Big Universe

Friends,

Another cool space pic...we are not alone (not a reference to aliens, but to many other galaxies :-). One little planet in one small solar system, in one arm of our galaxy, in the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of billions of galaxies.

Blessings,

Don

Sports President

Friends,

It has been a momentus week for our country. President-elect Barack Obama is now President Obama. It is indeed a truly significant and wondrous thing for our country that Obama is the first African-American elected president. I wish him all the best...and he has my prayers for his spiritual journey, leadership and safety as he leads our nation.

I am also excited that the president seems to have an acute awareness and involvement in sports. Since this is, in part, a sports blog, I want to give kudos to Barack Obama, the sportsman. I do hope that he is able to positively impact our sports world...in his off time, of course. :-) If he is able to help facilitate a college football playoff system...I will be duly impressed, but I know that he has more pressing matters to attend to. I hope that he can be a blessing to our other great sporting ventures...particularly football, baseball, as I am sure that he will be with basketball -- his favorite sport.

It was great to see so many sporting figures at his inauguration, particularly some of the greatest African-American athletes of all time...from Muhammed Ali to Magic Johnson to many of the exceptional athletes of the present day. Like many of us, when he is in the midst of crisis, I hope that President Obama will be able to find sports as a break from the stresses of life and that they will be a blessing to him. Blessings,

Don

Let's Make A Deal

Friends,

We had some friendly dish fellows come over and set up a new receiver for us and add an extra cable. This is not too out of the ordinary...yet how it came about is funny, albeit exasperating -- buyer beware. Dave Ramsey should take note, perhaps. As my wonderful wife called the company to talk about the service call, the phone rep on the other end told her that it was going to be $100 in order to make the call, to which Kim correctly replied...that is ridiculous. Kim told her that "we've been valuable customers and that past calls had been part of our contract with them." The rep was willing to drop the service call to $50. Kim proceeded to question and said that "if we could not get satisfaction, we would switch to a competitor." The lady put Kim on hold and another representative came on the line that, perhaps, was a superior(?). He told Kim that, indeed, the call would be $150 and would raise our monthly rate by $5.98, to which Kim said that this was even more ridiculous than what the first rep offered. Kim, frustrated, went through the same speech as she did with the first rep and the gentleman said...we will make the service call free. At this point, he also said that it would not be an extra $5.98 per month, but only an extra $.98 per month.

What??? Can someone please explain all of this to me(?)...it is beyond comprehension. All I can say is -- be careful to do your homework and...God bless my wife, the master negotiator.
:-) Blessings,

Don

How Can We Do It?

Friends,

Two of the most influential countries in the world have not been behaving themselves this week and it is causing a host of problems for those near them. The Russian Federation and the Ukraine have been at odds concerning right of ways and payments relating to the flow of Russia’s natural gas through Ukraine. Now Russia has turned off the spigot, so to speak, in order to spite Ukraine. One big problem…the gas that flows through the Ukraine supplies much of Eastern Europe. Without delving any further into the politics of why this has all come to take place, it has presented a humanitarian crisis in those countries that are affected in the middle of a harsh winter. It would be awfully difficult to withstand zero degree temperatures if Atmos all of the sudden said…sorry, no more natural gas.

So…we may appreciate, from a little different perspective, how important are our basic needs, especially if we have been in a situation where we have not had shelter, clothing, heat or cool, food or water. The compassion that is lacking in Russia and Ukraine is not absent in the One who gave all of those people life…and He truly cares about those who are struggling. Compassion for people is a fundamental aspect of love from a caring heart. Jesus set the ultimate example of the One who came to meet men’s needs…both physical and spiritual. In essence, the following story concerns the Chief Shepherd feeding 5000 or more of His sheep.

In Matthew 14:13ff, despite the traumatic time that Jesus faces in the loss of His cousin and friend John the Baptist, the needs of the crowds who were following Him…touched Him. He is moved with compassion, which really is an interesting word -- in the original it is splanchnizomai. What a grand word! The Greeks believed that the bowels were the center of emotion…which is what the word indicates. It is much strong than to have mere sympathy for another, but means to have one’s inner being stirred…a gut felt feeling of anguish. This was Jesus' feeling toward this group.

