When I was a kid, I thought football was stupid. I couldn't understand why anyone would be interested in a sport where, as a spectator, you couldn't follow the ball. And it absolutely appalled me how, on running plays, the running back ran right into a pile for little or no gain! I would watch 2, 3 plays at the most, then walk away from the television thinking, "what a stupid sport...". But, this is quite ironic if you know me now. It happened when I was 13. I began to really appreciate football. Soon after that, I began to LOVE football. Today, it is my absolute favorite sport to watch live or on television! The sports being played between January and August are just filler until football season can come once again.
What was the "it" that happened? I think I know. You see, I had no understanding of football. I didn't know how to watch it in a manner that would allow me to follow the ball. I didn't understand that the reason the ball carriers ran to piles a lot was because that was the direction in which the play was designed to go. If the play only got a minimal gain, then it simply meant that the defense had it sniffed out, or the offensive line failed to execute a proper blocking scheme. And those were just two aspects of the game that helped give me an appreciation for it, that soon turned into a love for the game.
You know, there are lots of things like that in our lives. Sometimes it takes allowing ourselves time to understand something before we can appreciate, like, or even love it.
God is in this category.
As a child, I sat on a pew each Sunday hearing about God, and his unfailing love, but I didn't really understand it. So away from church, I never took the time to seek Him. But as the years went by, something happened. I can now say with confidence that I love God. (Although, I don't show it like I should all the time). So what happened? I came to a better understanding of who God is and how He loves us. I gained this understanding in several ways. First, I began attending Sunday school regularly. Secondly, I started honing in on what my pastors were saying from the pulpit. Lastly, but this is the most important, I started taking the time to read God's Word, the Bible. And I can still improve on that last one.
Are you having trouble understanding who God is? Then pick up a Bible and just start reading. But don't stop there. Find a good Sunday school class with a dedicated teacher, at a Bible-based church with a pastor who has a heart for the truth and for people. You'll begin to understand Him. You'll soon appreciate Him. Ultimately, you'll LOVE Him!
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Doing the Right Thing
This is another one of those articles that help to restore your faith in people:
http://arkansasvarsity.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=992976
http://arkansasvarsity.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=992976
Thursday, August 06, 2009
The Lady of the House Has Left the Building
I once heard her referred to by Stanford Lewis as "That tall, thin lady of music." And a lady indeed she was. Always poised, always in control, and always ready to handle any situation, Mrs. Annette Hall was the queen of the castle that so many of us called home on the UAM campus. That home is the music building (and yes, it really does look like a castle); and it will never be the same without her.
We lost the Lady of the House today. Mrs. Hall succumbed after a long battle with cancer. She now resides in a much bigger house. And while I am saddened, I could not be happier for her. She kicked cancer's butt on more than one occasion over the course of the past 20 years plus. But today, God told her to come home and rest with Him, and so she did. No more fighting. No more pain. Just the rest that she so richly deserves.
Ms. Annette was a staple on the UAM campus. She arrived there in 1972. She became head of the music department in 1984. My affiliation with her began when I became a freshman music major in 1986. As an undergrad, I could always count on her to answer any questions I had, or solve any problems that arose for me. But I wasn't special. You see, Mrs. Hall did this for every music major, then and now. For the past three years, I have had the privilege of working with her. As well taken care of as I felt as one her department's majors, I was in even better hands as one of her teachers. In fact, I would not even be at UAM in this capacity were it not for her. She gave me a chance to proof myself. So, not only do I owe my degree to her, but I owe my professional life in academia to her as well.
As I entered the "castle" today, I paused outside Mrs. Hall's office. I will never be able to pass by it again and hear, "oh...how's it going today?" I will never be able to pass by it again and see her diligently pouring over some file or report. I will never be able to pass by it again and see her welcoming smile.
The lady of the house has left the building.
We lost the Lady of the House today. Mrs. Hall succumbed after a long battle with cancer. She now resides in a much bigger house. And while I am saddened, I could not be happier for her. She kicked cancer's butt on more than one occasion over the course of the past 20 years plus. But today, God told her to come home and rest with Him, and so she did. No more fighting. No more pain. Just the rest that she so richly deserves.
Ms. Annette was a staple on the UAM campus. She arrived there in 1972. She became head of the music department in 1984. My affiliation with her began when I became a freshman music major in 1986. As an undergrad, I could always count on her to answer any questions I had, or solve any problems that arose for me. But I wasn't special. You see, Mrs. Hall did this for every music major, then and now. For the past three years, I have had the privilege of working with her. As well taken care of as I felt as one her department's majors, I was in even better hands as one of her teachers. In fact, I would not even be at UAM in this capacity were it not for her. She gave me a chance to proof myself. So, not only do I owe my degree to her, but I owe my professional life in academia to her as well.
As I entered the "castle" today, I paused outside Mrs. Hall's office. I will never be able to pass by it again and hear, "oh...how's it going today?" I will never be able to pass by it again and see her diligently pouring over some file or report. I will never be able to pass by it again and see her welcoming smile.
The lady of the house has left the building.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
God's Biography
I try to read Our Daily Bread devotionals, published by RBC Ministries, each day. They are all good, but every once in a while I read one that I really like a lot. Today's was one of those.:
http://rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/08/01/devotion.aspx
http://rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/08/01/devotion.aspx
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Battle
God loves me and He is ever present. I KNOW this.
God sent His Son for me so that I can live with Him forever and ever. I KNOW this.
Those two facts alone should provide me with enough joy to overflow for my lifetime. I KNOW this.
What I DIDN'T know, until about two years ago, is that I struggle with depression.
Oh, I don't struggle to the point that I believe I need medication. I don't struggle to the point that I entertain thoughts of suicide. But I know that my depression is real. Well, given the things that I KNOW, my depression really puzzles me.
Why do I bring it up? Because today is one of those days. I smile and laugh and talk with whoever is around, but inside, I don't feel so...up. So right now, although there are 5 other people in the building, (I'm in the MBSF, if you want to know WHAT building), I'm sitting in a quiet corner, pondering on the gifts from my Father and writing this blog. I don't like my personal battle. But God didn't put me here to have it easy everyday. This is another thing that I KNOW.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for who You are to me. I thank You for all that I have and all that I am due to You, for I know EVERY GOOD thing comes from You. Father, grant me Your strength and Your wisdom, that I may endure the battles. For I KNOW that in you, I WILL win them. I pray it in the precious name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
God sent His Son for me so that I can live with Him forever and ever. I KNOW this.
Those two facts alone should provide me with enough joy to overflow for my lifetime. I KNOW this.
What I DIDN'T know, until about two years ago, is that I struggle with depression.
Oh, I don't struggle to the point that I believe I need medication. I don't struggle to the point that I entertain thoughts of suicide. But I know that my depression is real. Well, given the things that I KNOW, my depression really puzzles me.
