The Playground of My Mind

This is only a test.

2009-11-06T16:49:00.003-06:00

I haven't blogged in six months or so. I just thought I'd see if any noticed a new blog post. And since I'm doing it, I'll make it worth your while.

There's a recently released album from Needtobreathe. Five reasons I like it:

Bluesy feel
great vocals
"Girl named Tennessee" makes me want to dance (but don't fear; it'll never happen)
alternate tunings
banjo!

Mondays

2009-05-04T17:21:00.002-05:00

I am trying to make it back into the blog world after a several-month hiatus. It's hard to get back into the swing of things. This time of year, I just want to be outside doing something--anything really. I guess setting behind the computer writing doesn't sound so glamorous when it's beautiful outside.

My thought for the day revolve around Mondays. I like Monday. In fact, it is easily my favorite day of the work week (clearly we can't include Saturday or Sunday in such a discussion). But I find that I have so much more energy and I get so much more accomplished on Monday. I guess resting on the weekend is one reason why. I think having a two day break from the little brats is probably more of the reason.

But what struck me is that when I am more energetic, the class is as well. They kind of feed off of me. Now some times it's like pulling teeth to get them going, but when I really make the effort it tends to work. When I don't let them nod off or zone out and I really make an effort to keep them involved, it works. So why don't I approach everyday like Monday? I can't really fully answer that, but I think that is my goal for the week. I want to treat each day like a Monday. This is a scientific study of a sort. Results will follow.

What about you? Does your attitude reflect your productivity on a daily basis?

A return

2009-03-30T20:54:00.002-05:00

I understand that I haven't posted since mid-February. I apologize for being too busy to blog. Baseball season is at full speed and that means I spend most of my waking hours there. However, this weekend I made a comment to my good buddy Adam about how much I hate country music. He immediately responded with a request for a blog on said topic. This is that response.

For the following reasons, I hate country/western/southern gospel/etc. music:

Four chords are more than enough for any good song
Too many women singers
Of course, the nasally vocals
Modern country music's attempts to dress and act like rock stars and have a hint of modern music, but yet they still sound country
Lyrical content--beer, women, marital affairs, trucks, mud, huntin', dogs, etc...
guys wearing earrings singing about those topics
songs that repeatedly refer to "mamma" or "daddy"
Mandolin
1 of 4 songs deal with "cheatin'"
ending all lyrics with and apostrophe
Wranglers
artists who have one of the aforementioned songs about cheatin' and then follow it on the album with a song about Jesus
The steel guitar fetish
starting notes a half step low, and then scooping them up (or nearly up) to pitch
Mullets
The connection to NASCAR
Belt buckles and horses
cheesy bass lines....sounds like mariachi band
blind patriotism
it's bluegrass's retarded cousin

What's wrong with the world....

2009-02-17T22:09:00.003-06:00

It's a pretty natural reaction to hate the Yankees. Most people do. I don't necessarily. I do think that Steinbrenner is a jerk, but that's no reason to hate the team. But I think I have finally found a really good reason to hate the Yankees. If you think I am talking about A-Rod and steroids, you're wrong. I'm not up in arms over the whole steroid era.

So what's this all about?

I was reading an article tonight about the A-Rod issue and the following is a quote from Brian Cashman, Yankees General Manager, in reference to Rodriguez:

"He's a huge investment. So he's an asset, and this is an asset that's currently in crisis," Cashman said. "So we will do everything we can to protect that asset. ... If this is Humpty Dumpty, we've got to put him back together again, to get back up on the wall."

I now can hate the Yankees because they don't think they're players are people--just "assets." What if you went into work tomorrow and your boss referred to you as a "huge investment and an asset?" Inspiring, huh.

And I think this could be a broader commentary on what's wrong with the business world today. Everything is so cutthroat, dog-eat-dog, and I think sometimes a simple fact gets lost in the shuffle and bustle--there are people involved. People are made in the image of God and should be treated as such. I think the last time in US History that people were referred to as "investments" and "assets" they were being bought and sold as slaves. When a person dehumanizes someone else they are in grave danger of destroying that person.

I recently heard someone talking along these lines with the issue of our current attitudes toward sex. Sexual abuse has become such a huge problem today, and the only way a person could do that to another is to dehumanize them. If you look at them as anything less than a beautiful piece of God's most wonderful creation, then you are in danger of treating them poorly (if not physically, emotionally). If you truly cared about people, you couldn't do such a thing. We even do this in our language: men will look at a women and say "I'd hit that..." or "I'd like to get some of that."

"That" is a person.

I actually feel sorry for A-Rod. Because he's a human being, not a piece of property.

On a side note, most everyone who reads this already knows, but if you don't, you now will: I am going to be a dad. I know you're thinking, "Why not write a post about this?" The answer is that it is just too overwhelming right now. It's going to take some time to just take this all in. I'm super-pumped. Rickey, I think we'll be due about the same time as you guys. This is all crazy. More to come later.

Stimulating the Economy

2009-02-08T21:03:00.003-06:00

Congress is bogged down trying to pass a stimulus bill that has more problems than an episode of Dr. Phil. I find it all very interesting. I think for the first time in a long while the American people are getting a really close-up look at our legislative process. And we don't like what we see, because the reality of it all is that Congress is operates as nothing more than an al a carte line. It's an "I'll vote for this bill if you'll throw in a few million here and a few million there that will benefit my electorate."

The House and Senate versions of the bill are somewhat different but both have been nearly a trillion dollars. Do you know how much money that is? I found this on Mike Huckabee's website to give us an idea:

If they divide $1 trillion among every American ... each person would get $3,271.
One trillion is 1,000,000,000,000 - 10 to the 12th power, or a thousand, thousand, thousand, thousand.
To put things in perspective, current estimates put the number of stars in the Milky Way at somewhere between 100 and 400 billion.
$1 trillion would be enough money to buy about a 1,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies for every person in the United States.
A trillion barrels of oil would - at current consumption levels - fuel the world for about 33 years.
With $1 trillion, you could put 8.2 million students through a full four years of private college. That's just slightly more than the population of New York City in the latest U.S. Census data.
With $1 trillion, a somewhat different fleet of motorized vehicles could be sent to the Middle East. The average U.S. price of a 2008 Toyota Corolla S, before taxes and fees, was $14,627, according to Automotive Information Center data on Yahoo.com. At that price, you could buy a new '08 model for each of the almost 60 million people living in Afghanistan and Iraq.
A trillion dollar budget would cover the market values of Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Google, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Time Warner and Apple, according to February 2007 figures in Forbes magazine; and you would be left with more than $23 billion in change to pick up a few 'smaller' companies.
You could buy every major-league professional sports franchise (football, basketball, hockey and baseball) in North America for about $45 billion total, according to recent market values in Forbes magazine. Then, you could pay each of them for more than 100 years, if the players' combined salaries held at 2006-'07 levels of about $9 billion.
The median salary for a family doctor in the United States is $144,719, according to Salary.com. With $1 trillion, you could hire 6.9 million general practitioners, or one for every 43 Americans.
With $1 trillion, you could buy slightly more than 3,000 Airbus A380 jets and some money left over for fuel.

