NFL 11 week 15 synopsis-Upset Special!

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! I called my mom and thanked her for an early Christmas present yesterday. When she asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I said for the Colts to win a game this season. Man that woman is good.

That's right sports fans. The Colts got their first win of the season, at home, against a division rival, and they looked good doing it too. I knew all those weeks of faithfully watching would pay off eventually. And boy did it. Let me make a few comments first.

The refs were a little flag-happy. They kept making everyone repunt because they whipped out penalties that I had never heard of before. This poor hot-headed kid on the Titans special teams got eaten up. It was kinda rediculous. That kind of summed up Tennessee's day on special teams.

Now to the meat of things. Pat Angerer deserves a lot of credit for this win. He had a dozen tackles and two take-aways (a fumble and an interception). It seemed like everything the Titan's tried to do on offense, he was there. They could not run, impressive seeing at their RB Chris Johnson ran for 2000+ yards a couple of seasons ago. He had 55 rush yards, averaging less than 2 per carry. When they threw, if Angerer wasn't there, Jacob Lacey was. He had a takeaway of his own (Hasselback to Johnson, but Lacey ripped it from Johnson's hands and ran it back for a TD). Lacy had a career day, which was important with Jerraud Powers out for the season.

Donald Brown also had a carreer day with 161 yards, half of that coming on the longest run play in fanchize history, 80 yards. By the way, Orlovsky did great, but his best play was this one, when Brown reversed directions and he threw a block to level a guy in the backfield, allowing Brown to run to the endzone. It was great. In this game, it really looked like the Colts, minus Sheriff Manning, of course. By the way, Pollian announced that Manning will not play this season. Are you shocked by this? Me neither.

Rest of the League:
Let's go ahead and get the biggest upset of the day out of the way (Colts were #2, btw).

Chiefs-Packers. What the poo... the Chiefs came to play. They Packers never got off the bus. Seriously, KC played their hearts out and deserved the win. The Packers looked like they weren't even trying and deserved to lose. The pack dropped balls and messed around. They didn't even look excited when they scored. The Chiefs, however, gave Romeo a Gatoraide bath. Gotta love Romeo.

Panthers-Texans. Houston just had to win to get their first ever division title and trip to the playoffs. They lost (luckily, Indy helped them get in). By the way, Cam Newton-also a really entertaining QB to watch, but "It's Newton Time" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Cards-Browns. Another crushingly close loss for the Browns, as has been their habit for the last 3 years.

Chargers-Ravens. It is upside down Sunday, so why not the chargers beat the Ravens? Sure. Now, the Ravens are a wild-card slot instead of division leader, unless the Steelers lose at some point (like tonight. go niners!) and the Ravens win out. It's sad really.

Eagles-Jets. Wow, the eagles actually played like a team for once. The Jets... continue to disappoint.

Seahawks-Bears. The Bears just looked bad. They just did. But not as bad as...

Redskins-Giants. I kinda feel bad for Manning. His receivers let him down against a divisional opponent with a chance at first place. But that's been the G-men this season: emotional win-phone it in the next week. If they recievers would have, I don't know, acted like they cared, they might have won. I'm just saying.

Lions-Raiders. Oakland darn near pulled it off, but there was no quit in the Lions. Well deserved.

Patriots-Broncos. Alas, this was an upset in a way. Yes, the final score is about like I predicted, and that Pansies-I mean Patriots were favored to win. But in another way, this wasn't the outcome people wanted. This was good verses evil. Tebow Time vs. the Chump. And the chump won. The reason I predicted this is that the Broncos have kept in games until the end, when "Tebow Time" takes over. But to beat the Patriots, you have to been in their face for 4 quarters, not just the 4th quater. They started out strong and got an early lead, they played like they have for the 2nd and 3rd of most of their games. You just can't win against the Patriots without cramming it down their throats for 4 quarters, offense and defense.

Saints-Vikings. Speaking of good verses evil... just look at their mascots. But good one. More to say the Vikings are terrible, and just behind the Colts for the #1draft pick. That's kind of a scary thought.

NFL 11 Week 14 synopsis

First of all, let me say congratulations to Dwight Freeney for now being over 100 career sacks, thanks to two in this game. Good job. You've earned your HOF gold jacket.

That was pretty much the highlight of the Colt's day. Even without Ray Lewis, the Raven completely dominated our offense, especially right at the line (as evidence by three sack-fumbles by Orlovsky, though he did recover all three). Our defense did little more to stop them the rest of the game. They did not come out with any energy and never gained any momentum. Interesting fact: it was week 5 since the Colts even held a lead in a game. That was also the last time we scored a TD in the first quarter). We did manage to finally get a TD with 0:00 left in the fourth, too little too late. But hey, at least we haven't been shut out this season. Not every team can say that.

Rest of the League:
Packers-Raiders. Wow. This wasn't even a game.

Lions-Vikings. The Lions took their foot off the gas when they scored their fourth TD of the day in the 2nd quarter, but nearly let the Vikings come back. Don't do that.

Saints-Titans. Was this an off day for the Saints, or a really on day for the Titans D? Don't know, but when it counted, they came up with the sack for the win.

Texans-Bengals. This was one heck of a hard fought game, with every point earned on this field. The Texans, in case you missed this, are down to their third-string QB Yates, but his mom came out to watch as he pulled victory from the jaws of defeat.

Cards-Niners. Ok, someone please comment and explain to me how this happened. Yes, Larry Fitzgerald made some big grabs, but the Niners should have been able to win this game. Someone please explain it to me.

Broncos-Bears. After the Amazing Race (Congrats to Colt's Marcus Pollard for finishing 3rd) I flipped to the end of this game. Why? Because the end of the game is Tebow Time. First, Lovie Smith sends his kicker out for no aparent reason. Most would have punted. Lovie showed balls, and his kicker knocked down a 54 yarder. After a Broncos TD and onside kick recovery, Tebow got his kicker in range to hit a 59 yarder. Game went to OT. Bears get the kickoff and are driving, until Marion Barber was stripped. I don't blame him. I feel bad for the big guy. He didn't do anything wrong. The Broncos got his hand by two fingers and ripped his hand away from the ball. Not really anything he could do about it. Then, Tebow Time. He marched them down the field for the 51 yard game-winning FG. I wonder how many games have had nothing but 50+ FGs by either team. Got to love us some Tebow.

Giants-Cowboys. Gotta love a game that starts with a safety. There should be two things you learn from the game. #1 As Prime says, bELIeve in Eli. #2 The Cowboys are the only team that icing the kicker actually works on.

Patriots-Redskins. Who would have thought that the Patriots would get in a shootout with the Deadskins? They managed to win in the end, but still. Brady, to prove his standing as Chump was well deserved got into a fight with his coach after doing something stupid. Instead of being sorry and listening to wisdom, he showed what a hot-head and a jerk he really is. In the mean time, my brother-in-law sent me a video link that shows how many of us feel about the Pats quarterback (though maybe not so strongly). Enjoy. "Idiot."

NFL 11 week 13 synopsis

Thank you Dan Orlovsky. He had more completions in the first quarter than Painter had some games (he had seven). This begs the question, why didn’t they put him in last week? Seriously, why not give him the bye to prepare? I’m also annoyed that they fired the defensive coordinator. It is tough for any defense to do the job with the other team having 45 minutes time of possession.

In the mean time, the Colts played well, especially being on our fourth QB of the season. Pat Angerer got hurt, which really sucks since he is our defensive leader. Dan Orlovsky played like you would expect of a QB. We lost by 7 not just against New England, but at New England. Not bad boys. Not bad.

By the way, anyone else notice the Brady always looks angry, like he shouldn’t have to play to prove he’s the best. We should just hand him rings. Yeah, right, Chump.

Rest of the League:
Packers-Giants. Why? Why did I chose to clean off my DVR instead of watching this game. Eli and Aaron, now that’s two QBs who look like their having fun. The Giants nearly pulled this out, save for a last second field goal. You know, the last time Eli and the Giants narrowly lost to an undefeated team, they beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Just a reminder.

Cards-Cowboys. Does Arizona know they can win a game in OT with a field goal? This is like the third game they won by a TD in over time. Of course, they had help that Jason Garrett decided to ice his own kicker. Good job.

Chiefs-Bears. Man the Bears sucked.

Steelers-Bengals. Man the Bengals sucked.

Ravens-Browns. Man the Browns sucked.

Niners-Rams. Man the Rams sucked.

Texans-Falcons. Considering that the Texans have gone through 3 QBs in short succession, they rocked this game. It must be nice to have some other healthy players. We wouldn't know.

Jets-Redskins. The skins were in this game for the longest time, until suddenly when their defense seemed to quit and allowed the Jets to run it up.

Fins-Raiders. Ok, no one could have predicted that the Dolphins would have shut out and stomped the raiders. I don't know what happened in Miami, but keep it up.

Broncos-Vikings. Wow. Ok, first of all, a safety? The game started at 2-0 Min, but Tebow led in his usual way. The first half, no one did squat. Second half, it was a shoot out. I don't know why, but don't you love watching Tebow play? Keep it up kid. And keep praising Jesus, no matter what. Do your thing and keep having fun. By the way, the NFL started a new magazine. Their first cover has a pic of the kid and says simply "Tebow time" which has become what it is called when at the last second the Broncos kick into gear and win. If nothing else, Tebow brings leadership, hope, passion to the Broncos. I don't care if he only has 7 completions. He's like Eli Manning and Aaron Rogers; his team rallied around him and they get the throws they need when they need him.

NFL 11 week 12 synopsis

Well, we blew another one. We had a real chance of winning, except Painter cost us 16 points, by twice throwing endzone interceptions, and one-hopping a ball on a two point conversion attempt. They rest of the team played well and kept us in it. So I'm only going to say this once: Put in Orlofski. He can't do any worse. In the mean time, we're starting to get a few of our other guys back, but it may be too little too late.

