It has finally happened. The New Orleans Saints have finally gotten to the Super Bowl. It has been a crazy season for them, not to mention a crazy history for them period. In 40+ years of being an NFL franchise, they now have the opportunity to play for a championship. Watching the post game tonight, listening to the reactions of the Saint players, there was a sense of relief. This is a team who's fanned pioneered the game day fashion statement of wearing bags over their heads. And now here they are, two weeks from playing in the biggest sporting event there is.
This is a day that has to have felt as though it would never come. After all the years of losing, of not even being close, this must be a feeling of relief. It was big the fist time they made the playoffs; bigger when they finally won a playoff game; bigger still when four years ago they reached their first ever NFC Championship game; even bigger to have the chance to HOST an NFC Championship game (the first ever in New Orleans), and now to have won that game and be headed to the Super Bowl.
One of the things that makes this even sweeter for the fans of the Saints is that it comes after so much loss and devastation due to Hurricane Katrina four years ago. Sean Payton touched on it tonight when he accepted the trophy, that four years ago the Super Dome had holes in the roof, water on the field, and people being housed there. But it was the way the players stepped up in this time of need, the way that the people of New Orleans embraced this team even through the 3-13 season that immediately followed the devastation, that must make this such a very sweet moment for not only the players but the city as a whole as well.
Yes it is a football game, but it is so much bigger than that. This is relief, this is history this is the turn around that the city not only wanted but needed, this was redemption. They are the Ain'ts no more after today. Peace and Love y'all.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Call me Ms. Vain
So usually I like to do "topics" on particular days and I had usually done some thing faith related on Wednesday and something more pop culture related on Tuesday. Well that is switched at least for this week. I saw this clip this morning and it is really too good to pass up. Besides I wrote something that was faith related last night.
On this mornings edition of "Daytime In No Time" on Yahoo! they had a clip from the Good Morning America's interview with Heidi Montag about her recent plastic surgeries. That's right, not her recent plastic surgery, singular, but rather surgeries, plural. As in 10 "procedures" in a 10 hour span on one day. That's right, 10 surgeries in 10 hours in 1 days time. Yet as she said in the interview she isn't addicted to it. And besides, she really has only had two plastic surgeries: one about 3 years ago and then one a few weeks ago that happened to be 10 separate things. I don't know about anyone else, but if I go in for some kind of surgery and they do things to multiple parts of me while in there, I count it as two surgeries. Even if they do them at the same time, I would think that they would count as separate things. Then again I've never had plastic surgery, so maybe the math is just different for them. No longer is it 10>1 like I remember learning in elementary, but instead in plastic surgery circles it is 10=1. I wonder if you could get them to think that way when it comes to the billing too? That would be nice. I don't see that happening.
All in all the thing that got me the most from the clip of the interview was Montag's answer to this question: "Triple D is big enough, that I wasn't pretty enough. What kind of message does that send to young girls?" And what was Heidi Montag's answer? "Well my main message is that beauty is really within." Seriously? Within what? The plastic surgeon's office as the Daytime In No Time hostess quipped? I mean for real, how can you go in to a place have 10 "procedures" done to tuck, augment, and reduce parts of you and then say that your message is really that beauty is found within? Beauty is really within: the breast implants within, the coligen within, and the botox within. That's like John Dillinger claiming that hard work is the best way to earn a living and make money, after he had robbed all the banks. Who is going to really take that as the message? It seems that the message is something more like "If you want to be thought of as pretty, have some work done to change what you don't like." It is vanity of the highest accord it seems to me. But this is the culture and society that we live in, God help us. Is it any wonder that so many young men and ladies have issues with self-image and self esteem? When this is the message they are getting? Beauty is really about what's within, but if you want people to notice what's within, you need to do something about what is without. Peace and love y'all
On this mornings edition of "Daytime In No Time" on Yahoo! they had a clip from the Good Morning America's interview with Heidi Montag about her recent plastic surgeries. That's right, not her recent plastic surgery, singular, but rather surgeries, plural. As in 10 "procedures" in a 10 hour span on one day. That's right, 10 surgeries in 10 hours in 1 days time. Yet as she said in the interview she isn't addicted to it. And besides, she really has only had two plastic surgeries: one about 3 years ago and then one a few weeks ago that happened to be 10 separate things. I don't know about anyone else, but if I go in for some kind of surgery and they do things to multiple parts of me while in there, I count it as two surgeries. Even if they do them at the same time, I would think that they would count as separate things. Then again I've never had plastic surgery, so maybe the math is just different for them. No longer is it 10>1 like I remember learning in elementary, but instead in plastic surgery circles it is 10=1. I wonder if you could get them to think that way when it comes to the billing too? That would be nice. I don't see that happening.