A few of my thoughts:

I actually (being a nerd) got on c-span's website and looked at the proposed House bill (yes, it is over 600 pages, but I skimmed about 200) and it really was full of garbage that in no way will help me.
I really hate the "entitlement" attitude of people in the US today. People really think that their government owes them something. I think that is a major problem. And I think that we are teaching our children a really bad lesson by demanding that the government fix a problem in which the consumer is the root.
The idea of a stimulus does nothing to fix a recession or depression. Roosevelt's incredible New Deal spending package designed to "prime the pump" never really fixed the problem of unemployment. It wasn't until war-stimulated production and the draft that the problem of unemployment was really addressed. All those New Deal programs still left unemployment near 20%. Why do we think this will help?
One of the more disturbing provisions of the Bill is the "Buy American" clause. It would require the use of American iron and steel for all stimulus projects. This sounds like a great way to boost the sagging American metal industry, but a good look a history will show is this is a terrible idea. In a global recession, if we lock out foreign trade there will be massive retaliation for American products being sold abroad. How do I know? In 1930, Congress passed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff act which drastically raised the tax on imports. It was done as a way to worry about us and get Americans to buy American products. American exports plunged by more than 50%. It made the Depression turn into the Great Depression. I cannot believe our Congressmen don't know history. (Thank you John McCain for speaking out against it.)
I read on a buddy's facebook the other day a funny comment: "Obama in is Inaugural address said we will 'chose hope over fear.' Apparently we do that unless we are trying to pass a Stimulus Bill. (thanks Josh)
Pastor preached a good sermon today about worrying about others rather than ourselves. I thought the timing was appropriate.
This morning I was really drawn to the words of a hymn I've heard a million times and have never really liked (until Delirious remade it)--The Solid Rock. The first line is so appropriate and prophetic for our times: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness..." If we only could get hold of that and really believe it. Just for fun, here are all of the lyrics:

My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;I dare not trust the sweetest frame,But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
When darkness veils His lovely face,I rest on His unchanging grace;In every high and stormy gale,My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood Support me in the whelming flood;When all around my soul gives way,He then is all my hope and stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,Oh, may I then in Him be found;Dressed in His righteousness alone,Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain: On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;All other ground is sinking sand,All other ground is sinking sand.

No posts?

2009-02-02T09:03:00.003-06:00

If you have wondered, which I'm sure you haven't, why I haven't posted in a good while it's because of the tremendous ice storm that hit this part of the world a week ago. Luckily we only lost power for a night. Others still do not have electricity. We were, however, without Internet access for a while. So here' some catching up to do:

I have had a week's vacation with this storm and have absolutely nothing to show for it.
The Steelers won the Superbowl, but it was actually a really good game for once.
I never watched a Superbowl until I was an adult (can't miss church, of course), but thank you Mr. DVR.
A candlelight dinner is not nearly as romantic when you are doing it out of necessity.
We lost a week of baseball practice....kinda hard to get any better that way.
Went on a little hike to Smith Creek Preserve near the Buffalo River....I love that place...saw some elk, eagles, and of course, waterfalls
We had a bunch of visitors from other churches at ours Sunday, because many churches still didn't have power. One day I'd like to just go and visit random churches for several weeks and observe them.
Knock on wood, I didn't fall on the ice even once

Baseball Season

2009-01-24T08:46:00.002-06:00

Baseball season is upon us, for those of you who don't know. Colleges will begin next weekend. High schools will be playing in a month, and then pitchers an catchers will report for spring training about that time. Yes, it's cold, but that does not deter the powerful spirit of the game.

We started practice this week and it looks as if there is a long way to go. But then again, it always looks that way. Overall, it looks like we have a group of kids who really want to get better, and that in itself will take us much farther than just talent (which consequently there isn't a ton of). I really like teaching baseall better than teaching in a classroom. I guess the reason why is that you can see immediate results so much better on the field. I'll take a pitcher who is struggling and give him one little tip and then he'll throw three straight strikes. You just do see obvious, immediate results like that very often in the classroom.

On a side note, I am finishing up a baseball book this week. It is about how in 1888-1889, AG Spalding (think Spalding sporting goods) took a group of the nation's best ball players on a trip around the world. They played games in Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Egypt (under the shadow of the Sphinx), Italy, France, England, as well as all across the US. They played games in front of kings, diplomats, and other dignitaries, and they were treated like superstars wherever they went. They were ambassadors of the sport. It's an interesting read. Other countries, often times, were not quick to adopt the "American" game.

Then there was the group of people who said that baseball was just an adaptation of an old children's game "rounders." We'll in one city ( I can't recall right now) the took on a little dare to play a game of rounders with the local studs, and then a game of baseball. They played two or three innings of rounders and lost 16-14. That was respectable. Then they turned around and played some baseball. The locals went 1-2-3...all striking out. Then the touring baseballers put up about 35 runs in the first inning. So they only played one inning. It might have been better not to embarras the locals, but they had a point to prove.

I smell it in the air. It's time for baseball.

True Hope

2009-01-21T22:50:00.002-06:00

I saw this kid the other day who I know is a Christian and comes from a Christian family and he was sporting one of these "iconic" Obama Hope T-shirts. I got a little sick to my stomach thinking about it. I can't believe that followers of Christ have chosen to place their hope in a man and in the government. It immediately brought to mind a couple of verses:

Psalm 20:7

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Isaiah 31:1

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.

But more troubling to me is the reason why this has happened. The biggest reason (I think) that believers are choosing to misplace their hope is that the Church has failed so miserably in the areas that President Obama plans to use the government to address. They are issues that the church should be solving and young believers across the country should be looking to the church to fill that void. The Church used to be very involved in helping the poor, the widows, and the orphans, but sadly that has become a non-issue for many believers, so the door has been opened for the government to fulfill this area of want.

My hope is the one who will never fail: Jesus.

A New President

2009-01-19T20:28:00.002-06:00

This is a topic I have primarily avoided, and since it's now the eleventh hour I'll finally address it. Tomorrow is inauguration day, and it is a historic day. I can't image what it would be like to be there. The National Mall is going to be insane.

On a side note...I really don't like crowds like that in big cities. It makes me feel claustrophobic. I remember when I was a kid we went on vacation to St. Louis on summer. They were having the St. Louis Fair or something like that in that area around the Gateway Arch. It was a miserable feeling wading through those crowds. The heat may have been part of that....

But I digress...There are a lot of topics to address, but one that is just fascinating to me is the security issue. I'm sure you've seen some of this on the news, but can you image coordinating 25,000 officers (National Guard, local police forces from many surrounding counties and cities, federal officers) with over 25 different agencies cooperating, over 5,000 surveillance cameras. It's a major operation. Not to mention the snipers everywhere.....

I had a funny thought in all of this...the far left, liberal Democrats freak out every time an American soldier kills someone. They publicly bash government endorsed snipers and assassinations and things like that, but I guarantee you if one of those snipers in DC needs to pick someone off to save Barack Obama, then these people will be singing a different tune.

But I guess the main point in this post is to say that I really would be scared to death to be there tomorrow, because there are so many crazy people in the world today. And even with 25,000 law enforcement agents crawling all over that place, I still don't see how they could stop someone (one out of 2 million) from doing something crazy. I don't mean an assassination (that really would be a difficult feat). I mean a crazy suicide bomber.

And I guarantee you also that those 20 teams of plain clothes, undercover agents roaming the crowds will be racial profiling their tales off.

My Bros

2009-01-18T15:06:00.002-06:00

I was reading Romans chapter 1 this morning and something struck me. Verses 11-12 says "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith."

I really like that "mutually encouraged" part. I got to thinking about the friends that I have in this life, many of you who are reading, and I realized this is so true. Getting together with my friends, fellow believers, is really encouraging. We don't even have to do anything "spiritual" per se, but just being together encouraging one another is spiritual. I was at a Bible study last night with some of my dearest friends, and we had, among some very serious discussions, one of the funniest and absurd discussions you'll ever hear. I will not divulge the specifics, but with a bunch of guys who are pretty comfortable with each other...well, you can imagine. But I laughed so hard, and left that evening feeling very good.

I think being a good friend is a lot easier than people try to make it out to be. Being there and just sharing your lives is the essence of fellowship. It's healthy, it's necessary. It's not really complicated, but it is spiritual. And just as I try to sharpen my friend, he will be doing the same in my life. If you don't have that situation in your life, you need to.

I'm lucky to have so many of these people in my life who have encouraged me, and hopefully that has been mutual. So this is a shout-out to all the boys--thanks!

I'm it.

2009-01-15T18:56:00.004-06:00

Pastor Rickey has tagged me for this ridiculous exercise, so here we go.

1. Choose the 4th folder where I store my pictures on the computer.
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same.
5. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)

This is my little (1st) cousin Harrison. This is from my sister's wedding about a year ago. He's a pretty cool little dude. 2nd grade I think.

I don't know 4 people to tag, but I think Curtis should indulge us all for sure.

Casting Director

2009-01-14T16:07:00.003-06:00

I love to just observe people. I hate science, generally, but it a way I think my observations are a lot like science. I watch their body language, their mannerisms, and how they interact with others. Often, my mind begins to run wild, since I'm just standing there staring.