Rest of the League:
Packers-Lions. The Lions tried their best, manhandling the Pack in the first half, but Green Bays defense remained too strong while the Lions D wore down. The Pack is going to be tough to beat.

Cowboys-Dolphins. So close. Again, where did the Fins find an offense, and can we get on there too?

Jets-Bills. Another close one. One heck of a game, but in the end the Jets found a way to do it at the wire.

Ravens-Niners. Anyone suprised by this outcome? Me neither.

Bengals-Browns. The Bengals are hunting for the playoffs again, but barely squeaked by their arch-rival for the 2nd time this season. Ever notice that the Browns season always seems to turn to a series of heart-breakingly close losses. I'll trade them.

Texans-Jags. Wow. The jags put up one heck of a fight in this one. Huh.

Titans-Buccs. Man TN looked good in this one. If they find a way to build on that, the Texans might see that divisional title slip through their fingers.

Redskins-Seahawks. Despite being a close game, this one was boring. As was Cards-Rams, which is why it don't get its own slot.

Raiders-Bears. Hey Chicago, want Orton back yet?

Broncos-Chargers. Whatever you want to say about Tim Tebow, he looks like he's having a blast this year. Keep it up kid.

Happy Thanksgiving

NFL 11 week 11 synopsis

Well, at least I didn't have to watch the Colt's lose this week.

Broncos-Jets. Tebow continues to be the most love and hated QB in football, but got a win over the Jets, who just seemed to have phoned it in this season.

Fins-Bills. The Dolphins, after an 0-7 start, have now gone 3-0. I don't know what they did to turn it around, but we need some!

Browns-Jags. Congrats on barely beating the team that is probably the 2nd to worst lately.

Ravens-Bengals. Just in case you didn't notice, if the Bengals won that game, they would be in 1st in that division. How? No one knows.

Lions-Panthers. Did I mention that I love Stafford? After a rough start to this game, they came back to win. Be sure to watch the Lions host the Packers on turkey day.

Packers-Buccs. You want to know why they're winning? Rogers, in the post game, after making a big win comes out and says, "I'm really frustrated. The team played great, but I didn't do well today. I need to work to get better." When I was in band, we used to say that we didn't compete with other bands. We competed with ourselves. We don't care if we won every competition, because we wanted to do better. And that's exactly what the Packers have created there.

By the way, Tom Brady is a chump. I'm thankful for their every loss. I just am. Have a good "chumps-giving" everyone. And may your day be free of chumps.

Debt

Today, the United States reached 15 trillion dollars in debt. And what is the super commitee doing? Bickering. Said one member, among the members of his own party, the Democrats, they cannot even reach an agreement, let alone agree on the Republican proposal.

In the mean time, President Obama, who punted his responsibilities to the Super Committee, made a gaff, claiming that Hawaii is an Asian Country. Seeing how this is the land of his birth, this is just getting stupid.

NFL 11 Week 10 synopsis

Well, after four weeks of fumbling on the first couple of plays of the game, we managed to not do that. Instead, Painter threw an interception on the third play of the game. That pretty much sums up our season.

Dallas Clark is now out for a number of weeks. That makes Reggie Wayne and Jeff Saturday the only two starters on offense that have not been hurt this season (Garcon also has not, but is technically considered a backup for Anthony Gonzalez. You don't recognize his name? He's been on IR for 3 years straight.). We're not doing much better on Defense. Freeney was a questionable start.

Once again, our D tried to keep us in it, but it would help if the offense would do anything. In the last couple of weeks, the offense has scored a total of 3 points. Painter averages almost as many turnovers as first downs per game.

Now I hate a QB controversy, but I'm sick of watching the boy do nothing. Put in Dan Orlofski. I learned something interesting about him this week. He was Stafford's back up when the Lions went 0-16. He may be a jinx. We may need to run him over with a bus. But for now, start him. We just lost at home to the worst opponent we play all season. We can't do much worse. This game was so bad, from both teams, that they didn't show highlights of it on CBS, and the post-game highlights of the game itself showed the cheerleaders and mascots at various antics. And I still go out in public wearing Colts gear. Because I'm no fairweather fan!

Well, Colts have a bye week next week, so at least that's one less loss we have to suffer through. Maybe with a light week we can get a few guys healthy (the last few weeks our defense has been much improved getting our corners, Powers and Lacy back).

Rest of the League:
Cowboys-Bills. Where did Dallas get an offense? Are they allowed to do that? Or is that cheating.

Fins-skins. Just in case you were wonder, the last team aside from the Colts to not have a win just one the last two weeks (last week against KC). Both of the other bad teams got their first wins by soundly whupping teams who beat the Colts. Holy cow we are bad.

Giants-Patriots. Ok, so this is from week 9, but how could I pass this up? This broke an impressive at-home winning streak by the Patriots. And if you watched this game, it looked amazingly like the game when the Giants beat the undefeated Pats in the Super Bowl (one of the all time most entertaining games I have ever seen, and not just because the Pats lost). This included a pass to Jake Ballard that was identical to the David Tyree play of that Super Bowl. Ballard's number? 85, the same as Tyree. He ended up catching the game winner too. Brady personally had three turnovers early in the game. Why? He's a chump.

NFL 11 Week 8 synopsis

Well, at least the Colts didn’t look so bad this week. We set no more new records for losses, so that’s a plus. We started out once again with a fumble to start the game, but at least we recovered it. Then we started this habit of a holding penalty on every punt return, followed by a false start. Both were half the distance to the goal penalties. We started with 1st and 15, 1st and 18, then 1st and 22. And it continued. We just looked bad. It also did not help that we had yet another offensive tackle injured, so we had our fifth offensive line

And with all that, it was 20-0 at halftime. And despite that being too big of a hole to dig out off, but thankfully we kicked a field goal. Then ran in a TD. It was nice to see the offense score. Our defense looked better, until they got tired after the second Painter pick (the first was not his fault, but a deflection and an amazing defensive play). But once again, he had trouble keeping plays alive, either by over or under-throwing his receivers, commonly one-hopping balls. Even without Addai, the running game was our only offensive strength. In fact, Painter had 4 runs, averaging nearly 20 yards (maybe he should run instead of throwing).

We also had problems on Special Teams. I already mentioned the penalties. I was also yelling at them to stop running the ball out of the endzone. Take a freaking touchback. At least that gives us a chance to start out on the 20 instead of inside the 10. Because of that, we also had trouble barely avoiding safeties. The Titans first TD of a game came from a blocked punt. Being backed up makes it easier for them to get to the kicker. It was the first blocked punt of Pat MacAfee’s career. Can’t blame him, just the field position and the blockers.

Again, we had a few unfair penalties that kept the game out of reach. Specifically, we got called for a helmet-to-helmet, when it hit a guy’s shoulder, and worse, they did a helmet-to-helmet, and the ref picked it up (the ref also kept getting confused on which team did what. I didn’t like him).

Good news is that toward the end of the third, they came out slinging and actually looked like there was something to build on. I’m still hoping to win one this season. If we can avoid the stupid penalties and put together an offensive drive onto the other side of the field, maybe even find the endzone, and we might actually win a game.

Rest of the League:
Steelers-Pats. The Steelers looked good. More importantly, they got a safety at the end of the game. Because Tom Brady is a chump.

Rams-Saints. So the Rams were without their QB, but finally had their RB healthy, and he performed. The Saints, however, were apparently so exhausted from scoring more than 60 points the week before, they simply could not put together any offense. Brees was sacked 6 times, and their defense allowed 31 points to give the Rams their first win of the season. That’s right. First win against a team who the week before set a new record for most points scored.

Ravens-Cards. The Ravens decided to let Arizona run up the score just to make their win look better.

Giants-Fins. Miami also almost got their first win against an actual good team, but Eli did his thing, representing the Manning name well again.

Lions-Broncos. The Lions are this year’s dream team (and you thought it was Philly, you silly head). Tim Tebow, well, he’s not the Messiah. He’s still a rookie. They were ready to crown him in his first start, now their ready to crucify him (perhaps a more accurate Messiah reference). Give the kid a chance. Stop reacting and see how things play out.

Bills-Skins. One of the talking heads on TV said it well. “Playing in Toronto, the Redskins couldn’t get their offense through customs.”

An interesting read.

Please read this. And share this. You simply have no idea...

http://www.seejenwrite.com/?p=5301

That was a long one

I wanted to write about last week. I put in 70+ hours organizing a charitable event. We cleared out a church building last week, and let people bring in donations. This wasn't money. This was stuff. Lots and lots of stuff.

We all have lots of stuff, more than we need. The shame is, many people have less than they need. A lot less. So we collected stuff, as if we were having a yard sale. We sorted stuff. We asked others to donate stuff. Many people even gave up things that they still used, knowing others needed things worse than they did. And yes, we did have people bring in stuff that was stained or broken, but we had others who sorted through and removed items that were too poor of quality for those in need.

Then, after a week of sorting and collecting, we had a fleet of vehicles and an army of volunteers arrive. We loaded up four large trailers, plus every truck, SUV, van or any other vehicle we could find (my station wagon was filled so full that I could not see out the back window, and I had to create space to see out of the passenger side exterior mirror).

Once we arrived Friday night, we set everything up in an hour and a half, due to our army of volunteers actually growing in size.

Why did we do it where we did? We did it in a community center with a gymnasium. It is larger than the church building that we used, and moreover, it is located in the "bad" part of town. The facility was actually the local Boys and Girls Club. But I'll come back to this more in a minute.

Saturday morning, we got there an hour before we opened the doors for our "Free Community Yard Sale." Already the line encompassed the parking lot. The ladies in the front had arrive hours before that. When we did open the doors, we had instructions in both English and Spanish. "We will provide you with one bag" (they were white, kitchen-sized trash bags). "Please fill that, and take anything else you can carry, remembering to leave some for others who need things as well. Also, please return at noon and take more." We had 580+ of the poorest of our community take advantage of this.

