Resurrection Power

Three years of hope lay shattered. In its place gloom and despair had crept in, rather stormed in. The exaltation of the promised king entering the capital was now a distant memory, even thought the crowds were shouting, "Hosanna! Hosanna!," just a few days before. The future looked to be so bright, but now confusion reigned. What would happen now? Would the authorities come in search of the followers of this so-called pariah? Would they come to erase every hint of the euphoria that had been on display for the past three years?

These thoughts must have entered the minds of those huddled in the small room. These men and women who had left homes and businesses to follow Jesus of Nazareth were dismayed, frightened, and confused. Had their hopes been misplaced? Was this all a frightening nightmare? How could things go so wrong, when so much had been promised?

Then it happened! Jesus, the one they thought to be lost, appeared, standing in their midst! "Peace be with you," he says. "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have" (Luke 24). Seeing the doubt that lingers in the hearts of those present, Jesus takes a piece of fish and eats, showing them he is truly alive.

Doubts and fears give way to joy and exaltation. The hope, once shattered, is renewed. Jesus is alive!

A remarkable transformation took place within that group of disciples on that day. What had hours earlier been a group of frightened and distraught men and women, was now a gathering of excited and joyous people. Their Lord, the one they thought to be dead, was alive--Jesus had arisen! All of the energy and resource that they had devoted to this man had not been in vain--Jesus was alive! Their hope in him as the Messiah, thought to be destroyed by the Cross, was renewed--Jesus was alive!

The power of the Resurrection transformed fearful and dejected disciples into joyous men and women who went on to change their world for Christ. Has the power of the Resurrection affected you? Has the reality of Jesus' life changed your life?

My Favorite Athletes

I have several lists of "Favorites" on the right hand column of my blog. One of the categories is "Favorite Athletes." I am a sports nut. I was never a great athlete (in fact, I was rather sub par), but I love sports . . . as a spectator!

My favorite sports are football and baseball. I also like golf, tennis, and basketball. If playing is involved, add volleyball to the list.

From my list of favorite athletes, it should be obvious who my favorite teams are: the Dallas Cowboys (pro football) and the St. Louis Cardinals (pro baseball). Add the Oklahoma Sooners to the list if we are talking college football. And, don't forget the San Antonio Spurs (pro basketball). Of course, to throw a bone to my Colorado friends, I must add the Denver Broncos as a distant second NFL favorite, and the Arizona Diamondbacks have supplanted the L. A. Dodgers as my second favorite baseball team.

Now back to my favorite athletes . . . .

I love athletes who are first and foremost gentlemen away from the game . . . good sportsmen, great husbands and fathers and members of the community. I root for those who have overcome great difficulties to become what they are today. Of course, it helps if they wear a star or a redbird on their uniform/jersey!

My favorites . . . .

#1- Roger Staubach . . . would any self-respecting Cowboy fan have any other at the top of his (or her) list? Simply the greatest . . . a legend! My only regret? I was only 10 years old when he retired from the NFL (I still remember his announcement . . . broadcast on the radio as I was in the car with my family returning from a trip to Oklahoma). The only game I remember vividly with him playing at quarterback is the 1978 Super Bowl . . . vs. Denver . . . Dallas creamed them, 27-10!!! And, against an old Cowboy at that . . . Craig Morton.

#2- Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean . . . Hall of Fame pitcher for the "Gashouse Gang" St. Louis Cardinals of the 1930's. I was born in 1970, so how did "Dizzy" make the list? Strat-o-matic Baseball gets the credit (my junior high through high school years were spent playing Strat-0-matic!). My team? The 1934 Cardinals. Dizzy was 30-7 that year and won two games in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers (his brother "Daffy" won two more to hand the Cardinals the Championship).