This happens a lot at school in between classes. I have to stand in the hall for five minutes, so I have nothing else to do but observe kids. I get this from my mom. When I was a kid, I used to have to get allergy shots every week. You'd have to wait 20 minutes after the shot to make sure you didn't have a reaction. So Mom and I would sit there and observe people as they walked by. We'd laugh at some little things people do, or features they have, that set them apart from others. We all are truly unique. We are the craftsmanship of a creative ( and perhaps humorous) God.

Some are tall, some short. Some thin, some fat. Some ugly, some good looking. Some walk normally. Some walk with a gimp. Some waddle.

So as I observe people I begin to think to myself, "If I were a casting director for a movie, what kind of role would I cast this person in?" I know that sounds weird, but I do this. It often leads to a silent chuckle to myself, because it really is funny.

For example, there's this kid at school who could play the perfect arrogant, preppy, jock you might see in a teen movie. There's a faculty member who would be a perfect sheriff in an old western ghost town. (it's gotta be the mustache and the way he talks)

Or...sometimes I do the reverse. I think about what actor or actress I would get to play that person if we did a movie about their life. This too can be quite comical.

So if you're reading this and you know me and you are wondering to yourself, "What role does he say I would play?"....I can't tell you...that's just stuck in the playground of my mind.

The Color Purple

2009-01-12T17:18:00.003-06:00

When I moved to a new school district this year, my school colors went from Red and White to Purple and Gold. This was one of the major hurdles in making a decision to move...could I really be content sporting a purple jersey, a purple hat, socks, or a purple sweater vest?

It turns out that this may not be as big of an obstacle as once thought. Why?

No one make purple clothes for men.

Well, that is a little extreme, but really, you can't find purple. Since the baseball season is about to begin full force, I really began to try to find some purple and gold clothing. I was particularly searching for athletic stuff....polos, performance apparel, etc.

It's like trying to find the Cubs in the World Series....you know it can happen, but you're going to need a lifetime to see it.

So I went online.

Nothing.

I searched all day.

Under Armor makes purple clothes, but no retailer is man enough to carry them.

Nike has a few out there, but they were scarce.

Reebok....nope.

Addidas....nope.

Champion? Of course not.

Finally, thanks to a website called Epic Sports, I found a couple items I could work with. I got a Polo and a long sleeve BP jacket, both of which are primarily purple. They were definitely not on sale (which is usually the only way I buy), but it was a sacrifice I chose to make. So maybe you will run into me sometime in the coming weeks--adorned in purple, wearing it proudly.

Did I mention that I can wear jeans on Friday if I'm sportin' purple?

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-07T16:09:00.003-06:00

Thus far, I have resisted the temptation to be very unoriginal and write a post dedicated to the new year. But cliche is cliche for a reason. And I really can't think of anything else...so here you go.

I don't really make New Year's resolutions. I think they are mostly useless and/or vain. I mean, if you really want to change something about your life, you won't wait for a particular day to start the process. It think it is just something people do to make themselves feel better. Because I'm pretty sure less than 1% of all resolutions made never are followed through upon. And usually these resolutions are about our appearance, how much money we make, and something else that really isn't important.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not bashing you if you do make them. I have made them. And come to think of it, I kind of make them in my head and just don't vocalize them. It's definitely good to set goals, so resolutions are not inherently wrong.

One year I decided that would be the year to read the Bible from cover to cover. I was inspired by a man who I went to church with in college. He filled in to teach our class and told us his story of why reading the Bible through is actually important.

Cliff Boswell was a medical doctor and had become an atheist (while in college, if I correctly recall.) Later on in life, through some interesting circumstances he was saved. He began to tell those he came in contact with about Jesus. In the midst of one of these conversations, someone asked Cliff, "Have you even read the Bible?" To which he replied, "Well, most of it." This answer did not please the guy, and in self-examination, Cliff decided every believer needs to do this at least once in their life if not for any other reason than to be ready to answer that question.

Cliff became a deacon in the church and an incredible inspiration to many. A few years ago he was diagnosed with cancer. He battled valiantly, but died a year or two ago. I don't know his age, but I would guess he wasn't far over 50. His sons are still dear friends of mine.

So I guess this post is less about resolutions and more about giving a man props for speaking into my life.

I managed to do it. I read the Bible all the way through in 2006. I'm not a better person or Christian than you or anyone else for having done it, but I am prepared to answer that question posed to Dr. Bos if it is ever posed to me.

He's another bad thing about resolutions: they are not indefinite. What I mean is that I took a year and did that and created a positive discipline in my life, but because I didn't resolve to do it again the next year, that discipline of daily reading began to slowly dissolve. It didn't change me forever.

So I guess my advice would be that if you make a resolution, make it for good--not just. A new year in many ways does mean a new beginning, but if we fail to build upon what we do this year, this year may be in vain.

Music Post

2009-01-05T16:13:00.003-06:00

It's been a while since I gave you a new music post, so here it is.

I'm in love with the new CD from Downhere, "Ending is Beginning." Why?

very crafty lyrics
very spiritual lyrics
diverse musical spectrum
tasteful piano
delicately layered vocal harmonies
interesting chord progressions (some)
They make a reference to the Prime Minister (They're Canadian)
Random trumpet in "My Last Amen."
Dual lead vocals...and the one dude sounds like Kevin Max
yet, still mainstream enough to enjoy

Quotes to ponder

2009-01-05T15:58:00.002-06:00

Not to belabor the point, but I am enjoying "The Winners Manual," by Jim Tressel. So instead of boring you to death with my interpretation and analysis, I'm just going to drop in some quotes and let your mind do the thinking. You're big kids. Please comment if you find one particularly provocative.

"I believe the more you work on the whole, the better you will become at every one of the parts."
"Before I can do, I must be."
" A good attitude can overcome some limitations, but even great talent can't overcome a bad attitude."
"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world." --E.B. White
"Graveyards are full of irreplaceable men." --Charles De Gaulle
There are three types of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who say "What happened?" Which are you?
"Those who work the hardest, who subject themselves to the strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable things in order to achieve a goal, are the happiest." --Brutus Hamilton, Olympic Decathlete Coach
"Self-discipline is when you tell yourself to do something and you don't talk back" --WK Hope
"Keep your rear end and you mind in the same place."
"Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skills to do difficult things easily."
"Work is not who you are, it's what you do."

There's much more, but that gives you a glimpse. I think my favorite is #4. I think we all go through that. Comments?

New Book

2008-12-30T15:33:00.002-06:00

For Christmas I received "The Winners Manual" by Jim Tressel, Ohio State Football Coach. It's an interesting concept. Coach Tressel gives all of his players this 400 page manual at the beginning of each season. Everything you need to know about how to be a winner for the Buckeyes is found in that manual. He makes clear that his goal is more about how to make his players winners in life, rather than just winners on the field. The book is a scaled down version of the one he gives his players.

The Winners Manual changes every year. He adds to and takes away as necessary for the particular group of men he has.

Here's my first tidbit from the first chapter:

The first chapter is a discussion about defining success. The world's definition of success is usually very lame. You make a lot of money, win some championships, etc. That is success to many.

Tressel defines success as "the inner satisfaction and peace of mind that comes from knowing I did the best I was capable of doing for the group." This takes away the external characteristics of success and puts the responsibility on the individual to define his own success. It's about how you help others, not just yourself.

He also goes to great lengths to explain that we need to understand that success is not nearly as closely connected to performance as it is connected to our purpose and who we are.

Much more to come.

Christmas

2008-12-29T16:11:00.006-06:00

Christmas was good as always.

The best part for me is getting to be home with family. I only get to see them a couple of times a year, so it is nice to get together with them.

Check this guy out! My little nephew, Caleb.

My niece (including cool-aide mustache)...

Cousins, Landon and Harrison, with Santa...

A few notes:

Got several new books....there will be plenty to write about soon
Got a new camera, so perhaps more pictures on occasion
It's 60 degrees outside today....need I say more?
I washed my truck for the first time in over 6 months today...slacker
Bowl games anybody?
I have officially passed "First Aid For Coaches" via the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis. I have a card to prove it.
I really need to get in shape...three Christmas dinners can really give you a reality check.
I'm enjoying on of the best things about my job...two weeks off in December (Second only to the two months off in summer).