All in all the thing that got me the most from the clip of the interview was Montag's answer to this question: "Triple D is big enough, that I wasn't pretty enough. What kind of message does that send to young girls?" And what was Heidi Montag's answer? "Well my main message is that beauty is really within." Seriously? Within what? The plastic surgeon's office as the Daytime In No Time hostess quipped? I mean for real, how can you go in to a place have 10 "procedures" done to tuck, augment, and reduce parts of you and then say that your message is really that beauty is found within? Beauty is really within: the breast implants within, the coligen within, and the botox within. That's like John Dillinger claiming that hard work is the best way to earn a living and make money, after he had robbed all the banks. Who is going to really take that as the message? It seems that the message is something more like "If you want to be thought of as pretty, have some work done to change what you don't like." It is vanity of the highest accord it seems to me. But this is the culture and society that we live in, God help us. Is it any wonder that so many young men and ladies have issues with self-image and self esteem? When this is the message they are getting? Beauty is really about what's within, but if you want people to notice what's within, you need to do something about what is without. Peace and love y'all
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Proof of Life
Have you ever known that person that was all talk about stuff? You probably know the kind of person that I'm referring to here. It's the person that is more than happy to TELL you all about what great things they have done or can do, and yet you've never actually seen them DO these things that they are talking about being able to do. It can be pretty tiresome and annoying. After all, we want proof that they can do what they are saying they can do.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (that's the 2nd book in case you didn't know that) there is a character by the name of Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart is a very famous, very good looking wizard. He has published numerous books about the things that he has done and on top of that he talks a big game ALL THE TIME. He is always telling various teachers what a great wizard he is and making wild claims about things. The only problem is that when push comes to shove, Lockhart is exposed for what he was: a fake. He has been able to talk big and fool many people, but when evidence was called for, when it was time to back up all the claims, Lockhart's facade crumbled.
The same holds true for us as Christ followers. It's one thing for us to talk a big game about following Jesus and being a Christian. But when it comes down to it, when it is time for us to go beyond the words, then what will people see? Will they see someone who actually lives out the faith that they claim to have? Or will they find a person that is a shell of what they have claimed to be? John the Baptist seems to have stated it best in Matthew 3:8. He said to PROVE by the way you LIVE that youthat you have this faith, not just by the words you say.
The Pharisees and the "religious" leaders that John was speakking to talked a big game when it came to faith in God. But what they said didn't match what they were doing. Is that what people will see in us? Or will they see an open, true, genuine faith that gives proof that we have turned from sin and are going hard after God? Peace and Love y'all.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (that's the 2nd book in case you didn't know that) there is a character by the name of Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart is a very famous, very good looking wizard. He has published numerous books about the things that he has done and on top of that he talks a big game ALL THE TIME. He is always telling various teachers what a great wizard he is and making wild claims about things. The only problem is that when push comes to shove, Lockhart is exposed for what he was: a fake. He has been able to talk big and fool many people, but when evidence was called for, when it was time to back up all the claims, Lockhart's facade crumbled.
The same holds true for us as Christ followers. It's one thing for us to talk a big game about following Jesus and being a Christian. But when it comes down to it, when it is time for us to go beyond the words, then what will people see? Will they see someone who actually lives out the faith that they claim to have? Or will they find a person that is a shell of what they have claimed to be? John the Baptist seems to have stated it best in Matthew 3:8. He said to PROVE by the way you LIVE that youthat you have this faith, not just by the words you say.
The Pharisees and the "religious" leaders that John was speakking to talked a big game when it came to faith in God. But what they said didn't match what they were doing. Is that what people will see in us? Or will they see an open, true, genuine faith that gives proof that we have turned from sin and are going hard after God? Peace and Love y'all.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Too Light
Do you remember that old VBS song? You know the one:
So in Luke 11:33 Jesus talks about us having this light in our lives. He makes the point that no one lights a lamp and then goes and hides it, or puts it under a basket. That would be pointless really. Instead when you light a lamp like that you would make sure that it was in a place where the light could be seen and would be useful.
After I graduated from high school, my family moved from Midland to Snyder (that's all in West Texas in case you are wondering). One of the things that we did at our new house was to put up a basketball goal. The only real problem was that the only outside light we had didn't really shine bright enough and throw far enough for us to be able to play at night. Then one of my parents showed us something that we had. In the garage we had a much brighter work light that we could move out there. So we would plug in the work light, place it on the corner of the roof and be good go even though it was dark. I would have pointless for us to have this light and to take it out and plug it in and then stick it behind a wall on in the flower bed.