The disciples find themselves in a confusing and difficult situation…they think --“Lord, we’ve got a problem…we have 5000 hungry people and have nothing to feed them.” Certainly the disciples had to know that Jesus was powerful enough to meet the need, yet they do not turn to Him for help. When they consider the time…it’s evening, and the place…it’s desolate, they come to the conclusion that nothing can be done to solve their problem -- so they tell the Lord… “send them away.” If the disciples had read their Bible :-), they should have gone to school on the fact that the Lord fed the Israelites for 40 years as they wandered in the desert, so it was a possibility.
Here, Jesus says...feed them. He desires to teach them a lesson in faith and surrender. If they believe, there will be a solution to their problem.

Andrew finds a young man who has a typical lunch and brings him to Jesus. He has basic Galiliean rations…bread and fish. Jesus asks the crowd to sit, and they do so, obediently. Then, He blesses the food, by thanking the Father. The disciples take the food and distribute…and distribute…and distribute some more. The food, miraculously multiplied, is enough to feed everyone! Twelve baskets are taken and filled with the leftovers of the bread and fish after the people had eaten all that they wanted – nothing was wasted. This reveals that, in effect, no one ever gave anything to Christ, but that it is given back compounded and multiplied. Jesus gives abundantly.

This message brings to mind some thoughts and questions. How often do we respond to needs like the disciples did and the Lord did not(?)…estimating them in the light of our own resources and from a humanistic perspective? We should never be so out of spiritual focus that our generalized first response to situations of faith or benevolence is “can’t do it”...we only have five loaves and two fish, besides it's getting late and I need to get home to watch American Idol.
We must never forget that although we may be limited in what we may think that we can do in a given situation or circumstance…God is not. It all comes down to what kind of faith do we really exemplify in our lives...one that sees from a human prespective only or one that truly trusts in the Lord's power. The Lord cares about people’s needs…those who know Him, those who don’t. There is a hungry world feeding on empty substitutes; we have something to share – spiritual Bread, eternal life...and we must have the compassion to give it to them. Blessings,

Don

Chillin'

Friends,

It's kind of funny...I haven't heard a whole lot from the global warming folks this winter. I wonder if it might have something to do with the fact that this has been a ridiculously cold winter for most of the lower 48...and especially Alaska. I would love to see a debate between a global warming expert and an Alaskan, who have been reporting that some of their glaciers that had been receding some in recent years are now rebuilding. It might just have something to do with the fact that the temps have been hovering around 0 degrees up there for weeks now. So...I am not about to be a harbinger for a new ice age that might cometh, but I think that "the experts" need to do a little recalibrating perhaps. Besides, I think the Lord..."The Expert"...has a wonderful sense of humor and that He might be confounding "the experts" anyway. :-) Blessings,

Don

Football As Unusual

Friends,

I guess these playoffs really are for the birds...very few figured the Eagles, Cardinals and Ravens would go this far this year. The only team that made it the semifinals that was supposed to is the Steelers....and I suspect that may very well run the table, although I would hate to see it. How about the Cardinals! They probably will not even be favored to beat the Eagles at home this weekend -- but what a story. They have only been in the playoffs twice since 1947...and that was as the Chicago Cardinals...the last time they won any sort of a football cahmpionship -- only 20 years before the first Super Bowl. :-) They even landed in St. Louis for a few decades before coming to Arizona. Now, the long suffering fans of Phoenix actually have a team to cheer for besides the Cowboys, which is who they would usually cheer for in years past -- even if they had the 'boys at home. I am sure that many would love to see a Pennsylvania showdown. I love the underdog in this case...let's see coach Ken have a shot at his former team --it would be cool. Blessings,

Don

Quiet Time

Friends,

As we approached the new year, some asked me about daily Bible readings and keeping their daily quiet time or devotions fresh. I can understand the concern of some in relationship to reading all the way through...Genesis to Revelation every year...and being able to keep up with it. I offer some encouragement in order to keep quiet time fresh and to be refreshed.

