Sacred Sacrifices

Friends,

As is inscribed on a Korean War memorial in Washington D.C., "Freedom is not free." Someone has to pay the price for our liberty. The Veteran's Day holiday, as well as Memorial Day, causes me to just stop and ponder things...and I am thankful for this. It has been good to see all of the wonderful messages on facebook today...what a blessing! I don't think that I could appreciate or understand the concept of sacrifice when I was younger the same as I have come to appreciate it now that I am older. I believe that this simply has to do with experience and maturity. I am grateful that my dad served in the army. He was never in a combat situation, but I have heard him talk about his experiences and it further caused me to be appreciative. Many other people have given their lives in service for our country. I am grateful during this Thanksgiving month for all of the men and women, younger and older, who have served and who are still serving in order to keep our country free from tyranny. It seems that the tyranny is much less definable than in the past, and therefore, I believe it is more dangerous. We need vigilant intelligence and military people to continue to help us in the ways that they do.

At the same time, this day also makes me think about my Savior's sacrifice. I am ever grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ's sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and for me, in order that I may live forever. As I get older, I believe I better come to understand the concept of sacrifice as it relates to Jesus, as well, and I am also grateful for this. It just makes me consider, once again, that Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for all mankind, but efficient only for those who choose to accept it and become His followers. If you are reading this and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, please respond, as I would be happy to communicate with you. Have a blessed day!

Don

Reversal of Fortunes

Friends,

Well, I guess I spoke one week too soon concerning the plight of the Bengals. After they lost their fifth game in a row last night to fall to 2-6 on the season, Robin (Chad Ochocinco) seems to have had enough of Batman (Terrell Owens) getting the vast majority of the team's receptions. So, there appears to be trouble in Gotham (Cincinnati). In fact, Owens has been the most targeted receiver in the NFL this year, so there is no mistaking the fact that Bengals QB, Carson Palmer, has been feeling pressure to get T.O. the ball. This was supposed to be the year the Bengals cemented their place atop the AFC North, but they appear to be on course for a disappointing season. Meanwhile, the Steelers and Ravens appear to be their formidable selves...both 6-2. Perhaps the most surprising team in the NFL after week 9 is the fourth team in that division, the Cleveland Browns, who were supposed to be an afterthought. Yet, the Browns, led by surprising rookie Colt McCoy, have defeated the defending Super Bowl champ, Saints and the Patriots, who were 6-1, in successive weekends to improve to 3-5. We'll see if the Browns can keep it up. Their recent history would seem to be working against them...and especially now with news that coach Eric Mangini appears to be tinkering again and may not start McCoy this weekend. Eric...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It is a tough time in Cowboyland. After falling to 1-7 following an embarassing Sunday night defeat to the Packers, 45-7, Jerry Jones has chosen to dismiss Wade Phillips as the team's coach. There is no doubt that the team has been underachieving since star QB Tony Romo went down with a broken collarbone. It is hard to discern just how much fault lies with Phillips for his lack of toughness and discipline, as there certainly is a significant group of players, primarily on the defense, that quit on him over the past couple of weeks. There is plenty of blame to go around. If we listen to the sportswriters, among many others, they believe that most of the fault should lie with owner/president (and pseudo-general manager) Jerry Jones. A strong case can certainly be made for this. Now, embattled offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, receives an eight game audition for the rest of the 2010 season to prove himself as to whether he should be the Cowboys' long term head coaching solution. There is nowhere to go but up, which should be to his advantage.

The aforementioned Steelers and Ravens, as well as the Saints, Gaints, Packers, Falcons and Chargers continue to roll on. The rejuvenated Michael Vick led the Philadelphia Eagles to an upset win over Peyton Manning's Colts. The Oakland Raiders continue to surprise, winning their third game in a row over the Chiefs to improve to 5-4. The Old Gunslinger (Brett Favre) led another amazing comeback for the Vikings, as Minnesota defeated Arizona 27-24 in OT. The Vikings were down 24-10 with five minutes to go, but Favre did what he has done so may times throughout his career...and passed for a career high 446 yards to boot. Somehow, one has to believe the 3-5 Vikings are going to make some noise this year, before all is said and done...even without Randy Moss. Speaking of Moss, he has signed with the Tennessee Titans. They hope that his ability to stretch the field (pull defenders off of the line of scrimmage) will help to open up the running game for star running back Chris Johnson. If their plans come together, the Titans could be a very dangerous team in the AFC.

