Discovery and Old Glory

Friends,

This great photo captures old glory in the forefront on the final flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery, launched two days ago. Discovery is the first in the fleet to be retired this year. Endeavour and then Atlantis will close out the 30-year shuttle program by midsummer. Discovery is the oldest of the three and the most traveled, with 143 million miles logged over 39 flights and 26 years. It had a rendezvous with the International Space Station this afternoon.

Blessings, Don

The Road Less Traveled

Friends,

It’s Sunday, 8:15 PM, and a junior at the University of Miami walks into the dingy third floor office of “Universal International Term Papers Limited, Inc.” He scribbles out his order and hands it to the clerk. “I’m sorry,” she says, “We don’t have that paper in stock…we’ll have to order it.” The clerk dials the firm’s main office in Boston and...a few minutes later, page after page of an impressively researched paper, transmitted from Boston rolls in. It sounds like something from Alice in Wonderland meets the Matrix doesn’t it? Actually it is a very real practice…and now it is just a few mouse clicks away on the internet.

What’s wrong with this picture? It’s indicative of everything the world stands for – take the easy way out...lie, cheat, steal if necessary. For the world, the bottom line is – take care of good old #1, as fast and as easily as possible. In the pragmatic world we live in, this message not only preaches, it sells. Yet, it is self-serving and ultimately self-deceiving. I am certain that some, if not most of us, have taken the easy way at some point in our lives, but there is a better way to go about taking care of our business. Jesus says that if anyone is going to serve the Father, it is going to have to be from an honest heart and genuine commitment. Anything less? It is going to be lacking. Jesus says Matthew 7:13ff that the ways of the world are a broad way that lead to destruction. There are a lot of people in this world, including believers, who give lip service to Jesus, but where are their hearts? These are the things that Jesus is discussing as He concludes His Sermon on the Mount. The religious leaders of His day have chosen the way of the world…the broad way that is of no benefit. But, for those of us who have every opportunity to exercise integrity in living for the truth, there is certainly a better way. It may not be the greater or more popular way, but it is the way that matters. I think poet Robert Frost has a good handle on it in his poem The Road Not Taken -- "I took the one (road) less traveled, and this has made all of the difference."

Blessings,
Don

Twenty Won

Friends,

Young Trevor Bayne certainly had an ace up his sleeve when it came to holding off the veterans to win the Daytona 500 yesterday. The 20 year old rookie, driving the iconic Wood Brothers #21 made famous by hall of famer David Pearson, was strong all of speed week. Yet, I don't think that many experts or casual observers gave him a chance to win Nascar's equivalent of the Super Bowl. Nonetheless, Bayne became the youngest winner of the big race. Jeff Gordon had been the driver to hold that title -- he was 25 years of age when he won in 1997.

It may not have been Trevor's day had it not been a race filled with wrecks. There were a record fifteen caution flags yesterday, much of it due to the newly resurfaced track, but some due to the new two car draft racing. About a third of the way throught the race, veteran Michael Waltrip wrecked his teammate David Reutimann, setting off a chain reaction that took out Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson and many others. While many of those wrecked cars were able to be repaired and get back on the track, they were so far down that it set it up for the relative unknown to sneak in and claim the win. I must say "hats off" to a very pleasant, personable young man, who also gave glory to God following the win. I know a lot of experts may not have liked it that the 20 year old won the race, but what a great story...winning in the #21 that had not won in ten years and that had not won the Daytona 500 in 35 years, since Pearson won it. So, although Bayne did not collect any point totals for the race, since he chose to compete in the junior league Nationwide Series for points, he will have something to hang his hat on for the rest of his life -- Daytona 500 winner. Way to go, Trevor...I hope he wins many more races!

Blessings, Don

The Deadline

Friends,

Tomorrow is going to be a big day for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, one way or the other. They are negotiating a new contract with superstar first baseman, Albert Pujols...and he has told them that he is not going to negotiate any further once spring training starts. Since training officially begins today, time is of the essence, but...the actual deadline is tomorrow at 12 Noon. One might ask, what is the big deal? Well, Albert has asked the Cardinals for $300 million over 10 years, which if we do our math, is $30 a year. That is no small chunk of change. In fact, it would make him the best paid player of all time to this point. There are multiple issues with this entire scenario. It is apparent that Pujols is getting intense pressure from the MLB players association to press for this contract, as it will set a new "high standard" to which all players can be measured. The thinking is -- if Albert gets this significant raise, as the best player in the game today, then we all are going to benefit, as our salaries will also go up. Another issue is that St. Louis isn't exactly a large market team like the Yankees, Red Sox or Angels...they are a mid-market team that has already spent some significant money on free agents the past couple of years. The Cardinals would probably be willing to give Pujols 6 or 7 years at $30 million, but if they were to go the whole ten years, he would be 41 years old at the end of the contract...and too much can go wrong over the life of a ten year contract (see Alex Rodriguez). Yet, another issue is -- how can the Cardinals just let the best player in the game walk away as a free agent at the end of this baseball year? They really can't allow this to happen, but they will if there is no budging on Pujols' part.

So...this is the dilemma. The one variable may actually be the one thing that is "supposedly written in stone"...and this concerns the deadline set for tomorrow. Albert doesn't want it to be a distraction to the team once spring training begins. There is no way that all of this would not be, as the media has already been riding this topic for some weeks now. It is going to continue until he gets signed or tests the free agent market. If there is some significant progress today and tomorrow, the bet is that there will be another extension to get a deal done. From all reports, Albert would like to stay in St. Louis, and the Cardinals would surely love to keep him. However, it is all still very much up in the air. Personally, I think it is good for baseball that Pujols stays in St. Louis. The other large market teams that can afford him already have key people at first base, so there is not a huge need...except in Chicago with the Cubs. This is a scenario that would be a worst-case nightmare for the Cardinals, who view the Cubs as their biggest rival. I can't imagine that the Cardinals brass could stomach the thought of Pujols in a Cubs uniform, but I bet all of the long-suffering Cubs fans out there would love to see it. Hang on...we'll see what transpires.

