Friday, May 30, 2008
Joan of Arc: A Hero's Life
- Joan of Arc was born in 1412.
- At age 12, she Began hearing "voices" of three Christian saints; St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret.
- When she was 16 years old, these voices exhorted her to aid the Dauphin in capturing Reims and the French throne.
- In May 1428, she traveled to Vaucouleurs and told the captain of the garrison of her visions. Disbelieving the young peasant girl, he sent her home.
- A year later, she returned, and the captain, impressed by her piety and determination, agreed to allow her passage to the Dauphin at Chinon. Dressed in men's clothes and accompanied by six soldiers, she reached the Dauphin's castle at Chinon. Charles hid among his guards and officials, but Joan immediately picked him out and informed him of her divine mission.
- Charles had Joan questioned by theologians, who then advised him to make use of this strange and charismatic girl.
- Charles furnished her with a small army, and on April 27, 1429 she set out for Orleans. Two days later, as a French sortie distracted the English troops on the west side of Orleans, Joan entered unopposed in the eastern gate.
- She personally led the charge in several battles and was struck by an arrow. After dressing her wound, she returned to the battle, and the French won the day. On May 8, the English retreated and Orleans was back in rightful French hands.
- On July 17, Charles VII was crowned king of France, with Joan standing nearby holding up her standard: an image of Christ in judgment. After the ceremony, she knelt before Charles, and called him king for the first time.
- On September 8, the king and Joan attacked Paris. During the battle, she was wounded but continued to rally the king's troops until Charles ordered an end to the unsuccessful siege.
- In December, Charles ennobled Joan, her parents, and her brothers. On May 23 1431, she was captured and sold to the English. In March of 1431 she went on trial before church authorities in Rouen on charges of heresy.
- The charge was her rejection of church authority in favor of direct inspiration from God. After refusing to submit to the church, her sentence was read on May 24 for her to be turned over to secular authorities and executed. Reacting with horror to the pronouncement, Joan agreed to recant and was condemned instead to imprisonment. Ordered to put on women's clothes, she obeyed, but a few days later they found her dressed again in male clothing. Questioned, she told them that St. Catherine and St. Margaret had reproached her for giving in to the church against their will.
- She was found to be a "relapsed heretic" and on May 29 she was handed over to secular officials. On May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc, 19 years old, was burned at the stake at the Place du Vieux-Marche in Rouen. Before the pyre was lit, she instructed a priest to hold high a crucifix for her to see and to shout out prayers loud enough to be heard above the roar of the flames.
- Joan of Arc helped turn the Hundred Years War firmly in France's favor and finally their freedom from English rule. In 1920, Joan of Arc, one of the great heroes of French history, was recognized as a Christian saint by the Roman Catholic Church.
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Why blog about Joan of Arc? When I saw the movie, Joan of Arc several years ago, I was hooked and became interested in her and how she helped saved France and became a key player in world and Christian history.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Technorati
I am totally not sure what this is, but the major bloggers out there seem to be involved in this community/world project of registering their blogs with technorati.
Perhaps this union will bring more "cyber-cred" to my weird online journal thingy or as some put it, "man-diary". My rank...a laughable 10,280,644!
Perhaps this union will bring more "cyber-cred" to my weird online journal thingy or as some put it, "man-diary". My rank...a laughable 10,280,644!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Little League Playoff Time: Mets vs DRays
Second Inning Heat: Jon Mark Feeback Striking Out The Side!
The Mets won 21-0 with the help of strong pitching, great defense, solid hitting, and 3 Home Runs (including 2 grand slams by Cade Wilson!) Next is the Astros for the City Championship in a best of 3-game series. We won beat the Astros during the season with scores of 8-2, 3-1, and 2-1. It should be a great series!