The Seahawks have been blown out on consecutive weekends, which makes one wonder what is happening in Coach Carroll's world. Just when it seems the Lions might be turning the corner, they find a terrible way to lose a game to the Jets that they had in the bag, and on top of this, they appear to have lost fragile QB, Matt Stafford, for the year. Finally, I just have to mention the 0-8 Buffalo Bills at the mid-point of the season. Chan Gailey's bunch plays hard and and has been in most games, but just can't get over the hump. I am hoping that they can get a victory and avoid the winless season...and perhaps this will be the week, as they play the Lions. How ironic would that be? :-)

Blessings,
Don

Free in Christ

Friends,

The Jews bring an argument to Jesus after He has been encouraging the believers about the freedom that they could have in His message. This is one of the most intensive passages in the New Testament (John 8:31-59), but so important for the conviction of the heart. Jesus says, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (vv. 31b-32, NIV) As earlier in chapter 8, the Jews do not understand Jesus’ message. He is speaking about true, spiritual freedom from sin, while they are still thinking about political freedom (from Rome). Jesus explains that the difference between spiritual freedom and bondage is a matter of whether one is a son or a servant. The servant may live in the house, but he is not part of the family, and cannot be guaranteed a future. And these religious leaders were servants or slaves...but of sin. How could they be set free? Only by the Son whom they do not understand and whom they despise.

These Jews claim to belong to Abraham, but they are very unlike Abraham is critical ways. Their nature is evil…they reject the truth; further, they are seeking to kill Jesus because He speaks the truth. They say that they love God, and they may be well-versed in their religious traditions, but do not understand Jesus or His teachings. Jesus claims that by faith Abraham could see and understand many spiritual concepts that they are unable to comprehend. Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac -- a foreshadowing of what would happen with Jesus Himself -- reveals the depth of Abraham’s faith. If only these “proclaimed children” of Abraham's had even a small of amount of that kind of faith, they would understand the truth about Jesus. There is an amazing incongruity to all of this. The worst bondage is the kind that the prisoner himself does not recognize. They may claim to know God and love God, but their hearts are far from Him. The Pharisees and other religious leaders believe that they are free – instead, they are in bondage to their "father," Satan.

These religious leaders cannot refute Jesus’ statement, so they attack Him. This is a proven tactic for debaters -- if one side is losing the debate, it becomes personal. As we come to understand in Jesus' dealings with the Samaritan woman, the Jews considered Samaritans to be second-class citizens. So, for a Jew to be called a Samaritan would be a huge insult, but this is what they say about Jesus...that He must be a Samaritan. They add to the insult by saying that He is demon-possessed. Jesus does not dignify the slurs with an answer…they are dishonoring Him, but He is honoring His Father. He tells them that they will die in their sins, because of their unbelief, still He invites them to trust His Word and “never see death.” They understand that Jesus is claiming to be God by proclaiming Himself “Lord over death”…and this convinces many of them, further, that He has a demon. Jesus’ final statement in v.58, “Before Abraham was…I am” is powerful and divine, another affirmation of His divine Sonship. The Jewish leaders receive it as such, and seek to kill Him, but Jesus is able to slip away, since it is not yet His time.

I had the opportunity to participate in a men’s retreat several years ago. At the beginning of the retreat, the leaders gave each one of us a softball sized rock to carry around for the entirety of the weekend. Predictably, the rock became a burden…and a burden it was supposed to be, physically and symbolically. We were to write any sins that we were struggling with on the rock, which once again, signified the burden that our sin had on us. At the end of the retreat, we all took our rocks out to an open area and tossed them into a large open grave. After we all had relieved ourselves of our burden, each of us took scoops of dirt and buried them…a poignant moment. What a relief it was to be set free from the burden…both physical and spiritual.

