The above title can lead to a lot of wondering of how this author can weave a tale about football and relate it to life in general. This will be a little different, so go with me.
In 2013 the Carolina Panthers won the NFC South Division with a 12-4 record. It was a very successful year, but a loss in their first playoff game revealed room for improvement. So, in the offseason, they did something I still have a hard time fathoming:
They said goodbye to every one of their wide receivers. Also, their most experienced and possibly best offensive lineman retired. This included Steve Smith, Sr., the most famous and possibly the best player in Panthers history. Panthers fans very surprised, disappointed, and very vocal. This extremely introverted, potentially Aspergian author, was as vocal as he could be.
New receivers were signed and drafted, the preseason proved lackluster, and the NFL season began. You may have heard some details from it, most of them not football related.
On the Panthers' end, though, nothing but good news- when it comes to the action on the field. The team is 2-0, so far, and this past week shut down the best receiver in the league. The offense has been enough, essentially, to get the job done, and can only improve as Cam Newton gets into the flow.
If you're not a football fan, you're bored by now. But the point is this: I now know the plan the Panthers' management had when they set this offseason plan forth- and I like it.
In other words, I can see the vision.
Proverbs 29:18 starts in the King's English: "Where there is no vision, the people perish." In The Message, it says "If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves." It finishes: "But he that keepeth the law, happy is he," or "But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed."
Here in the middle of our messes, it's hard to see what God is doing a lot of times. We live in a time of terror, doubt, uncertainty, and fear. I personally live in a time of immense stress and seemingly little reward for that stress. Some days are harder than others. and none of the days are easy it seems. I'm currently reading a wonderful book by Anne Graham Lotz called Wounded by God's People. It's fabulous. It takes the Biblical account of Hagar, Abraham's servant and mother of Ishmael, and relates it to the wounds, difficulties, and issues that we have faced from other Christians- and also things we may have done to others. She also references in this book Moses in Exodus 33-34, asking God to show him His glory. God showed up for Hagar at a time of rejection from Sarah. God showed the back of His glory to Moses. I'm also reminded of Elisha in 2 Kings 6:17 praying the Lord would open the eyes of his servant Gehazi to see the army surrounding the enemy at his door. Elisha had the vision- and it thrilled him. Gehazi needed it.
What I'm saying is what Anne said in that portion of her book. What Moses asked in the cleft of the rock. What Hagar needed to see. What I need to see. Ask God to show the vision. Ask for His guidance as you travel through the situation. I grant there are times where it is too great for us, and He simply asks us to trust. Take His hand in those times, and walk with Him. One day you will be able to see it all clearly, and will rejoice.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Revival n' Wrestling
It's time to play a game of true confessions. Since I'm the only one with a voice on this blog, I'll go:
I have been a wrestling fan for 27 years, since I was ten years old.
There. I said it.
It used to be fun in 4th and 5th grade, especially after school when I would wrestle around with others in school, we put each other in figure-four leglocks, etc. I even went to school with my face painted as Sting. I was the only one I knew that was a wrestking fan, though, after 6th grade.This used to be something I had to keep quiet about.
Wrestling became mainstream in the 1980s, thanks to the efforts of Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon, and the WWF's Rock n' Wrestling time. The NWA was what I gravitated toward, however, thanks to living in North Carolina, and World Championship Wrestling on Saturday nights.
Wrestling revolutionized in the 1990s, with the NWA morphing into WCW, the Monday night wrestling wars, and the "Attitude era." It also got a lot more raunchy in different aspects, and things got a lot more real.
Wrestlers were dying.
I used to collect wrestling magzines like crazy. I read Pro Wrestling Illustrated like it was going out of style, while my friends read comics, Tiger Beat, etc. I remember the deaths of Mike von Erich (David was before my time), then Bruiser Brody's murder, the fatal accident that killed Adrian Adonis. Then it was Chris von Erich, then brother Kerry. Then it was Brian Pillman, later on Owen Hart, then the list grew by leaps and bounds. If you want to get an idea, check out this site. It goes from the 1980s to the 1990s, and then starts breaking down by 5 year increments, if that tells you anything.