The Mets won 21-0 with the help of strong pitching, great defense, solid hitting, and 3 Home Runs (including 2 grand slams by Cade Wilson!) Next is the Astros for the City Championship in a best of 3-game series. We won beat the Astros during the season with scores of 8-2, 3-1, and 2-1. It should be a great series!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Trajedy in the Chapman Family
Steven Curtis Chapman helped form my appreciation for "Christian Music" and what it brings to the body of Christ, the Church. Chapman, though not my usual choice of listening pleasure, is still one of the few artists and musicians I highly respect. He has been rock solid in his commitment to faith & ministry through music. The news of his daughter's death below I copied from the link provided:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080522/TUNEIN03/805220370/1005/ENTERTAINMENT
This statement appeared at www.stevencurtischapman.com:
MARIA SUE CHAPMAN, DAUGHTER OF STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, DIES IN ACCIDENT AT FAMILY HOME
NASHVILLE, TN...5/21/08... At approximately 5pm on the afternoon of Thursday May 21st, Maria Sue Chapman, 5 years old and the youngest daughter to Steven and Mary Beth Chapman was struck in the driveway of the Chapman home in Franklin, TN. Maria was rushed to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital in Nashville, transported by LifeFlight, but died of her injuries there. Maria is one of the close knit family’s six children and one of their three adopted daughters.
More than five years ago, Chapman and his wife MaryBeth founded The Shaohannah’s Hope Ministry after bringing their first adopted daughter, Shaohannah, home from China. The ministry’s goal is to help families reduce the financial barrier of adoption, and has provided grants to over 1700 families wishing to adopt orphans from around the world. Chapman is a five-time GRAMMY ® winner and 54-time Dove Award winning artist who has sold over 10 million albums and garnered 44 No. 1 singles.
-----------------------------------
I am a dad of three (12, 11, and 7). I cannot imagine, nor would want to, what it is like to lose a child. It's not supposed to happen that way. Parents outlive their kids right? Unfortunately, some of our kids die at a young age and I will never understand why this happens. It is truly a nightmare and one I hope to never live. God rest your Spirit of comfort on this family tonight, tomorrow, the next day, and the next day, and so on...
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080522/TUNEIN03/805220370/1005/ENTERTAINMENT
This statement appeared at www.stevencurtischapman.com:
MARIA SUE CHAPMAN, DAUGHTER OF STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, DIES IN ACCIDENT AT FAMILY HOME
NASHVILLE, TN...5/21/08... At approximately 5pm on the afternoon of Thursday May 21st, Maria Sue Chapman, 5 years old and the youngest daughter to Steven and Mary Beth Chapman was struck in the driveway of the Chapman home in Franklin, TN. Maria was rushed to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital in Nashville, transported by LifeFlight, but died of her injuries there. Maria is one of the close knit family’s six children and one of their three adopted daughters.
More than five years ago, Chapman and his wife MaryBeth founded The Shaohannah’s Hope Ministry after bringing their first adopted daughter, Shaohannah, home from China. The ministry’s goal is to help families reduce the financial barrier of adoption, and has provided grants to over 1700 families wishing to adopt orphans from around the world. Chapman is a five-time GRAMMY ® winner and 54-time Dove Award winning artist who has sold over 10 million albums and garnered 44 No. 1 singles.
-----------------------------------
I am a dad of three (12, 11, and 7). I cannot imagine, nor would want to, what it is like to lose a child. It's not supposed to happen that way. Parents outlive their kids right? Unfortunately, some of our kids die at a young age and I will never understand why this happens. It is truly a nightmare and one I hope to never live. God rest your Spirit of comfort on this family tonight, tomorrow, the next day, and the next day, and so on...
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Undefeated: From Winless To Perfection
In the Spring of 2006, Coach Jerry Cochran and I met on several occasions, along with phone calls and emails. The topic of the day was, "Should we move our sons up to Major league (ages 11-12), even though our kids were 10 years old"? With the age changes in Little League Baseball, this gave them an option to play their age with one more year in Minor League or play up against older kids, but play as an 11-year old twice.
We decided to take a team and move them up giving them 3 years in Major League. The team we inherited was not very talented, but worse, the players were not teachable, nor was there overwhelming parental support. We lost every game going 0-12. We were no match to the other teams who had outstanding players such as Austin Rainer, John Martinez, and Kong (never knew his real name).
The next Spring of 2007, we knew we would be much better with our two youngin's coming back with a desire to win some games. First, we added 12-year old, Jacob Daughtery, who left his team to became available in the draft. His dad agreed to help the coaching staff, so we were able "freeze" him without losing a draft pick. Jacob is a solid player with good skills and a consistent bat, not to mention a great kid.