#3- Bill Bates . . . simply the toughest Dallas Cowboy to ever wear the uniform. And, that says a lot for a franchise that boasts the likes of Randy White, Bob Lilly, "Too Tall" Jones, Darren Woodson, Roy Williams, and Charles Haley. I am wondering when Jerry Jones is going to get around to retiring #40 and installing Bates in the Ring of Honor.

#4- Nolan Ryan . . . I was already a big fan the night I saw Ryan interviewed following his record 7th no-hitter (his closest competitor has only 4!). Instead of celebrating with champagne or a night out on the town, Ryan was interviewed while he was riding an exercise bicycle . . . his work was not done for the night. Hard work. Perseverance. Nolan Ryan knew the secret to success. (Another Ryan highlight: beating Robin Ventura senseless when the White Sox 1B charged the mound on him.)

#5- Jack Nicklaus . . . even with a Tiger on the prowl, the "Golden Bear" is still the definitive golfer of all time . . . and a class act off of the course.

#6- Pete Sampras . . . quiet, unassuming, "lights out" on the tennis court. Never the showman, always the professional.

#7- Joe "Ducky" "Muscles" Medwick . . . another "Gashouse Gang" alum. One the of the most forgotten greats of the game. He was the best all-around hitter in the National League during the 1930's. He is the last NL batter to win the Triple Crown (1937). His picture graces the top of this post.

#8- Satchel Paige . . . if it had not been for the blatant racism in baseball during the 1920's, 30's, and 40's, Satchel would have gone down as the single greatest pitcher in the history of the Major Leagues. His stuff was unbelievable. He comes as close to a pitcher being able to "call his pitches" and get anyone out at anytime.

#9- Albert Pujols . . . another Cardinal . . . perhaps, by the end of his career, the greatest hitter the Cardinals have ever had. And, that says a lot for a team that has boasted Stan Musial, Ducky Medwick, Johnny Mize, and the incomparable Rogers Hornsby.


Beyond my Top 9 . . . Tim Duncan, Tony Romo, Randy White, Tony Gwynn, Francis Oimet (thanks to the Shia LaBouf movie I recently saw), Chris Evert (had to have a female on the list), George Foreman, David Robinson . . . .


Of course, no list of athletes would be complete without mention of a coach. My favorite coaches list begins and ends with one name . . . no either need apply. His name? Tom Landry. Who else's name belongs there?

Simple & Reverant Worship

As Israel came to worship, God demanded simplicity. In Exodus 20.24, he told his people, “You need make for me only an altar of earth.” It was not to be made of dressed stone. It was not to be atop a platform standing high in the sky. A simple earthen altar is all that God wanted.

Israel’s neighbors had erected elaborate and ornate temples in which to worship their gods. Pagan religion was a spectacle, a show, an event! Yet, Yahweh, the Lord of heaven and earth, demanded simple and reverent worship from his people.

I am reminded of the churches without walls that are so common in Third World countries. They are simple structures; basically, a few columns and a thatched roof—enough to keep worshipers shaded from the sun and protected from the rains. These structures are not much to look at, but they provide a place where Christians can gather and worship God. Each Sunday, thousands from all over India come to these place to pray, sing, study and commune.

Our world is filled with ancient cathedrals and modern arenas—ornate and imposing buildings constructed ostensibly to facilitate worship directed to God, but are they not really more for our sensibilities and comforts? I cannot comprehend the millions upon millions of dollars spent to build these structures and to keep them operating.

And, worship has become an event for so many, a show, great spectacle. Praise bands, graphic arts displays, Hollywood-style productions—and, yet, the Israelites were told, “You need make for me only an altar of earth.”

It is in the simplicity of our worship that the heart shines forth and the passion of our faith is most clearly seen. As we gather each week, let us join our voices in pure song, let us join our hearts and minds in prayer, let us open our ears to the honest and straightforward Word of God, and let us share at the table our remembrances of our Lord.

Calvin on Writing

Acts 8.4 . . . A Calling for Today

I opened a new blog today, entitled Acts 8.4. The following article explains what it is about. I would love for your input, involvement and prayerful support.


