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Not that this will win me any sympathy, but it’s really cold in Columbus, Ohio this morning. I know because I’m freezing already and I just got out of bed. Maybe my blood has thinned out since we moved south. People say that happens, but I don’t know if it’s true.

Or maybe I’m cold because we just spent a week in Florida where it was in the 60s most days.

Or maybe I’m cold just thinking about joining 105,000 other fans at the Ohio State-Michigan football game later today. Careful readers of this blog know that our family cheers for the Ole Miss Rebels who are playing LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana this afternoon. So why am I in Columbus, Ohio? Well, I’m here visiting Bill and Mary Jo Price, dear friends we met through Word of Life. Today I’ll be going with them to the game. You needn’t ask me who I’m cheering for. They are Buckeyes through and through, and when in Rome (or Columbus), you know how it goes. So I’m cheering for Ohio State even though I can only name one of their players. I do know that Jim Tressel, their head coach, is a good man and a strong Christian. 

Yesterday the flight from Tampa to Columbus was raucous because all the Buckeye fans chanted O-H-I-O and then they sang a song that expressed their disdain for Michigan. It would be the same only in reverse if we were in Ann Arbor.

I don’t know what else to say about the game because I’m an SEC man. I know that Michigan has had a tough year and Ohio State is a huge favorite. When we drove past Ohio Stadium last night, Mary Jo pointed out that this is “the house that Woody built.”

Did I mention that it’s cold in Columbus?

I don’t think I brought enough warm clothes so I’m planning on taking a blanket or two or three. True Big Ten fans would say it’s not cold at all. After all, it’s not snowing–yet. An Ohio State fan wrote me and said that I would probably start crying when I see the Script Ohio. Anything is possible, but I think it’s gonna be too cold to shed any tears today.  

Tonight we had the opening service for the Word of Life Mid-Year conference in Columbus, Ohio. Although I usually stay in hotels when I do a conference like this, this weekend I’m staying with Bill and Mary Jo Price. They are dear friends whom I met through Word of Life a few years ago. Bill picked me up at the airport, then he and Mary Jo took me to lunch, and tonight they came to the service. We met in the church gymnasium with people sitting around circular tables. I enjoyed that because it created a very informal setting. I spoke tonight on the conference theme–Credible, Authentic Leadership. At one point early in the message, trying to illustrate the point that true credibility takes time to develop, I spoke to a man seated at one of the tables and commented that he didn’t really know anything about me and that if he wanted to know what I’m really like, he should ask Marlene or one of my three sons. They could tell him the whole scoop on Ray Pritchard. The crowd laughed when I said that. About 20 minutes later I went back to him again to make some other point (I forget what it was) and called him “Tim.” Only his name is John. “There goes my credibility,” I said, which drew an even bigger laugh.

I should add that the warmth of the meeting stands in stark contrast to the cold weather. No snow (though we may get some tomorrow) but the temperature right now is 24 going down to 17 later tonight. Tomorrow’s high is 25 with a projected low of 2, as in 2 above zero. Combine that with wind gusts expected up to 25 mph and you’ve got the makings of a cold January weekend in Ohio.