There was a common denominator on all of them: drugs, suicide, or heart conditions. Rick Rude, Curt Hennig, the list continued to grow. Chris Benoit's seemingly tragic-then revealed murder-suicide shook up a lot of people.
Something else started happening as well. Something glorious. It started with reading the book Every Man Has His Price by Ted DiBiase. There was Jake Roberts becoming born again. There was my childhood hero, Sting.
Wrestlers were being saved by the grace and power of God.
Shawn Michaels, Nikita Koloff, and the Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal. Hawk (Mike Hegstrand) is unfortunately one of the wrestlers that is also among the statistics of wrestlers that died early, but told quite a story of deliverance from drugs and a dangerous lifestyle before God called him home.
In the last two weeks, two things brought this back to me. I finally got to read Lex Luger's book, Wrestling With the Devil. God saved him from, basically himself. I lifestyle of self, drugs, alcohol, infidelity, and deceit, that found him dealing with the death of Elizabeth Hullete and in jail. His story of redemption is well worth a read.
This past Sunday was the other- getting to meet Marc Mero at Bald Mountain Baptist Church here in West Jefferson, NC. Here's a link of pic's his team took of this event- I'm on the far left of the congregation shot (just saying). He has a powerful message that he is taking to schools and churches, and I wish his group the best. They are changing lives and reaching people.
I am so happy to see what God is doing in the wrestling world. The battle is still going on- I noticed former wrestler Shawn O'Haire committed suicide this week at age 43. The saddest thing I saw while reading his biography was that he was a practicing Buddhist. That breaks my heart, knowing what that means for his eternal soul.
The really good news for us Christians is that our battle, like the wrestling world, is pre-determined. We don't know what our battle will look like, how long the match will be, but we know who will win the match.
Now that should get a pop!
I have been a wrestling fan for 27 years, since I was ten years old.
There. I said it.
It used to be fun in 4th and 5th grade, especially after school when I would wrestle around with others in school, we put each other in figure-four leglocks, etc. I even went to school with my face painted as Sting. I was the only one I knew that was a wrestking fan, though, after 6th grade.This used to be something I had to keep quiet about.
Wrestling became mainstream in the 1980s, thanks to the efforts of Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon, and the WWF's Rock n' Wrestling time. The NWA was what I gravitated toward, however, thanks to living in North Carolina, and World Championship Wrestling on Saturday nights.
Wrestling revolutionized in the 1990s, with the NWA morphing into WCW, the Monday night wrestling wars, and the "Attitude era." It also got a lot more raunchy in different aspects, and things got a lot more real.
Wrestlers were dying.
I used to collect wrestling magzines like crazy. I read Pro Wrestling Illustrated like it was going out of style, while my friends read comics, Tiger Beat, etc. I remember the deaths of Mike von Erich (David was before my time), then Bruiser Brody's murder, the fatal accident that killed Adrian Adonis. Then it was Chris von Erich, then brother Kerry. Then it was Brian Pillman, later on Owen Hart, then the list grew by leaps and bounds. If you want to get an idea, check out this site. It goes from the 1980s to the 1990s, and then starts breaking down by 5 year increments, if that tells you anything.
There was a common denominator on all of them: drugs, suicide, or heart conditions. Rick Rude, Curt Hennig, the list continued to grow. Chris Benoit's seemingly tragic-then revealed murder-suicide shook up a lot of people.
Something else started happening as well. Something glorious. It started with reading the book Every Man Has His Price by Ted DiBiase. There was Jake Roberts becoming born again. There was my childhood hero, Sting.
Wrestlers were being saved by the grace and power of God.
Shawn Michaels, Nikita Koloff, and the Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal. Hawk (Mike Hegstrand) is unfortunately one of the wrestlers that is also among the statistics of wrestlers that died early, but told quite a story of deliverance from drugs and a dangerous lifestyle before God called him home.