It seems that the common strategies for church growth consist of a polished and charismatic preacher, a large and ultra-modern facility, and dozens of active programs, among other flashy qualities. The mega-church model is certainly effective, and it is a good thing that these groups are making large impacts for the sake of Christ. BUT, there is another way to share the Gospel . . . more subtle, and even under the radar, but no less important and necessary.

Vocational ministry has been around a long time, even since the beginning days of the church. In fact, vocational ministry certainly predates the professional variety. I doubt Peter ever took much of a paycheck for his preaching . . . perhaps he benefited from the provision of a meal here and there, and perhaps the use of a "bed" to lay his head. And, Paul, often labored with his hands to make possible his evangelistic work. Certainly, the prospects of a consistent salary, housing allowances, IRAs, health insurance, and the like, were centuries away from becoming reality, and, it may seem now, the norm, and expected. BUT, in the beginning days of Christianity, the Gospel was shared, for the most part, by neighbor to neighbor, from one layman to another.

Christianity has made impressive gains in the past 20 centuries. Millions upon millions of people profess faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. And, professional ministry has surely played a big role in this spread. BUT, how much of the growth is the product of ordinary men and women sharing their faith with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers? Surely, a considerable amount.

The example of Acts 8.4 is often overlooked . . . a quick bridge verse connecting the stoning of Stephen with the remarkable ministry of Philip. The verse reads, "So those who were scattered went on their way proclaiming the message of good news" (HCSB). This description comes following a statement that the apostles had remained behind in Jerusalem. The church continued to grow, despite the persecution. The church continued to grow, because of the testimony of the laity . . . average, ordinary men and women convicted in their faith and devoted to sharing what they had discovered in Jesus. Yes, the professionals hit the paths to the mission fields, as well, and educated preachers would make their mark for the sake of Christ. BUT, the church grew, largely, because of the efforts of countless nameless believers.

I live in the western United States, near the shared border of New Mexico and Arizona. Churches here are, for the most part, small, aging and struggling. The mega-church model exists hundreds and thousands of miles from us; it is a model that does not mesh with reality here. The growth strategies of a highly skilled and polished preacher, an imposing facility, and around-the-clock programming are often qualities that are unrealistic here. So, how is the church to grow? Through simplicity, basically, and because of the labors of ordinary men and women. In other words, the ones sitting in the pews must get up and work, and lead, and follow in the steps of Acts 8.4.

BUT, here's a thought and a modern calling . . . how much good could be done by couples trained in various fields--teaching, medicine, business, etc.--relocating from large and effective churches to small and struggling ones? What I am suggesting is that couples and individuals, mature in their faith, and from communities where the church is strong, relocate to areas in the West (and other parts of the country) where the church is weak. For example, a couple graduating with education degrees from Abilene Christian University might choose to find jobs in a town like Aztec, New Mexico or Holbrook, Arizona or Blanding, Utah for the expressed purpose of becoming active in the local church and being a boost to that congregation . . . taking this course, instead of finding employment in Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio, cities where the church is strong, and where one's addition to a congregation would be largely inconsequential (in terms of that church's effectiveness in ministry and outreach).

I call this a modern calling inspired by the example of Acts 8.4, and I find it an important and necessary strategy for church growth in areas where the church (and the Gospel testimony) does not have the footprint it does in other places.

I devote this blog to what I am terming the Acts 8.4 calling. this will be a sounding-board and bulletin board with the expressed purpose of encouraging and facilitating vocational missions (and, particularly, of the variety described in this article). The articles I post here will include profiles of communities where the church is alive but in need of help; in other words, an introduction to places where "transplanted" Christians could be a big help. These profiles will include a description of the communities at large, a survey of employment opportunities, contact information (where known), and other vital information. I invite your feedback and contributions.

Help me make this Acts 8.4 calling a meaningful and productive ministry.

More of Franklin's Words

There are three faithful friends: an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.