One...mix it up. Spend a couple of days a week reading one chapter each day out of an Old Testament book and accompanying commentary (excepting the wisdom literature of the OT, which I will explain). Spend another two days -- one chapter each day -- reading a New Testament book and accompanying commentary (excepting the gospels). On two other days read through the wisdom literature and the gospels several chapters at a sitting -- without commentary. It is good just to read a decent section...and Job, the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are good books just to read and absorb them as they are. Finally, take a Saturday (or some other day) to rest from an explicitly focused time -- listen to some Christian music perhaps, or spend some time in a good spiritual book.

Two...while spending time in prayer and meditating -- focus on a host of different things. Many times our prayers end up sounding like a list of wants and needs...I know that mine have at times. Spend some time just thanking the Lord for all of the great and marvelous blessings He has given to you/us...particularly His Son, the Spirit, family and church family. Spend some time just adoring and respecting God for who He is. Do spend time praying for family and friends...and some specific prayer needs that you are aware of. Also, pray for outreach opportunities and how you can better serve others. Pray for spirituality...particularly for such virtues as humility, better faith, wisdom, strength, enthusiasm, selflessness, hope, compassion, courage, sincerity...and to be a good example, good communicator, good servant and have a good attitude. Pray also for discipline and diligence, love and commitment, holiness and a balanced life. Pray for your goals, for opportunities, for the fruit of the Spirit to be at work in your life. Finally, pray for church leaders, different age groups in the congregation, ministries, mission efforts, etc. God will listen and He will answer these prayers in His own way for your/our own good. Just some things to consider. Blessings,

Don

These Playoffs Are For the Birds

Friends,

I have found some humor in the fact that there are a lot of bird-brained :-) fans out there this year who have reason to be excited about their NFL team. The Eagles, Ravens, Cardinals and Falcons all made the post season party...with the exception being the Seahawks who did not make it this season for the first time in many years. The Falcons made a quick one and done exit, but just the fact that they were even in the playoffs was a minor miracle, considering how terrible they were last year. The Cardinals won at home, but now have to go on the road to play the Panthers. Unfortunately, we know how most cat/bird exchanges go -- this one will likely not be much different. The Eagles and Ravens both have legitimate shots at going a long way in the playoffs. Now while I could never root for the despised Eagles...I do have some affection for the Ravens. They have a great defense and a solid rookie QB in Joe Flacco. While Matt Ryan of one of the other bird teams (Falcons) won NFL rookie of the year, a case could certainly be made for Flacco. After all, he is one more week into the post season. But the Ravens play the dreaded Tennessee Titans next. This will be a defense lover's dream...as both "Ds" are in the top five of the NFL. And this is also why there are so many "D" teams in this second round of the playoffs...what is the saying? Defense wins championships? This seems to be proven true more often than not. An intriguing team to watch is the Chargers...who were 4-8 five weeks ago, but won four in a row to finish the regular season, and then beat the Colts (whom I had picked to get to the Super Bowl) this past weekend. (How can you not root for Tony Dungy's team?) So, the Giants, Steelers are all that is left of teams I have not mentioned...and they will probably be the teams that end up in the big game. Although, I have to make my pick the cats (Panthers) for now...at least when they are playing a bird team. But, if I did have a dark horse (bird), it would be the birds from Baltimore. Blessings,

Don

Who's #1?

Friends,

Okay...I am telling you (you heard it here :-) -- Utah should be #1. As a follow-up to my earlier post on the college playoff, Utah made the best case that could be made for a playoff (or plus one game) by beating heavily favored Alabama in the Sugar Bowl last evening. They should have a shot...they beat BYU, TCU, Oregon State and Michigan (granted it was an off year), and finalized it by beating an Alabama team that was #1 for several weeks -- on the way going 13-0. The last time I checked, "undefeated" means you're pretty good...better than a team with one loss. Some will talk about strength of schedule, etc...but it still should be about a team getting hot at the right time and having a shot to be the undefeated and #1 team in the land. Yet, under the current system, the best that Utah will be, likely, is #3. The Oklahoma/Florida winner will be #1. If Texas beats Ohio State, they will be #2. This wasn't Boise State's year...but it could have been Utah's. (Understand...I am not really a Utah fan, per se, it is just that they stand at the point of principle). And even if a playoff isn't in order...a plus one game could make a difference. Perhaps an undefeated Utah would have a shot. So...we'll see if it ever takes place -- here is a fan who is hoping that it does. Blessings,

Don