In the last two weeks, two things brought this back to me. I finally got to read Lex Luger's book, Wrestling With the Devil. God saved him from, basically himself. I lifestyle of self, drugs, alcohol, infidelity, and deceit, that found him dealing with the death of Elizabeth Hullete and in jail. His story of redemption is well worth a read.
This past Sunday was the other- getting to meet Marc Mero at Bald Mountain Baptist Church here in West Jefferson, NC. Here's a link of pic's his team took of this event- I'm on the far left of the congregation shot (just saying). He has a powerful message that he is taking to schools and churches, and I wish his group the best. They are changing lives and reaching people.
I am so happy to see what God is doing in the wrestling world. The battle is still going on- I noticed former wrestler Shawn O'Haire committed suicide this week at age 43. The saddest thing I saw while reading his biography was that he was a practicing Buddhist. That breaks my heart, knowing what that means for his eternal soul.
The really good news for us Christians is that our battle, like the wrestling world, is pre-determined. We don't know what our battle will look like, how long the match will be, but we know who will win the match.
Now that should get a pop!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
What am I up to? About page 250.
Is blogging a lost art already? Have our attention spans grown so short that we no longer can look at anything more than two sentences? Do people no longer have time to even write a couple of paragraphs?
Sorry. Didn't mean to start on a tangent.
What does the title mean?
Well, in the last couple of years (since 2012) I have become an avid reader. I used to read only biographies, and even then only sporadically. Since 2012, I've been devouring books. I don't know what triggered the change in me, but I love it. I've read several topics, wrestler biographies, books about the introvert nature, UNC football and basketball, books about Asperger's syndrome, music, even books by cartoonists.
My big interest has been Civil War history. This was true before I started reading in earnest, but my knowledge has expounded since then.
For example: in 2010, I chose in my college English class to write a position paper justifying the South's secession from the Union. I aced that paper, by the way. If I could go back and write that paper in 2014, I would not only re-ace it, I would blow that paper away. The thing is, we have been taught so much wrong information about that time period and the reasoning behind the war, it's scary.
My latest book has been turning heads, primarily because of the size of it. People at work have been doing double takes and asking me about it- primarily because of the size My mother-in-law has even looked at it in bewilderment. To them, I guess I look like Charlie Brown carrying around War and Peace.
The book is called Memoirs of Service Afloat, by Admiral Raphael Semmes of the Confederate States Navy.
Okay, that picture may not make it look that big. Let's measure it for perspective:
Most people tend to shy away from books with a 3 inch spine. Yes, it's 833 pages, not counting the Preface and Introduction. But after a week in I am a quarter of the way through and am thoroughly enjoying it. Admiral Semmes was an excellent storyteller, defender, and expounded on the justifications for what happened in an amazing fashion.
(By the way, the cause of the war was NOT slavery, like you've been told.)
So the journey continues. I'll expound more about what I learn and have learned from other authors and books in future writings.
Sorry. Didn't mean to start on a tangent.
What does the title mean?
Well, in the last couple of years (since 2012) I have become an avid reader. I used to read only biographies, and even then only sporadically. Since 2012, I've been devouring books. I don't know what triggered the change in me, but I love it. I've read several topics, wrestler biographies, books about the introvert nature, UNC football and basketball, books about Asperger's syndrome, music, even books by cartoonists.
My big interest has been Civil War history. This was true before I started reading in earnest, but my knowledge has expounded since then.
For example: in 2010, I chose in my college English class to write a position paper justifying the South's secession from the Union. I aced that paper, by the way. If I could go back and write that paper in 2014, I would not only re-ace it, I would blow that paper away. The thing is, we have been taught so much wrong information about that time period and the reasoning behind the war, it's scary.
My latest book has been turning heads, primarily because of the size of it. People at work have been doing double takes and asking me about it- primarily because of the size My mother-in-law has even looked at it in bewilderment. To them, I guess I look like Charlie Brown carrying around War and Peace.
(By the way, the cause of the war was NOT slavery, like you've been told.)
