide, protect, and fight for me. I would say a good summary thought / insight right now is from Martin Luther, a quote that is included in the HDP table:

"But now our enemies may confidently ridicule prayer and make a mockery of it. However, we shall still be a match both for them and the devil by prayer alone, if we only persevere diligently and do not become slack.” Luther, LC III

Or again, "All our shelter and protection rest in prayer alone." Luther, LC III

I am still incredibly weak, but I'm realizing that the solution to the weakness is continual crying out to God, not self-discipline through willpower, desire through goal-setting, or really any effort on my part. Our Lord simply wants us to ask him, trust him, despair of ourselves and trust him - first and foremost, through prayer. It helps to do so in a regular, structured, Scripture-driven way, and that's what HDP is doing for me. It doesn't have to be any specific structure.