How did we know we were helping the right people? The Sunday before, we had another army of volunteers walk the streets of the "bad" end of town, and tape flyers (English on one side, Espanol on the other) to the houses there. We also got a local elementary pass them out to their poorest students (the schools always have the best grasp on this) and of course the local Boys and Girls Club. This targetted measure (as opposed to a newspaper add) meant we got the people there that we wanted to be there. And we took it to them, since many were not able to come to us (we actually had many volunteers help people carry things to bus stops or even to their front porches, since most were too poor to afford transportation. Had we not taken the stuff to them, we would have missed those who needed most).

The bottom line is this is about social justice and unconditional love. Instead of throwing money into programs that don't work, we gave people what they needed. We had stories of people who got clothes for job interviews, coats for their kids, or Christmas presents for grandkids. These are things people couldn't afford on their own. We even helped the local BGC, since we were in their facility. We donated snacks that they sold to raise money, and were recruiting people to send their kids there. We did not make the mistake of doing what many churches do, make them come to us and sit through a half hour explanation of the Bible that no one listens to. Why is this a mistake? It says to them "We only care about converting you. We don't care about you." That's not what those that do such things think, but that is what they hear. In contrast, we wore bright orange shirts, with a our church name and motto (Love God. Love One Another. Love the World) on the front, and "Because God cares, we care" on the back. It let them talk to us, and showed them unconditional love. We don't love them on the condition that they become one of us. We love them period. Interestingly, this gives them the opportunity to become one of us without feeling pressured to. It is counterintuitive, but it works.

The important thing is now, what can you do to meet a concrete need in your community? This may not work were you are, but something will. Find it.

NFL 11 Week 7 synopsis

I worked 70+ hours this past week, so the only thing somewhat like football that I watched was the Colts-Saints game this week. Or should I say the Saints-Madden game.

Have you ever played the Madden football games? A good stress reliever is to put it on the easiest difficulty and destroy another team. (My record is 216 points. Ironically, it was against the Saints). That's kinda what this game looked like. You know its bad when a team pulls their starters and still runs up the score. You know its worse when the losing team pulls their starters because the game is that bad.

The game started with Curtis Painter underthrowing an open Pierre Garcon. That was the best play he made all night. Two plays later, when the ball was snapped, it hit Painter in facemask because he wasn't ready, and bounced over to the Saints. Shortly after that, the Colts lost 62-7, the worst loss in franchise history, and the worst for any team since the NFL-AFL merger.

If you go on twitter, there's all these comments about how Peyton Manning doesn't play defense, or that he should win the MVP award because how bad the Colts are without him. Yes, he is one of the best in history, but we've also lost our second string QB, a wide reciever, left tackle (very important position. Just watch the movie "The Blind Side"), and Addai has been hurt much of the season. Plus half our defensive starters are hurt, mostly in the secondary (the guys responsible for stopping the pass). And our defense just looks tired because we can't keep drives going for the other team. And another thing: most people don't realize that offense if intellectual and defense is emotional. And our defense is just tapped out.

Speculation is running wild that Jim Irsay will do something crazy like trade Manning (really? Are you dumb?) or fire Jim Caldwell. Emotional decisions are always the wrong ones. Don't do it Jim.

And yes, I sent tweets to both the Colts page and Jim Irsay. They are encouraging by design. Why? Because until some other fans (Philly comes to mind) we don't hate and abuse our team. We love them, no matter what. And if this gives us a chance to throw off nine years of fair weather fans and prove our loyalty, so be it.






Oh, and just so others don't miss out on tradition, Tom Brady is a chump. There, I said it. Want proof? When the Pats blew out a team like this, they kept in their starters. At least the Saints let their second string score on the Colts. (sigh...)

NFL 11 week 5 synopsis

Again? Really? Once again, we had a chance to come back, when we got cheated by another uncalled blatant pass interference call. Seriously! We are losing enough as is! We don't need help!

Losing enough? Yeah, Painter to Garcon has been effective a few times, but Dallas Clarke dropped three easy catches. Now check out this one last year, where he broke John Mackey's record (John Mackey is maybe the best TE to ever play the game).





This week? He dropped them. I don't know if his mind wasn't on the game or if he has an injured hand or if he just quit or what his excuse is, but this was pathetic. Hardly any balls were thrown at Reggie Wayne at all, and in the second half, Painter couldn't hit a target to save his life. I'm thinking his arm just doesn't have the endurance to play 4 quarters of football. Our running game started out strong, but the Addai got hurt and the rookie just isn't that productive. Our D also started out strong, forcing four or five 3-and-outs in a row. But in the second half with the offense getting a succession of 3-and-outs, our defense just got too tired and stopped tackling. Plus, I think their backs hurt from trying to carry the rest of the team.

Some respect to Matt Cassel. You remember him, don't you? He's the one that when Tom "We suck" Brady went down, proved that Tom sucked, because he did just as well. Because Brady isn't as good as he thinks he is, he just has good people around him. Manning recognizes that, but Brady? Full of himself. Because he sucks as a person.

Rest of the League:
Raiders-Texans. Respect to the Raiders for going out just after the passing of NFL legendary owner Al Davis and playing on for him. Davis's motto? "Just win baby." They did.

Bengals-Jags. Thank you Bengals for keeping the Colts in the hunt for not last in the division, if we can find a way to win.

Seahawks-Giants. Let's just say Eli did not represent the Manning name well and leave it at that.

Vikings-Cards. Holy Cow the Vikings on a game! How? They finally took the ball away from McNabb and let Adriene Peterson run the football. Hmm... Imagine that. They let a guy with a rep as best RB in the NFL run, and they won. They should do that more often.

Bills-Eagles. And the destruction of the dog fighter's dream team continues.

Niners-Buccs*. (*I hesitate to even list the Buccs, since they didn't show up) Woah! Where did the Niners pic up an offense this year? Are they allowed to do that? I think that's cheating. San Fran never scores like that. Well, not since Jerry Rice.

Saints-Panthers. The Panthers are much better this year, they just aren't closing out. They're the new haert-breakers since the Browns are doing better, I guess.

Chargers-Broncos. No one cares who won. All anyone cares about it Tim Tebow played, and played well.

Pats-Jets. Tom "we suck" Brady is a chump, and the Jets continue to underperform.

Packers-Falcons. The Pack took a while to get going, but once they did, they rolled.

Everyone be sure to (if you can) watch Bears vs. Lions tonight. I predict a good one.

NFL 11 Week 4 Monday night special

I'd like to dedicate this post to Eric Foster. He got hurt bad, when a foot got trapped when another Colt's player fell on it. You know an injury is bad when a big man like that starts crying, and while the play is still going on down field, players on both teams are waving the medical people for the Colts on.

This moment gave clarity, as players on both teams where shown praying for him. They player that fell on him was crying, as were many others. Despite his great pain, as they carted Foster away, he was cheering on his boys. You could read his lips saying "Let's go! Let's go!" He kept beating his chest, reminding his guys to play with heart. He also showed respect the Buccs players. It was a great show of sportsmanship for both teams.

Backett and Bullitt, the Colts defensive team Captains were both put on IR this week, which is tough when we already have THE offensive Captain out. Fortunately, Pat Angerer has stepped up a leader in both motivation and example.

On offense, Reggie Wayne has been largely quieted without the one and only Peyton Manning, but last night he gets credited with a TD, though not on the stats. When Garcon was running for his life, wayne threw himself into the air in such a way that he blocked not just one, but two men. It looked painful, but Reggie comes to win, no matter what he has to do, even if he doesn't get the glory.

Lastly, praise for Curtis Painter for not sucking too badly. We appreciate that this is the first time he hasn't thrown a pick-6 (mostly because of a lack of time of possession and the Buccs players just missed some easy catches). Otherwise, this game would not have been close, except that the Buccs got a penatly seemingly every down.

Woah.

I preached at my church this weekend. I do this a few times a year, but this time I had no idea what to preach on. It was just rough for me. Eventually I preached on Luke 9:57-62. This is a tough teaching from Jesus, and I just struggled. When you teach on a passage like this, most people just tune you out. I just didn't feel this one. That happens as a preacher sometimes.

Funny thing about preaching, some sermons you think "This is good..." and people don't get a word of it. Sometimes, you think "well I laid an egg" and that one just hits some people particularly hard. This one fit the latter category.

Some people were really hit hard. We had something happen that rarely happens. A lady who came to church for the first time came forward to be baptized. Mostly, when someone comes forward, they had a conversation with us at some point before. We know they are coming. Occassionally someone comes forward as a surprise, but never have I had someone come forward that was there for the first time.

That shows me one thing. Even after all this time, I still have no clue when the Holy Spirit will chose to move. God will do what He will despite of my best efforts. Just a simple reminder to me: it's not about me. God is the one who is in control.

NFL 11 Week 4 synopsis

Lions-Cowboys. Dang it! Once again, I turned away from the game, because I thought that the Lions were too far down. Luckily for them, Tony Romo, who dominated the first half came out and forgot who he played for. He threw as many TDs for Detroit as Stafford did. Look it up. In the mean time, Calvin Johnson (who for some reason is now nicknamed Megatron) put it to Big D’s D in the second half, just as that same D put it to Detroit the first half. But, I think I need to stop turning off Lions’ games.

Niners-Eagles. Seriously, you bench David Acres? What is the matter with you? The Dream Team is a disaster. Of course, their fans are ready to murder them. If you don’t know about the NFL, Philly Fans hate their own team more than anyone else. I would never play there (yeah, like that’s going to happen). But seriously, I have nothing but disrespect for fans of Philly. They are nasty people. I’m just saying.