So the journey continues. I'll expound more about what I learn and have learned from other authors and books in future writings.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
My Return & The Solution to the Problem Facing America
Not that I have that opinion of myself. I am not the solution to America's problems, though if more Americans thought like I did, we'd have a lot less problems. (That's not overly boastful, is it?)
But here is what I'm talking about- the solution to the great problem facing America.
What problem am I talking about? The "threat" of climate change? Obamacare run amok? Terrorism? Rising gas prices? Justin Bieber?
No- none of those. I'm talking about...
When you see this logo, what do you think of? Do you think of disparaging images of American Indians? Do you look of them as oppressed people in American history? Do you think of them as anything different than you?
I don't. I know in God's eyes, we are all people, equal in the sight of God. When I see that logo, I think of:
Slingin' Sammy Baugh
Joe Gibbs
George Allen
John Riggins
Sonny Jurgensen
The Hogs
This guy:
Doug Williams and his awesome Super Bowl XXII performance
RGIII
But don't get me wrong- I'm not a Redskins fan. I've had lots of fun with Redskins fans reminding them of :
Richie Pettibon
Albert Haynesworth
Jim Zorn
Steve Spurrier's lips flapping like a horse
and this:
Do the Redskins need to change their name? Absolutely not. The name is meant as a tribute, just like the Chiefs, Braves, Indians, Blackhawks, and Seminoles. If this name goes down, you guys are next.
So here is my solution. Don't change the name, change the mascot. Presenting the new Washington Redskins:
And okay, this is not my image, but I'm glad to see that someone has thought of it:
Look at it like this: you would be promoting nutrition, so Michelle Obama would be on board. Vegetarians would not be upset, and meat eaters would be happy as well, because what's better than meat and potatoes? Farmers would be happy, and the name would linger on.
What are we waiting for? Let's embrace it, and pay the person that created this image (whoever they are)!
Problem solved. Thank you America. I'll be back in a week or two.
But here is what I'm talking about- the solution to the great problem facing America.
What problem am I talking about? The "threat" of climate change? Obamacare run amok? Terrorism? Rising gas prices? Justin Bieber?
No- none of those. I'm talking about...
I don't. I know in God's eyes, we are all people, equal in the sight of God. When I see that logo, I think of:
Slingin' Sammy Baugh
Joe Gibbs
George Allen
John Riggins
Sonny Jurgensen
The Hogs
This guy:
RGIII
But don't get me wrong- I'm not a Redskins fan. I've had lots of fun with Redskins fans reminding them of :
Richie Pettibon
Albert Haynesworth
Jim Zorn
Steve Spurrier's lips flapping like a horse
and this:
So here is my solution. Don't change the name, change the mascot. Presenting the new Washington Redskins:
What are we waiting for? Let's embrace it, and pay the person that created this image (whoever they are)!
Problem solved. Thank you America. I'll be back in a week or two.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Church Signs, Part 3: One Letter Can Make a Difference
It's been a while since I've had enough church signs to put up another post, especially a themed one. But I've been driving to work the last two weeks-
-and I am going to say: I am not picking on these two churches. I'm really not. But I drive by these two churches four to five times a week. I see these things all the time! It sits in my head and I say to myself, "I have to get a picture of that before they change it." Of course, the one church takes four months to change their signs. But I'm not picking on them...
But a valuable lesson can be learned from these. One letter, when improperly placed, can completely ruin a church sign's meaning.
"Women who fears the Lord is to be praised." If you think that is proper grammar, I cannot help you.
Ready? Here's another example:
That "E" is back. It has reared its head and changed the meaning of this verse completely. Let everything that hath: breathe, and then praise the Lord. Thanks, but try again.
This last one...
...I can only wonder. Does no one else notice it? Has no one else driven by and thought: This isn't right? Has the person that does this church's sign ministry not been told?
Oy.
Well, until the next time these churches change their sign...