FOF Christmas

2008-12-20T15:38:00.000-06:00

Here's a link to a short video of some of that Future of Forestry Christmas stuff. It's a cell phone video, but has decent audio. You get the picture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyyDtv5MFTo

On the issue of "Christian" homosexuality

2008-12-20T13:58:00.003-06:00

I just don't understand how someone can read the scriptures and get the idea that God condones homosexuality. I hate to keep harping on this issue, but people who twist the scripture to fit their lifestyles really drive me crazy.

The basic argument of "Christian gays" (just assume that is a possibility for a moment) boils down to one of two, or perhaps both of these arguments:

God is love. So as Christians we should love and accept everyone. As long as you love someone, God doesn't care what gender they are.
God made me this way. So why would God make me in a way that I shouldn't be? He wouldn't, so I can be gay and that's okay.

My Response:

1. I don't even want to respond to this because who ever says this really doesn't understand what love is. Love insinuates boundaries. I love my wife, but there are certain things that I may feel a desire to do that would displease her. So I don't. Same with God. God loves me, but does not want me to partake in things for my own good. Out of my love for him, I should obey. (Much more could be said here, but I'll save that for a rainy day.)

2. God didn't make you gay. This is ridiculous. We are all born with a sin nature because of the fall of Adam. We all feel the desire to do things contrary to the laws of God. That does not make them okay. I'm sure gay people feel like they really are gay. I'm sure they really are attracted to people of their own sex (as twisted as that may seem to you and me). There may even be some biological explanation for why certain people end up gay. BUT this doesn't change who God is and what he requires. I'm certain that there is something in my biological makeup that make me attracted to women besides my wife. Does that mean it's okay to act on those passions and cheat on her? No. Blaming my evil desires on how God made me is a cop-out.

Imagine how ridiculous it would sound if I went out and lived with seven women as wives. Then I turned around and said that God had put in my biology a desire for women, so it was okay to do this and still be a follower of Christ.

But this is essentially the same argument.

Homosexuals, of course you feel the desire to live in sin. You are on earth and you are human. The Bible has made these facts abundantly clear. But nowhere does he condone living in sin. So just as I may have the desire to be greedy, that doesn't make it okay to live that way.

In Colossians 3, Paul tells us that there are certain things we must "take off." This is somewhat of a clothing metaphor. There are things in our lives that we desire that we must take off. God does not take them off for us. There are certain things in our human natures we must deal with. Then Paul gives a list of what to "put on" to replace them. This too we must do ourselves.

So when "Christians" applaud people like Ray Boltz coming out of the closet, I want to throw up. When certain denominations begin to ordain openly gay clergy, I want to hit someone.

Of course, using their argument, I should be able to hit someone if I feel like it. And if I feel like it, God must have made me that way.

Who's first?

Warren Controversy Postcript (read previous post first)

2008-12-18T21:11:00.004-06:00

Well that didn't take long.

Those who were angered about Rick Warren being invited to give the invocation at the Inauguration (see previous post) have now been answered.

Apparently the Obama transition team is in the process of vetting Bill White for an appointment as Secretary of the Navy. He is openly gay. This is precisely who we need to run the military of the United States. I bet he replaces scud missiles with limp wrist slaps.

Sorry.

But really, what is Obama thinking?

This is precisely what I don't like about Democrats. Obama "reaches across the aisle" for the Warren invitation, but then knowing this will offend that radical, liberal, left wing of the party, he compliments that announcement with this one (though not official yet). The Party, even when it makes good, logical decisions, must follow them with really dumb ones to please the vocal minority.

If you say you're going to rule from the center--really do it.

Rick Warren Controversy

2008-12-18T16:10:00.003-06:00

President elect Barack Obama made an interesting announcement today as he has chosen Rick Warren of Saddleback Church to give the invocation at his inauguration. Actually, I didn’t really think it was that interesting. To me it seemed like a fairly logical choice given the influence of Warren on the church world today. Plus, Pastor Warren has been very amiable to Obama as they share similar interests in concern for the poor, diseased, and hungry.

However, this announcement has caused a fire storm among gay rights activists (who cloak their real agenda in the language of “human rights”). Since the Democrats pander to this group as an important part of their base, these people feel betrayed by this announcement. Warren, like any believer with an untainted understanding of Scripture, believes that marriage is a sacred covenant between monogamous couples of different genders. He also supported the recent “Proposition 8” in California to outlaw gay marriage.

When will this garbage ever end?

This is why I still can’t come to grips with voting for a Democrat. In previous posts I have mentioned that I don’t fully agree with the Republican platform, and I do believe that the Democrats have the right approach on a few key issues. But there is this underlying element to the party that keeps me from morally being able to support them. Why can’t a Democrat come out and say “I care for the poor. I support efforts to end hunger, homelessness, and disease. I think a balanced budget is a moral imperative. I stand for strongly protecting the sacred Constitutional rights. BUT I also believe that morality must shape decisions in other areas as well. I will protect the sanctity of marriage. I will safeguard the rights of the unborn. I will not let society abrogate God from public discourse.”

If that person would stand up, I might vote for them.

But the problem is that to do such a thing would be political suicide in that party. You would be castigated by your peers, ousted by Senate caucuses, and publicly crucified by the media and the powerful interest groups that shape the Democratic Party (ACLU being the biggest).

Why does being a liberal mean you have to be a liberal in every area? Same goes for conservatives I guess.

I know that Republicans have moral issues as well. I know there is a major problem with greed in their ranks. Liberal Christians are quick to point this out. Yet if I am to look at the problems of both parties, which there are many, I can’t reconcile the goal of the Democrats to eliminate the influence of God in politics, with the problems and moral failures of Republicans. And I am not even talking about gay marriage and abortion. I’m talking about the people who are trying to make it politically correct to never say “Jesus” and never use the Bible as reason to do anything, although a majority of Americans would admit they use it to guide their values and decisions (mostly out of context, but at least most people admit it is important). Sure, the Republicans haven’t done a good job a caring for the “least of these,” but at least they admit publicly that God has an active role in our lives. Democrats do good things for the glory of the state, not for the glory of God, because to give God glory would offend 5% of the population.

And one other thing that I touched on above: it drives me nuts when gay activists try to equate their struggle for special privileges with the “Civil Rights Movement.” There is nothing parallel in those two movements. But what is worse is calling it a “human rights” issue. The right for a man to marry a man is nowhere near the right of a human to be protected from unlawful imprisonment, torture, and execution—long regarded as belonging fundamentally to all persons.

I like what Rick Warren said about his opposition to the issue (although it is somewhat politically correct and syncretistic):

I take the “biblical perspective on marriage as being a bond between one man and one woman. That definition is consistent with 5,000 of history as well as embraced by every religion.”

Christmas Music

2008-12-16T20:53:00.002-06:00

As a general rule, I hate Christmas music. I know that sounds blasphemous, but it's not the lyrical content I find offensive, it's the lack of originality. And actually, come to think of it, I do find some of the content....well, not offensive, but archaic at best. And who decides what Christmas songs are "classics?"

A few thoughts

Who was Good King Wenceslas? I thought Christmas was about Jesus.
In 2000 years of celebrating Christmas, the best we can do is "Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum?" Sounds like Hanson wrote that. (I guess we could say the same for "Deck the Halls.")
You can't forget "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire"...that's just asking for a crude joke.
Jingle Bells...terribly annoying.
"It came upon a midnight clear"....what? a solid deuce?
Then there are the songs that aren't even about Christmas--Sleigh Ride, Let it Snow, etc.
Of course, don't forget songs created from a collision of the Yuletide spirit and a cheesy love song (i.e. "I'll have a blue Christmas without you.") Terrible
Then there are the songs they play while you are in clothing stores where some pop artist absolutely butchers a Christmas song trying to make it "fresh."
Does the fact that they start playing these same 6 songs in October have anything to do with this disdain for the music of the season?
"I saw momma kissing Santa Clause"....a conspiracy to boost the income of child psychologists nationwide
"Rockin around the Christmas Tree"....sounds like hours of fun!
"Jingle Bell Rock".....I don't know what your definition of rock is, but mine usually substitutes the jingle bells with electric guitar.
"Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer"....Christmas Foxworthy style
"Oh Christmas Tree"...really? an entire song written in devotion to a tree?
"The 12 days of Christmas"....the longest song played by radio stations in America (with the exception of Skynyrd's Free Bird, of course)
Silent Night...bores me to tears

But in spite of all this hatred, you will find a Christmas CD in my truck right now. It is by Future of Forestry (yes, that's a band) and they tastefully put a spin on old songs. I can even listen to their version of The Little Drummer Boy without ripping my hair out , because this drummer boy rocks. The downside is that it is only a 5 song EP.