Why do I bring it up? Because today is one of those days. I smile and laugh and talk with whoever is around, but inside, I don't feel so...up. So right now, although there are 5 other people in the building, (I'm in the MBSF, if you want to know WHAT building), I'm sitting in a quiet corner, pondering on the gifts from my Father and writing this blog. I don't like my personal battle. But God didn't put me here to have it easy everyday. This is another thing that I KNOW.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for who You are to me. I thank You for all that I have and all that I am due to You, for I know EVERY GOOD thing comes from You. Father, grant me Your strength and Your wisdom, that I may endure the battles. For I KNOW that in you, I WILL win them. I pray it in the precious name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
The Soundtrack to my Life
Forget about the weirdness. Forget about the facial changes. Forget about the court cases.
Michael Jackson was one of our world's most influential and important artists. Yes, ARTIST. He was an artist in the truest since of the word. And I will miss him. Just as the title suggests, he helped to write the soundtrack to my life. You hear people say that about their favorite artists all the time. But the cliche' is true. Give me a Michael Jackson song title, and I can tell you where I was the first time I heard the song, or something significant that I was doing while it played on the radio or on my cd player.
As I type this, I'm not ashamed to say that I'm tearing up. Michael and his music meant something to my life. Watching him perform with his brothers as a member of The Jackson Five when I was a little boy, he inspired me to dream. I can still remember holding my mom's dinner bell hammer in my hand as a microphone while lip syncing to Dancing Machine. As a solo artist, he inspired me to be a better musician. My sister and I analyzed Off The Wall until no instrument or vocal part was left unturned. That album is the reason that I can pick instruments out of an ensemble today. And I could cite more examples.
So you see, this is no small deal to me. His death leaves a very real hole for me, as though he were a family member. And I know that I'm not the only one.
Incidentally, Prince better live SEVERAL more years. I'm not sure I could take it.
Michael Jackson was one of our world's most influential and important artists. Yes, ARTIST. He was an artist in the truest since of the word. And I will miss him. Just as the title suggests, he helped to write the soundtrack to my life. You hear people say that about their favorite artists all the time. But the cliche' is true. Give me a Michael Jackson song title, and I can tell you where I was the first time I heard the song, or something significant that I was doing while it played on the radio or on my cd player.
As I type this, I'm not ashamed to say that I'm tearing up. Michael and his music meant something to my life. Watching him perform with his brothers as a member of The Jackson Five when I was a little boy, he inspired me to dream. I can still remember holding my mom's dinner bell hammer in my hand as a microphone while lip syncing to Dancing Machine. As a solo artist, he inspired me to be a better musician. My sister and I analyzed Off The Wall until no instrument or vocal part was left unturned. That album is the reason that I can pick instruments out of an ensemble today. And I could cite more examples.
So you see, this is no small deal to me. His death leaves a very real hole for me, as though he were a family member. And I know that I'm not the only one.
Incidentally, Prince better live SEVERAL more years. I'm not sure I could take it.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Sunday, June 07, 2009
And for the Obama Era's Next Trick...
This one, from One News Now, absolutely hacked me off.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=557214
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=557214
Thursday, June 04, 2009
The NBA Finals-Game 1
My Los Angeles Lakers are on a quest for a franchise 15th Championship, in this, the 30th appearance. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher are playing for their fourth, all as Lakers. The Orlando Magic pose a difficult test for my boys, but I remain confident. HERE WE GO!
The five starters had a look in their eyes as they were being introduced that spoke of focus and determination. I like it.
At the first timeout the game is tied at 14. Bryant and Turkoglu are the early offense for each team.
20-18, Lakers at the next timeout.
Bynum was just benched with his second foul. The call was questionable.
Pau has missed in close 3 times, but hit from the outside. He may have been pushed on that last play, but no call.
Pau gets a dunk! That's more like it.
Howard is called for the offensive foul, his second. He'll have to sit.
The Lakers are in the penalty. I hate giving up easy points.
Gasol is still struggling on the block. I don't get it.
The first quarter ends with the Magic up 24-22.
Lamar Odom hits a jump shot to start the second. 24-24.
Jameer Nelson, who hasn't played in 4 months, looks good. My goodness.
The Lakers take a timeout, down 5.
Luke Walton has 6 points off the bench.
Bryant gets inside to give the Lakers a 34-33 lead. We're on a 6-0 run. Timeout, Magic.
The Magic take another timeout. The Lakers are on a 10-0 run. Kobe has hit the last 6. The Lakers lead 38-33 with 5:15 to play in the second.
With 2:43 to play in the half, the Lakers lead 45-39. Kobe is hot. He has 16 points.
The Lakers finish the half strong and lead at halftime 53-43.
Bryant opens the third with a pretty up-and-under move. Then knocks down a jumper. Lakers lead 57-43.
Bynum has picked up his 4th foul. Yikes.
Kobe going back to work. He hits a jumper in the lane, and gets hit. The free throw is good. The Lakers lead 64-50.
Offensive foul on Howard.
Beautiful ball movement by the Lakers. Odom hits, and one! Free throw no good. Lakers by 16.
Gasol inside! Timeout, Magic. The Lakers have opened up an 18 point lead!
The Lakers are playing great defense.
Bryant puts in his 31st point to push the lead to 20.
Bryant is a BEAST! Bank shot, and one! Free throw good. The Lakers lead 75-52.
Bryant gets an assist to Ariza for a 3. The Lakers lead by 25, 80-55.
The Lakers outscore the Magic in the third 29-15. At the end of the third, the Lakers lead 82-58.
Nice give-and-go to Walton. He didn't finish but will go to the line. 83-58, Lakers.
Odom, and one. The lead is now 27. Free throw good. Lakers lead 88-60.
Pietrus hits and will go to the line. Timeout.
Pietrus misses the free throw. The Lakers lead 88-62.
Andrew Bynum is back in the game. He gets fouled in the act inside. 1 of 2 from the line.
Howard 1 of 2 from the line. 89-65, Lakers.
With 5:13 left, the Lakers lead 89-65.
Bryant to the line. Both are good. 91-65.
Kobe now has 40, which the most he's ever scored in a finals game. With 1:50 left in the game, the Lakers lead 97-73.
And Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals is in the books.
The Lakers take it 100-75.
The five starters had a look in their eyes as they were being introduced that spoke of focus and determination. I like it.
At the first timeout the game is tied at 14. Bryant and Turkoglu are the early offense for each team.
20-18, Lakers at the next timeout.
Bynum was just benched with his second foul. The call was questionable.
Pau has missed in close 3 times, but hit from the outside. He may have been pushed on that last play, but no call.
Pau gets a dunk! That's more like it.
Howard is called for the offensive foul, his second. He'll have to sit.
The Lakers are in the penalty. I hate giving up easy points.
Gasol is still struggling on the block. I don't get it.
The first quarter ends with the Magic up 24-22.
Lamar Odom hits a jump shot to start the second. 24-24.
Jameer Nelson, who hasn't played in 4 months, looks good. My goodness.
The Lakers take a timeout, down 5.
Luke Walton has 6 points off the bench.