That is what Jesus is talking about here. As Christ's followers we have his light burning inside of us. But if we hide it or try to cover it up, what good is that to us or anyone else? This world is a dark place desperately in need of the Light, and it is up to us to shine that light for others to see. Peace and Love y'all.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel-NO! I'm gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel-NO! I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Won't let satan whufff it out, I'm gonna let it shine. Won't let satan whufff it out, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.Man that was a great song for vacation Bible school and children's Sunday school and stuff like that. It made a point and it was fun to sing. I remember doing all the hand motions and stuff like that and getting up in church to sing this song.
So in Luke 11:33 Jesus talks about us having this light in our lives. He makes the point that no one lights a lamp and then goes and hides it, or puts it under a basket. That would be pointless really. Instead when you light a lamp like that you would make sure that it was in a place where the light could be seen and would be useful.
After I graduated from high school, my family moved from Midland to Snyder (that's all in West Texas in case you are wondering). One of the things that we did at our new house was to put up a basketball goal. The only real problem was that the only outside light we had didn't really shine bright enough and throw far enough for us to be able to play at night. Then one of my parents showed us something that we had. In the garage we had a much brighter work light that we could move out there. So we would plug in the work light, place it on the corner of the roof and be good go even though it was dark. I would have pointless for us to have this light and to take it out and plug it in and then stick it behind a wall on in the flower bed.
That is what Jesus is talking about here. As Christ's followers we have his light burning inside of us. But if we hide it or try to cover it up, what good is that to us or anyone else? This world is a dark place desperately in need of the Light, and it is up to us to shine that light for others to see. Peace and Love y'all.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Patriot Games
The time has come to start again. I am planning to start writing again on this blog on a regular basis and with daily topics once again. So with that said, the topic for Mondays have in the past been sports, so here we go.
Lots of great stuff in the sports world over the last 5 days it seems like. From the BCS National Championship game in college football (The Alabama Crimson Tide rolled over the Texas Longhorns 37-21 to win their 13th national championship) to the first round of the NFL playoffs (Cowboys won their first playoff game in 13 years; the Cardinals won a shoot-out, 96 combined points, on, of all things, a defensive play in overtime) it was a great 5 days of football (I honestly didn't pay close enough attention to any of the other sports that were going on).
But in all of that there was one thing that did seem to stand out and it happened yesterday. The New England Patriots showed that they are possibly on the downside of being a dynasty when they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14. Not that big of a deal really just to look at the score. The thing that IS a big deal about it is the fact that it was a loss at home for the Patriots. And in the playoffs, well, that just doesn't happen. Not since 1978 at least, which they showed yesterday was over 11,000 days since they last lost a home playoff game.
Lets think about that for a moment. It has been 32 years since the last time these guys lost at home in the playoffs. That's three decades of dominance for them on their home field. I mean what kind of crazy advantage is that? There have been so many things that have happened in that time span. Here is a list of things that have happened in my life alone since the last time the Patriots lost at home in the playoffs:
Lots of great stuff in the sports world over the last 5 days it seems like. From the BCS National Championship game in college football (The Alabama Crimson Tide rolled over the Texas Longhorns 37-21 to win their 13th national championship) to the first round of the NFL playoffs (Cowboys won their first playoff game in 13 years; the Cardinals won a shoot-out, 96 combined points, on, of all things, a defensive play in overtime) it was a great 5 days of football (I honestly didn't pay close enough attention to any of the other sports that were going on).
But in all of that there was one thing that did seem to stand out and it happened yesterday. The New England Patriots showed that they are possibly on the downside of being a dynasty when they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14. Not that big of a deal really just to look at the score. The thing that IS a big deal about it is the fact that it was a loss at home for the Patriots. And in the playoffs, well, that just doesn't happen. Not since 1978 at least, which they showed yesterday was over 11,000 days since they last lost a home playoff game.
Lets think about that for a moment. It has been 32 years since the last time these guys lost at home in the playoffs. That's three decades of dominance for them on their home field. I mean what kind of crazy advantage is that? There have been so many things that have happened in that time span. Here is a list of things that have happened in my life alone since the last time the Patriots lost at home in the playoffs:
- I had three brothers born in that time.
- I went all the way from elementary school through college graduation.
- I got married.
- I had three children.
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