Next, to the draft board and with the first pick we chose Cade Wilson. Cade was an 11-year old with a great arm, along with family support. Thanks to one of the Minor League coaches who alerted me during the tryouts to watch Cade. I knew for us to contend, we needed more pitching, and Cade was the best pitcher in the draft. The other option was 10-year old, Nicholas Hunter or 11-year old, Spiderman (Joshua Martinez). They both were taken in the first round after Cade. This pic is Cade delivering a pitch in the 11-year old All-Star game with Jon Mark ready at SS
For the first pick of the second round, we drafted a kid with a broken arm and could not try-out, 11-year old Ryan Huseman. I had my eyes on Ryan for a year when he was in Minor League. My assessment was a good hitter, who could also play SS when Jon Mark pitched. Next came 12-year old, Eric Fitzwater, another good kid who had left his team frustrated about playing time and a coaching conflict. Eric was a natural outfielder with a good glove and long, fast legs. He also was well-liked by his teammates.
Next came Chris Gonzalez, who after the draft, decided to stay down in Minor League. The next two picks turned out to be players who could not consistently contribute to the team because of illness, injuries, and other factors - Joseph and Kevin. Our last pick was another kid whose parents were uncomfortable moving him up to Majors, so he remained in Minor League.
A few days later we had our team ready but with two vacant spots. Coach Jerry worked some magic and talked Bunker Scruggs into signing up. Bunker, a 12-year old, was a huge addition as a great hitter and SS, plus a tremendous attitude and teachable spirit.
A few nights later, I was driving to the field to look at the list of undrafted players from the ranks of Minor League. Coach Jerry called me and said, "There's no need to come over here, another player has just signed up late, he looks good. Since we need one more player, the league is going let us have him, his name is Taylor Sisemore. I turned around and drove home and asked Jon Mark about Taylor. His response made me smile, "Dad, he's really good, tall and athletic." Taylor was our power hitter leading the league with 4 Home Runs, none bigger than the 2-run shot that still hasn't landed in a playoff win versus the Astros. This is Jon Mark catching in the 2007 playoffs
We finished the season 7-5, which included a late-season rally winning 3 in a row. We were the hottest team in the playoffs sweeping the Astros in two games. And winning the first of three against the Cardinals. We lost a disappointing second game by one run. And then in the third game were met by a hungry 12-year old, Daniel Grider (another great kid), who pitched the game of his life striking out 13 of our batters and beating us 6-0. Our defense broke down in the first inning with 3 run-scoring errors and that pretty much sealed-the-deal with our offense being shut down by Daniel's pitching. This is the 2007 Mets after the championship game to the Cardinals.
This Spring of 2008, Coach Jerry and I knew that we were the team to beat, with 5 returning All-Stars; Cade, Craig, Ryan, Jon Mark, and Blain Medland (whom we added as our full-time Catcher) and a huge desire to get back to the championship round and finish it this time. Along with our All-Stars, we added good teachable role players: Matthew, Joshua, Jeremy, Taylor, Mac, and Robby.
How did you go undefeated?
---------------------------
1. The Draft: adding the right players for positions we needed.
2. Good Attitudes: getting teachable players, if possible, with a supportive family.
3. Pitching. Good pitching beats good hitting most of the time.
4. Smart Base Running: takes speed, listening to coaches, and practice.
5. Defense. We have drilled into their heads to ask, "What will I do if the ball is hit to me?"
6. Strong Up The Middle (P, C, SS, 2B, and CF). If the middle is strong, teams have difficulty taking extra bases, stealing, and advancing on passed balls.
7. Guard The Lines (3B, LF, RF, and 1B) to prevent extra base hits.
---------------------------
2008 has been special and fun. Let's hope the playoffs are an extension of the season. Thanks Coach Jerry for hanging with me and taking over this season, so I can assist and be a dad and a fan. Go Mets!
We decided to take a team and move them up giving them 3 years in Major League. The team we inherited was not very talented, but worse, the players were not teachable, nor was there overwhelming parental support. We lost every game going 0-12. We were no match to the other teams who had outstanding players such as Austin Rainer, John Martinez, and Kong (never knew his real name).
