I'm into day three of migraines, which I didn't even start getting until I was in my late 40s, so I will keep this post short and sweet. But it's been too long, I had to write something.
It's a little over a week before Election Day. You will never, ever, get party politics from me. I simply do not play that game. I understand it's the way our system works, but it's become so bad, and so irrelevant to what's really important, that is has no use to me in the real world. I saw a post on Facebook recently that said, "Research, pray, vote." That sums it up for me. Please do not take television advertisements and file that under "research." It's not. It's like the horoscope in the Sunday paper, it's in there for entertainment purposes only. None of it is real. Look for candidates that give you a reason to vote "for" them, not "against" someone else. Vote for candidates that express a clear vision of what their district/state/country should look like; and what the candidate will do to move toward that goal.
Beware of candidates that have little experience working in the real world. Avoid those who speak more favorably about the government than they do about the citizens. Find out which candidates have a religious faith, and have not been shy about discussing it or proclaiming it.
More than anything, pray. Ask God for guidance, and wisdom. That's what I have been doing -- in many aspects of my life.
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I want to be king for a day, so I can make major campaign reforms across this country. Severely cut back on the time allowed to campaign for office. Make the campaign season much shorter, and make money less of a factor in who gets elected. Don't even allow a national candidate to announce their candidacy until six months before an election.
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Tony LaRussa will be back for the Cardinals. I can't say I'm surprised; I can't say I'm thrilled. He says he's going to press base-running more. He's going to take a different attitude with the media and the players. Did he see Dr. Phil after the season ended?
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Josh Hamilton is quickly becoming one of my favorite players, right up there with Albert Pujols. His story is so amazing, so powerful and so real that I start to shed a tear every time he starts talking about God. His teammates seem to be rallying around him, too. I was moved when, as he was accepting his series MVP award Friday night, he mentioned that the glory went to God and thousands of Texans applauded and cheered. He was so far down, so broken and so messed up. It proves that God is with us, all the time. All it takes is for us to move toward Him, and He will be there to pull us up out of the mud.
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Is "randomness" even a word?
23 October 2010
07 October 2010
Be Careful...
One of my least favorite sayings in the world is: "Be careful what you wish for."
I heard it used just a couple days ago in a conversation about Tony LaRussa possibly leaving. For some reason that statement got my attention. But I regress...
I thought about that saying again Wednesday night after I saw the results of the Philadelphia/Cincinnati baseball game. I had watched the first four innings of that affair. Cincy's pitcher couldn't get ahead of any Philly hitters; meanwhile Roy Halladay was perfect through four. I had to leave, but honestly I wasn't surprised when I got home and heard the story. It was obvious that nobody was going to beat Halladay on that night. In fact, he no-hit the Reds; an amazing feat in the post-season. (But nothing compared to Don Larsen in '56.)
Umm, Cardinal fans...that could have been us.
Can you imagine our weak-hitting, inconsistent lineup going against Halladay Wednesday night? Because there is no doubt that the winner of the weak Central Division would in fact have been paired with the Phillies, the club with the best record in the National League.
Can you imagine the embarrassment of watching Halladay no-hit the Cardinals? Heck, it probably would have been a perfect game against the undisciplined Cardinal attack. Can you imagine the Cardinals wilting again -- watch what happens to Cincy -- and being swept again in the first round of the playoffs? Would that not have been more painful then spending the last week of the season without a care in the world, watching the Redbirds beat up on the hapless Rockies?
Oh, and that reminds me of something else. As much as I have hopped aboard the "Don't Come Back Tony" train, watching the Rockies during the last week helped me gain some perspective.
The Rockies, clearly a better hitting club than the Cardinals, and one of the better lineups in the National League, were clueless against our second-tier pitching. They just weren't hitting. They didn't have a great first half of the season, then got hot in August and lifted themselves into the Western Division race. But then their bats just fizzled, and they dropped like a...well, like a rock.
The same ailment affected the Cards this season. Our team should have won the division, but we were just too inconsistent. We just couldn't hit. Our bats just went cold too often. It's not that we didn't try, or that we didn't care. Don't get me wrong, some members of the Cardinals need to hustle some more, but I mean as a team, we didn't quit. It just wasn't meant to be this year. Some years it's meant to be; say, 2006? We limped into the post season with barely a winning record, but we got hot at the right time and won it all. This year wasn't meant to be. Some seasons you aren't supposed to win. Some decades you aren't supposed to win; ask the Pirates.