Giants-Cards. Wow. Eli looked good. Way to represent the Mannings there, baby bro.

Packers-Broncos. The Packers look like the defending world champs (6 TDs for Aaron Rogers, if I am correct). The Broncos look like they miss John Elway.

Bengals-Bills. Looks like the Bills were too cocky after last week. They overlooked the Bengals. The Bengals did not overlook them.

Pats-Raiders. The Raiders may have been a little cocky after last week. The Pats were out for blood after how bad they (or at least Tom “we suck” Brady) did last week. Today was the Wes Welker show.

Texans-Steelers and Texans. Ok, this was crazy. The Texans nearly beat themselves. They nearly broke the record for penalty yards, and had 14 points taken away on stupid penalties. The Steelers… looked more like the Porcelains.

Bears-Panthers. This game would not be mentioned, except for Devon Hester now broke the record for all-time career returns. Respect the man. Kick it out of bounds.

NFL 11 week 3 synopsis

NFL 11 Week 3 synopsis

Oh… I have to start differently then normal.

I have a new 2nd favorite team. GO BILLS! Oh yes. After being down 21-0 to the Pats, they mounted a comeback, aided by picking off Tom Brady FOUR TIMES in order to win the game. Oh my goodness. This begs the return of a theme of last year. Tom “we suck” Brady is a chump. This also leads me to predict the Bills to win the Super Bowl. Ok, not seriously, but how often would you have a chance to say that?

Moving on. Glad to see number 18 in the house, even if it was on the coaching booth. Our problem is not just lacking Manning, though it does affect is as anyone can see. We were also missing two leaders, Brackett and Bullett, on Defense, and Ryan Deim and Anthony Gonzalez on Offense.

In the mean time let me emphasize that our defense is doing our job. Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney did what they do best. They created two fumbles in the first half, one of which was returned for the Colt’s only first-half touchdown this season. They killed the run first half (Steelers averaged less than a yard per carry). And of course, there was the interception too. Our defense has always been ragged on, but has been just as explosive as the offense. Just ask any other NFL QB about Freeney and Mathis. Sure, Mike Wallace, well, he’s just too fast to stop every time (though he only got in the endzone once). They aren’t perfect, but no D can eliminate all big plays. But they were good enough that Big Ben was terrorized all night. He has to scramble on every play anyway (I don't know why he does it. Maybe he thinks he has to warm up first), but last night, he was looking over his shoulder because he knew Freeney and Mathis were coming. He even got levelled once because he wasn't watching where he was going.

The problem is that the offense has no timing, and can’t find the endzone to save their lives. I just hope we can keep getting better. This hope seems to be dashed, as it appears that Curtis Painter could be our starting QB.

Rest of the League:
Bills- Pats. Have to say is again. Tom “we suck” Brady is a chump.

Lions-Vikings. This was just like the Bills game, just replace Tom Brady with Donovan McNabb. Did I ever mention that I like Matt Stafford?

Niners-Bungles. Yeah…

Browns-Fins. Could the Browns avoid another season of heartbreakingly close losses? Maybe.

Packers-Bears. Go Packers. I just hope they don’t let all this success go to their heads. Some teams start out strong, and then don’t finish (see Patriots almost undefeated season. Just google “David Tyree.”)

Saints-Texans. I started watching this game, except the Texans took the game what I thought was out of reach for how bad the Saints were playing. This was apparently the theme of the day. If only I knew that ahead of time. I ended up watching Silence of the Lambs instead. What a shame.

Giants-Eagles. Lookin good Eli. Glad there is still a Manning to represent. Now Vick is hurt and VY is pouting... I mean injured.

Raiders-Jets. Oh... I bet Rex is mad... They ran all over his Defense.

NFL 11 Week 2 abbreviated synopsis

Here's a quicky. The Browns did well. I like watching Peyton Hillis run. He kinda reminds me of Mike Alstott back in the day. Colt McCoy seems to be a real good kid. That said, that game should have been closer, if it weren't for the cheating refs. That first TD, wasn't a touchdown. He crossed the line of scrimmage. I have a witness. Also, The refs wouldn't call pass interference on the Browns D to save Reggie Wayne's life. It was rediculous. It was like they had predetermined that the Colts would lose, and were trying to help. They Browns didn't need the help!

Our offense still look, well, like they haven't played together (which they haven't). Our defense did well a majority of the time, but it takes 4 guys to take down Hillis, and that last touchdown was a severely blown coverage. I do love seeing Mathis and Freeney do their thing.

Rest of the leauge:
Ok, I didn't have time to watch enough football to know what happened. I do know that somehow Kenny Brit beat the Ravens, which is somewhat unbelievable. Speaking of unbelievable, for once in his life Tony Romo wasn't a pansy, leading big D to a major comeback despite having two broken ribs. He didn't even choke or anything! Michael Vick got a concussion in Atlanta, from what I understand was helmet to helmet contact from his own teammate. And Tom Brady is still a chump.

Sorry everyone! Hopefully I'll have more time next week!

NFL 11 Week 1 synopsis

Let me start out by saying these won’t be so regular this year (as indeed this blog has not been lately), but I will do what I can for my… fans? Anyway, let me start with the white elephant in the room. Peyton Manning will not playing this season (my prediction), maybe ever. His neck problem has resulted in surgery after surgery after surgery. Neck surgery is serious enough without having 300 pound me jumping up and down on you.

In response, the Colts pulled Cary Collins out of retirement. I think this was a good call. Over a year ago, releasing Jim Sorgi was idiotic, but at least they aren’t playing Curtis Painter (can you feel my spine shudder just thinking of it?) Collins spent the last few years stepping in for the Titans every time VY would throw a tantrum. That said, he played against the Colts twice a year. He played for their rival, Tennessee, and also played against the other two division teams, Houston and Jacksonville. He’s old, but experienced.

That said…
Texans-Colts. The Colts started out with life. They got an early INT and started a powerful drive. Addai was off and running, and Collins completed some early passes. Then all of a sudden, its 4th and 14 with a punt. Houston got some big plays, then kicked a field goal. Immediately, Collins demeanor changed on the sidelines. You could read his mind, “Oh crap. I have to play for behind.” It sucked the energy from him. And then he started to suck. He lost fumbles on the next two times he touched the ball (both entirely his fault) in the red zone, which led to an unrested D trying to do way too much, and the entire team was demoralized and exhausted. By the way, why are we still cursed with Gumble and Deirdorff? Isn’t no Manning enough? Do we really have to listen to that moron for another year? I freaking hate Deirdorff, who excused Collins, but trashed our poor exhausted defense. THEY PLAYED THE FIRST QUARTER WITHOUT A BREAK! WHY DON’T YOU GIVE THEM ONE! Man I can’t stand that idiot. In fact, everyone write CBS and ask them to never allow those two to commentate another Colts game again.

Second half, after they got a chance to breathe, the defense did not give up a single point. Brackett got a Interception, and Angerer got a fumble recovery. The offense clicked more, but they got some growing to do. The most unusual thing was that Vineteri missed a field goal. Man, they got some work to do. The TD, well, that was Reggie Wayne doing his thing. That is what they need to keep doing. I have to say, thank goodness we have Jeff Saturday. With the best Center in the NFL, we have a chance to go 8-8 or better (though I’ve still been predicting for weeks that the Texans will win the division).

By the way, respect to the Texans fans holding a sign. “Peyton-you’ve been a pain in our necks for 10 years. GET WELL SOON!” Diddo, Manning. Get well soon 18.

Rest of the League:
Bengals-Browns. So begins another season of heartbreak for Colt McCoy and company. And it’s amazing what the Bengals can do with receivers who don’t quit on every play. Hear that TO and Ocho? You’re a couple of quitters.

Jags-Titans. Kenny Brit vs. Pocket Hercules. Pocket Herc won.

Ravens-Steelers. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! The Steelers had as many turnovers as points. That’s hilarious. I used to kinda like Steelers, then I moved to a place where there’s lots of cocky, trash-talking Steelers fans. Ray Rice destroyed the Steelers D, and well, 7 turnovers… thanks Pitt for making me (and fans of losing teams everywhere) feel better about our loss today.

Packers-Saints. Let me say, the Packers looked good. The Saints had sparks of greatness, but I like consistently smashing the football than sparks of greatness.

Redskins-Giants. Wow. I was curious if the Redskins would be good, with the idiot owner actually letting Shanahan control the draft. Now they have an O-line.

Lions-Buccs. I like Matt Stafford. I think he’s a good kid. Unlike Brett Favre, who no one likes and is a traitor.

Speaking of people no one likes, Tom Brady is a chump and Tony Romo is the poodle of NFL quarterbacks, all fluff, barks too much, and is totally brainless.

Happy Week 1 everyone!

DC quake 2011

Yes, I survived it here in Virginia. Taken from facebook: "Your prayers are appreciated as we recover from the devastation of the earthquake."



I had just walked into a bank. Where I work, when the AC shuts off, the building shudders. It felt like that at first, then it got stronger and kept going for 10 seconds or so. It was actually rather funny.

Ok, some chimneys are knocked down, a few windows are broken along the coast, and the Washington Monument and National Cathedral have some damage. But this is cosmetic. This was a joke. Literally. The above picture has been used with that caption, or simply "WE WILL REBUILD!"

I've also seen jokes like "Sorry about the quake. I guess I shouldn't have had the bean burrito." Or "MSNBC reports that the Washington Monument is leaning to the left. Fox News reports it is leaning to the right." Or "That wasn't an earthquake. That was the founding fathers rolling over in their graves."

Japan, Haiti, those are other stories. We just felt a disturbance in the Force, if you will forgive a movie pun. My guess is that the approaching Hurricane set to pass over the same area will be much worse than this little tremor we had yesterday.

Holy Octopus Batman!

Yes, I just broke out a seventies Batman reference. But this video warrants it.



