DISTRACTED BY DEITY

Things that pull my attention toward the Diety (in no certain order)

- the birth of a child

- weddings

- funerals

- words that paint order out of chaos (Genesis 1) and hope in the midst of despair (Psalm 23).

- family reunions (the kind you only dream of)

- the greatest upset victories (David vs Goliath)

- sunsets (not up in time to see sunrises!)

- the Weather Channel

- "Reason To Believe" and "This Little Light of Mine" by Bruce Springsteen

- the moon

- troops coming home from war

- Shawshank Redemption

- my kids

- the poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (especially A Psalm of Life)

- hot air balloons

- coaching Little League Baseball

- in the midst of a terrific worship celebration

- a hundred thousand more things, people, sounds, smells, colors, events, etc

The iPod Shuffle

1. Good To Be Alive - Geoff Moore & The Distance
2. The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
3. Superman (It's Not Easy) - Five For Fighting
4. Amanda - Boston
5. The Freshmen - The Verve Pipe
6. He'll Take Care Of The Rest - Keith Green
7. O Come Let Us Adore Him - Ryan Hunt
8. Hurts So Good - John Mellencamp
9. Strong Tower - Kutless
10. Crush - Dave Matthews Band

Steroids, HGH, and America's Game

I really don't care about the steroid issue. Do I wish the players were "clean" and played the game with "natural talent" alone? Of course. We like our heroes and role models to be good people with pure hearts and motives.

Let's be serious here - I have seen players and friends chug energy drinks, caffeine-laden pops, and supplement shakes - before softball games in order to "get an edge" and raise their performance.

As a Little League Manager, I have seen parents hand soft drinks into the dugout and say to their 11- year old "Here, you seem tired tonight." I understand that these things are legal, as opposed to steroids. While we are upset and hurt over the baseball players' allegations and admissions. Let's consider what we do to perform better in jobs, activities, and school work to have more energy, focus, and success.

The bottom line for me is that I love baseball. I love coaching, playing, and watching the sport. The 1994 (232-day) MLB Strike did not faze me nor my passion for baseball. The Steroid Era is just that and I move on as a fan.

Addendum: After posting my thoughts, I read this by Jason Whitlock, it's worth your time:

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/columnists/jason_whitlock/story/404560.html

Retreat!

I love retreats and have attended 25 -30 in my life. I will be updating this new blog thingy, but all the while, retreating to rediscover faith, hope, and love.