There is no way the Cardinals would have won the World Series, or any series, even if we had made the playoffs. Getting there is great, but how do you think Cincy fans feel this morning? How will they feel when they are bounced out on their butts by the Phillies, who I really think will win it all. We got there last year, but spent the entire winter trying to make excuses why we stunk so bad. So think about how much better we feel today, not having faced Roy Halladay last night.
I guess it's true when they say "Be careful what you wish for." Ok, I get it now. So, I guess it's goodbye, Tony.
I heard it used just a couple days ago in a conversation about Tony LaRussa possibly leaving. For some reason that statement got my attention. But I regress...
I thought about that saying again Wednesday night after I saw the results of the Philadelphia/Cincinnati baseball game. I had watched the first four innings of that affair. Cincy's pitcher couldn't get ahead of any Philly hitters; meanwhile Roy Halladay was perfect through four. I had to leave, but honestly I wasn't surprised when I got home and heard the story. It was obvious that nobody was going to beat Halladay on that night. In fact, he no-hit the Reds; an amazing feat in the post-season. (But nothing compared to Don Larsen in '56.)
Umm, Cardinal fans...that could have been us.
Can you imagine our weak-hitting, inconsistent lineup going against Halladay Wednesday night? Because there is no doubt that the winner of the weak Central Division would in fact have been paired with the Phillies, the club with the best record in the National League.
Can you imagine the embarrassment of watching Halladay no-hit the Cardinals? Heck, it probably would have been a perfect game against the undisciplined Cardinal attack. Can you imagine the Cardinals wilting again -- watch what happens to Cincy -- and being swept again in the first round of the playoffs? Would that not have been more painful then spending the last week of the season without a care in the world, watching the Redbirds beat up on the hapless Rockies?
Oh, and that reminds me of something else. As much as I have hopped aboard the "Don't Come Back Tony" train, watching the Rockies during the last week helped me gain some perspective.
The Rockies, clearly a better hitting club than the Cardinals, and one of the better lineups in the National League, were clueless against our second-tier pitching. They just weren't hitting. They didn't have a great first half of the season, then got hot in August and lifted themselves into the Western Division race. But then their bats just fizzled, and they dropped like a...well, like a rock.
The same ailment affected the Cards this season. Our team should have won the division, but we were just too inconsistent. We just couldn't hit. Our bats just went cold too often. It's not that we didn't try, or that we didn't care. Don't get me wrong, some members of the Cardinals need to hustle some more, but I mean as a team, we didn't quit. It just wasn't meant to be this year. Some years it's meant to be; say, 2006? We limped into the post season with barely a winning record, but we got hot at the right time and won it all. This year wasn't meant to be. Some seasons you aren't supposed to win. Some decades you aren't supposed to win; ask the Pirates.
There is no way the Cardinals would have won the World Series, or any series, even if we had made the playoffs. Getting there is great, but how do you think Cincy fans feel this morning? How will they feel when they are bounced out on their butts by the Phillies, who I really think will win it all. We got there last year, but spent the entire winter trying to make excuses why we stunk so bad. So think about how much better we feel today, not having faced Roy Halladay last night.
I guess it's true when they say "Be careful what you wish for." Ok, I get it now. So, I guess it's goodbye, Tony.
23 September 2010
Paul and the Galatians
Strangely, just as I began researching for what I'm sure would have been an amazing post about "judging others," I began a Bible study on the book of Galatians. A short little thing, but man does it pack a punch. I have already learned it's one of Paul's strongest, most intense letters. I learned there was a lot at stake for Paul, and for future generations of Gentiles.
What's strange is how powerfully this introductory text and subsequent discussion affected me. Paul was seriously upset at the outside influences that were corrupting his teachings. Paul told the Gentiles that the way to salvation was by faith, through grace, plus... well, plus nothing! It was those outside influences, namely the Jerusalem Jews, that were suggesting to the Gentiles that although Paul was a cool dude and all, he didn't quite have all the facts. One had to become fully Jewish in order to be a part of God's family. In other words, one had to follow the dietary laws, observe the sabbath and be circumcised.
"Umm, I'm not sure if I want to be a part of that, I mean..." Can't you just hear the Gentile men talking about this? Can't you imagine them running away as fast as they can? What's also strange is how I -- and my peers -- have experienced something very much similar to this.