Bryant gets inside to give the Lakers a 34-33 lead. We're on a 6-0 run. Timeout, Magic.
The Magic take another timeout. The Lakers are on a 10-0 run. Kobe has hit the last 6. The Lakers lead 38-33 with 5:15 to play in the second.
With 2:43 to play in the half, the Lakers lead 45-39. Kobe is hot. He has 16 points.
The Lakers finish the half strong and lead at halftime 53-43.
Bryant opens the third with a pretty up-and-under move. Then knocks down a jumper. Lakers lead 57-43.
Bynum has picked up his 4th foul. Yikes.
Kobe going back to work. He hits a jumper in the lane, and gets hit. The free throw is good. The Lakers lead 64-50.
Offensive foul on Howard.
Beautiful ball movement by the Lakers. Odom hits, and one! Free throw no good. Lakers by 16.
Gasol inside! Timeout, Magic. The Lakers have opened up an 18 point lead!
The Lakers are playing great defense.
Bryant puts in his 31st point to push the lead to 20.
Bryant is a BEAST! Bank shot, and one! Free throw good. The Lakers lead 75-52.
Bryant gets an assist to Ariza for a 3. The Lakers lead by 25, 80-55.
The Lakers outscore the Magic in the third 29-15. At the end of the third, the Lakers lead 82-58.
Nice give-and-go to Walton. He didn't finish but will go to the line. 83-58, Lakers.
Odom, and one. The lead is now 27. Free throw good. Lakers lead 88-60.
Pietrus hits and will go to the line. Timeout.
Pietrus misses the free throw. The Lakers lead 88-62.
Andrew Bynum is back in the game. He gets fouled in the act inside. 1 of 2 from the line.
Howard 1 of 2 from the line. 89-65, Lakers.
With 5:13 left, the Lakers lead 89-65.
Bryant to the line. Both are good. 91-65.
Kobe now has 40, which the most he's ever scored in a finals game. With 1:50 left in the game, the Lakers lead 97-73.
And Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals is in the books.
The Lakers take it 100-75.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
The Passing of a Veteran
The oldest Australian war vet passed away recently. Here's the link to the story.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090603/lf_nm_life/us_australia_soldier
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090603/lf_nm_life/us_australia_soldier
Friday, May 29, 2009
I'm at Kasey and Amanda's rehearsal and dinner. Therefore, I'm having to check the score of The Western Conference Finals Game 6 on my phone. I can only give periodic scores. I'm pleased with my first update. After 1, the Lakers lead 25-20. At the 4:54 mark of the 2nd, the Lakers lead 37-33. At the half, the Lakers lead by 13! 53-40. The Lakers lead 62-50 with 8:12 to go in the 3rd. At the end of 3 quarters, the Lakers have opened up a 16 point lead, 83-67. We are 12 minutes away from The NBA Finals. With 10:21 to play, the Lakers have pushed the lead to 21! 90-69. 4:53 left; 103-85, Lakers. 112-88 at the 2:47 mark. It's a final: Lakers 119, Nuggets 92. The Lakers are Western Conference Champions! The Lakers are headed to the NBA Finals!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The 2009 Western Conference Finals-Game 5
This game should separate the men from the boys. Game 5s, when a series is tied at 2 apiece, usually do. How bad do the Lakers want it? How mad IS Kobe after Game 4? We're about to find out.
Denver scores first on a Billups 3 pointer.
Ariza to the hole for 2. But Billups is hot early. 6-2, Denver.
Fisher good from 15 feet.
At the first timeout of the game, the Nuggets lead 11-6.
Lakers get a dunk after the timeout.
Great pick by Gasol in the backcourt! Kobe to the hole, no basket, but a foul. Kobe knocks down 2, 11-10, Denver.
Offensive foul on Anthony.
Up and under by Bynum for the dunk! Lakers lead 12-11.
Fisher with a step back basket. Lakers on an 8-0 run. They lead 14-11 at the 5:26 mark of the 1st quarter.
Anthony finishes at the basket and gets fouled. We can't get him going. He missed the free throw.
Fisher with another jump shot. He's 3 for 4. Lakers lead by 3.
Billups ties it.
Nice give-and-go between Gasol and Ariza. Ariza with the layup.
Denver back up by 1.
Another give-and-go between Ariza and Gasol. No basket but a foul. 1 of 2 from the line.
The 1st quarter ends tied at 25.
Odom finally hits inside, and one! 3 point play completed.
Vulacic continues to struggle from the outside.
Odom aggressive to the hole again. No basket, but a foul. Timeout. Denver leads 31-28.
Lamar 1 of 2 from the line.
Walton wide open underneath! Lakers tie it at 31.
Walton, 2 offensive boards and a put back.
Bynum with a little hook.
Timeout with 5:54 to play in the half. The Lakers lead 36-35.
Nuggets in the penalty at the 5:14 mark. Fisher to the line for 2.
Gasol with a beautiful pass to Bynum for the dunk! And one! Free throw no good. 40-38, Lakers.
Anthony ties it.
Nice baseline drive by Fisher to tie it at 42.
Billups picks up his 3rd foul! Kobe to the line after the timeout. Denver up 44-42 with 2:36 to play in the 2nd.
Kobe knocks down both. Tied at 44.
JR Smith with a 3.
Kobe to the hole, and one! Free throw good. Lakers down 2.
Nice lob from Odom to Bryant!
Odom drives in and gives it up to Gasol for the bucket and a foul. Odom with the offensive board and put back after the missed free throw. Lakers down 1.
Anthony to the line.
Denver leads by 3 with 26.1 seconds to play in the half. The Lakers do look good. They are getting this done without a huge scoring effort from Bryant.
Vulacic for 3 to end the half! Game tied at 56.
A good showing by the Laker role players in the first half. It is ALWAYS a good sign when we score this well and Kobe only has 8 points. He will always get his.
The 3rd quarter is under way.
Alleyoop from Fisher to Bryant!
All of sudden we're having trouble controlling the Nuggets. Down 7.
Shannon Brown throws one down over Andersen! Lakers within 3.
3 straight turnovers for the Nuggets. We HAVE to capitalize. And Odom does it with a 3! Tie game.
Billups and Bryant exchange 3s.
The 3rd quarter ends tied at 76.
78-76, Lakers.
Odom with an authoritative dunk, AND ONE! Odom completes the 3 point play. Lakers by 5.
Nene picks up his 5th foul on the offensive end, then picks up a technical. Lakers will be at the line after the timeout, leading 81-76 at the 9:33 mark. Bryant misses the technical free throw. Lakers ball.
Odom in the lane, basket good.
Hard foul, Anthony on Bryant. Kobe hits 2 free throws. Lakers by 9.
11 point lead now off the Brown jumper with the shot clock running down.
Kleiza pulls the Nuggets within 8.
Gasol to the line, knocks down both.
Timeout at the 6:35 mark. The Lakers lead by 10, 91-81.
Nuggets back within 4.
Gasol gets Nene fouled out. Both free throws good.
