After last night, I'm hedging my bets. Couldn't you just feel the game -- if not the entire series -- turn with David Eckstein's gritty 2-out, 2-strike single to left. An Edmonds walk was followed by "The Great Pujols" hitting a moon shot to secure a dramatic come-from-behind win for the Cardinals.

Dave Karaff, a good friend from Hot Springs Village and a retired scout with the St. Louis Cardinals, once told me he'd never seen a hitter with quicker hands than Pujols. He showed again last night just how true that statement is.

I wouldn't at all be surprised to see the Cardinals overcome the depths of a 3 games to 1 hole and win the NLCS. The momentum of last night's win, coupled with the crippling way it slipped away from the Astros, is the kind of thing that can change an entire series.

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Tonight, I have the blessing of speaking at the Highland Lakes Fall Lectureship, hosted by the church in Kingsland. The theme for the week is centered on 1 Thessalonians 5.14-15: "And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else."

Each of the "urged" traits generates the nightly focus. It just so happens that tonight, my night to speak, the trait is "be patient with everyone." I'm not sure a guy has been less qualified to speak on the virtue of patience in the history of Christian ministry than me. As a fruit of the Spirit, patience is something with which I have my struggles. As a turkey hunter, as a parent, as a coach, as a husband, and even as a minister, patience is a virtue of which I could use an extra measure.

So, maybe today you can help me. If you were sharing tonight about ways to be "patient with everyone," what would you say? What are your strategies to be proactive (patient) rather than reactive?