This is incredible. It makes me think of the last chapters of Job, where God asks Job to explain how he did things, to show his power. "You think you're so smart? Explain how I created... everything."

This is one of those "Wow, God is AMAZING" moments. How does a colorblind animal know what color to change it's skin? How did it know that the plant is yellow and not blue? Because we serve a God that is beyond explaination, and occassionally likes to remind us of who he is. Just in case you forgot his intellect, his wisdom, his creativity... BOOM! Octopus. What a God I serve.

Stock Market

People are selling, due to panic from the US government losing its AAA rating from S&P. You want to know what others are doing? Buying. Who? The Wealthy.

Do you know why? The stock market is easy to figure out. Buy low, sell high. Most people do the opposite. "Wow. This stock is high. It must be good. Buy." And then... "Oh no! The market went down. Sell! Sell! Sell!" They follow emotions instead of logic and lose money.

You want my opinion? Buy!*

*Knight 4 Today is not responsible for the market, and recommends that you consult a financial professional. Also, listen to Dave Ramsey.

World Trade Center

There has been a controversy at the 9-11 World Trade Center memorial. Over what, you ask?

This.



The famed Ground Zero cross. When the WTC collapsed, the fire was so hot, it actually welded two beams into the shape of a cross. Many saw this as a symbol of hope, that despite the great evil done that day, that God was with us in recovery.

An atheist is suing, saying "Why should we want a symbol, that their god who could not be bothered to stop the Muslims would make a cross in the rubble?" This is why many atheists have gained the reputation of believing "God doesn't exist, and I hate him."

I don't care if you don't believe. It's a museum. It is something that meant something to the people at the time. I don't agree with the Nazis, but I'm not suing the Holocaust Museum to take down all images of Nazis. It's historical. Get over it.

Debt talks

Oi. Can you believe this is still all going on? This is rediculous. And I know that I try not to be one-sided, but this is crazy. The mainstream media is blaming the Republicans 100% for the problem. The Republicans. The only party that has actually put anything up for a vote. The House passed Cut, Cap, and Balance, which entails solutions.

Harry Reid, Senate Majority leader refused to allow it to even be voted on. Obama threatened to veto it if it did pass.

The House again passed another, compromised budget.

Harry Reid, Senate Majority leader refused to allow it to even be voted on. Obama threatened to veto it if it did pass.

Now would some please explain to me how it is all the Republicans' fault when they at least try things, and all that the Dems do is criticize everything and refuse to even vote on it? So much for the democracy part of the Democratic party.

I'm sick of this crap. All Obama does is create division and make speeches. I'm going to say it. Worst President Ever. He just keeps repeating the same talking points. He doesn't DO anything. He thinks if we default, they will blame the Republicans and he will get reelected, not as a leader, but as a lack of leader.

Ok, I'm frustrated. I'm sick of them playing games. You know what I think about the default? Bring it on. Let's have a short-term financial disaster in order to prevent a long-term one.

But, I've been saying that our country would fall not by our enemies, but by our finances and corruption since 2005. Disaster is inevitable. The good news is, disaster can bring change, if we allow it.

Debt talks

Anyone else frustrated by the debt talks? Like they say "if we don't raise the debt ceiling, we will instantly default on our loans." Only if we don't start paying.

I'm also frustrated that the only things each party is willing to talk about is what the other side declared off limits to negotiation. I hate party politics.

I have an idea. How about Congress is not paid nor recieve any benefits or tax exemptions until the debt is paid off? That's what I'd do. I'm thinking they would get in gear in a hurry.

What about you? Are you frustrated? Any ideas to fix it?

Innocent?

For the last two days, people have been weighing in on the whole Casey Anthony trial thing. Mostly, it is people who remember back to the OJ Simpson trial. I am shocked at the number of people who want her dead. Let's go into a few points of fact.

First, she was the last person seen with Cailea Anthony. There are no eyewitness reports after that. Second, her family including her former fiancee thinks she did it. Third, her trunk smells funny.

That is the basis of the prosecution's case. They say the trunk smells like a decaying body. According to an interview with the DA this morning, the evidence is circumstantial. Circumstantial evidence leaves room for reasonable doubt.

In giving a "not guilty" verdict, it does not mean that they believe Casey Anthony is innocent. It means that they did not believe that there was enough evidence to convict.

Why are people demanding the death of Casey Anthony? People online are threatening her. What happened to "Do not judge, for by the standard you use, so it will be measured to you" (-Jesus Christ, as recorded or Matthew 7:1)? We live in a nation of innocent until proven guilty. We live in a nation of trial by jury. The jury, twelve peers, listened to the whole of the trial, not just what some jerkwad news commentator said FOR THE PURPOSE OF GETTING RATINGS (after all, their job is to make controversial statments to get ratings). Based on the entirety of evidence and testimony, they made a decision. We have to trust the system. It is better for the guilty to go free than the innocent to be needlessly punished.

This is not the OJ trial. Her defense was not based on "He's African-American. And a football player. He must be innocent." (I feel the need to address the glove thing, when leather gets wet, it shrinks as it dries. Not fitting is no defense.) Their defense was the lack of evidence. Yes, she was a deadbeat mother. Yes, she went out and got drunk after her daughter disappeared. People cope in funny ways. Some people act the opposite of how they should in times of distress because they are trying to avoid feeling. I see it in my job a lot. It happens.

You may disagree with me. That's fine. It doesn't hurt me. This I know: we don't know what happened. We won't until we get to heaven and ask God, and by that point it won't matter. In the mean time, we need to keep faith in the system, even when we don't like it. Because if it were you on trial, you would want a fair shake with your constitutional rights. So stop demanding her death. The system, no matter how perfect, is the best system we have, and one that the rest of the world is jealous of.

Green Lantern

I also got to see Green Lantern. Two movies in two states. For free. Boo-yah.

Anyway, I know this movie didn't get the best reviews. What comic book movie does? People need to remember, this is a comic book movie. It is a DC, like Batman and Superman, but lesser well known. It has all the great elements of a Comic book movie, like his dad died, he's reluctant (even quiting at one point), he has a girlfriend that knows his secret identity only later to become endanger so that he has to rescue her. Ok, slightly predictable, but again COMIC BOOK MOVIE.

The movie is funny, but do we expect any less from Ryan Renolds? And Michael Duncan Clarke voices an alien. You gotta love him. It also had some random chick who was a good actress (unlike Natalie Portman. See Thor.). And we finally got to see what came of Andy Dufrane after he escaped from prison, and bore a son who turned into an evil scientist.

The CGI, well, it looked awful on the Green Lantern costume itself, but everything else was great. So if you're nerdy like me, enjoy this movie. If you're not nerdy and/or have no taste, I think Hangover 2 is still in theaters. Please excuse me while I try to remove this shiver from my spine.

Pirates: Stranger Tides

Went on vacation last week. While I was there, I got to see the latest Pirates movie. It was actually good, though somewhat predictable. It was definately better than Pirates 2 and 3. If you don't believe me, Ask a Ninja.

Anyway, let me highlight some of the movies good points.
1) Barbossa. Screw Johnny Depp. Barbossa is the best pirate. I love his laugh when he's doing something crazy.

2) Story. This one had one, which was a nice change from the last two.

3) Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly. This movie lacked them. Major bonus.

4) Vampire mermaids. Many people were corrupted by Disney's The Little Mermaid, but this movie had what mermaids really were in ancient lore. They started to sing, luring the men down, then pulled them under in order to eat the flesh from their bones. Besides shooting webs like Spider-man, they were viciously cool. By the way, I watched this with my cousin who is also a single male. I could not resist making a joke. After watching them viciously attack men, I whispered to him, "That's pretty much my view of women." He thought it was funny, which is good because I could not resist.

Anyway, if you enjoyed the first pirates movie and despised the latter, I highly recommend this movie.

Treasure in Clay Jars

Do you ever think about how strange God is (at least by our feeble minds)? I mean, think about it. If I were an all-knowing, all-powerful God, I wouldn't have created humanity. We treat God like crap. He knew that we would. He knew that we would rebel. He knew that we would betray Him. And He created us and gave us the free will to do it. That's just strange.

And how would you have come to these people? Would you speak to a select few people to speak on your behalf? No, I would have flattened the globe out like a paper wad, then yelled at everyone until the either soiled their shorts or died in fear.

And how would you appear to these people? Would you have sent God the Son as a baby, or as a conqueror? As a peasant or a ruler? As a poor person, or as a king? Would you walk among humanity like one of them, knowing the world would virtually miss it? Would you have died for people that hate you to teach them of your love, or would you have massacred them for talking back to you?

I fear most of you would have done what I would have, which was the opposite of what He did. You know, I have said for years that I don't understand everything about God (or hardly anything for that matter, at least in the grand scheme of things) and that gives me great comfort. If I could understand everything about God, that would mean that He is like me, and that's a scary thought. The more I get to know Him, the more I understand how little I understand of Him.

What got me thinking about this today is how He still chooses to work. Again, if I were Him, I wouldn't send others to work on my behalf. Well, maybe the angels. But I would probably do it myself instead of relying on the most unreliable creatures on earth-us.

I think this astounded the apostle Paul too. 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-7 says, “Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God… 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

The greatest treasure on earth-the good news that God loves us so much that instead of allowing us to die for our sins, sent Jesus to die for us so that if we will love and trust Him, can live forever with Him in heaven-yeah, that treasure He leaves to us. Is He crazy? Not according to Paul. According to Paul, God is merciful. God choses to work in us and through us. Wow. God is strange. But I love Him for it.

Priveledge... Again

The most read post that I have written was called Priveledge, where I ranted about people who believe that they above everything, that they deserve whatever they want. Well, unless you absolutely refuse to acknowledge that there is news media in various forms, you have probably heard of Anthony Weiner.