Also, don't forget the Trans Siberian Orchestra. Their version of Carol of the Bells is a classic that actually should be. (By the way, does anybody know one lyric to that song? It could be about gnomes living in the forests of Latvia for all I know) But it rocks. Yes, it's a little over the top, Metallica want-to-be metal guitar, but still, give them some credit...we're talking about a pretty weak genre here. They also have one out called "Christmas Canon Rock." Which is just a rockin' version of Pachabel's Canon. (This also annoys me--when people take songs that are clearly not Christmas and yet they adopt them as such. Another example would be "Ode to Joy.")

All this being said, to be upbeat here is a list a Christmas songs I do actually like.

Carol of the Bells
What Child is This (Which I guess is stolen from Greensleeves, but at least they changed the words to make it a Christmas song)
O Come O Come Emmanuel
O Come All Ye Faithful (not pumped about the usage of "ye," but it is a very worshipful song
I guess really an song that begins with "O come...."

What makes a good team?

2008-12-15T10:50:00.003-06:00

Saturday night I watched "The Greatest Game Ever Played." ESPN has gone back a remastered the old black and white images from the 1958 pro football championship between the Baltimore Colts and the NY Giants in New York. It was done in high-def color. The game was interspersed with comments from players and spectators at that game as well as current Colts and Giants players and coaches.

I'm not a big NFL guy. I never have been. I mean I have heard of Johnny Unitas and Frank Gifford and those guys, but I guess seeing them in action brought some of that to life. For the record the game did have a dramatic finish, but it is possibly the most sloppy game I have ever watched. There were three turnovers in the first quarter alone. But it gets the title "The Greatest Game Ever Played" because of the exposure it brought to professional football. It was a big market game (New York) and it was televised and it brought football to the forefront of American sports.

One of the interesting things I gleaned from the commentary was about what makes a good team. One of the former players (I can't remember which one it was) said that what made their team good was that they truly loved each other (yes a macho football player said that). Then current NY Giants Coach Tom Coughlin seconded that comment and said that all good teams love each other. He said his reigning Superbowl Champion Giants loved each other.

This is not usually the first thing you hear in sports. The pre-season pep talk doesn't normally begin with the coach standing up in front of the team and saying "This year is our year! Our goal is to play for the championship. And you know how we're going to do it? Hard work, determination, and loving each other......"

"What did he just say?"

But it's true.

I think about the good and bad teams that I have been on. My senoir year in college we went 48-18. Not a bad record. And you know what? We loved each other. There's not a guy on that team that if I ran into them today wouldn't hug my neck. We really loved each other.

Then I think about my sophomore year when we were 32-29 (which isn't bad by many's standards, but it was by ours). There was a lot of tension. The underclassmen didn't like the seniors. There were all sorts of problems. And it showed on the field.

And I think what brings this all together is the fact that when you love someone you can't be selfish. My sophomore year there was a lot of selfishness on the team. Everybody was looking out for number one, and that was because we didn't love each other. Contrast that to the 48-18 year; we loved each other, we sacrificed for each other, and we won lots of games in the process. Not to mention that we became much better people and made lifelong friends.

And I don't think that this is only true of sports. Any team you are on will be a better team if there is a great love for one another in the mix. Because selfishness is the antithesis for team, and selfishness and love, by their very natures, cannot occupy the same locality.

Watch excerpt of the ESPN broadcast here.

2008-12-10T10:22:00.004-06:00

Today is the first snow day of the year. It is a bit bittersweet because I really needed today to get somethings accomplished before the semester ends....but I'm not that upset. Who can complain too much about a day off?

I had mentioned starting the book "God's Politics" about a week ago. I have yet to comment on it because, I don't really know what to say yet. I'm only about a fourth of the way through and I am not sure what to make of it yet. He seems a little biased to the left, but in the last chapter he came back toward the middle. So the jury is still out on that on. I will say that it has made me think a whole lot about what I believe is the role of the government in carrying out moral imperatives.

I'm really not sure what to believe.

Is it the government's responsibility to care for the poor, or should it be done by the church? That is essentially one of the main questions the author tries to answer. He is clearly a Democrat because his main areas of concern are the poor, social justice, and peacemaking (he is anti-war). He says that these issues are of just as much importance as abortion and gay rights. He says that the Republicans have limited "Christian values" to those two hot-button issues to please the religious right, and have ignored the other issues because they don't please the "fiscal conservatives." The republican tax agenda clearly benefits the wealthy. To him, his name is Jim Wallis by the way, the Democratic platform to care for the poor, seek social justice for all, and to avoid war is just as religious as the Republican platform to avoid abortion and gay marriage, yet Republicans avoid these issues. Wallis says the religious right places too much emphasis on sexual issues rather than the issues Jesus spent much time talking about--taking care of the "least of these."

The problem he sees with the Democrats is that they don't acknowledge that these are moral imperatives that Christians should be concerned about. Why? Because the liberal wing of the party has tried to eliminate God from public discussion for fear of violating "separation of church and state." (He is correct here for sure.)

I'm a little torn. I think if I was president and had the ability to help care for the poor and I refused to do so for ideological reasons--well, might I be failing to use my influence in a way God would desire?

It all comes back to this for me....is there a difference in the way I personally live out the gospel and how the government deals with people. I know there has to be in some way. I'm not going to kill anyone, but the government is justified in having a military and, at least in some cases, going to war and killing. Biblically, how do religious conservatives justify the governemnt being conservative toward people? Is there a verse somewhere?

The other thing that bothers me is his stance on war. Wallis says the verse "Blessed are the peacemakers" should be the foundation of our foreign policy. Clearly that is not where we are at right now. He does admit that war is sometimes necessary, but only after exhausting all efforts to make amends in a peaceful fashion.

Like I said, I must finish the book before I can make a clear judgement.

Landry, don't rip me apart for writing this.

Any comments?

Tebow

2008-12-07T14:28:00.003-06:00

Tim Tebow is a man among boys. Not that his skills are that much better, it's just that he's got that special presence. People want to follow this guys. His teammates look to him and trust him. He doesn't let them down. You hear coaches talk about "intangibles," those intrinsic instincts and abilities that can't be evaluated in stats, and Tebow is the best example of a leader I've ever seen on a football field. He's that on and off the field. The guys spends his summer being a missionary. What an inspiration.

Listen to Coach Urban Meyer's comments on Tebow after Saturday's game.

"There's a special something inside of him," Meyer said, "and I'm not talking about throwing [14-for-22 for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns], I'm not talking about running [17 rushes for 57 yards], I'm talking about the ability to make the level of play of everyone else around him better."

After Florida's loss to Ole Miss earlier in the year, Tebow vowed to play harder than you've ever seen anyone play. He hasn't disappointed. I think I know what that "special something" inside of him is. His testimony is hard work. What better reflects Christ than that?

Watch the Tebow story here.

Watch the Tebow post game apology after Ole Miss here.

Attack on Christmas

2008-12-05T21:43:00.002-06:00

It has already begun.

Each year, for the last few, atheists, agnostics, the ACLU and various liberal groups have decided to become belligerent in their opposition to Christmas. They have objections to any open display of something that might be remotely connected to Christmas. I even read one article where a guy says Christians have hijacked the winter solstice celebration for their own celebrations of Christ's birth. Get real.

