My Spiritual Testimony – The Beginning of My Journey

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I grew up going to church. It seemed like everyone went to church. Looking back, I guess it was the “in” thing to do. I went to Sunday School and then joined my parents for service. During the week, we usually attended some functions at the church, whether it was scouts, softball, or another service.

But I never knew Jesus. And God was distant. So, when I turned 15. my family stopped going to church. We stopped going because it seemed like a chore instead of a celebration. An obligation instead of a desire.

Throughout my adult life, I have had an affliction that has disabled me at times. I wont go into details but it has been a tremendous burden for me to bear. It has affected my relationships, my work, pretty much every aspect of my life. I tried to find God in my own way throughout the 1980′s and into the early 90′s. I was desperate for intervention. In the late 80′s, I went to counseling with a Christian minister and he started me on my lifelong journey of hope and redemption.

Flash back, if you will, a bit. I had troubled relationships in life and at work due to my affliction, no doubt. I do not want to seem like I am blaming everyone else for my problems, so please don’t misunderstand me. My upbringing was not the best in the world. My father didn’t guide me in the way I should go the way I would have liked. I want to urge all the moms and dads out there to pay attention to their children and their relationship with others. Guide them. Nurture them. Protect them from harm. The bible says to guide them in the way they should go. Do that. Let the bible and your wisdom guide you in your relationship with your kids. Anyway, I had a multitude of problems. And no one interceded.

Like I said, I tried different things to find my God. New age, Buddhism, a bit of this and that. I knew God was there, I just couldn’t find Him. Finally, I worked one day with a friend of mine who happened to be a Christian. Now, keep in mind that I had been in counseling for several years by now and was frantic and spiritually desperate. This friend left my car radio on to a Christian talk radio station so that very next day I jumped into my car and on the radio was Charles Stanley, an Atlanta minister who also has a radio show. “How did my radio get turned to this station,” I thought. Then I thought of Ed, my dear friend. He left it there for me to listen to. So I listened. And Dr. Stanley started talking about our Father in Heaven who loves us and desires to have a great relationship with us. I started crying. My dad and I have never had a good relationship. I think he has told me once in his life that he loves me. Well, here was Dr. Stanley telling me of my heavenly Father who loves me unconditionally and desires a personal relationship with me. Tears were flowing. That was when I pulled I pulled the car to the side of the road, a busy I-75 in morning traffic, and listened carefully at what I had to do to get into this relationship. It was there that I asked Jesus into my heart and asked Him to forgive my sins. Now I’m all smiles because even in the trials I know He is with me and He loves me no matter what.

 

 

Obama gets “it” and the party of “No” is in trouble

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On Tuesday, December 6th, President Obama gave a speech in Osawatomie, Kansas. In the speech, he talked about a specific economic theme that is being debated and discussed throughout America. That is the belief that 99% of Americans are being short-changed by the 1% holding the reins of production and finance.

It’s exactly the same place where, almost a century ago, Theodore Roosevelt launched his campaign for a “New Nationalism.” Isn’t it ironic that our President is talking the same rhetoric as TR so many years later? It didn’t matter that TR was in fact gearing up for a losing campaign, what matters here is that Obama is finally beginning to see and understand the angst that grips the middle class in America.

During the Bush years, the economy languished but credit card debt and home equity loans soared while wages flattened. Then, in 2008 the house of cards fell apart. Mortgages had been sold to people who didn’t understand them and couldn’t afford them. Banks and Investors packaged the deals and sold them off. Huge bonuses were paid as huge bets were made. And regulators did nothing.

Obama: “It was wrong. It combined the breathtaking greed of a few with irresponsibility across the system. And it plunged our economy and the world into a crisis from which we are still fighting to recover. It claimed the jobs, homes, and the basic security of millions – innocent, hard-working Americans who had met their responsibilities, but were still left holding the bag.”

So he understands our anger, our bitterness towards the malefactors of wealth.

As Obama said, “This is the defining issue of our time.”

There is a distinct and promising role that government must play in society for us to grow and thrive. It is a role that should never bow to the wealthy or privileged. It should always support a level playing field for every citizen, regardless of race, creed, etc.

Obama understands that, so did TR.

Obama: “But Roosevelt also knew that the free market has never been a free license to take whatever you want from whoever you can. It only works when there are rules of the road to ensure that competition is fair, open, and honest. And so he busted up monopolies, forcing those companies to compete for customers with better services and better prices. And today, they still must. He fought to make sure businesses couldn’t profit by exploiting children, or selling food or medicine that wasn’t safe. And today, they still can’t.”

I guess that at this point I should tell you that TR was a republican. Funny, huh? But just think where we would be as a country now with a congress full of Teddy Roosevelt’s instead of what we have now.  TR called for a “square deal” for working Americans, and Obama picked up on this idea.