Anthony hits 2 free throws.
Gasol with a great pass to Ariza on a give-and-go. And one! Ariza completes the 3 point play. Lakers by 7, 3:30 to play.
Gasol with a blocked shot on Anthony!
Lamar to the line. Misses both.
Martin blocked by Odom!
Timeout at the 2:24 mark. The Lakers lead 96-89.
5 point game with 1:15 to play.
Bryant to Odom down low, AND ONE! Odom completes the 3 point play. 99-91, Lakers with 49 seconds to play.
Bryant to the line. Bryant 2 for 2. Lakers by 10 with 43.1 to play.
Fisher answers an Anthony 3 point play with 2 free throws. As the clock runs down, the Lakers lead by 9.
LAKERS WIN!
The final score is 103-94. The Lakers take a 3-2 lead in the series. I expect us to wrap it up in Denver on Friday.
Denver scores first on a Billups 3 pointer.
Ariza to the hole for 2. But Billups is hot early. 6-2, Denver.
Fisher good from 15 feet.
At the first timeout of the game, the Nuggets lead 11-6.
Lakers get a dunk after the timeout.
Great pick by Gasol in the backcourt! Kobe to the hole, no basket, but a foul. Kobe knocks down 2, 11-10, Denver.
Offensive foul on Anthony.
Up and under by Bynum for the dunk! Lakers lead 12-11.
Fisher with a step back basket. Lakers on an 8-0 run. They lead 14-11 at the 5:26 mark of the 1st quarter.
Anthony finishes at the basket and gets fouled. We can't get him going. He missed the free throw.
Fisher with another jump shot. He's 3 for 4. Lakers lead by 3.
Billups ties it.
Nice give-and-go between Gasol and Ariza. Ariza with the layup.
Denver back up by 1.
Another give-and-go between Ariza and Gasol. No basket but a foul. 1 of 2 from the line.
The 1st quarter ends tied at 25.
Odom finally hits inside, and one! 3 point play completed.
Vulacic continues to struggle from the outside.
Odom aggressive to the hole again. No basket, but a foul. Timeout. Denver leads 31-28.
Lamar 1 of 2 from the line.
Walton wide open underneath! Lakers tie it at 31.
Walton, 2 offensive boards and a put back.
Bynum with a little hook.
Timeout with 5:54 to play in the half. The Lakers lead 36-35.
Nuggets in the penalty at the 5:14 mark. Fisher to the line for 2.
Gasol with a beautiful pass to Bynum for the dunk! And one! Free throw no good. 40-38, Lakers.
Anthony ties it.
Nice baseline drive by Fisher to tie it at 42.
Billups picks up his 3rd foul! Kobe to the line after the timeout. Denver up 44-42 with 2:36 to play in the 2nd.
Kobe knocks down both. Tied at 44.
JR Smith with a 3.
Kobe to the hole, and one! Free throw good. Lakers down 2.
Nice lob from Odom to Bryant!
Odom drives in and gives it up to Gasol for the bucket and a foul. Odom with the offensive board and put back after the missed free throw. Lakers down 1.
Anthony to the line.
Denver leads by 3 with 26.1 seconds to play in the half. The Lakers do look good. They are getting this done without a huge scoring effort from Bryant.
Vulacic for 3 to end the half! Game tied at 56.
A good showing by the Laker role players in the first half. It is ALWAYS a good sign when we score this well and Kobe only has 8 points. He will always get his.
The 3rd quarter is under way.
Alleyoop from Fisher to Bryant!
All of sudden we're having trouble controlling the Nuggets. Down 7.
Shannon Brown throws one down over Andersen! Lakers within 3.
3 straight turnovers for the Nuggets. We HAVE to capitalize. And Odom does it with a 3! Tie game.
Billups and Bryant exchange 3s.
The 3rd quarter ends tied at 76.
78-76, Lakers.
Odom with an authoritative dunk, AND ONE! Odom completes the 3 point play. Lakers by 5.
Nene picks up his 5th foul on the offensive end, then picks up a technical. Lakers will be at the line after the timeout, leading 81-76 at the 9:33 mark. Bryant misses the technical free throw. Lakers ball.
Odom in the lane, basket good.
Hard foul, Anthony on Bryant. Kobe hits 2 free throws. Lakers by 9.
11 point lead now off the Brown jumper with the shot clock running down.
Kleiza pulls the Nuggets within 8.
Gasol to the line, knocks down both.
Timeout at the 6:35 mark. The Lakers lead by 10, 91-81.
Nuggets back within 4.
Gasol gets Nene fouled out. Both free throws good.
Anthony hits 2 free throws.
Gasol with a great pass to Ariza on a give-and-go. And one! Ariza completes the 3 point play. Lakers by 7, 3:30 to play.
Gasol with a blocked shot on Anthony!
Lamar to the line. Misses both.
Martin blocked by Odom!
Timeout at the 2:24 mark. The Lakers lead 96-89.
5 point game with 1:15 to play.
Bryant to Odom down low, AND ONE! Odom completes the 3 point play. 99-91, Lakers with 49 seconds to play.
Bryant to the line. Bryant 2 for 2. Lakers by 10 with 43.1 to play.
Fisher answers an Anthony 3 point play with 2 free throws. As the clock runs down, the Lakers lead by 9.
LAKERS WIN!
The final score is 103-94. The Lakers take a 3-2 lead in the series. I expect us to wrap it up in Denver on Friday.
The 2009 Western Conference Finals-Game 4
Following this game live was not possible, as I was away from a computer during the game.
I'm glad.
Game 4 was bust! 12 more missed free throws and getting GROSSLY out-rebounded resulted in a 20 point loss for my boys.
Game 5 is tonight in Staples Center in Los Angeles. And Kobe is MAD!
I'm glad.
Game 4 was bust! 12 more missed free throws and getting GROSSLY out-rebounded resulted in a 20 point loss for my boys.
Game 5 is tonight in Staples Center in Los Angeles. And Kobe is MAD!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The 2009 Western Conference Finals-Game 3
Tonight's game, along with game 4, will be played in Denver. The Nuggets have stolen home-court advantage but with a win tonight, the Lakers will grab it right back.
Here we go!
Our play-by-play was put on hold by company. They're still here, but they don't mind if I talk and type.
The Lakers thus far have looked pretty bad on defense, and worse from the free throw line. Yet, we find ourselves down only 3 with 2:21 to play in the half.
Another shot missed by Derek Fisher. The miss is compounded by a cheap foul on Odom.
Good shot, Kobe. Put 'em on your back, boy!
Anthony continues to look good. 48-43, Denver with just over a minute to go in the 2nd quarter.
Lakers get a rare fast break opportunity tonight. Ariza doesn't finish, but draws the foul. He hits one. 48-44 now.
Nuggets come right back. 50-44.
Fast break for the Nuggets. 52-44.
Ariza 3 pointer. 52-47. 7.9 seconds to play in the half.