When I was younger, all those years ago, and was struggling to find myself and figure out the world around me, my friends and I would often discuss religion. Most of the time, of course, we were defending our decision to not attend church and stay as far away from religion as we could. Often, the conversation would center around the ideas that we honestly thought made up a religious life: i.e., the things we thought we had to do to become "Christians."
Universally, in my peer group, those things included going to church early on Sunday morning, not making mistakes, following all the rules and forcing your beliefs on others. Attending church on Sunday mornings was tough. There were Saturday nights when we didn't stop partying until most Christians were already on their way to church. Not making mistakes, we thought, was impossible. Why try? Following all the rules was boring and difficult. Not a great combination for lazy teenagers. And we knew we didn't want to hear that gospel stuff from other people, so we knew we weren't cut out to impose it on anyone else. But since I have returned to the church as an adult, I find that really none of those precepts were true at all.
One does not have to attend church on Sunday morning in order to be a Christian. One can find God while sitting at home. I certainly believe that; but I also know from experience that if one really wants to follow Jesus, you need to belong and regularly attend a church. It's hard enough to get through life as a Christian with full support. I wouldn't want to fathom trying to do it alone. In fact, I would deem that as impossible. Joining a group of followers, who can relate to you, support you and teach you, is imperative.
Christianity is not about being perfect. Jesus was about that, and thank you Jesus for coming here and finding out first hand what living on this earth is like. But no human being is capable of being mistake-free. It doesn't mean we don't strive to obey God, but the reality is none of us will ever make it. By the same token, following all the rules is not what Christianity is about, either. Is it important how we live? Yes, of course. But as many of us know, we are saved by faith, through grace -- Paul's message to the Gentiles throughout his missionary journeys. Should we do good works? Of course. Should we strive to do the right thing? Absolutely. But that's the benefit of being saved. We are free to do good works in His name. It's not a requirement, however.
And about witnessing, or spreading the word. The task of witnessing is so daunting. I have heard many Christian leaders, some of which I like very much, say things like: "When we face God he'll ask two questions. Do you know me, and who did you bring with you?"
In some ways, this rings true with every Christian, and at times haunts my being to the core. I am so worried that I can't say the right thing; or lacking in confidence because I am so unworthy, etc. We have a duty to share the Gospel with as many people as possible. We have to figure out how to do this in the course of our daily lives. But I really don't think it's about beating people over the head with the Bible. I see some who believe in standing on the street corner and directly confronting people with the Gospel. That's always been troubling to me. I admire the courage to stand out in public and preach the word, but doing so in a confrontational manner just doesn't work, at least in my world. God bless those who try. And if one person is saved in this manner, I guess it's worth it. You just wonder how many others have been chased away by these methods.
My favorite pastor always goes to John, Chapter 9. The blind man who was healed was not a mature Christian. He didn't have fancy words. He wasn't particularly smart or educated. He had few experiences to draw from. He didn't have a Bible. "All I know," he said, "is once I was blind, but now I can see." We all have our own story to tell. We don't need to fear anything. It's not important what fancy words we use, how smart we sound, or how many scriptures we can quote. What matters is it's our story, no one else's; and no one can refute that or take it away. It's still not easy, but we don't have to worry about doing it well; we just need to do it from the heart. It's still the most difficult thing to do. And not doing so is weak, and sinful, but it's also forgiven, as are all of our sins.
See, that's the part that Christians didn't make us aware of in the 60s and 70s. We didn't realize that. Or the devil hid it from us, maybe. But I don't remember anyone stressing all of the good things that accepting Christ meant. All of the cool stuff. The stuff that gives us freedom, peace of mind, direction for our lives. We didn't get that part. Somebody, like the circumcised Jews of Jerusalem, wasn't giving it to us straight. The fact is, one doesn't have to do any of those things to be a Christian. One needs to have faith in the risen Lord. We needed Paul, like the Galatians needed Paul. I can't wait to hear what Paul has to say next.
What's strange is how powerfully this introductory text and subsequent discussion affected me. Paul was seriously upset at the outside influences that were corrupting his teachings. Paul told the Gentiles that the way to salvation was by faith, through grace, plus... well, plus nothing! It was those outside influences, namely the Jerusalem Jews, that were suggesting to the Gentiles that although Paul was a cool dude and all, he didn't quite have all the facts. One had to become fully Jewish in order to be a part of God's family. In other words, one had to follow the dietary laws, observe the sabbath and be circumcised.