Obama: “Now, just as there was in Teddy Roosevelt’s time, there’s been a certain crowd in Washington for the last few decades who respond to this economic challenge with the same old tune. “The market will take care of everything,” they tell us. If only we cut more regulations and cut more taxes – especially for the wealthy – our economy will grow stronger. Sure, there will be winners and losers. But if the winners do really well, jobs and prosperity will eventually trickle down to everyone else. And even if prosperity doesn’t trickle down, they argue, that’s the price of liberty.”

“It’s a simple theory – one that speaks to our rugged individualism and healthy skepticism of too much government. It fits well on a bumper sticker. Here’s the problem: It doesn’t work. It’s never worked. It didn’t work when it was tried in the decade before the Great Depression. It’s not what led to the incredible post-war boom of the 50s and 60s. And it didn’t work when we tried it during the last decade.”

It’s estimated that a child born today has a one in three chance to make it to the middle class. That’s just not acceptable. This your on your own economic theory put out there by the party of no is just anti-American.

It’s a big gamble for President Obama to enter into a philosophical debate like this and make it a linchpin for his campaign. But it’s one I’d support wholeheartedly especially since our brothers and sisters are on the front lines of the battle in our cities.

 

Pujols new Home

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Well, once again, Albert Pujols has shocked the baseball world. This time, what he did didn’t happen on the baseball field. Earlier today, December 8th, 2011, I went to yahoo.com and saw that he had signed with not the St. Louis Cardinals, but with the, wait for it, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. WHO?!?!?! Who even thought that the Angels were in the running to get him? The whole situation starts many months ago…. all the way back to January of this year. Apparently, the Cards had offered him a nine-year, so many millions of dollars, and he turned it down. Albert Pujols, the figure of St. Louis for the last decade, turned down the option to finish out his career in St. Louis. That’s when I knew Pujols wasn’t going back. Pujols also told the Cardinals front office that he was not going to negotiate during the season. After an improbable run to the World Series, I thought for a couple of days that Albert would possibly go back. But after a couple of months of silence, the Winter Meetings hit. The Marlins and the Cardinals were the top two in the running to sign him. After a few days of intense negotiations, the Miami Marlins backed off their deal with Pujols, with no clear explanation to why Pujols backed out of the deal. Once again, it seemed like the Cardinals were the front-runners for the Albert Pujols Sweepstakes. Then the wackiness began. The Cardinals offered Pujols yet another deal, and he denied it again, because according to his agent, the deal didn’t have enough money on it. Personally, this is when I started to think that he was in it for the money. But then later it was being reported that the Marlins had offered him 275 million dollars. And here we are. On December 8th, 2011, Albert Pujols is no longer a St. Louis Cardinal for life. Now, I live a couple of hours from St. Louis. And when I read that Pujols had gone to the Angels out loud to a few faculty members at my high school, they were shocked. And within a matter of seconds, that shock turned into resentment. Throughout the day, I never heard one good word about Pujols, never heard anything about him playing his heart out for a decade for the team that he has cemented, never heard about his good deeds in the community. “Goodbye, and good riddance”, one of my friends said. It honestly feels like the LeBron James situation. But, this is completely different. Pujols has done so much for the community, and to hear all these people rag on him is disgusting. I can’t stand some Cardinals fans, and this just adds to the list. I hope Albert gets the respect he deserves in St. Louis, and I hope that he can cement his legacy as one of the best to play the game. And I’m happy that he gets the opportunity to do it in a city that might actually have respect for the man, the machine, and the player.

Some Random Thoughts

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I’m still a little chilled, shocked in fact, by all the news out of Penn State and Syracuse. It puts a damper on watching sports and enjoying the games I love dearly when my thoughts drift to those stories. It’s far from over, in my opinion.

Bobby V. to Boston, eh? Well, I’m picking myself up off the floor on this one. I notice he only got a two-year contract. Kind of a short leash. Really, he’s a .510 manager! Now, in my book, you either love or hate Boston, the same way with the Yankees. There is no way you can convince me that V is the long-term solution for the Red Sox. What do you think? Oh, by the way, if V did invent the wrap, as he says he did, my family will be forever grateful, because we love them. But as a baseball manager, I would have to say this was a mediocre hire by a great franchise.

Urban Meyer to tOSU! Great hire by the school and AD to get him before the NCAA hands down any punishment. Coach Meyer will do an excellent job for the school and the kids. I hope his health holds out for him. tOSU should be in the top 10 soon enough.

Sounds like Peyton is getting better. Why rush him back, though? The season is almost over and there is no chance for a post-season campaign. I say bring him back slowly and let him have full reign next year while possibly training up Andrew Luck or some other QB to be his eventual replacement. While I am writing this post I am watching the Oregon-UCLA game. It’s a mismatch, of course, but there is something about college sports, whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, etc. that get’s me fired up. I guess it’s just watching kids go out and play the game and then watching the fans enjoy their experience. It’s totally different from the professional experience, which I also love, but in a different way. You agree?