Lakers to the line for one. Nuggets last shot of the half misses. The halftime score, Nuggets 52, Lakers 48. All things considered,---playing in Denver, silly turnovers, mediocrity at the free throw line---I feel good about only being down 4.
Lakers open the 3rd with a Bynum bucket and a Kobe fastbreak. Game is tied.
After going down by 4, the Lakers are feeding Bynum in the post. He gets to the line and hits one. 56-53 Nuggets.
Kobe gets shaken up after landing awkwardly following getting his shot blocked.
Another Laker turnover resulting in a Bryant foul. Nuggets at the line. Hits both. 58-53.
Another easy Nugget basket to make it 60-53. Timeout Lakers.
Kobe hits a 3 out of the timeout. 60-56.
Bynum blocks Carmelo's shot.
D-Fish misses again, from 3. Gotta get him going.
We get another stop. Kobe fouled on the other end. Out on the side. Ariza to the hole, gets hit, but no foul call.
Bryant wide open down the lane, gets pushed with two hands from behind and gets a foul but no flagrant. Incredible.
Wow! Martin hits Fisher in the chest while the players await a jump ball, and Fisher gets called for the tech! I'm really getting fed up with how one sided the calls have been, even in Los Angeles! By the way, the score is 64-58 Nuggets.
Bynum one of two at the line. We have missed TEN free throws tonight.
Gasol hits BOTH free throws. Nuggets by 3.
Beautiful alleyoop, Walton to Bryant, and one! Kobe ties it at 64.
Ariza is headed to the locker room. I missed how he got hurt.
Derek is really struggling with his shot.
Gasol to the line. Missed the first. Hits the second. 66-65.
2:21 to play in the 3rd. Lakers down 68-65.
Kobe to the line. Hits the first. Hits both. Lakers down 1.
JR Smith 3. Nugget technical. Bryant hits the foul shot. Lakers down 3.
Nuggets now by 5. We cannot track down a loose ball.
Sasha Vulacic finally hits a 3. Billups come right back with one of his own. My goodness.
Smith hits a 3 at the quarter buzzer, and picks up a technical for taunting. But at the end of 3, we are down 8.
Kobe opens the 4th hitting the technical free throw. 79-72.
Ariza is back.
Odom takes Anderson down low for the bucket. 79-74.
Jordan Farmar with two stupid decisions. He left his feet for a 3, and came down without releasing the ball resulting in a travel. To compound it, he throws the ball in the stands and gets a technical! For crying out loud!
Gasol cuts it to 2 from the line.
Ariza gives the Lakers their first lead with a 3! 81-80 at the 7:06 mark.
We put 'Melo on the line, 1 of 2, tied at 81.
Nice Kobe fade-away. Lakers by 2. Nuggets right back to tie.
Nuggets by 2.
Ariza another 3! Lakers by 1.
Billups going to the line for a four point play. Wow.... Denver by 3.
Gasol with a bucket. 1 point game.
Gasol again! Lakers by 1.
Nuggets by 1.
Bryant, and one! Free throw, missed. Lakers by 1.
Billups missed a 3. Lakers get the rebound and have a 1 point lead with 2:46 left in the game.
Kobe from deep, misses.
Carmelo to the line. Hits both, Nuggets by 1.
Fisher drives, but called for the charge.
Billups missed a 3, Martin over the back of Odom. Lamar to the line. Hits one. Tied at 93.
Smith puts the Nuggets up by 2.
Bryant for 3!
Lakers get a stop. Timeout. Lakers lead 96-95 with 1:08 to play.
Bryant taking Smith baseline, draws the foul. Knocks down one free throw, Lakers by 2. 37.1 seconds to play.
Whoa! Nuggets close to a five second violation trying to inbound. They get the timeout.
Ariza steals the pass! Gets fouled. Anthony fouled out! Ariza hits both free throws to give the Lakers a 4 point lead.
Odom bumps Billups. He'll shoot free throws. Hits both.
Lakers inbound to Bryant with 24.6 to play. Nuggets send him to the line with 22.2 to play. Kobe hits both free throws. 4 point Lakers lead.
Nuggets miss a 3, ball out of bounds to the Lakers.
Inbound to Kobe. Foul. Bryant hits both. Lakers by 6.
Time runs out on the Nuggets possession. Lakers win!
Kobe is exhausted!
The Lakers have recaptured home-court advantage with a 103-97 victory in Denver. Game 4 on Monday.
Here we go!
Our play-by-play was put on hold by company. They're still here, but they don't mind if I talk and type.
The Lakers thus far have looked pretty bad on defense, and worse from the free throw line. Yet, we find ourselves down only 3 with 2:21 to play in the half.
Another shot missed by Derek Fisher. The miss is compounded by a cheap foul on Odom.
Good shot, Kobe. Put 'em on your back, boy!
Anthony continues to look good. 48-43, Denver with just over a minute to go in the 2nd quarter.
Lakers get a rare fast break opportunity tonight. Ariza doesn't finish, but draws the foul. He hits one. 48-44 now.
Nuggets come right back. 50-44.
Fast break for the Nuggets. 52-44.
Ariza 3 pointer. 52-47. 7.9 seconds to play in the half.
Lakers to the line for one. Nuggets last shot of the half misses. The halftime score, Nuggets 52, Lakers 48. All things considered,---playing in Denver, silly turnovers, mediocrity at the free throw line---I feel good about only being down 4.
Lakers open the 3rd with a Bynum bucket and a Kobe fastbreak. Game is tied.
After going down by 4, the Lakers are feeding Bynum in the post. He gets to the line and hits one. 56-53 Nuggets.
Kobe gets shaken up after landing awkwardly following getting his shot blocked.
Another Laker turnover resulting in a Bryant foul. Nuggets at the line. Hits both. 58-53.
Another easy Nugget basket to make it 60-53. Timeout Lakers.
Kobe hits a 3 out of the timeout. 60-56.
Bynum blocks Carmelo's shot.
D-Fish misses again, from 3. Gotta get him going.
We get another stop. Kobe fouled on the other end. Out on the side. Ariza to the hole, gets hit, but no foul call.
Bryant wide open down the lane, gets pushed with two hands from behind and gets a foul but no flagrant. Incredible.
Wow! Martin hits Fisher in the chest while the players await a jump ball, and Fisher gets called for the tech! I'm really getting fed up with how one sided the calls have been, even in Los Angeles! By the way, the score is 64-58 Nuggets.
Bynum one of two at the line. We have missed TEN free throws tonight.
Gasol hits BOTH free throws. Nuggets by 3.
Beautiful alleyoop, Walton to Bryant, and one! Kobe ties it at 64.
Ariza is headed to the locker room. I missed how he got hurt.
Derek is really struggling with his shot.
Gasol to the line. Missed the first. Hits the second. 66-65.
2:21 to play in the 3rd. Lakers down 68-65.
Kobe to the line. Hits the first. Hits both. Lakers down 1.
JR Smith 3. Nugget technical. Bryant hits the foul shot. Lakers down 3.
Nuggets now by 5. We cannot track down a loose ball.