We must all hang together, else we shall all hang separately. (On signing the Declaration of Independence)


In humility imitate Jesus and Socrates.


After crosses and losses, men grow humbler and wiser.


Pity and forbearance should characterize all acts of justice.


Laws too gentle are seldom obeyed; too severe, seldom executed. (Poor Richard's Almanac)


A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. (Poor Richard's Almanac)


Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safetey deserce neither liberty or safety.


Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of. (Poor Richard)


If you would be loved, love and be lovable.


Where there's marriage without love, there will be love without marriage. (Poor Richard)


God heals and the doctor takes the fee. (Poor Richard's Almanac)


He's the best physician that knows the worthlessness of the most medicines. (Poor Richard's Almanac)


If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some. (Poor Richard's Almanac)


Let thy child's first lesson be obedience, and the second will be what thou wilt.


Plough deep while sluggards sleep.


He that can have patience can have what he will.


Even peace may be purchased at too high a price.


Pride that dines on vanity, sups on contempt.

A Sooner Pantry

We are moving from room to room in the cottage that we are calling home and sprucing up this big house little by little. The first room to receive a make-over was the pantry. The fresh color scheme will be heart warming to the fans of the best college football program in the country. The colors were my wife's choice, and she isn't even a sports fan! The scheme will be extended into the kitchen. We might have to celebrate by having some Longhorns over for a BBQ!!!

And, yes, that's red paint on the window! My roller got away from me . . . ugh!

Words of Wisdom from the First American

These are a collection of musings uttered by Benjamin Franklin, the first great American.


At 20 years of age the will reigns; at 30 the wit; at 40 the judgment. (Poor Richard's Almanac)


A single man has not nearly the value he would have in a state of union. He is an incomplete animal. He resembles the odd half of a pair of scissors.


A Bible and a newspaper in every house, a good school in every district--all studied and appreciated as they merit--are the principal support of virtue, morality and civil liberty.


Carelessness does more harm than a want of knowledge.


Little boats should keep near shore.


Teach your child to hold his tongue, he'll learn fast enough to speak. (Poor Richard's Maxims)


As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and His religion, as he left them to us, is the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see.


Constant complaint is the poorest sort of pay for all the comforts we enjoy.


A good conscience is a continual Christmas.


Creditors have better memories than debtors.


It is easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.


Eat to please thyself, but dress to please others.


Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. (Poor Richard's Almanac)


Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.


If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it from him.


The body of Benjamin Franklin, Printer, (Like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stript of its lettering and gilding), Lies here, food for worms; But the work shall not be lost, for it will (as he believed) appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the author. (Epitaph on Himself, written in 1728)


None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing.


A cheerful face is nearly as good for an invalid as healthy weather.


If you would not be forgotten as soon as you were dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.

Random Verse

Time is
Too Slow for those who Wait,
Too Swift for those who Fear,
Too Long for those who Grieve,
Too Short for those who Rejoice,
But for those who Love
Time is not.
--Henry Van Dyke


Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash;
'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.
--Shakespeare, Othello


For want of a nail the shoe was lost;
for want of a shoe the horse was lost;
and for want of a horse the rider was lost;
being overtaken and slain by the enemy,
all for want of care about a horseshoe nail.
--Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac


Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on;
'Twas not given for thee alone,
Pass it on;
Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe another's tears,
'Til in Heaven the deed appears--
Pass it on.
--Henry Burton


God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine--
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget--lest we forget!
The tumult and the shouting dies,
The captains and the kings depart;
Still stands thine ancient sacrifice,
A humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget--lest we forget.
--Rudyard Kipling, Recessional Hymn

Texas Panhandle Plains

An Indian Version of the 23rd Psalm

The Great father above a Shepherd Chief is.
I am His, and with Him I want not.
He throws to me a rope, and the name of the rope is love.
He draws and draws me to where the grass is green and the water is dangerous not.
I eat and lie down and am satisfied.
Sometimes my heart is very weak and falls down,
but he lifts me up again and draws me into a good road.
His name is Wonderful.