This is what Jesus came in order to do -- set us free from our burden. From the Garden of Eden, humans have had the burden of sin weighing them down. Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and then raised from the dead so that He could take that burden from us and set us free. If only the Jewish leaders had taken up Jesus’ offer. But, the most difficult people to win are those who do not realize that they have a need…and the Jewish leaders were altogether self-sufficient. It is remarkable how many people…how many believers, even…choose to continue to carry their burdens around rather than be set free and to live free in Christ. The greatest prison is one without bars…it is an unrepentant heart. When people stay in such a state for long, they become desensitized to their struggle and to sin and cannot see Jesus. This was the case with the Jewish religious leaders. We have every opportunity to choose freedom and choose life. We can allow Jesus to tear the bars away and live in our hearts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cY7ZVsV-_I&feature=related

Blessings,
Don

Unusual Comet

Friends,

A spacecraft, Deep Impact, that was used to track and photograph a comet five years ago was awakened from its slumber in order to capture some fascinating shots from about 435 miles away of another comet, Hartley 2, that is approximately 2.9 billion miles away. Not to be confused with Halley's comet, Hartley's is much smaller, only 1.2 miles in length, as opposed to Halley's which is several times larger. The comet, which has a unique bow tie shape, emits jets of ice and dust off of either end, but is remarkably smooth in its central section.

Blessings,
Don

Teams in Turmoil

Friends,

This past Sunday had to be one of the strangest for the National Football League in recent memory. Two of its more storied franchises, the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins, appear to be coming apart at the seams. This is countered by the fact that the Cinicinnati Bengals, which everyone expected to be "team turmoil", has been strangely silent...even though they are 2-5. Not much seems to make sense in sports these days (see my previous baseball blog), which may be a good thing, but...Vikings coach, Brad Childress, cutting Randy Moss after one month and Redskins coach, Mike Shanahan, benching star QB, Donovan McNabb, makes no sense. The Vikings should have known what kind of "character" they were getting when they gave up a third round draft pick and signed Moss. He has proven to be just a tad difficult in the past...most recently with New England...so it was unlikely that he was going to be any different with the Vikings for his second go-round. Shanahan, likewise, should have known what he was getting in QB McNabb, who does things his own laid-back way. He wore out his welcome with Eagles coach Andy Reid...and he was not going to be a good fit in the Redskins coach's precision West Coast offense. Taking nothing away from the fact that both players are eccentric, to say the least, both coaches and organizations, now, have a lot of questions to answer.

In other news, the Cowboys are 1-6, but don't seem to be able to do anything about their losing ways. According to Jaguars QB, David Garrard, he said he didn't think the Cowboys were "into it" (the game, that is). This could be a general statement about the mindset of the modern athlete in their struggle to deal with adversity, or it could just be a statement about the lack of mental toughness for the Cowboys individual players...not sure, but probably the latter. But, the Cowboys "D" certainly made Mr. Garrard (who threw four touchdwon passes) look like Dan Marino, at least for one day. All of the sudden, something has gotten into the Oakland Raiders. Laughingstocks for the better part of the past decade, they have hung 59 and 33 points, respectively, on their opponents the past two weeks. Whodathunk? At least for now, it is just like the old days in the AFC West, with the Chiefs and Raiders battling it our for supremacy. However, no one should sleep on the perpetually slow-starting Chargers who appear to be coming out of their typical early season funk. The Saints finally looked like the champs from 2009 in beating the Steelers 20-10. One could hope that their "D" will continue to play tough. Once they get their running game back in order, I am believing that they are going to be one of the top teams in the NFC. In something of a surprise, the Packers upset the Jets 9-0. I am not overly surprised that the Packers won, but that the Jets scored squadoosh. They coudn't get a running game going, and the up-and-down Mark Sanchez has been a shrinking violet again the past few weeks. Finally, the Colts who seem to have as many injured players as healthy ones, continue to assemble a group of people that get the job done. It would seem that you could throw just about anyone with some moves out on the field with Peyton Manning and he is going to turn them into a star. Manning just has that magical leadership quality...and he will not be denied victory very often. As long as he is their QB, the Colts will truly be a marvel to watch.

Blessings, Don

The Tale of Black Beard and Other Pitching Stories

Friends,

This post is probably going to be as off-beat as the characters I will be writing about. I had a friend ask me recently about San Francisco Giant's closer, Brian Wilson's beard, saying...is that beard real? I mentioned something about dye...or something to that effect. :-) That Mr. "Fear-the-Beard" Wilson is a strange character, there can be no doubt, especially given his interview with Jim Rome a few month's ago...as unusual an interview as you will ever see. Wilson's crossing his arms and pointing upward with his index finger following a save is also a unique sign (related to martial arts), and it basically means -- he will fight even with his back against the wall, and will live to fight another day. Think Karate Kid or some such. Nevertheless, I think that most closers are strange birds. Most of these guys just march to the beat of a different drummer...they are unafraid to stare stress and disaster in the face without blinking. No one can doubt Black Beard's effectiveness. He may be the greatest of his time, or at least for the 2010 playoffs, recording six saves and striking out sixteen in over eleven innings. He also just closed out the Rangers in the World Series last night...all in a days work for Wilson.