"Umm, I'm not sure if I want to be a part of that, I mean..." Can't you just hear the Gentile men talking about this? Can't you imagine them running away as fast as they can? What's also strange is how I -- and my peers -- have experienced something very much similar to this.
When I was younger, all those years ago, and was struggling to find myself and figure out the world around me, my friends and I would often discuss religion. Most of the time, of course, we were defending our decision to not attend church and stay as far away from religion as we could. Often, the conversation would center around the ideas that we honestly thought made up a religious life: i.e., the things we thought we had to do to become "Christians."
Universally, in my peer group, those things included going to church early on Sunday morning, not making mistakes, following all the rules and forcing your beliefs on others. Attending church on Sunday mornings was tough. There were Saturday nights when we didn't stop partying until most Christians were already on their way to church. Not making mistakes, we thought, was impossible. Why try? Following all the rules was boring and difficult. Not a great combination for lazy teenagers. And we knew we didn't want to hear that gospel stuff from other people, so we knew we weren't cut out to impose it on anyone else. But since I have returned to the church as an adult, I find that really none of those precepts were true at all.
One does not have to attend church on Sunday morning in order to be a Christian. One can find God while sitting at home. I certainly believe that; but I also know from experience that if one really wants to follow Jesus, you need to belong and regularly attend a church. It's hard enough to get through life as a Christian with full support. I wouldn't want to fathom trying to do it alone. In fact, I would deem that as impossible. Joining a group of followers, who can relate to you, support you and teach you, is imperative.
Christianity is not about being perfect. Jesus was about that, and thank you Jesus for coming here and finding out first hand what living on this earth is like. But no human being is capable of being mistake-free. It doesn't mean we don't strive to obey God, but the reality is none of us will ever make it. By the same token, following all the rules is not what Christianity is about, either. Is it important how we live? Yes, of course. But as many of us know, we are saved by faith, through grace -- Paul's message to the Gentiles throughout his missionary journeys. Should we do good works? Of course. Should we strive to do the right thing? Absolutely. But that's the benefit of being saved. We are free to do good works in His name. It's not a requirement, however.
And about witnessing, or spreading the word. The task of witnessing is so daunting. I have heard many Christian leaders, some of which I like very much, say things like: "When we face God he'll ask two questions. Do you know me, and who did you bring with you?"
In some ways, this rings true with every Christian, and at times haunts my being to the core. I am so worried that I can't say the right thing; or lacking in confidence because I am so unworthy, etc. We have a duty to share the Gospel with as many people as possible. We have to figure out how to do this in the course of our daily lives. But I really don't think it's about beating people over the head with the Bible. I see some who believe in standing on the street corner and directly confronting people with the Gospel. That's always been troubling to me. I admire the courage to stand out in public and preach the word, but doing so in a confrontational manner just doesn't work, at least in my world. God bless those who try. And if one person is saved in this manner, I guess it's worth it. You just wonder how many others have been chased away by these methods.
My favorite pastor always goes to John, Chapter 9. The blind man who was healed was not a mature Christian. He didn't have fancy words. He wasn't particularly smart or educated. He had few experiences to draw from. He didn't have a Bible. "All I know," he said, "is once I was blind, but now I can see." We all have our own story to tell. We don't need to fear anything. It's not important what fancy words we use, how smart we sound, or how many scriptures we can quote. What matters is it's our story, no one else's; and no one can refute that or take it away. It's still not easy, but we don't have to worry about doing it well; we just need to do it from the heart. It's still the most difficult thing to do. And not doing so is weak, and sinful, but it's also forgiven, as are all of our sins.
See, that's the part that Christians didn't make us aware of in the 60s and 70s. We didn't realize that. Or the devil hid it from us, maybe. But I don't remember anyone stressing all of the good things that accepting Christ meant. All of the cool stuff. The stuff that gives us freedom, peace of mind, direction for our lives. We didn't get that part. Somebody, like the circumcised Jews of Jerusalem, wasn't giving it to us straight. The fact is, one doesn't have to do any of those things to be a Christian. One needs to have faith in the risen Lord. We needed Paul, like the Galatians needed Paul. I can't wait to hear what Paul has to say next.
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