Sasha Vulacic finally hits a 3. Billups come right back with one of his own. My goodness.
Smith hits a 3 at the quarter buzzer, and picks up a technical for taunting. But at the end of 3, we are down 8.
Kobe opens the 4th hitting the technical free throw. 79-72.
Ariza is back.
Odom takes Anderson down low for the bucket. 79-74.
Jordan Farmar with two stupid decisions. He left his feet for a 3, and came down without releasing the ball resulting in a travel. To compound it, he throws the ball in the stands and gets a technical! For crying out loud!
Gasol cuts it to 2 from the line.
Ariza gives the Lakers their first lead with a 3! 81-80 at the 7:06 mark.
We put 'Melo on the line, 1 of 2, tied at 81.
Nice Kobe fade-away. Lakers by 2. Nuggets right back to tie.
Nuggets by 2.
Ariza another 3! Lakers by 1.
Billups going to the line for a four point play. Wow.... Denver by 3.
Gasol with a bucket. 1 point game.
Gasol again! Lakers by 1.
Nuggets by 1.
Bryant, and one! Free throw, missed. Lakers by 1.
Billups missed a 3. Lakers get the rebound and have a 1 point lead with 2:46 left in the game.
Kobe from deep, misses.
Carmelo to the line. Hits both, Nuggets by 1.
Fisher drives, but called for the charge.
Billups missed a 3, Martin over the back of Odom. Lamar to the line. Hits one. Tied at 93.
Smith puts the Nuggets up by 2.
Bryant for 3!
Lakers get a stop. Timeout. Lakers lead 96-95 with 1:08 to play.
Bryant taking Smith baseline, draws the foul. Knocks down one free throw, Lakers by 2. 37.1 seconds to play.
Whoa! Nuggets close to a five second violation trying to inbound. They get the timeout.
Ariza steals the pass! Gets fouled. Anthony fouled out! Ariza hits both free throws to give the Lakers a 4 point lead.
Odom bumps Billups. He'll shoot free throws. Hits both.
Lakers inbound to Bryant with 24.6 to play. Nuggets send him to the line with 22.2 to play. Kobe hits both free throws. 4 point Lakers lead.
Nuggets miss a 3, ball out of bounds to the Lakers.
Inbound to Kobe. Foul. Bryant hits both. Lakers by 6.
Time runs out on the Nuggets possession. Lakers win!
Kobe is exhausted!
The Lakers have recaptured home-court advantage with a 103-97 victory in Denver. Game 4 on Monday.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The 2009 Western Conference Finals-Game 2
Game 2 was played last night. It's taken me this long to be able to write about it. (My good friend Jay Meachum says I have it bad. He's right).
The Lakers came out on fire and looked REALLY good until late in the 2nd quarter. A once 14 point lead was reduced to only 1 by halftime. It was close from that point on, with the exception of a 7 point lead by Denver at the 5 minute mark. Down the stretch, our inability to take care of the basketball and stop Billups from getting easy layups undid us. Despite a great look at a 3 to tie as the clock ran out, by Derek Fisher, the Lakers dropped Game 2 106-103.
Game 3 will be on Saturday.
The Lakers came out on fire and looked REALLY good until late in the 2nd quarter. A once 14 point lead was reduced to only 1 by halftime. It was close from that point on, with the exception of a 7 point lead by Denver at the 5 minute mark. Down the stretch, our inability to take care of the basketball and stop Billups from getting easy layups undid us. Despite a great look at a 3 to tie as the clock ran out, by Derek Fisher, the Lakers dropped Game 2 106-103.
Game 3 will be on Saturday.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The 2009 Western Conference Finals-Game 1
The 2009 Western Conference Finals tip off in a few minutes. I have to admit feeling a little apprehension. The Lakers struggled against Houston, a team they were obviously better than. Once again, they face a team that they should just dominate. However, the Nuggets have looked awfully good during the playoffs. So, as a means of therapy in order to get myself through what I hope will only be the next 4 games, I'll attempt to chronicle each game here while it's in progress. Game 1, coming up.
I thought Gasol got all ball on that block. Denver up 5-2 early. Martin threw a Kobe shot outta there. Goodness!
We're looking pretty bad at the 8:20 mark of the 1st. Bynum finally hits inside. But the Nuggets won't miss! 14-6 with 7:08 to go in the 1st.
Dante Jones flops to give Kobe his first bucket. I'll take it! Carmelo comes right down and hits.
Two in a row for Kobe.
Why aren't we pounding this ball inside?!
Finally! Beautiful up-and-under move by Bynum! 20-12, 3:39, 1st quarter.
Timeout, Nuggets. Odom and Walton will on the floor when play resumes. I like this. Lamar Odom gives us great energy off the bench.
Carmelo Anthony looks great! Another turnover for us. Denver makes us pay, now down 12.
Nice baseline jumper, Ariza.
Anthony with a 3 at the 1:50 mark.
Gasol answers with an "and one". He completes the 3 point play, down now 27-17 with 1:26 to go in the 1st.
Sasha and Brown with back to back 3s. We put Billups on the line with 2.2 left. He misses both free throws!
The first quarter ends with Denver leading by 8, 31-23. We have to find a way to stop 'Melo!
The Laker reserves have cut the lead to 4 against the Nugget bench.
Now missing a lot of opportunities on offense. But, dominating on the boards!
Farmar cuts it 4 again. And Nene comes right back.
Big 3 point shot from Luke Walton! Timeout Denver. 35-32 Nuggets with 8:47 to go in the 2nd quarter.
After a Nene dunk, Odom hits a 3 on the other end. 2 point game.
Horrible foul call on Kobe as he blocks Billups' shot.
Oh my goodness! The officials hate us in our own building!
Timeout Nuggets with 5:49 to go in the half. 40-35, Denver.
Lakers going inside now; first Derek, then Ariza. Ariza to the line. He hits one. 2 point game. 'Melo finally misses!
Strong move by Bryant to dunk and pull the Lakers within 1!
Lakers get another Bryant 3.
Lakers take the lead on Josh Powell free throws with 1:09 to go in the half.
Big 3 pointer at the buzzer for D-Fish! After once being down by 13, the Lakers lead 55-54 at halftime. I'm expecting a big second half by Kobe and Gasol. I really feel like we have taken Denver's best punch.
Lakers showing greater patience as this half begins.
Refs getting whistle happy now. The crowd (along with me) is getting nervous. Another 3 for Anthony over Ariza. Good grief!
OH MY GOODNESS! Ariza just got hacked across the arms and got NO call! And of course, Anthony hits ANOTHER 3.
Gasol's offensive board cleaning and score followed by a Laker fast break get us back to within one. Timeout, Denver with 6:15 to play in the 3rd.
Ariza now with 4 fouls guarding Anthony.
Lakers go back up at the 4:57 mark of the 3rd.
After a stop, D-Fish hits another 3! Lakers by 4.
We are getting ZERO calls in our own building. INCREDIBLE.