We baseball enthusiasts have known for a long time that good pitching beats good hitting. Well...we don't have to look any further than the just-concluded World Series to see the evidence of this. The Texas Rangers came into the World Series tearing the cover off the ball and had just trounced the mighty Yankees in the ALCS. In fact, most prognosticators were saying "Rangers in five or six games to win the World Series." So much for predictions. The four young home-grown starters for the Giants -- Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner -- simply were not going to be denied. All Lincecum did in the playoffs was beat Derek Lowe, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (twice) on the way to proving that he is probably the most imposing pitcher of his time...not bad for a guy with a quirky, but powerful motion, and who probably weighs no more than 160 lbs. He maximizes his mental and physical abilities in a way that, perhaps, no other pitcher has ever done. Yet, young Mr. Cain didn't give up an earned run in any any of his starts in the post season, which is remarkable. And if this isn't enough, the 21 year-old Bumgarner was the youngest lefty to win a World Series game, pitching eight shutout innings of three hit ball in the pivotal game four of the Series. This is to say nothing of the good, clutch hitting the Giants had from (what a lot of people would say) are primarily a group of cast-offs. I don't know if this is a fair assessment -- probably not. Their hitters are all proven major league vets, with the exception of exciting rookie catcher, Buster Posey. But, with the pitching the Giants had, one could probably get Tom, Dick, Harry and six other folks and compete fairly well most days. :-) This segues into some praise for Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who is one of the "good guys" in baseball. He is a wily veteran who molded his group of 25 guys into a "team" that came together the last couple months of the season. And this is taking nothing away from Rangers manager, Ron Washington, and team president/minority owner, Nolan Ryan, who did a masterful job with their 25 men to get them to the big dance -- kudos to Ryan and Washington. So, even though I love the Rangers and applaud them for beating down the dreaded Yankees to get the the Series, I have to say "hats off" to the Giants and their young pitchers who carried the week, and who proved the adage once again...nothing can beat good pitching (unfortunately, in this case).

Finally, I guess it was somehow fitting that pitching carried the day in the Series, even though I didn't much like it. It was, after all, the year of the pitcher. There were (an unheard of) five no-hitters in 2010, and two of those were perfect games...by Roy Halladay (Phillies) and Dallas Braden (A's). The other three no-hotters were by Ubaldo Jiminez (Rockies), Edwin Jackson (Diamondbacks), and Matt Garza (Rays). It is interesting to note that Halladay also pitched a no-hitter in the playoffs this year against the Cincinnati Reds...only the second time such has happened in history (the other being Don Larsen's game 5 perfect game in the 1956 World Series). Speaking of Matt Garza's Rays, they have the ignominy of being no-hit twice in the past two years, which is pretty amazing in and of itself. It is hard to understand why all of this happened in 2010, except some say it has to do with hitters' confidence. Some say there is a correlation to MLB's crackdown of performance enhancing substances, which it could be. Or, it could just be because the pitching has just gotten that much better. Time will tell.

Blessings,
Don

Looking Up

Friends,

We are often enticed to look down at the ground so to speak, as if the earth or nature is going to provide answers to life’s questions and struggles. We also tend to look around at other people hoping for a solution to our insecurities and issues. What we need to do, rather than looking down or looking around is just take some time to look up -- not just because we need to see God’s beauty in creation or in the night sky, but to keep our spiritual focus on things above. Too often in life, we let our circumstances dictate our actions, our thoughts, even the way we see things. Too often we do not notice the beauty that we are surrounded by or the special heavenly gifts our Heavenly Father bestows upon us. We even forget about the answers to our morning prayers that are faithfully fulfilled during each and every day. We have blurry spiritual eyes, and we need to put on our heavenly eyeglasses in order to see reality. As long as we limit our view to an earthly perspective, we will miss the daily blessings bestowed on us from our Father in heaven. Only by concentrating on Jesus and walking with Him will our view be lifted up high. Only then will we be able to see our circumstances from God's viewpoint. All fear will leave us, as we will know that we have indeed a caring Father in Heaven. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:2-3 NIV)

The Sound of Music

Friends,

This is no ordinary fare for me on the blog, but just coudn't resist. I saw a friend "like" the Sound of Music on facebook, and so I did the same, knowing that there are other "musicals" enthusiasts out there. Now, I have come to realize why -- today is the 45th anniversary of the release of the movie, and the lead cast made an appearance on Oprah today (imagine that :-). Anyway, for the sake of nostaliga, and with the promise that I wil get back to one of the main themes for this blog soon, here are some pics to ponder...