Representative Weiner became famous when a picture of male genitals appeared on his twitter. He claimed that he had been hacked, someone making a joke about his name. He even named a conservative blogger who he claimed did the hacking. One question remained. "Is the picture of you?" He just kept repeating "I already answered that." Only he hadn't.

Finally he did. It was. He posted it. The blogger was innocent. He had been sending sexually explicit texts to a dozen women them, at least one is underage. He was trying to send the picture of his penis as a private message to a woman, and accidentally posted it to everyone. These sexual text messages (called "sexting") are his habit. At least one woman admitted talking to Weiner on his congressional phone, and one woman said that he called her offering to send a congressional PR team to spin the story.

Aren't you glad to know that your tax dollars have been spent to have, then cover up, cyber affairs? Just like President Clinton was impeached for committing pergury for his affair with an intern, so Congressman Weiner is also in trouble. Both Nancy Pelosi and the DNC chair have called him to step down. Only he's decided to pull a Charlie Sheen, and enter a joke of a rehab. (You want to talk priveledged? Charlie Sheen thinks he's... duh, winning, but has to innoculate himself from feeling with a steady flow of booze and drugs.)

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Weiner is one of the many who falls to the subtle temptations that accompany the sin of pride. It is a warning to all of us, but especially to anyone in any position of leadership. All leaders (myself included) can begin to believe all the nice things people say about us. Shortly after, then we can believe that we have earned the right to indulge in a little sin.

Biblically, this is when Moses sinned, losing his chance to enter the promised land. This is how Samson began his series of relationships and violate his vow, resulting in his loss of strength. This is how David had his affair with Bathsheba and murdered her husband to cover it. This is how Solomon was led to idol worship, as did the kings to follow him. This is what led Peter to chastize, and later deny Jesus.

May we never forget that we are equals. We have all sinned. Jesus died for each of us. We are all deserving of hell, and offered the same grace. As leaders, we are not to think our selves superior, but have greater responsibility. Leaders are not to be lords, but servants.

The A21 Campaign - Natalia's Story

If this doesn't get to you, nothing will.



We have to do something about this. This us unacceptable. And this isn't a third world problem. This isn't an Asia problem. This isn't a Europe problem. This is our problem too. This happens daily in the US. Many of those disappearances off the news, or those "Have you seen me?" mailers, or the lost pictures in WalMart, and boys and girls who were kidnapped from their homes and transported around the country were they are sold as slaves and used as prostitutes. We have to so something.

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day. As we participate in cookouts and the like, it is important to take a moment to recognize how blessed we are, and those that sacrificed for so much. I am so thankful that despite all the friends that I have who entered the service, none do I have to remember today.

I know that everyone has their own traditions. Mine is usually simple. I stay home and watch channels like AMC and TMC which air movies honoring the fallen, like Sands of Iwo Jima, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Midway, and especially The Longest Day. I also have DVDs like The Great Escape and The Great Raid. I've also repeatedly watched Band of Brothers. You may notice a theme, World War II, the Greatest Generation. So much darkness in the world from both Germany and Japan. Many don't realize that the Japanese were more brutal, more racist than the Nazis.

Anyway, these are things that I use to remember those who sacrificed everything for the ideal of freedom. I highly recommend the same to others.

100th entry

I've been told that it is customary for the 100th blog entry to be something special. In preparation, I went and reread some of my previous entry. I really did wrestle with this, wanting to hold to this custom. I thought about looking back at my first entry. I also considered looking at my most viewed. I also considered a synopsis of my entries.

In the end, I thought I would tell a story.

In 1415, the French and English were at war. It was known as the Hundred Years War. At the time, England had territories in what is modern day France. They continually battled over there territories. Following a failed negotiation, England, led by King Henry V, invaded Normany. They besieged Harfleur. From February until September, they surrounded the city. Though they did take the city, the English lost as many soldiers to dysentery as battle.

The English were forced to flee when the french roused an army. They marched across Normandy toward the port of Calais, where they could rest safely or even flee to England proper. The french blocked their crossing of the River Somme, forcing them south. With further delay from carrying so many diseased soldiers, they were eventually surrounded near Agincourt.

Henry V camped with his troops at one end of a wheat field, with woods flanking on either side. His forces were outnumbered six to one. The French has approximately 36,000, most of whom were professional soldiers. This was the feudal age, when the Knight was the top soldier. They had both calvary, the deadliest of soldiers, and ground troops. Both were equiped with mail, made of little metal links woven together and covered with plate of armor, making the wearer nearly invincible. They also carried longswords and the cavalry had hand carved lances, each of which took nearly a year to produce. These were the special forces, tanks, and and bombers of their day all in one package. They were the deadliest soldiers on earth.

In contrast, Henry V left the bulk of his army at home. Instead, he brought a civilian force. In the feudal age, the lords, the landowners, were the professional soldiers. They believed that their position gave them the responsibility to defend those under them, so they were the soldiers. It was even illegal for a non-noble to possess a sword. King Henry V brought men of the Yoeman (middle) class. These civilians were taught to use the longbow, knife, and stave. The longbow arrows were redesigned with a square tip that could pierce armor. The staves where wooden posts, sharpened at both ends, which they would hammer into the ground. These would halt a calvary charge by impaling the horses. The knives were a last resort. If a knight approached, they would divide into teams of three to try to tackle the knight and either go for weak points or cut the leather straps holding on the plate armor. When outnumbered six to one, require three to one to get a single kill is not ideal.

To make it worse, as the sun set, it began to rain. Imagine being sick, cold, away from home for most of a year, and it starts to rain. You know shortly after dawn you will be fighting for survival. They could hear the laughter of French soldiers laughing, taunting, even pointing out which people they will kill. It was the longest most terrifying night of thier lives.

In walks King Henry the Fifth, walking through the camp to speak to his men. Shakespeare recorded his words like this. (edited)

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother...

And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap..."

This quote has been used to describe the famous 101st Airbourne Easy Company during WWII, nicknamed Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose. The reason this quote was especially meaningful is because of who spoke it. This wasn't a friend. It wasn't a coworker. This was the king. He was a man of noble blood, whom they believed God had given the divine right to rule both England and France. Royalty called them brother, and thereby equal. Royalty called commoners brother.

With this in mind, they slept the night. They bravery lined up for battle. In this day, the king, waited in the back were he would be safest. Henry put on his battle crown (a helmet with a crown welded to it) and lined up the middle almost challenging the french to target him instead of his brothers. And they waited. And waited. The french lined up and started taunting. Henry bravely ordered a charge. As the French watch, the archers pulled their staves marched forward, and drove them back into the ground. Then they calmly pulled their bows, and now in range, began firing.

The French, of course, began their charge now that they were taking casualties. Here's what they didn't count on. With the rain, the heavy armor and heavy horses sunk in the mud. They were sitting ducks. The french took heavy losses, though they also inflicted some.

Henry's actual brother was killed, and the french tried to haul off the body to desecrate it. Henry ended up leaving the lines, planting a foot on his brother's carcass, and fighting off the French. This act also was an unexpected blessing, because his whole army could see him fighting, boosting their moral. Eventually the English won the day.

This story means a lot to me. It is not just the age of chivalry, but also speaks of equality for all mankind for the first time in that age. This is a powerful story. For me personally, it reminds me that the King of Kings came to fight alongside me, going out in front, and because of Him I can stand and fight. Despite seemingly overwhelming odds, my band of brothers will have the victory.

Hell: We can't afford to get it wrong.

There's been a lot of controvery about hell lately. This video by Francis Chan is an amazing perspective.

Woo Hoo!

My laptop is now fixed! That makes all my life easier. It also means that I can return to my most relaxing hobby, writing fiction. No I won't be published anytime soon, so I'm not just using this blog to plug a book. I write for fun, not fame or profit.

I can plug something. I have a twitter (twitter.com/knight4today). Anytime I write an update, it will notify you if you follow me there. By the way, you can also send an e-mail to me (same address @gmail.com) and if you want I'll try to remember to e-mail reminders or even if you have something that you want my take on feel free to send requests.

Loss of freedom

So I write from time to time about how modern law destroys freedom enforces violations of the Constitution. Here's another for you. The Indiana Supreme Court heard a case. Police were called for a domestic abuse situation. The cops confronted the man, who told them they could not enter his house. One officer went in anyway, and when the man trying to prevent entry shoved the officer, he was tased and arrested.

Here's the problem. They had no warrant. They had no probable cause. Aparently the officers had scene too many cops shows, where the good guy cop breaks the law to get the job done.

What the court ruled, 3-2, was that you have no right to resist an officer who is illegally entering your home. They said this will prevent violence against police officers. They claim you should just appeal to the courts if they do something illegal. With that, a uniformed officer (or someone POSING as an officer) can enter your home, rob you, beat you, and arrest you, and until you get your day in court, you rot in jail. And you'll never get your stuff back. Because you can't prove it, and who is going to trust you over a cop.

Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, protection from illegal search and siezure, these are some of the main reasons our founding father fought a revolution. Oh, how they would weep if they could see how our Constitution is used as toilet paper.

Many might think I'm nuts, or at least overreacting. But this is a pattern. Try getting a speedy trial (6th Amendment), which means if unfairly arrested, you're going to rot for a while. Going to plead the fifth? That's fine, unless a sopena is issued. Freedom of assembly? Get a permit first. Freedom of speech? Not if it ain't PC. And the government can listen in on all of it, without a warrant (thank Bush. Grrr... Stupid Patriot Act). Freedom of religion? They've talked about passing laws requiring ministers like me to have to perform gay marriages. How come I can refuse a wedding for straight people, but not homosexuals? Oh, and of course, evangelism and prayer are banned. Right to keep and bare arms? Get a permit, register the weapon, and keep it locked in a safe at home. Federal government has powers limited to what the Constitution gives them? Yeah, they do everything but.