-and I am going to say: I am not picking on these two churches. I'm really not. But I drive by these two churches four to five times a week. I see these things all the time! It sits in my head and I say to myself, "I have to get a picture of that before they change it." Of course, the one church takes four months to change their signs. But I'm not picking on them...
But a valuable lesson can be learned from these. One letter, when improperly placed, can completely ruin a church sign's meaning.
Ready? Here's another example:
This last one...
Oy.
Well, until the next time these churches change their sign...
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
I'm back. And I'm Tired.
What happened to me?
I haven't composed a blog since February. Blogs aren't going away- I still know lots of people that have them. I know for me I lost a lot of inspiration, and really don't get the time to think these deep enriching thoughts that warrant a blog post.
The truth is, I'm tired. Mentally, the job I work takes a lot from me, my schedule doesn't really allow me to stay up late but a couple of nights a week, and I have time to just look at the computer. A lot of that time is sorting through people's sharing of Facebook posts telling me to like and share something I could care less about, or something I do like but I don't want to click "Like" because I don't want to be a sheep, or a picture telling me that if I don't share it I'm ashamed of Jesus. Then I sort through a couple of hundred baby pictures (no offense), recipes and what not, and then I realize that there isn't really a lot going on.
When I check other sites (Twitter, news sites), I'm bombarded with things and thoughts from people that are really complete idiots that now have an avenue to voice their opinion.
I'm tired. Mentally, I'm tired and really don't have time to do this much. Physically, I'm tired. With my new work schedule I work one less day a week. But the time spent at home recovering from the four days doesn't lend itself to actual rest.
Ideologically, I'm tired. I'm tired of people being crucified for something they might have said thirty years ago that has no bearing on the person they are today. If you've seen news in the last week, you know what I'm talking about. I'm tired of the politically correct society that demands that certain groups must be bowed to and if you are not sensitive to them, you are not to be a viable part of the culture.
Spiritually, I'm tired. I'm tired of sin being glorified. I'm tired of people celebrating the fact that our country no longer stands for what the Bible says and that the fabric that held our country together gets ripped at every single day.
My in-laws like to watch the news, but I can't stand to look at it for more than four seconds. I'm burnt out hearing everyone's opinions. Facts are not reported anymore. Everything is based on what someone thinks, which is usually wrong, and I'm sick of it.
Ultimately I haven't blogged because I was afraid my next post would come out sounding angry and like I'm a cranky old man. I think since I just put out a post, I've proven myself accurate. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned I'm starting to finally understand the meaning behind the Gaither song "Build An Ark." More and more that statement is proving true. Maybe God wants me for a mouthpiece for Him and against all the drivel in the world.
Take a listen. Who knows, maybe in the future I might blog again.
"Even so"
I haven't composed a blog since February. Blogs aren't going away- I still know lots of people that have them. I know for me I lost a lot of inspiration, and really don't get the time to think these deep enriching thoughts that warrant a blog post.
The truth is, I'm tired. Mentally, the job I work takes a lot from me, my schedule doesn't really allow me to stay up late but a couple of nights a week, and I have time to just look at the computer. A lot of that time is sorting through people's sharing of Facebook posts telling me to like and share something I could care less about, or something I do like but I don't want to click "Like" because I don't want to be a sheep, or a picture telling me that if I don't share it I'm ashamed of Jesus. Then I sort through a couple of hundred baby pictures (no offense), recipes and what not, and then I realize that there isn't really a lot going on.
When I check other sites (Twitter, news sites), I'm bombarded with things and thoughts from people that are really complete idiots that now have an avenue to voice their opinion.
I'm tired. Mentally, I'm tired and really don't have time to do this much. Physically, I'm tired. With my new work schedule I work one less day a week. But the time spent at home recovering from the four days doesn't lend itself to actual rest.
Ideologically, I'm tired. I'm tired of people being crucified for something they might have said thirty years ago that has no bearing on the person they are today. If you've seen news in the last week, you know what I'm talking about. I'm tired of the politically correct society that demands that certain groups must be bowed to and if you are not sensitive to them, you are not to be a viable part of the culture.