Sometime, it may be very soon, it may be many many moons,
He will draw me into a valley.
It is dark there but I'll be afraid not,
for it is between those mountains that the Shepherd Chief will meet me
and the hunger that I have in my heart all through this life
will be satisfied.

Sometimes He makes the love rope into a whip,
but afterward He gives me a staff to lean upon.
He spreads a table before me with all kinds of foods.
He puts His hand upon my head and all the "tired" is gone.
My cup He fills till it runs over.
What I tell is true. i lie not.
These roads that are "away ahead" will stay with me through this life,
and afterward I will go to live in the Big Tepee
and sit down with the Shepherd Chief forever.

Author Unknown

I Miss This Place!

I have a lot of favorite places that I have visited in my lifetime. One of those special places is represented by the photographs above. The first pic is a photo of the old barn that stands in Eloy's Meadow, the second image is a view of Hermit's Peak. Both are "landmarks" that any Camp Blue Haven alumnus would know well.

Camp Blue Haven was my home away from home during the summers of 1986, 1987, and 1988. During these summers I worked at Blue Haven as a pot washer. For 10 weeks during each of these summers I had the time of my life. I washed lots and lots of pots and mopped lots and lots of floors, but I made many lifelong friends, and have countless special memories of campfires, hiking trips, volleyball games, practical jokes, zip lines, Hobo meals, talent shows, singing nights, pretty girls! and so much more.

The past 20 years haven't given me much time to get back to Camp Blue Haven. I do drop by every so often, usually only to drive through the campus, but my love for the place is still as warm as it was on that day in June 1986 that I first arrived there. My goal for years has been to return as a teacher during one of the sessions, and hopefully at some point that dream can be realized.

And, yes, that's me! A long, long time ago!

Tomorrow's Way

I know not if tomorrow's way
Be steep or rough;
But when his hand is guiding me,
That is enough.

And so, although the veil has hid
Tomorrow's way,
I walk with perfect faith and trust
Through each today.

The love of God has hung a veil
Around tomorrow
That we may not its beauty see
Nor trouble borrow.

But oh! tis sweeter far to trust
His unseen hand,
And know that all the paths of life
His wisdom planned.

Author Unknown

Calvin & the Raccoon

I stopped reading the comics page in the newspaper when Bill Watterson and Gary Larson retired their Calvin & Hobbes and The Far Side strips, respectively, and following the death of Charles Schultz. These three geniuses of the art have no peers.

Here is one of my favorite Calvin & Hobbes strip series.

Wisdom from the Ages

A collection of old proverbs as published in Five Thousand Quotations for All Occasions, 1945.