FINALLY got a call.
The quarter ends with us down by 2, 76-74.
Kenyon Martin goes down at the 11:49 mark. I hope he's okay.
Refs continue to call cheap fouls on the Lakers.
Reach in foul on Anthony. Bryant hits a 3 to pull us back within 2.
Smith wakes up and hits a three, but that's countered by Farmar's triple. Back within 2.
Down 5 again at the 8:40 mark.
We're late in the 4th. Kobe has to take over now. Everyone else is struggling.
Ariza's 3 pulls us within 2 with 4 to play.
D-Fish hits a 3 to put us up at the 2:09 mark, Bryant assist.
Gasol to the free throw line with a 97-96 lead. Missed the first. Missed both.
After a Billups 3, Gasol back to the line, down 99-97 with 1:14 to play. Hits the first one. Gasol ties it at 99.
Players dive on the floor after a loose ball, jump ball call with 57.3 seconds to play. Odom wins the tip.
Lakers will have the ball with 35.5 to play, tied at 99.
Bryant draws the foul. Hits the first. Two free throws for Bryant, Lakers by 2 with 30.5 to play.
STEAL BY ARIZA!
Bryant drives, gets hit. Back to the line. Hits the first. Hits the second. Lakers by 4 with 10 seconds to play. Timeout, Denver.
Billups hits the 3. One point game. Inbound to Bryant, gets fouled.
Kobe knocks down both. 105-102 with 3.2 to play. Lakers put Smith on the line. He hits the first. Smith misses the second on purpose, rebound to Kobe. LAKERS WIN 105-103!
We survive a 39 point performance by Carmelo Anthony to win Game 1. Kobe puts in 40. I'll be worn out if every game of this series is like this one! Whew!
I thought Gasol got all ball on that block. Denver up 5-2 early. Martin threw a Kobe shot outta there. Goodness!
We're looking pretty bad at the 8:20 mark of the 1st. Bynum finally hits inside. But the Nuggets won't miss! 14-6 with 7:08 to go in the 1st.
Dante Jones flops to give Kobe his first bucket. I'll take it! Carmelo comes right down and hits.
Two in a row for Kobe.
Why aren't we pounding this ball inside?!
Finally! Beautiful up-and-under move by Bynum! 20-12, 3:39, 1st quarter.
Timeout, Nuggets. Odom and Walton will on the floor when play resumes. I like this. Lamar Odom gives us great energy off the bench.
Carmelo Anthony looks great! Another turnover for us. Denver makes us pay, now down 12.
Nice baseline jumper, Ariza.
Anthony with a 3 at the 1:50 mark.
Gasol answers with an "and one". He completes the 3 point play, down now 27-17 with 1:26 to go in the 1st.
Sasha and Brown with back to back 3s. We put Billups on the line with 2.2 left. He misses both free throws!
The first quarter ends with Denver leading by 8, 31-23. We have to find a way to stop 'Melo!
The Laker reserves have cut the lead to 4 against the Nugget bench.
Now missing a lot of opportunities on offense. But, dominating on the boards!
Farmar cuts it 4 again. And Nene comes right back.
Big 3 point shot from Luke Walton! Timeout Denver. 35-32 Nuggets with 8:47 to go in the 2nd quarter.
After a Nene dunk, Odom hits a 3 on the other end. 2 point game.
Horrible foul call on Kobe as he blocks Billups' shot.
Oh my goodness! The officials hate us in our own building!
Timeout Nuggets with 5:49 to go in the half. 40-35, Denver.
Lakers going inside now; first Derek, then Ariza. Ariza to the line. He hits one. 2 point game. 'Melo finally misses!
Strong move by Bryant to dunk and pull the Lakers within 1!
Lakers get another Bryant 3.
Lakers take the lead on Josh Powell free throws with 1:09 to go in the half.
Big 3 pointer at the buzzer for D-Fish! After once being down by 13, the Lakers lead 55-54 at halftime. I'm expecting a big second half by Kobe and Gasol. I really feel like we have taken Denver's best punch.
Lakers showing greater patience as this half begins.
Refs getting whistle happy now. The crowd (along with me) is getting nervous. Another 3 for Anthony over Ariza. Good grief!
OH MY GOODNESS! Ariza just got hacked across the arms and got NO call! And of course, Anthony hits ANOTHER 3.
Gasol's offensive board cleaning and score followed by a Laker fast break get us back to within one. Timeout, Denver with 6:15 to play in the 3rd.
Ariza now with 4 fouls guarding Anthony.
Lakers go back up at the 4:57 mark of the 3rd.
After a stop, D-Fish hits another 3! Lakers by 4.
We are getting ZERO calls in our own building. INCREDIBLE.
FINALLY got a call.
The quarter ends with us down by 2, 76-74.
Kenyon Martin goes down at the 11:49 mark. I hope he's okay.
Refs continue to call cheap fouls on the Lakers.
Reach in foul on Anthony. Bryant hits a 3 to pull us back within 2.
Smith wakes up and hits a three, but that's countered by Farmar's triple. Back within 2.
Down 5 again at the 8:40 mark.
We're late in the 4th. Kobe has to take over now. Everyone else is struggling.
Ariza's 3 pulls us within 2 with 4 to play.
D-Fish hits a 3 to put us up at the 2:09 mark, Bryant assist.
Gasol to the free throw line with a 97-96 lead. Missed the first. Missed both.
After a Billups 3, Gasol back to the line, down 99-97 with 1:14 to play. Hits the first one. Gasol ties it at 99.
Players dive on the floor after a loose ball, jump ball call with 57.3 seconds to play. Odom wins the tip.
Lakers will have the ball with 35.5 to play, tied at 99.
Bryant draws the foul. Hits the first. Two free throws for Bryant, Lakers by 2 with 30.5 to play.
STEAL BY ARIZA!
Bryant drives, gets hit. Back to the line. Hits the first. Hits the second. Lakers by 4 with 10 seconds to play. Timeout, Denver.
Billups hits the 3. One point game. Inbound to Bryant, gets fouled.
Kobe knocks down both. 105-102 with 3.2 to play. Lakers put Smith on the line. He hits the first. Smith misses the second on purpose, rebound to Kobe. LAKERS WIN 105-103!