The next Spring of 2007, we knew we would be much better with our two youngin's coming back with a desire to win some games. First, we added 12-year old, Jacob Daughtery, who left his team to became available in the draft. His dad agreed to help the coaching staff, so we were able "freeze" him without losing a draft pick. Jacob is a solid player with good skills and a consistent bat, not to mention a great kid.
Next, to the draft board and with the first pick we chose Cade Wilson. Cade was an 11-year old with a great arm, along with family support. Thanks to one of the Minor League coaches who alerted me during the tryouts to watch Cade. I knew for us to contend, we needed more pitching, and Cade was the best pitcher in the draft. The other option was 10-year old, Nicholas Hunter or 11-year old, Spiderman (Joshua Martinez). They both were taken in the first round after Cade. This pic is Cade delivering a pitch in the 11-year old All-Star game with Jon Mark ready at SS
For the first pick of the second round, we drafted a kid with a broken arm and could not try-out, 11-year old Ryan Huseman. I had my eyes on Ryan for a year when he was in Minor League. My assessment was a good hitter, who could also play SS when Jon Mark pitched. Next came 12-year old, Eric Fitzwater, another good kid who had left his team frustrated about playing time and a coaching conflict. Eric was a natural outfielder with a good glove and long, fast legs. He also was well-liked by his teammates.
Next came Chris Gonzalez, who after the draft, decided to stay down in Minor League. The next two picks turned out to be players who could not consistently contribute to the team because of illness, injuries, and other factors - Joseph and Kevin. Our last pick was another kid whose parents were uncomfortable moving him up to Majors, so he remained in Minor League.
A few days later we had our team ready but with two vacant spots. Coach Jerry worked some magic and talked Bunker Scruggs into signing up. Bunker, a 12-year old, was a huge addition as a great hitter and SS, plus a tremendous attitude and teachable spirit.
A few nights later, I was driving to the field to look at the list of undrafted players from the ranks of Minor League. Coach Jerry called me and said, "There's no need to come over here, another player has just signed up late, he looks good. Since we need one more player, the league is going let us have him, his name is Taylor Sisemore. I turned around and drove home and asked Jon Mark about Taylor. His response made me smile, "Dad, he's really good, tall and athletic." Taylor was our power hitter leading the league with 4 Home Runs, none bigger than the 2-run shot that still hasn't landed in a playoff win versus the Astros. This is Jon Mark catching in the 2007 playoffs
We finished the season 7-5, which included a late-season rally winning 3 in a row. We were the hottest team in the playoffs sweeping the Astros in two games. And winning the first of three against the Cardinals. We lost a disappointing second game by one run. And then in the third game were met by a hungry 12-year old, Daniel Grider (another great kid), who pitched the game of his life striking out 13 of our batters and beating us 6-0. Our defense broke down in the first inning with 3 run-scoring errors and that pretty much sealed-the-deal with our offense being shut down by Daniel's pitching. This is the 2007 Mets after the championship game to the Cardinals.
This Spring of 2008, Coach Jerry and I knew that we were the team to beat, with 5 returning All-Stars; Cade, Craig, Ryan, Jon Mark, and Blain Medland (whom we added as our full-time Catcher) and a huge desire to get back to the championship round and finish it this time. Along with our All-Stars, we added good teachable role players: Matthew, Joshua, Jeremy, Taylor, Mac, and Robby.
How did you go undefeated?
---------------------------
1. The Draft: adding the right players for positions we needed.
2. Good Attitudes: getting teachable players, if possible, with a supportive family.
3. Pitching. Good pitching beats good hitting most of the time.
4. Smart Base Running: takes speed, listening to coaches, and practice.
5. Defense. We have drilled into their heads to ask, "What will I do if the ball is hit to me?"
6. Strong Up The Middle (P, C, SS, 2B, and CF). If the middle is strong, teams have difficulty taking extra bases, stealing, and advancing on passed balls.
7. Guard The Lines (3B, LF, RF, and 1B) to prevent extra base hits.
---------------------------
2008 has been special and fun. Let's hope the playoffs are an extension of the season. Thanks Coach Jerry for hanging with me and taking over this season, so I can assist and be a dad and a fan. Go Mets!
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