Blessings, Don

Upside Down League

Friends,

Today is the beginning of the NBA season, and...it just doesn't hold much allure to me. As I have blogged before, the NBA is so predictable. We know that the same six teams or so are going to fighting it out to the end with the Lakers winning the title again -- boring. So, now we come to the NFL and the 2010 season where there is not too much that has been predictable. Most folks expected the Jets, Colts, Steelers, Ravens and Patriots to be atop the AFC, but the Chiefs have unexpectedly cast themselves into the mix The Texans and Titans, from the South, are also playing well, which creates some real drama for that division. It is the NFC that has analysts and common folks collectively scratching their heads. The Cowboys were supposed to be the first team to host a Super Bowl at home...and they find themselves 1-5, now, and do not have their starting QB, Tony Romo, for most of the rest of the season. The Giants started out an awful 1-2 in the East, but have reeled off four wins in a row in rather impressive fashion, and now may be the team to beat in the NFC. That is, unless the Seahawks (4-2), Buccaneers (4-2) and Redskins (4-3) do not have something to say about it -- you're kidding me right? These three teams have been bottom dwellers the past few years, but here they are atop or near the top of their divisions. Ahhh...gotta love the NFL, where parity is a reality. On any given Sunday, any team can beat another team...and in any given year, a bottom feeder can rise to the top, and a top dog can sink to the bottom.

The big drama for week 7 involved none other than Brett Favre. This week, the news was more related to on-field issues than off-field (which is good, I guess). Favre came out of yet another rough start...against the Packers, no less...and now has two small fractures in his already banged up ankle. He was also publicly criticized by his coach...and here I thought that Favre was the coach. :-) The big drama is whether his 291 start streak is in jeopardy. With 99 percent of NFL QBs, it most certainly would be, but...we're talking about the Old Gunslinger here. He will tell them that he is going to play and they will probably shoot his ankle with some painkillers and send him out there for week 8 against the Patriots. One begins to get the idea (which I have already pondered, actually), that Favre will not come off the field until they cart him off, once and for all...and it could happen this Sunday. I do believe that when this happens, that he will be finished...but, how can anyone say for certain(?).

It is apparent that the Saints aren't marching anywhere this year without running backs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. Thankfully, they are both slated to be back in New Orleans' lineup this week...and none too soon, since Sean Payton's bunch was thumped by the steadily improving, but perennially lowly, Cleveland Browns 30-17. Thomas' running style is the solid, pounding variety that backups have been unable to provide. Bush provides such an unpredictable element that opposing defenses have to plan for...and it keeps opposing coordinators off-balance. The Saints will be happy to have his shifty, quick bursts back in the offense.

Finally, when I checked the scores around lunch-time Sunday, you know that I had to do a double-take when I saw the score -- Raiders 31-Broncos 0 -- with 13 minutes left in the second quarter. This was almost surreal. The Raiders have been nothing, if not terrible, on offense since Rich Gannon left nearly a decade ago. Meanwhile, the Broncos have not had that poor of a showing this year, even though they were 2-4 coming in o last weekend. There had to be much rejoicing for Raider nation when the final outcome was 59-14 in favor of the silver and black. A person just has to wonder...one, if the Raiders can possibly keep this up, and two, just how long of a leash does young Josh McDaniels have with Pat Bowlen's pride and joy? Well, there is much that remains to be seen as the final ten weeks unfold. I have to believe that major injuries, like Favre's and Romo's, are going to continue to play a major part as the season unfolds (and the higher-ups want to expand the season to 18 games???). At the rate that things have been changing this year...I am willing to bet that it is going to get very interesting before it is all said and done.

Blessings,
Don

P.S. Yes, Dolphin fans, you were robbed of a win...we Seahawk fans remember a Big Ben wrong call around the goal-line in Super Bowl XL painfully well...