• I find the medicine worse than the malady. (Francis Beaumont & John Fletcher, early 17th C.)
• First come, first served. (Beaumont & Fletcher)
• One good turn deserves another. (Beaumont & Fletcher)
• Hit the nail on the head. (Beaumont & Fletcher)
• Curses are like young chickens, and still come home to roost! (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 18th C.)
• Set a beggar on horseback, and he will ride a gallop. (Robert Burton, early 17th C.)
• No rule is so general, which admits not some exception. (Burton)
• Look before you ere you leap. (Samuel Butler, late 19th C.)
• He that is down can fall no lower. (Samuel Butler)
• Better halfe a loafe than no bread. (William Camden, late 16th C.)
• No man is a hero to his valet-de-chambre (slave). (Marshal Catinat)
• All that glistens is gold. (Miguel de Cervantes, late 16th C.)
• Leap out of the frying pan into the fire. (Cervantes, Don Quixote)
• Imitation is the sincerest of flattery. (Charles Colton, early 19th C.)
• The mill cannot grind with water that has past. (Sarah Doudney, late 19th C.)
• Life is short, yet sweet. (Euripides, 5th C. B.C.)
• Tall oaks from little acorns grow. (David Everett, late 18th C.)
• If you would be loved, love and be lovable. (Benjamin Franklin, 18th C.)
• Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today. (Franklin)
• Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead. (Franklin)
• Where there's a marriage without love there will be love without marriage. (Franklin)
• Silence gives consent. (Thomas Fuller, 17th C.)
• Handsome is that handsome does. (Oliver Goldsmith, 18th C.)
• Out of sight, out of mind. (Barnabe Googe, 16th C.)
• Go West, young man, and grow up with the country. (Horace Greeley, 19th C.)
• Wouldst thou both eat thy cake and have it? (George Herbert, early 17th C.)
• God's mill grinds slow but sure. (Herbert)
• Half the world knows not how the other half lives. (Herbert)
• Whose house is of glass, must not throw stones at another. (Herbert)
• Robbe Peter and pay Paule. (John Heywood, early 16th C.)
• Set the cart before the horse. (Heywood)
• Two heads are better than one. (Heywood)
• Give an inch, he'll take an ell. (Thomas Hobbes, early 17th C.)
• Fitted him to a T. (Samuel Johnson, 18th C.)
• Man proposes, but God disposes. (Thomas 's Kempis, early 15th C.)
• Facts are stubborn things. (Alain Rene' Le Sage, early 18th C.)
• There can no great smoke arise, but there must be some fire. (John Lyly, late 16th C.)
• Hold their noses to the grindstone. (Thomas Middleton, early 17th C.)
• Strike the iron whilst it is hot. (Francois Rabelais, early 16th C.)
• Every man is the architect of his own fortunes. (Sallust, 1st C. B.C.)
• Blood is thicker than water. (Walter Scott, early 19th C.)
• All's well that ends well. (William Shakespeare, late 16th C.)
• Brevity is the soul of wit. (Shakespeare)
• It is a wise father that knows his own child. (Shakespeare)
• A rolling stone gathers no moss. (Publius Syrus, 1st C.)
• Familiarity breeds contempt. (Syrus)

Old Quotes

As I was unpacking my library for our move into our new residence, I ran across a book of quotations published in 1945. Here follows a listing of interesting quotations from this book.

• You cannot make a crab walk straight. (Aristophanes)
• No one can build his security upon the nobleness of another person. (Willa Cather)
• No one can be made a patriot on an empty stomach. (W. C. Brann)
• Peace rules the day, where reason rules the mind. (William Collins)
• He who is the most slow in making a promise is the most faithful in the performance of it. (Rousseau)
• You may prove anything by figures. (Carlyle)
• The instinct of ownership is fundamental in man's nature. (William James)
• I hate the man who builds his name of ruins of another's fame. (Gay)
• Fatigue is the best pillow. (Benjamin Franklin)
• Learning without thought is labor lost. (Confucious)
• The mind grows by what it feeds on. (J. G. Holland)
• It is better to have a hen tomorrow than an egg today. (Thomas Fuller)
• I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves. (Chesterfield)
• Whatever we conceive well we express clearly. (Boileau)
• The remedy for wrongs is to forget them. (Syrus)
• In God we trust; all others must pay cash. (American saying)
• Some statesmen go to congress and some go to jail. It is the same thing, after all. (Eugene Field)
• Democracy arose from men thinking that if they are equal in any respect they are equal in all respects. (Aristotle)

Some Favorite Calvin & Hobbes' Stips

Contriteness Doesn't Often Get a Fair Hearing

Contriteness is a rather personal feeling (and behavior), isn't it?

Contriteness is the recognition of a personal error, a misstep, a mistake . . . of sin. More than mere acknowledgement, though, it is sorrow expressed for committing the action that was out of bounds and hurtful and offensive to others. Contriteness is complete when that sorrow motivates change . . . corrective action.