Spiritually, I'm tired. I'm tired of sin being glorified. I'm tired of people celebrating the fact that our country no longer stands for what the Bible says and that the fabric that held our country together gets ripped at every single day.
My in-laws like to watch the news, but I can't stand to look at it for more than four seconds. I'm burnt out hearing everyone's opinions. Facts are not reported anymore. Everything is based on what someone thinks, which is usually wrong, and I'm sick of it.
Ultimately I haven't blogged because I was afraid my next post would come out sounding angry and like I'm a cranky old man. I think since I just put out a post, I've proven myself accurate. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned I'm starting to finally understand the meaning behind the Gaither song "Build An Ark." More and more that statement is proving true. Maybe God wants me for a mouthpiece for Him and against all the drivel in the world.
Take a listen. Who knows, maybe in the future I might blog again.
"Even so"
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
The Weather Channel has lost its mind
I have made comments several times over the past about TV networks that have lost their original focus. I understand why the networks do this- money. Stations need revenue, and to get that, you have to have advertising revenue. To have that, the ratings have to prove that you are being watched. To be watched, you have to present things that get the viewers' attention and keep it.
I have ranted in the past about MTV, TV Land, History Channel, A&E, CMT, Cartoon Network, etc. All of these networks are not what they were, and I really don't watch them very much.
But have you seen the Weather Channel? Remember when they used to show weather? Now I'm not really concerned about Ice Pilots, Lifeguards, It Can Happen Tomorrow, or any of their other shows. What gets me is their newest thing: naming winter storms.
(For the Weather Channel's explanation on why they are doing this, click here.
Nemo.
A storm that didn't blanket the northeast, it buried it. And the Weather Channel named it for a little clownfish that got away from his dad.
The next one that was going to Minnesota was named Orko. Never heard of Orko? You have if you watched He-Man in the 80s:
Orko was created to be comic relief for the cartoon. In an equal fashion, naming winter storms is proving to make the Weather Channel a laughing stock. The Weather Channel is owned by NBC, which has a history of hiring notable people of intelligence and intellect on its sister news channels, people like Chris Matthews, Al Sharpton, and Keith Olbermann. (FEEL MY SARCASM, PEOPLE!)
NBC is dangerously taking the Weather Channel down the path to irrelevance. They go wall to wall when the weather dictates, but otherwise have little interest in showing weather. The bad thing is they are the only game in town. If you want weather on TV, you have to go to them.
In other words, are you listening, Fox? We need competition so we can watch the weather! Come quickly before winter storm Q zaps us or Rocky comes and knocks us out!
I have ranted in the past about MTV, TV Land, History Channel, A&E, CMT, Cartoon Network, etc. All of these networks are not what they were, and I really don't watch them very much.
But have you seen the Weather Channel? Remember when they used to show weather? Now I'm not really concerned about Ice Pilots, Lifeguards, It Can Happen Tomorrow, or any of their other shows. What gets me is their newest thing: naming winter storms.
(For the Weather Channel's explanation on why they are doing this, click here.
It's not a bad idea on the surface. But the names they chose are a little weird. The first time I realized they were doing this was when I saw something about Winter Storm Iago. Then I saw the list. The next one I saw that gave us 11 inches this year was named...
So then they had Luna, which didn't amount to much,but did make me think of a female wrestler from the 1990s that shaved part of her head and had it tattooed. Then there was the storm from last weekend. The frightening and intimidating...
A storm that didn't blanket the northeast, it buried it. And the Weather Channel named it for a little clownfish that got away from his dad.
The next one that was going to Minnesota was named Orko. Never heard of Orko? You have if you watched He-Man in the 80s:
NBC is dangerously taking the Weather Channel down the path to irrelevance. They go wall to wall when the weather dictates, but otherwise have little interest in showing weather. The bad thing is they are the only game in town. If you want weather on TV, you have to go to them.
In other words, are you listening, Fox? We need competition so we can watch the weather! Come quickly before winter storm Q zaps us or Rocky comes and knocks us out!
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