Ever heard the old fable about putting the frog in boiling water? (Warning! This is a fable! Putting a frog in boiling water will kill it! Do not attempt!) They have turned up the heat, boiling away our rights. Safety is the opposite of freedom. Freedom is risk. In McCarthyism, they gave up all their freedom to get protected from "the communists." Now, we want protected from everyone. It is sad.

Ugh...

So no laptop yet so I'm still limited in my blogableness. So below I have a forward that my uncle sent me. Enjoy!

The year is 2016 and the United States has just elected the first woman, an Ohio State graduate, as President of the United States, Susan Buckeye.

A few days after the election the president-elect calls her father and says, 'So, Dad, I assume you will be coming to my inauguration?'' I don't think so. It's a 20 hour drive, your mother isn't as young as she used to be, and my arthritis is acting up again. ''Don't worry about it Dad, I'll send Air Force One to pick you up and take you home. And a limousine will pick you up at your door.''

I don't know. Everybody will be so fancy. What would your mother wear?' Oh Dad, replies Susan, 'I'll make sure she has a wonderful gown custom-made by the best designer in New York.

''Honey,' Dad complains, 'you know I can't eat those rich foods you and your friends like to eat.' The President-to-be responds, 'Don't worry Dad. The entire affair is going to be handled by the best caterer in New York, I'll ensure your meals are salt free Dad, I really want you to come.'

So Dad reluctantly agrees and on January 20, 2017, Susan Buckeye is being sworn in as President of the United States, with her Mom and Dad in the front row for her big moment. Dad notices the Senator sitting next to him and leans to him and whispers with undeniable pride, 'You see that woman there with her hand on the Bible, becoming President of the United States?' The Senator whispers back, 'Yes I do.' Dad says proudly, 'Her brother played football at Ohio State.'

Go Buckeyes!

Thor Odinson, the Thunderer.

I saw Thor this weekend. And, well, I have mixed feelings about it. Let me start with it's problems.

#1 "Have at Thee!" This was Thor's tagline, which was ommitted entirely from the movie (even though there were a few places it would have worked). In fact, he never said "thee." Or "aye," "nay," "verily," call Earth its proper Norse name "Midgard" or many other words that are common Thor language. The writers thought that the MTV generation is too stupid to understand Old English. While it is true that I despise Shakespeare, that has more to do with it being stupid and not caring. However, a modernized Old English is Thor's iconic language. Forget the MTV generation. Appeal to the nerds. After all, we nerds are the ones who actually have money and show up to midnight showings, as well as blogging about movies that we watch. So I say to thee, nay. Nay to your dumbing down the language of Thor.

#2 Helmet. Ok, this may seem like a little one, but he only wore his iconic winged helmet for a grand total of three seconds. Even when he became Thor again, the rest of his clothes appeared, but not the signature helmet.

#3 Natalie Portman. Seriously? Why did you have to have her? No one takes her seriously as an actress anymore, and so this detracts from the movie. It's partially not her fault. Blame George Lucas. He's the one who wrote crappy dialogue like "I truly... deeply... love you (for no reason other than it says so in the script)" and "Killing younglings?" And to get out of being trapped by her roll in the Star Wars "George wants more money" Prequel Trilogy, she did movies like "No Strings Attached" and "The Black Swan" which shows that she has basically no morals whatsoever. So again I say to thee, nay.

#4 Jane Foster. She was a nurse, not a conspiracy theorist in the comics. Thor fell in love with her because he could see her desire to help the mortals despite their frailty. Now, he fell in love with her for no reason other than it says so in the script. Again, dumbing it down for the MTV generation.

#5 Driver's liscense. Ok, again, this is nitpicking, but he had a fake liscense when Foster and company were trying to break him out. It was for NY. It should have been for Detroit, MI. Part of Thor's uniqueness is that he was the only Detroit-based superhero ever (at least until joining the Avengers in NYC).

#6 Asgardians. Again, this is nitpicky, but two of the Asgardians didn't fit. I understand they were trying to be PC, but a black guy and a chinese guy don't exactly look Scandinavian.

#7 Frost Giants. Again, nitpicky, but the "giants" weren't that much bigger than the humans-sized gods.


Now for the plus side.

#1 Mjolnir. At least they did call Thor's hammer by the proper name.

#2 Donald Blake. They refered to Thor as Donald Blake for his fake identity. It was first introduced when Foster gave Thor clothes, with a Dr. Donald Blake nametag on it. This was for the nerds. Thor asked who he was, and Foster replied "an ex boyfriend." I mentioned Jane Foster was a nurse in the comic. In the comic, when Thor angered Odin, Odin didn't just cast him to Midgard and make him mortal. He put him in the body of Dr. Donald Blake (and wiped his memories of being an Asgardian), a disabled man who was an MD in MI who helped people. It was by this that Thor learned to care about others, and he and Jane fell in love. In times of danger, the good doctor would turn into the Thunder God, and slowly regained his memory, though now gaining Blake's character (Blake's cane would turn into Mjolnir). Once Odin knew that Thor learned his lesson, he again seperated the two beings. I knew that they weren't going to have this side story, so verily I thank thee Marvel for including the reference.

#3 Anthony Hopkins and company. No one could have made a better Odin that Anthony Hopkins. Their Thor and Loki were also great. For my money, whoever did the casting only made one mistake (above) which I'm guessing was the studio's decision, believing she would be a draw (again, the opposite for my money).

#4 Cameo. SPOILER ALERT! I loved the surprise cameo of a particular SHIELD Agent. When Thor was trashing a SHIELD outpost, Agent Colson asked for an eye in the sky. An agent goes in and looks at the guns, then reached up and grabs a bow. Agent Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye. Hawkeye was raised in the circus as a trick bowman, then recruited to SHIELD as an operative, eventually partnering with Black Widow. Hawkeye has a rebellious streak and hates taking orders. Eventually Widow sets Hawkeye up as a supposed double agent, when in fact she was working for Hydra (the criminal organization behind Nazi rise, Capt's foe, and the arch-enemy of SHIELD). Fury ordered Hawkeye to let it go after he proved his innocence and her guilt, but he went off to get her anyway, which ends up with him joining the Avengers. This cameo was a surprise to me, and is almost enough to make up for not having "HAVE AT THEE!" in the movie. Almost.

#5 Asgardians. What is not to like about the Norse gods? I mean, anything Viking has got to be cool. Ninjas are a tired cliche. Pirates lost their coolness when the later two POTC movies made everyone Captains (especially Orlando Bloom and his lamo girlfriend. My favorite of the franchise is still Barbosa). Vikings are still cool.

Overall, I give it a B+ (though my negative list is longer, the pluses outweight it). Yes, I will get it on DVD. If you are nerdy enough to like comic book movies, but not so much as to care about the lack of his signature line, you should like it. If you ask me if you should see it, I say to thee, "Verily, aye," for both Asgard and Midgard!

Pure Genius

This is the best video I have ever scene, so I had to share. Enjoy.



Post your favorite quotes below.

Osama bin Laden

Everyone remembers where they were when they heard that terrorists had hijacked four airplanes and were using them as weapons. I remember a friend telling me after leaving Algebra 2 at 10:05. I told him someone was messing with him when he told me that terrorists had rammed airplanes in the World Trade Center. I told him no one was dumb enough to attack the United States. Then I walked into my US History class to see a television showing a single smoking tower (the other had just fallen). I remember hearing Peter Jennings explain terrorists had rammed airplanes into the WTC and the Pentagon. I remember them showing a split screen, and saying these were the first images of the damage to the Pentagon. I remember them saying a fourth plane was overtaken by the hostages and downed in PA. I remember looking out the window, trying to see if there were more planes out there headed for us. I remember and eerily empty sky, no clouds and no planes (unusual considering our proximity to an airport). I remember days later when Pres. Bush made an announcement that Stealth Bombers had bombed a country I had never heard of before, and walking into that same US History class to try to find Afghanistan on a globe.

Yesterday morning, I awoke early and pulled up twitter on an iPhone. I saw tweets that made no sense, something about Pres. Obama making a speech and people staying up late to celebrate. I turned my TV on to Fox news, who had the headline "UBL killed in Pakistan." Fox has always transliterated "Osama" as "Usama." I knew instantly was "UBL" stood for. I knew bin Laden was dead.

I must say, this was emotional for me. I never thought I'd live to see the day. I thought he'd die of old age. My phone rang, a friend headed to work. He was calling to tell me what I just learned. I watched TV as I talked to him. I shed a tear when they showed the Air Force Academy breaking out into singing the National Anthem.

I'm not the patriot that I used to be. As my loyalty to God increases, my loyalty to a country decreases. But, something within me was lifted up. Not that a man was dead. Not that I hated him. But that justice for something so evil was taken care of. I heard jokes about Jack Bauer and John McClain (speficically, "Yippie-kay-aye bin Laden").

Then I saw this quote.

Matthew 5:43-45
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."
NIV

I knew I'd see that quote. Christians celebrating death is not what Jesus wanted. But I don't think using this passage as a weapon was what he wanted either. You also have to consider this (and many other passages on God's judgement and justice).

Romans 13:3-4
"For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer."
NIV

Navy Seals where that sword, an agent of God's wrath on bin Laden. But there is a balance to this. Though I am glad that justice is done, I bore no ill will toward the man. The opposite, actually. I could not have done it. My love, for this man, my enemy, would have prevented me. Being a Christian, I look to bin Laden and must recognize that he was deserving of hell, and by pulling the trigger I would have sent him to hell. I am not willing to send him there. Because I am also deserving of hell, but Jesus extended his grace to me.

I can't help but think this whole time about bin Laden. One thing that cannot be denied is that he was a charismatic leader and recruiter. People flocked to him. What if, instead of being an agent of hate, he would have been an agent of love? What if, instead of being an ambassador of descruction, he would have been an ambassador of restoration? What if, instead of being a man of death, he would have been a man of life? What if, instead of being a terrorist, he would have been a missionary? What if, instead of being a weapon of Satan, he would have been a tool of God? What if, instead of creating suicide bombers, he would have made disciples of Jesus?