I find it almost humorous how the same people who preach "tolerance" can be so intolerant of anything connected to Christ. Why do atheists make such an attack on religion if they don't think God exists? If God doesn't exist, then leave the issue alone and it will resolve itself. These people (Bill Maher and company, for example) will tell you that they are trying to save people from the destructive forces of religion. They'll tell you all about how many people have died in the name of religion, and they'll tell you all of the wars religion has fought. But all of the killing that has been done in the name of Christianity was done out of a perversion of that religion. All of the killings of Hitler and Stalin, athiests and evolutionists, are just the logical outworkings of that belief system. If you don't believe in a higher power, and you do believe that we are all here simply by survival of the fittest, the murder of innocence people actually lines up with your beliefs. Killing in the name of God, although it has happened in the name of religion a lot, will never be validated by the Bible.

I could really write a lot on this subject and there is much to be said, but I'll keep it short.

It all boils down to the religion of secularism that has taken over our country. It started with "separation of church and state" and is now "separation of God from all public discourse, academia, and public life"

My pastor made a great statement the other day. It was this: "Separation of church was never intended to keep the church out of the state, it was designed to keep the state out of the church."

I just started a book called "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It." I'm sure I'll have a lot to say about it. More to come.

Motivation from Saban

2008-12-03T16:51:00.003-06:00

I read a good quote today from Nick Saban, Coach at Alabama, about aiming for the national championship at the beginning of the year. Alabama was 6-6 last year and if they win Saturday, they'll be in the BCS National Championship Game. Here's what he said:

“It’s probably better to aim high and miss than to aim low and hit. I think it’s important to have high goals and aspirations for what you want to accomplish. "

That's a great piece of advice. If you expect little, well, you probably won't ever be disappointed, but you'll never achieve great things. However, if you set your goals on much greater things, even if you fall a little short, you end up better than those who set their eyes on mediocrity.

I think this in itself helps us to understand why Saban has been such a successful coach on the college level.

When I was in college, I had an education professor get into this big lecture about how a person can't be motivated. She said that all a coach or teacher can do is create an atmosphere where a person can motivate themselves. I think that is baloney. I bet she's never ran foul poles, or suicides. It's true motivation is a tricky thing, and people are motivated in different ways, but some individuals have a knack for being able to find what those around them need to be motivated. Great coaches can do this.

But, for the record, I think Alabama will fall short of that goal on Saturday. This issue will, of course, be revisited then.

A recession?

2008-12-01T16:26:00.003-06:00

News came out today that states that our economy is officially in a recession.

On Thanksgiving somebody was trampled and killed in the mob of blood-thirsty Wal-Mart shoppers, racing to fill their shopping carts with useless things like "The Incredible Hulk" DVD for only $9. I guess only a handful were particularly responsible for the incident, but what's crazy is that thousands were upset that they closed the store to deal with it.

No, materialism doesn't matter at all. We're just living by Darwin's model--survival of the fittest.

I thought we were in a recession.

I'm the richest man in the world

2008-11-26T11:19:00.002-06:00

Since I'm sure I won't have a chance to post for a couple days, here's my Thanksgiving post.

I am the richest man in the world.

I was listening to this song by Dakona this morning. The chorus goes like this:

"Take my car, take my girl, I'm the richest man in the world. Steal my gold, take my pearls, I'm the richest man in the world."

I love it. I have so much. I have a wife that loves me, an incredible family, a great church, and a zillion friends who would pick me up without thinking about it for a second. I have food to eat, water to drink, a toilet, a shower, and a roof over my head.

Most importantly, I have the assurance that no matter what happens, my life is in God's hands. I have a purpose for existing.

I am the richest man in the world. Are you?
Happy Thanksgiving.

Pujols Revisited

2008-11-26T09:10:00.003-06:00

Not to belabor my affection for Albert Pujols, but I wanted to share the other reasons I like the dude, especially after reading an article this morning about him.

He is a good guy. A christian guy. Just generally a good dude.

He received this year's Clemente Award for community service, given to the most giving guy in baseball. It is named in honor of Roberto Clemente--the hall of fame outfielder killed in a plane crash while on a humanitarian mission.

He teared up when he received the award. He is more proud of that award than his two NL MVPs.

Priorities.

He's a breath of fresh air in the athletic world, when we are used to hearing about the escapades of Pacman Jones, Michael Vick, and others.

I'm glad to know fame and fortune doesn't ruin everyone.

What am I to do with my life?

2008-11-25T22:59:00.005-06:00

Right now I am reading "Dare to Dream," by Jim Calhoun, who led UConn to the NCAA national championship in 1999. Based on watching him on TV and reading his book, I don't think I would hang out with the guy. He seems like a loud, obnoxious, raging liberal. However, I found it interesting how I can learn stuff from people like that. He obviously knows a little about coaching, and the book was only $1, so it was really a no-brainer to read it.

So Calhoun's rise from being a high school basketball coach to a DI National Championship coach is not common. He admits this. He even says that most people would never make the jump like he made it. He didn't even want to be a coach, but he started as a graduate assistant while he finished his degree, and as he puts it, once he put a whistle around his neck, he never looked back. But listen to this excerpt:

"How do you know that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing? How do you know you have found the place that you fit best? Say you're a banker. Is that what you are supposed to be? What if you had become a farmer? An electrician? A concert pianist? How do you open the door that is right for you? Is it luck? Happenstance? Trial and error?

I don't have the answers to any of these questions. I somehow found the right door, and after that I just put one foot in front of the other.....I looked at whatever the problem was for the given day. I liked what I was doing and kept doing it.

What's the best career path to become a Division I coach? I have no idea......Just do the work. Something will happen.....I suppose my advice is that there is no career path, that you do the best you can at what you are doing and someone will notice. Is that too simple?"

I think the dude is pretty right on with this. I think very few people really know what they are supposed to do with their life. Not until you get in and start doing SOMETHING. Maybe you are a doctor, but then end up a missionary? Maybe you're a farmer for a while and then you end up a book publisher? Who knows? Life works in mysterious ways. Really, hard work and God's grace in our lives determine these things. That is why I am not set on working my entire career as a teacher. I really don't think I will. Perhaps I will, but I am open to wherever God leads me. But while I am a teacher, I need to work hard at it. Maybe something better or different will open up, but while I am what I am, I need to do the best I can.

Scripture backs this up. Ecclesiastes says that whatever our "hands find to do, do it with all of our might." When your hands find something else to do, well, then do that with all of your might.

In Colossians, it also tells to do our work as "unto the Lord," and not simple with "eye-service."

It all goes back to the question, "What is God's will for my life?" I heard that question answered very well recently. There is three aspects of God's will:

His providential will: this happens regardless of our actions (i.e. Jesus' death and resurrection)

His moral will: this isn't debatable...God requires of us morality...it isn't a matter of each individual person, but rather, applicable to all

His personal will: what you individually are to do with your life

The closer you are to following #1 and #2 the easier it will be to discern #3. (Like when you go bowling and you use the lane bumpers, #1 and #2 serve as boundaries for our decision making.) Still this can be hard, but that is why constant communication with God is important.

Or as the famous devotional Experiencing God puts it "Go until you get a no."

Just do something and do it with all of your heart. If you can't do that, then you might need to look for a new door to walk through.

Star Wars on Banjo

2008-11-24T22:23:00.002-06:00

Have you ever heard Star Wars on banjo? If you just said yes to that question, please never visit my blog again.

Follow this link, and well, maybe you can hear it in there. I can't really, but that is what it is supposed to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQBRSwZiYS4&feature=related

MVP

2008-11-24T20:06:00.002-06:00

My buddy Curtis pointed out that I have failed to acknowledge Albert Pujols as this year's NL MVP. I apologize for this oversight. So in honor of the best hitter in baseball, hands-down, here's a post on the new MVP.

Pujols is a stud.

Need I say more? Well, if you insist.

And here's my gripe about people who don't understand baseball. Several voters (12) picked Ryan Howard over Albert as the MVP. I understand that Howard can hit home runs and drive in runners, but to me an MVP is the best all-around player. Plus, if you just look at the numbers, Pujols is a more rounded hitter (not to mention worlds better as a base runner and fielder...and Pujols did this on an elbow that needed surgery all year). Check the strike outs to walks ratio, but in bold to accentuate the significance.