We survive a 39 point performance by Carmelo Anthony to win Game 1. Kobe puts in 40. I'll be worn out if every game of this series is like this one! Whew!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Celebrating a Life
Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the life celebration (otherwise known as a funeral) of Mr. Clarence L. Thomason of Warren, AR. I regret that I did not know Mr. Thomason personally. I was there to pay my respects on behalf of one of his grandsons, my student, friend, and soon to be colleague, Justin Anders. But, Mr. Thomason was surely a man worth knowing. His funeral revealed him to be a great man of God, with a testimony that blessed my heart. His love for God, his family, and his country made it quite clear to me how much Justin and the rest of their family will miss Mr. Clarence. He was also an American Hero, a veteran of WW II. I left the funeral honored to have been in attendance.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Now Here's a Great Idea
I would never have thought of this as a way to bring affirmative action to light, but a conservative group on the campus of Purdue found an interesting way. Take a look:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=431190
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=431190
Saturday, February 14, 2009
He Has ALWAYS Been Here.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Christ spoke those words in Revelation 22:13. When we think about who it is who reigns in Heaven, usually it is not quite as difficult to imagine that GOD always has been. Afterall, He spoke the universe into existence. But when thinking about the fact that the SON always has been, we need to look up specific scriptures, like the one above, in order to remind ourselves. At least I do. The one that I usually find the most comforting, and the one that drives that point home for me, has always been John 1:1-2 which states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." Pretty self explanatory, yes? But a few days ago, I was thumbing through a Bible and made, what for me was, a shocking discovery. All this time I had been searching the Bible to find those "proof that Christ always has been" scriptures, when the proof was hiding in plain sight. Now, let me preface what I want to say next by moving over to John 8:12. It is there that Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." This is the scripture that popped into my head when I made my discovery. You see, God announced to us that His son was with him right from the beginning. That's right. It's in GENESIS. "And God said, 'Let there be light'." If you're like me, you may be saying, "now wait a minute. Aren't we reading way too much into this? God is just creating day and night, isn't He?" Well, in our finite minds, that's what we have always thought. But knowing the greatness of our God, nothing is ever quite so finite. Go back to John 8:12. Jesus said that He is the LIGHT of the world. Right? Do you need proof that Jesus, like God, always was? Then ask yourself, what is the very first thing God spoke into existence? He spoke the LIGHT into existence. Was He merely creating daytime? I don't think so! God knew from the beginning that we would need a savior. Do you really think that a God as great as the God of the universe, in all of his INFINITE wisdom, would just sit by and wait for things to get out of hand? NO. Not my God! He knew this world would need a savior, and He spoke his Son, the LIGHT, into existence FIRST! Read on in Genesis 1:3-4, only this time, think of the word light for what it truly is. It reads, "And God said, 'Let there be light', and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separtated the light from the darkness." He separated the light from the darkness. What darkness? Do you recall a certain fallen angel? It is largely believed that it was at this point in Genesis that Lucifer was thrown out of Heaven. Lucifer was the darkness. God spoke the light, His Son, into existence, and made the distinction between Him and darkness (for darkness' sake), and thus separated the two. I believe it was at this point that God told Lucifer (satan) that his days in Heaven were done. Now, indulge me and return with me to John 8:12. It reads, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" ...will never walk in DARKNESS, but will have the LIGHT of life. Jesus was there from the VERY BEGINNING, just as scripture tells us. And it occurs on page 1 of scripture. God is AMAZING!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sportsmanship
Now this is an interesting article. A grossly lopsided victory in a Texas private high school girls basketball game has garnered some attention. The winning team is seeking to make it right, but at some point I thought the article was a little too harsh to the victors. My opinion. Any thoughts? Oh, by the way, the coach of the winning team never makes a comment. I did find that odd. Here's the link:
http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=903780
http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=903780
Monday, January 12, 2009
More on Dungy
Here's another article that helps greatly to sum up what Tony Dungy is all about. This one can be found on nfl.com. Enjoy.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80e13419&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80e13419&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true
The Retirement of Dungy
The National Football League---and the sports world in general--- saw the stepping down today of one it's most important spokesman. Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, announced his retirement today. Dungy became the epitome of how to handle oneself in the face of both professional and personal adversity. Let's forget about what he accomplished as a Black coach. No, I'd rather focus on a more important aspect that we don't see enough of in our high profile figures: Tony Dungy is a man of strong Christian faith. The following is a link to the article Fox published following Dungy's announcement today.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9068372/Colts-coach-Tony-Dungy-steps-down-in-Indy?MSNHPHCP>1=39002
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9068372/Colts-coach-Tony-Dungy-steps-down-in-Indy?MSNHPHCP>1=39002
Friday, January 09, 2009
My Issue With Religion
Recently I was again faced with someone who has an issue with religion. The encounter reminded me of my own issue with religion. The MSN Encarta dictionary defines it thus:
These are very clinical definitions at best. But they are the types of definitions to which people on the fence about God cling. Anytime issues of faith enter the political arena, for instance, the attack on "religion" will rear its head with intellectuals leading the attack. I continually hear it cited that church and state must remain separate; that freedom of religion means that it is all inclusive. What we need is to break away from religion. From my observation, those who get disgruntled with organized religion and use it as an excuse to choose for themselves what or whom they will follow, if anything, are relying too much on the standards that PEOPLE set. This is a dangerous prospect. What I would like to see is less listening to people and more listening to the God of the universe; the God of ALL creation. Stop waiting on people to set the parameters for how "religious" one needs to be or what "religion" to follow. People cannot be depended upon for ANYTHING. In fact, a gross percent of the time we just screw it all up. This is why we need to get away from religion, and focus on God. It's all about your relationship with Him. "But", some will ask, "how can I have a relationship with someone I cannot see, and thus do not completely believe in?" My best answer to that would be to read your Bible. Follow what it instructs. Your relationship with God will improve. Stop putting your stock in the ones who build the buildings we call churches, and paint the paintings of bearded men on clouds for whom they also have never seen. Put all your stock in the God of the Bible, and do it with your heart; not your eyes. If your perspective on Him doesn't change after that, you may be unchangeable.
| re·li·gion [ ri líjjən ] (plural re·li·gions) | |
noun | |
| Definition: | |
| 1. beliefs and worship: people's beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life | |
| 2. system: an institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices relating to the divine | |
| 3. personal beliefs or values: a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by | |
| 4. obsession: an object, practice, cause, or activity that somebody is completely devoted to or obsessed by |
These are very clinical definitions at best. But they are the types of definitions to which people on the fence about God cling. Anytime issues of faith enter the political arena, for instance, the attack on "religion" will rear its head with intellectuals leading the attack. I continually hear it cited that church and state must remain separate; that freedom of religion means that it is all inclusive. What we need is to break away from religion. From my observation, those who get disgruntled with organized religion and use it as an excuse to choose for themselves what or whom they will follow, if anything, are relying too much on the standards that PEOPLE set. This is a dangerous prospect. What I would like to see is less listening to people and more listening to the God of the universe; the God of ALL creation. Stop waiting on people to set the parameters for how "religious" one needs to be or what "religion" to follow. People cannot be depended upon for ANYTHING. In fact, a gross percent of the time we just screw it all up. This is why we need to get away from religion, and focus on God. It's all about your relationship with Him. "But", some will ask, "how can I have a relationship with someone I cannot see, and thus do not completely believe in?" My best answer to that would be to read your Bible. Follow what it instructs. Your relationship with God will improve. Stop putting your stock in the ones who build the buildings we call churches, and paint the paintings of bearded men on clouds for whom they also have never seen. Put all your stock in the God of the Bible, and do it with your heart; not your eyes. If your perspective on Him doesn't change after that, you may be unchangeable.
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