Blessings,
Don

Valentine Island

Friends,

This story is being shared today...for Valentine's day -- a tiny heart-shaped island in the Adriatic Sea has become a holiday hit for St. Valentine's Day after being discovered on Google Earth. Even the uninhabited island's owner didn't realize how perfectly heart-shaped the island off the Croatian coast was until he was swamped with requests from lovers to stay there.

"It has been incredible. We think it is the most perfect heart-shaped island in the world," said Vlado Juresko, whose family owns the 130,000 square yard islet of Galesnjak, hastily renamed 'Lovers' Island.' "Nobody lives there so if lovers really do want to spend time alone it's the perfect desert island. We always thought it looked a bit like a heart but since it's been on Google Earth everyone else has seen it too and the whole world seems to want to stay here."

Blessings,
Don

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Friends,

An interesting story that relates to a recent post on my other blog...

One winter’s eve over a century ago, Ira D. Sankey the songwriter was traveling by steamboat up the Delaware River. On the trip, he was asked to sing. Afterward, a man with a rough weather-beaten face came up to him. He asked, “Did you serve in the Union Army?” “Why, yes,” said Mr. Sankey, “from 1860-62.” “Can you remember if you were doing guard duty on a bright moonlit night in the Spring of 1862?” Surprised, Sankey said, “yes.” “I was also there,” said the stranger, “but I was serving in the Confederate Army.” I saw you at your post and I said to myself, “that fellow will never get out of here alive.” I stood, concealed in the shadows, while you were exposed by the moonlight. I took up my musket and took aim. Just then, you raised your voice and began singing, “Savior, like a shepherd lead us, be the guardian of our way…” The song stirred up many memories in me…of my youth, and my God-fearing mother singing it to me. As you sang, I took my finger off the trigger, and when you finished, I lowered my rifle. I thought, “The Lord who is able to save this man from certain death is surely great and mighty.”

Blessings,
Don

The Pack Is Back

Friends,

I love cheese...and I have some love for the Green Bay Packers too. Star QB, Aaron Rodgers, just wouldn't allow the Packers to be denied and led his team to victory 31-25. My greatest disappointment is that I picked the Packers to win 31-24, so the two point conversion by the Steelers messed me up...lol. The Packers led from start to finish, and at halftime, it looked like they might just run away with it, as they were up 21-10...but the Steelers were not going away easily. It was worrisome for Packer fans to see three of their starting defensive backs head to the locker room in the second quarter...and in fact, it turned out that all-pro Charles Woodson was lost for the game with a broken collar bone. So, with the sullen locker room at half time for the Packers and an angry locker room for the Steelers, one had to wonder what effect it would have on the teams. The Packers did come out flat in the third quarter and the Steelers quickly closed the game to a four point lead for the Packers, and then it was game on from there. Despite some significant drops by wide receivers, Rodgers just kept the Packers offense churning...and along with some timely defensive stops...they were able to turn the momentum back in their favor in the fourth quarter. So, even though the Steelers were game opponents, it just seemed like it was Title Town destiny from beginning to end. Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers, 2010-11 Super Bowl Champions. And here is a little secret...I don't think it will be the last one for this crew. :-)

Blessings,
Don

Volcanic Io

Friends,

Some space shots are done with infrared or ultraviolet settings, so the true color of the object is not revealed...and such pics I, typically, will not show. So, with this in mind, below is a photo of the closest of Jupiter's moons, Io (pronounced Eye-Oh...I don't name them, I just try to pronounce them :-) in its true yellow color, due to a high sulfur content. The friction from the gravity of Jupiter, as well as other large moons, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, tugs and pulls at the surface of this strangest of all planets, creating intense volcanic activity of molten rock...it looks like the moon is literally being turned inside out. Scratch it off of the list of potential habitable places... ;-)

Blessings, Don

Old Testament Argumentation for New Testament Authority

Friends,

I was spending some time the other day perusing another blogsite and, once again, came upon the tried and untrue connection between the Old and New Testaments that well-meaning brothers have been making, since...well, Noah got off of the gopher wood ark. :-) Following, in greater detail perhaps, are some thoughts regarding such use of analogy. I have never completely understood why so many arguments drift to Old Testament argumentation in order to try to prove or approve New Testament authority? Actually, I do understand why this takes place...believers with a certain legal world view seek to defend the New Testament as a primarily legal covenant, as is the Old. If we spend some time absorbing the Sermon on the Mount at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, as well as many of Jesus' other teachings, we begin to understand why this is not feasible or correct. It is legal in its atoning aspect, but in most every other respect, it is about love, grace and mercy. It is not consistent reasoning...the necessity of Noah having to use gopher wood (cypress, if we really want to be technical), Nadab and Abihu's sin, Uzzah reaching out to touch the ark, etc. are fear illustrations that do not apply to a covenant of grace and truth. If we want to make such a "fear argument" concerning keeping rules and regulations, then Ananias and Sapphira should be quoted (which was clearly an exceptional situation, but not without prupose). We no longer rely upon the Old Covenant for our authority and so drawing arguments or conclusions from it in order to propagate New Testament authority is an argument that God never intended for us to make.

Blessings,
Don