Howard/Pujols

BA: .251/.357

HR: 48/ 37

RBI: 146/ 116

2B: 26/ 44

BB: 81/ 104

SO: 199/ 54

SLG: .543/ .653

Fielding: .988/.996 (plus Albert can play any position on the field...Howard will never play anything but 1B or DH.)

Which guy would you rather face?

And here's why Howard hits so many home runs--they give him pitches to hit. Because a pitcher knows that Howard strikes out 4 times as often as he hits a home run. I like those odds if I'm a pitcher. The home runs are just collateral damage (this is of course dependent on the situation.)

So I guess my point is that these "stat nerds" who crunch numbers really don't have a clue about what is really important on the field. Ask any pitcher who they'd rather face, and I would bet 95% or better would say Howard. Why? Because though he is dangerous, he has weaknesses.

Pujols doesn't. He doesn't even perspire.

Modern Missions

2008-11-21T19:49:00.004-06:00

I heard a great message from a missions dude named Ken Cochrum. He had some incredible things to say about where the Gospel is at as it is being spread among the world. For so long we have been concerned with China and places like that, but Ken points out some disturbing trends. In particular, his focus is on college students worldwide. This is an area where people can really be reached but often they are not.

But the average college student world wide spends over 3 hours a day online. "Going into all the world" has never been easier. Hence, http://www.everystudent.com/. Available in 33 languages.

One of the areas of the world with the most need is the Arab world. So many young college students are seeking truth and they know it isn't in Islam. But who can they openly talk to about it? No one. In some places, a parent can kill their own kid for "leaving the faith." This is why online missions is so vital for the day and age we live in. It's the only refuge some have. And there are so many please we can't physically go, because of closed societies. But through the Internet, they are only a click away.

Over 12,000 students have written emails to acknowledge that they have received Christ through that site.

Here is one email that they got from a Muslim in Kuwait:

I'm a simple Kuwaiti citizen. My ID says that I am a Muslim, but I am certain that Jesus is the real God and I am very sad and sorry for not knowing him earlier. Please Lord, forgive all my sins. I know now for sure that I am a Son not a slave.

There are 1.3 Billion Muslims in the world now.
Out of every $1,000 given to Christian Missions, less than one dime goes to Muslim missions.

There are 2,251 languages with no scripture and no one working on them.
There are 1,953 that have someone that has started translating, but has not finished one book.

94% of Missionaries go to only 14% of the countries.

We have serious work to do. Every tribe and tounge is supposed to be exposed to the Word.

The Lausanne Movement, http://www.lausanne.org/ , is where much of these figures come from.

Secretary of State

2008-11-21T16:15:00.001-06:00

It looks like Hilary Clinton will be our new Secretary of State.

Wow.

Anniversary

2008-11-19T22:00:00.002-06:00

I have now been married for three years. What's weird is how it feels. I mean in ways it feels like it was just yesterday we were married, but in other ways it feels like this is just how it always has been--almost as if there wasn't life before Karie. It just feels right and, well, normal. I don't know if that is weird or good or bad, but that is just how it is.

When we first got married everyone was like "oh, just give it some time and you'll get to where they get on your nerves really bad," but that just hasn't been the case with us. We really actually like each other...not just love each other...but actually like to hang out together. We enjoy each other's company.

I think that's really nice.

And after all, like my buddy Wes says, "Love is a decision you make, and then you live with it."
I know that doesn't really come out right, but the point is correct. It's more than a feeling.

The challenges we face as a nation

2008-11-18T15:53:00.004-06:00

I read an article today quoting Barack Obama. He gave a speech today to some climate change summit in California. He said this:

"Few challenges facing America — and the world — are more urgent than combating climate change."

Really? I mean seriously? That is one of the biggest challenges in the world today? Hallelujah! That's it! That's incredible news. Because I thought it was much worse.

combating international terrorism? No

slowing nuclear proliferation? No

saving a crumbling economy? No

creating jobs for the unemployed? No

developing a cure for cancer? No

slowing society's moral decay? No

stopping Genocide? No

sex-slave trade in Asia? No

Starving kids ? No

AIDS? No

Malaria? No

government corruption? No

Violent Crime? No

No. None of these. I'm so excited! I thought the world was in much worse shape than this. Instead of real pressing issues, all we have to focus on is how to keep the average temperature from increasing 0.5 degrees every hundred years!

Jr High Basketball

2008-11-17T21:31:00.004-06:00

I just sat through and scored 5 hours of Jr High basketball. Here's a few facts you might think I am making up, but I'm quite sure they are accurate. In four games I witnessed:

372 turnovers
211 fouls
37 illegal screen violations
a record 783 jump balls (80% of which came from the 2 girls games)
jump balls on 13 consecutive possessions
a situation where all 10 players on the floor were not on their feet, but rolling around
16 straight minutes without one person scoring
one person shoot into the back of the backboard
one referee say, quote..."I can't wait for this game to end so I can go home and drink a beer." It was a woman ref, for the record.
me thinking the same thing--even as distasteful as beer sounds to me

2008-11-16T15:49:00.005-06:00

I heard a really profound illustration today. It's too bad I can't take any credit for it (thanks C. Butler). It has to do with the word "crisis."

Evidently this is well-know, but it is new to me. In Chinese, the word crisis is made from two other symbols that can be translated "danger" and "opportunity," although some say this is a mistranslation, or at least a poor translation. Perhaps it is a stretch, but regardless it is food for thought.

A crisis is a collision of danger and opportunity. The implication is that when one approaches a crisis situation the pessimistic view is to see only the potential catastrophe of the situation, when a deeper pursuit of the moment would reveal the chance to enhance our character and move us into the next phase of our life. I think this is truly the case. It's interesting how the moments in our life that put us under the most pressure are usually the ones that radically change our life, whether for good or for bad. It's like crises are the fulcrum of our life. You don't leave one unchanged. You either move one direction or the other. It's in those moments in our lives that the importance of our response is significantly magnified.

We all want to improve our lives, to do better, to live bigger, but we can't have expansive opportunity without risk and danger.

I think about Joseph from the Bible. The biggest crisis of his life definitely put him into danger. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers, unjustly thrown into jail, and it looked as if his life was a total wreck. Then, as the story goes, through a dramatic series of events he saves an entire region from starvation. And as his brothers sought his forgiveness all he could say was "what you meant for evil, God intended it for good." (Gen 50:20)

That is the way we should approach a crisis. Though the crisis may be meant for evil, it is also an opportunity for good. It's our job to keep perspective and battle through those moments knowing that the greater the risk, the greater the reward, perhaps, like Joseph, even the salvation of an entire people.

Of Politics and Protest

2008-11-15T09:56:00.006-06:00

I went to Washington DC this summer. It really was an great trip (in spite of many obstacles) and the city really is a jewel. Every person should make the rounds there at least once in their life. I really could spend weeks wondering through the museums and offices, just taking in the splendor and majesty of the capital city.

Then there is this guy I photographed out in front of the White House. I'm a strong proponent of the Bill of Rights, and especially the First Amendment, but really does this guy think he's having an impact on the world? I think people like this use their so called "patriotic duty" as a guise for being a total bum. Look dude, If we didn't fight wars you wouldn't be able to be sitting there holding up your peace sign on Pennsylvania avenue. In fact, you'd probably already be hanging from the gallows. If you really want to do some good, get up and do something constructive. Protest is great, but protest without work is useless.

Several questions pop into my mind when I see this picture:

Do you have a job?
Have you ever had a job?
Is my tax money paying for this nonsense?
Do you really sleep out there?
What's in that ice chest?
Showers?
Do you do your own graphics or is that free-lanced out?
What's written on that notepad in your pocket?
Can you write?
How long have you been there....and how long do you plan to stay?
Have you had your picture made more times than the President himself?
If you were actually given a chance to speak directly with the President, would you be able to actually say anything coherent and make a viable argument for peace?
Do you want peace simply for peace's sake?
Is that sleeping bag rated at 20 degrees? Because it gets pretty cold in the winter.
Do you really feel like you are fulfilling your purpose in life?
Can you tell me each of the rights in the Bill of Rights? I could tell you.