It is strange to think about how this world could have changed if someone had reached Osama bin Laden for Jesus. I am grieved that he went to hell. I grieve for him, as well as for the man that he could have been in Christ Jesus, as a new creation as I am. I know that though God is willing and able to punish him for his sins, that God was also willing to forgive and cleanse him of those same sins. God gifted bin Laden to draw people to himself. If he would have used that ability to draw people to the cross, imagine how our world would be.

So I pause, and though a small part of be celebrates justice, it is not as big as the part of me that grieves the what if's.

Stupid

Got another one on the list. A guy at church today implied that his wife thinks I'm a homosexual. Why? Because I'm 26 and single. Isn't that great? I hate stupidity. Ignore the fact that he's on his second marriage, and his daughter from his first marriage won't speak to him.

How about we look at Matthew 19:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 7:8-9,27. Both Paul and JESUS say it is better to be single. So why am I harassed and abused for being single? I like many singles, am sick of the way that I am treated for following God's will for my life. I hear about it constantly, especially from the two guys that I work with who both got married straight out of college. Every week has turned into harass the single guy. It is becoming a bone of contention between me and two men that I respect and consider good friends.

If you are single, know that you aren't alone. If you are married, encourage a single you know. And no, "you will find the right person someday" does not count as encouragement. You aren't God. You don't get to make a plan for them.

Historacity

Historacity. That's a word that you don't hear much. It's like historical verification, undesputed facts. Well, historacity is a reason that I am a Christian, not just one who spouts "I believe in God," but an honest to goodness, sold out, 100% Christian. This doesn't mean that I'm perfect. This doesn't mean I don't have problems. It means that I follow Christ to the best of my ability and allow God to change me from who I am to who He wants me to be.

It is historacity, specifically, the historical FACT that Jesus rose from the dead that I could not dispute and could not escape. I read books by people who disputed the resurrection, and they just could not give me a reasonable argument (even when I went through a period of not following Jesus).

Lee Strobel is another who sought to disprove Christianity (as did others like Josh McDowell and C.S. Lewis to name a few) that could not, and so came to belief. I'll let you read Stobel in his own words.

And that's it. What it comes down to is if the resurrection is fake, nothing matters. This life is meaningless. But if it is real, nothing ELSE matters.

Wiffle ball.

Read this.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/04/19/2011-04-19_classic_kids_games_like_kickball_deemed_unsafe_by_state_in_effort_to_increase_su.html

Are you kidding me? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life. Kickball is dangerous? I've jammed a finger before, but continued playing the game, and did ever week after that for a school year.

Wiffle ball? The neighbor boy and I growing up BROKE wiffle ball bats on each other, and it didn't even leave a mark. What is too dangerous? The running?

Tag can cause brain and spinal injuries? Maybe if they play on the roof and someone falls off.

You all know me. I hate stupid. Hate it. This is stupid. Moreover, if you read the article, you can see what I did. "Ritchie said the regulations could cripple small recreational programs, forcing them to pay a $200 fee to register as a summer camp and provide medical staff." This isn't about making kids safe. This measure doesn't even prohibit these activities. It only makes them register and pay a fee. I hate politics.

I'm with the Mom who said sitting around playing video games has much greater dangers, like obesity and diabetes. There is also potential seizures. And I'll give you one more brain damage.

"How?" you might ask. Because it makes kids dumber. Specifically, it destroys what makes childhood great, imagination. When these kids play video games, everything is drawn out for them, especially as graphics have gotten better.

When I was a kid, it looked more like Phineas and Ferb, at least in my mind. I ran the neighborhood. Neither barbed nor electric fenses stopped me. The only protection I has was a pair of sneakers.

The result? No, not childhood trauma. Quite the opposite. The result was fun. Because the result was creativity. That's wasn't just a tree to climb, it was my fortress to defend from evil enemies. I didn't play X-men video games. I was an X-man (even making up my own). Now, as an adult, I create. I tell stories. I work with my hands for enjoyment. And video games? I have other men over to play, but that's about all I crack them out.

So send your kids out. Let them play, even if it's dangerous. In doing so, you might give the next generation the next Ben Franklin.

Speech

Obama said in a speech yesterday why he wants to help the poor. "when I drive down the street, I don't want to have to see homeless people." Really? That sounds like when I was a kid and New York offered to pay homeless people to move to New Jersey. Why? Because they didn't want to see them.

A firm in Florida is receiving gov't funding to give capes to people on unemployment. Why? They said it will make them feel empowered. Because apparently jobless people in Florida are four years old.

So once again I must say: the government does not help the poor. They don't want to, because then those people won't be dependent on the government. That's why it is up to the church. So if you are reading this, do something to help someone.

Quick on the budget

Sorry everyone that I haven't been writing more. My laptop picked up a virus that highjacks my internet, and I feel guilty doing my personal blog at work. So let me say this quickly.

Dems blame the Republicans for holding up a budget that they failed to do last October before the elections came that gave the Republicans enough seats or power to be able to do anything (thank you Nanci Pelosi). In the mean time, Obama did... nothing. At all. Whatsoever. Why? Because he is a legislator not a leader. And that is why Presidents should never come from the Senate. At all. Whatsoever.

Miss you Dad

Today is my first birthday post Dad.

I miss him. Normally by this point, I have spoken to him for at least an hour, in addition to our regular Saturday morning call. In fact, sometimes I did not realize it was my birthday until he called to remind me. I've been dreading this day for a month or more.

So as I went to leave this morning, there was a package sitting there and a card with my name on it. A friend named Tammi left a box of baked goods, because she knew I was dreading this day. And I got a card from a lady at church. And a call from my dear brother-in-law (who also informed me that my sister has morning sickness. w00t.)

Today is this first of many events that will be the first "post Dad." Each will be hard, but the first is my b-day. We'll have the rest of the family's b-days, Mother's/Father's days, summer vacations, Dad's birthday, parents Anniversary.

In the mean time, I have comfort from the rest of the family. I also am surrounded by a great church family who seeks to make this day enjoyable. And I have friends that are as family to me, many of whom I went to college with. While I miss Dad, I find great comfort in the love of these people.

I like books

Ipad. Kindle. E-readers. People say this is the new trend. Newspapers aren't selling. Magazines are in decline. Technology has moved beyond the printing press.

And yet...

And yet, I am behind. I don't read news papers. I don't read magazines. But I still prefer one form of print media.

Books.

There is nothing like a book. Yes, Kindles are cool. They are instant access to the information you seek in that book. No waiting.

And yet...

And yet, there is no anticipation.

And yet, there is no intrigue of walking through a book store hoping to find a gem.

And yet, there is nothing like the smell of a brand new book.

And yet, there is nothing like the feeling of a page turning through your fingers.

Now, I'll admit it. I'm a dinosaur (even at the age of 25). I understand that I don't like change, and try to search myself to discover if I don't like a thing or if I don't like change.

In this case, I think it's the thing.

Books don't run low on batteries. Books don't require a bigger hard drive. Books don't need wi-fi access. I guess the sensation, the experience, means more to me than the instant access of information.

What NCIS Taught Me About Preaching

Lately, I've been trying to explain to my Senior Minister, an older man, how I preach. We younger generations have a new way of preaching, deviating from the old three-point sermon. I tried to explain that I write less like a research paper and more like writing a story. I finally found a particular style of story that helps illustrate story in a way that is easier to match in a style that applies to preaching: NCIS.

An episode of NCIS or any other crime drama follows a basic formula, usually divided by commercial breaks. In trying to write a sermon like a story in a way that younger generations understand, I think this formula is useful.

Introduction
This introduction in a crime drama, it usually includes discovering the body. It usually includes some people doing something that doesn’t necessarily relate to the overall story. It is only an introduction that grabs the attention and sets up the overall narrative. This can often be done through a humorous story, but can also be a video clip or even a special song.

Credits
NCIS, staring Mark Harmon. Ok, that doesn’t quite apply. What usually comes here is me first telling people where to turn in their Bibles, and describing what the series is.

“Grab your gear.”
When this order comes in NCIS, the team heads to the scene. This is where you actually take a first look at the text and start the investigation.

The suspects
The team starts to interview people that knew the victim and witnesses, which serve as the usual suspects. Often those friends and witnesses turn into suspects. As this applies to preaching, this often means looking at the world’s perspective. As we know, the world’s perspective is often that of Jesus and those who follow him. This focuses on the ways that we want to be apart from God, and also the things that keep us from following God.

Continued investigation
Gibbs heads to talk to Abby and Ducky. In preaching, we look deeper at the text. This often includes things that you have gleaned from Commentaries, Bible Dictionaries, and other sources. This is where background information helps reveal more depth in the text, and this is also where I usually use quotes from others who have written or spoken on the text.

Busted
This ends with a suspect in the Interrogation Room, who someone on the team gets to confess. This is where you really shut the door on the world’s perspective and show God’s true perspective. It is that this point that they have the choice: the world or God. This involves challenging your hearers to specifically apply the text to their lives, which also may include a testimony of how you applying it to your life if relevant.

End
The team usually sits around the office talking about the case. In many cases, one or more of the team members had some type of change or development throughout the episode. In every text, there is some type of what has been called an “evangelistic nugget.” There is something in that text that points directly to who God is: His grace, His forgiveness, the cross itself. Use this evangelistic nugget to lead people to the cross, and offer an invitation based directly upon that nugget.

*I should also point out that as the sermon progresses, especially moving from "the suspects" forward, it should start far away, and draw closer and closer to God's standard until you meet God Himself. In other words, the world's standard, usually the churchy compromise, and then how we should be.