 

The Green Bay Packers: Pursuing Perfection

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Well, he we are, after another wonderful performance on a Sunday from the Green Bay Packers. The Pack Attack are sitting pretty at 12-0 after their close, electrifying win against the New York Giants in The Meadowlands.

Now, I know what you guys are thinking. Going through your head is “Wait, this happens every year, why is it such a big deal now?” Well, I’ll tell you what the difference is this time: the Packers are the real deal. Don’t get me wrong, the 2007 Patriots were right there. Getting to the Super Bowl undefeated is a great feat, but somehow, wide receiver David Tyree made the catch of the century which led to the game winning fade pass from Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress, thus ending the Patriots magical run. That being said, I think that this Packers team has all the tools to make it to the Super Bowl, and win it all. First off, Aaron Rodgers is the real deal. The last drive of the game solidifies him as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. With all the talent around him on the offensive side, such as wideout targets Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley, it just makes Rodger’s job that much easier. Plus, Jordy Nelson has emerged as a go-to receiver for this ball club. Defensive secondaries also can’t forget about James Jones as a deep threat as well. Throw in a seasoned veteran such as Donald Driver, with a backfield with two solid backs with Ryan Grant and James Starks. Even though Starks re-aggravated an ankle injury in today’s win, he should be set to go for future games. Plus, the offensive line has improved, and you don’t see Rodgers running for his life anymore. Now you might think that the Packers are all about offense, but that isn’t the case. The Packers have a solid rush defense, headlined by the intimidating Clay Matthews. They also have another solid linebacker in AJ Hawk. One pass rusher that people have probably heard of but doesn’t get enough credit is the Packers defensive tackle BJ Raji. The Packers also have a good secondary which is led by Charles Woodson. Woodson also got injured in this game with a head injury, but he should be back in a few weeks.br /The Packers also have exceptional special teams units. In his first professional game, a rookie from Kentucky University named Randall Cobb returned a kickoff for a touchdown and has done a great job this entire year. They also have a great kicker in Mason Crosby, whose long on the year is 58 yards, and a solid punter in Tim Masthay.br /All in all, the 2011 Green Bay Packers are the real deal. If they get to about 14-0, you can guarantee to hear from the almighty Mercury Morris from the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. But mark my word this year’s Packers has the best chance I’ve ever seen to be the second team in the history of the NFL to have an undefeated season.

 

College Bowl Picture a Mess

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I learned a long time ago that life isn’t fair, but that rule doesn’t have to apply to the college bowl picture. As fans, alumni, players and coaches we should all rise up in disgust and outrage and demand that the BCS get overhauled or scraped altogether. And while we are at it, let’s make sure we get the non-BCS bowls right as well.

All to often the current system rewards the teams who bring the most fans, who fill the seats and spend the most money. What kind of system is that? It leads to match ups like 11-1 Boise St. against 6-6 Arizona St. in the MAACO Bowl in Las Vegas or 10-2 TCU against 8-4 La. Tech. in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. It’s incredible to me that one of our generations most prolific college quarterbacks in Boise States Kellen Moore is relegated to a lesser bowl because his team fan base doesn’t travel well and the fact they lost one game this year. Just makes no sense. Had they not lost that one game they would be playing LSU for the National Championship. By the way, Boise is ranked 7th in the nation.

What about Oklahoma State? Their only mistake was to lose to Iowa State, an away game just after the tragic plane crash that took the lives of members of the OSU family. In my opinion, they deserve a chance to play LSU. Alabama had their opportunity and lost. Here we have a case of where a team, Alabama, did not even qualify to play for its conference championship and yet somehow they can play for the national championship? Not. Yeah, you can argue that on any given day any team can win. But, Alabama had its chance. They should have given OSU theirs.

Look at Kansas State. Easily Coach of the Year honors go to Coach Snyder. Ranked 8th in the nation, they should easily have been selected for a BCS bowl. But no. Now, It’ll be a great game against Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, but my point is that we are rewarding teams BCS spots for the wrong reasons. BCS spots should be reserved for performance, not money, not fan base.

Now to the BCS Sugar Bowl. Michigan against Virginia Tech. Michigan is rewarded with a BCS bowl despite qualifying to play for its own conference championship. Virginia Tech is rewarded with a BCS bowl despite being overwhelmed in its conference championship game against Clemson. Just terrible. I’m not saying it’s bad that these teams are playing each other, just that it’s in the BCS Sugar Bowl. The voters failed here.

I could go on and on but I want to leave you with a call to action. If you are as upset as I am about the bowl system then here is what I urge you to do. Talk it up. That’s right, if enough people get to talking about it then I know action will be taken down the road. We need to work to strengthen the college bowl system. So jump on the message boards, the call in shows, the internet chats, etc. and talk it up.