But thanks for being there creepy, hippie, peace guy. It was a photo op I couldn't pass up and now you are on the bulletin board in my classroom. You are a great conversation piece.

Readers, please leave any questions you have for my friend in the comment section.

AL Cy Young Winner

2008-11-13T16:09:00.003-06:00

Cliff Lee was announced as the AL Cy Young award winner today. That's not really a surprise considering the numbers he put up, but he did have some formidable opposition in the likes of Roy Halladay and K-Rod.

But check Lee's numbers:

22-3 record (which is almost unheard of anymore)

.254 ERA

only 170 Strikouts

The best part though is this: only 34 walks in 31 starts!

I like to talk about Lee for a couple reasons. First of all, he's from Arkansas, so that's pretty big. Second, he is very humble. All season he gave terrible interviews, because all he really cared to talk about was winning his next start. I love boring interviews. That tells you that the guy doesn't do it for face time on TV. Thirdly, Lee's season last year was miserable. He started badly and was demoted to the minor leagues.

What a difference a year can make?

"Obviously, I used '07 as motivation in the offseason to go and do everything I could to make sure that didn't happen again," Lee said. "I also think that going through what I did last year did help in making me a mentally tougher baseball player. Looking back on it, it wasn't any fun -- but it definitely makes for a better story."

Isn't it cool how adversity builds character. The book of James tells us to "consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

I don't usually get too pumped up about facing difficulty, but we should. We need to use what we learn in those moments to fuel us into becoming better people. It's in the furnace of those trials that we develop faith.

I'm pumped for Cliff Lee. I hope he can repeat next year.

The Wildhog

2008-11-11T16:37:00.003-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR76aoKghM8

Football fans! Watch this video with David Lee (Former offensive coordinator at Arkansas) talking about the now famed "wildhog" formation.

I'm not a football coach, so maybe someone can help me, but why didn't someone start doing this sooner? Or like most things in life, has it already been done in some way before?

Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T16:14:00.003-06:00

Today at school there was a Veteran's Day assembly. I've sat through several of these before, but this time something struck me. First of all, I consider myself somewhat of a patriot. I teach Civics, so patriotism is a big part of that. I do my part in educating the young people of today about the sacrifice our veterans gave for us to be the free society we are. I always respectfully observe the pledge and the national anthem, and I always give the military lip service. Yet as I sat there I got to thinking about whether or not I really care enough.

What particularly got to me was how just about every male teacher at school over 50 was on the floor as a veteran being honored. And I thought to myself, "What if I had grown up in that era?" I think I would really look at the world differently. What if at the age of 25 I was just now starting my career because I'd been watching my fellowmen get slaughtered in the jungle. I had to mentally step back and get some perspective on this.

I have plans for my life. Not exactly, but I have some general things I'd like to do before I die. Fighting in a war is not one of them. And sadly, if we were forced into a draft situation, I'd pray I didn't have to go. There's a lot of reasons why, but I'd say my selfishness would be a big one. So as I sat there and observed that generation on the gym floor, I thought about how arrogant, smug, and spoiled people my age are. We are so lucky. I can't even comprehend the sacrifice those men made--not just for our country, but the sacrifice of their own lives, futures, and dreams. And I asked myself if honoring veterans with my mouth really meant anything. If I had to honor my country by actually serving, I'd want to run and hide--not stand tall and proud. Sitting there I actually felt a little embarrassed, even though this was going on totally within the confines of my head.

Then my mind wondered to the parallels this has with spirituality. Do I honor God with my words? Absolutely. But If I had to really put it on the line with my life or my future at stake, would I stand tall or run and hide? And if my answer is run and hide, do my honorable words right now mean anything at all?

Economic Crises and Greed

2008-11-10T18:08:00.007-06:00

I'm currently reading Lee Iacocca's autobiography. It was written in 1984, about five years after he took over Chrysler during the financial crisis of the late 70s. It has truly been fascinating to read as Lee describes an economic situation that is so similar to the one we are currently a part of. History repeats itself. He even uses that wonderful word "bailout." Seriously, this book could have been written this week. The only difference is his excitement about really ugly cars. (another trademark of ugly 80s things....along with clothes, hair, and music)

Much of the subject matter of the book is devoted to explaining how Iacocca dealt with the failing Chrysler company. But what complicated for him was the fact that not only had the company been poorly managed, he would have to try and resolve these issues with an economy in ruins. He had to save a company, but because of the energy crisis he had to move the company forward in technology simultaneously. This was something he couldn't do without help from the government through guaranteed loans. Bailout, government assistance to big business, energy efficiency...oh the cycles of history.

The most striking thing however is the root of all this evil--you guessed it--greed. Not just greed on the part of bankers, politicians, and businessmen. Greed on the part of you and me. We borrow ourselves into oblivion. I love it when politicians blame big business...that's what we want to hear. (Imagine--a politician telling us what we want to hear.) The truth is this: is wasn't a lack of oversight in the banking industry that caused this crisis; it's how we borrow when we shouldn't or even can't. It's our fault as people. We want stuff, and if we can't afford it we buy it anyway.

I wanted to buy a house this summer. My wife and I moved. We both had new jobs. I thought it was a good time to buy because interest rates were low and it was a bit of a buyer's market. Several people counseled me this way. We even found a place we really liked. It was modest, but nice--a remodeled home from the 1980s. But after going to the bank, we realized..."we can't afford this." The banks would have given us the loan. I'm quite sure of this. But it would have just stretched us too thin. Was this a hard decision? Kind of. Should it be? No. We are called to be good stewards of what God has given us.

The bible says the love of money is the root of all evil.

Chalk up another point for the Bible.

Elections and the art of submission

2008-11-09T20:39:00.004-06:00

I really want to be excited about Senator Obama's election. Really...I do. But I'm not. Indeed it is an historic moment in the history of this great nation. It is a culmination of 400 years of history. Things are finally coming full circle for the African American race.

But did it have to be him? Why couldn't it have been someone from near the center. Not necessarily a Republican, but at least a moderate Democrat. I guess one should expect that it would be someone from the far left.

Nevertheless, I will submit to his authority and give him the respect the position deserves. Not because I have this overwhelming patriotism that consumes me. Not because I am that much of a man. Not even because I feel sorry for him. It's because that is what God requires of me. I hate it when God wants us to be mature. Why can't I just whine and be a baby about this? Why can't I bellow about how the world is coming to an end because of this guy?

Romans 13 tells us to "be subject to the ruling authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."

Why?

Good question. I think it is this: we as people hate authority. There is something that gets under our skin about having to submit to someone else's will, especially when it is in conflict with our own. I think it is a microcosm for Christ's authority in our lives. Look...if we can't submit to a person, how can we submit ourselves to God? The entire New Testament comes back to two things: our relationship with God, and our relationship with others. The two are inseparable. Therefore, as we submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we must also submit ourselves to the authorities he has placed in our lives.

Colossians 3 also touches on this subject of submission. In this context, Paul is speaking about submission in our family relationships (Wives, children, etc.), and then our work relationships. Verse 22 -23really clues us into the "Why?" "Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men."

The simple answer is that when we submit to earthly authorities, by proxy, we are submitting to the Lord, because He is the one that gave them their position. (Notice that he uses the word Lord, rather than Jesus or God...that title in itself speaks of submission.)

So what do we make of this as far as election 2008 is concerned?

As Christians, instead of acting like everyone else when the person not of our choosing is elected, lets act submissive. Wouldn't it be an awesome testimony for someone to find out you're a Christian and see you still submit yourselves to the candidate that you may not have chosen, and maybe even vehemently opposed during a campaign? I think if the Christian world did this, the rest of the world would take notice. We should act differently; we are a peculiar people.

Sometimes are peculiarity stays submerged below our skin.

Starting a blog

2008-11-07T17:29:00.000-06:00

I guess it is just that time. Everyone else is doing it. That's a good enough reason to do anything right? Plus, I sound far more intellegent when I write than when I speak. It's harder to studder when you wwwwwrrrite. Sorry.

But for real, it sounds fun. I'm a wealth of wisdom and information. More to come...