Contriteness is rather personal, however. Genuine sorrow, though deeply felt, cannot always be adequately expressed to others or be received by them enthusiastically. There are always cynics and those quick to dismiss the contrite of heart as insincere, opportunists, and calculating.

Consider Tiger Woods. His predicament is well known and the details need no re-airing here. Is he contrite? Were his words of apology sincere, today? Is the shame he spoke of real? Is he committed to changed behavior? Or, was he merely seeking to defuse the situation? . . . finesse his way out of a tight spot? . . . somehow manage to rebuild his shattered image?

Many have been quick to dismiss Woods entirely and give him no room for penance. Many are quick to castigate him as an incorrigible liar and as someone beyond rehabilitation. Will Tiger Woods ever be able to recapture the esteem he once enjoyed? Can the pieces ever be put back together, again? What will it take to win over the hearts and minds of the general populace? And, more, will he win over the heart of the women he so hurt?

I suppose the point I'm getting to is this . . . is the measure of one's contriteness the product of public opinion? Is the genuineness of one's sorrow left to the perspective of others to determine? For the sake of us all, I certainly hope not. Public opinion is often uninformed and almost always emotional, not rational . . . selfish, not out of real concern for the other. The perspective of others cannot easily see within the confines of your heart . . . or, of mine . . . or, of Tiger Woods!

Again, I don't know if Tiger Woods is genuine in his sorrow over the sins he has committed against his wife and family, or not. And, that lack of knowledge is my point: I don't know one way or another! I cannot know. I am not the reader of man's souls. I am not God!

Of course, the application of this point goes much farther afield than Tiger Woods. It is relevant to everyday living and germain to all the relationships in which we find ourselves.

Remember, Jesus taught, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6.37-38).

When David cried out in Psalm 51, "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (v. 10), I am certain the family of Uriah scoffed! But, God heard him! And, he hears and sees the contriteness of our hearts, as well! Even if so many others refuse to hear and see themselves.

Fortunately, for you and me, contriteness is not reliant upon public opinion, it is a matter between myself/yourself and God. And, let us show that deference to those who sin against us!

Some Questions

Some questions are filling my mind today.

Will the skies stay clear for our trek back to New Mexico on Sunday? And, will I enjoy more snowfall during my two weeks back in Gallup?

Facebook now claims 400,000,000 distinct and active users. Can it be true that approximately 1 out of 18 people on the planet is a Facebook user? Short of religion, has there ever been such a large percentage of the world's populace engaged in a similar activity?

What happens when policies and procedures are made to take precedence over people. Some efficiencies may be gained, and perhaps some profit realized, but at what expense? The loss of morale? The loss of genuineness? The loss of soul? What is gained that outweighs these?

Why does a $50 a night hotel offer a scrumptious breakfast buffet while a $100 per night outfit charge another $10 for a bagel and coffee (oh, and a banana for added comfort)?

Am I gonna make it to Taco Villa tomorrow? I MUST have my Villa fix before returning to Dinetah on Sunday. Fortunately, Rosa's is already on the itinerary. But, I must carve out a time for the next best thing in fast-casual Mexican food!

How can a boss lead and inspire a staff when he sits behind a wall and orders his staff by memo?

Why has God blessed me so richly when I have so often strayed from the course that brings honor to Him?

Top Sports Stories of the Decade - 2000s

Here's my list of the top sports stories of the decade that is quickly drawing to a close. I would like to see your lists, too!

1. The rise and fall of Tiger Woods
2. Boston Red Sox win 2 World Series
3. Steroids and Major League Baseball
4. The dominance of Lance Armstrong & Michael Phelps in their respective sports
5. The paltry records of the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49er's, Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins & Oakland Raiders
6. The vast improvement of foreign basketball players and teams
7. The construction of mega stadiums and sports complexes, especially JerryWorld (a.k.a., Cowboys Stadium)
8. The growth of NASCAR (even though it seems to be declining a bit)
9. The success of the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers & Indianapolis Colts
10. Labor peace in the NFL & MLB