I came across this piece at ESPN and it points out the importance of second chances and forgiveness. I think some will read this and not agree with giving Casey Therriault another chance. But some of you will understand the point.
What is interesting is who gave him the second chance.
I feel sorry for those of you who can’t forgive because your life won’t be as great or as enjoyable as it could be. You will always be uncomfortable especially when you are in the presence of the person you can’t forgive. And trust me that will occur.
When you don’t or won’t, which is more like it, forgive you are enslaved to the unforgiveness. You become a different person and show others a side of you that they won’t like. They will also think that someday you may hold them in the same type of contempt.
I am convinced that the only reason I can forgive is because of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When you realize that God forgives us for all the crap we have done in our lives we can begin to see the importance of forgiving others.
Read the entire piece to get the whole picture. I have only excerpted a short portion of it.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=6021619
"I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice."
-- Martin Luther King Jr., Aug. 28, 1963
JACKSON, Miss. -- Scenes from an oasis:
A fence separated the old black woman from the football field, but it didn't stop her. She wanted to meet the young white quarterback. She asked the coach to bring him over. If you don't have a place to go for Thanksgiving, the old woman told the quarterback through the fence, we will feed you.
In the stands in Memphis, Tenn., weeks earlier, a black stranger struck up a conversation with the white quarterback's father. He was easy to pick out, after all, a pale face in a section full of dark faces. By the end of the game, the quarterback's father had been invited to stay at the stranger's house for the next home game.
Everyone wanted to reach out to the white quarterback. He had come hundreds of miles from his native Michigan to this strange place -- to Jackson State University, a historically black college -- because he had nowhere else to go, with a past he was trying to escape. He didn't know what to expect. He sure didn't expect all this. All the support and attention and generosity directed his way was startling.
Just a few months before, no college wanted anything to do with him. Now, this novelty act of a quarterback was suddenly a minor celebrity.
In a state that was crippled by racial intolerance, the Jackson State fans didn't care that he was different from them. They didn't care about the trouble in his past and the chilling word that was attached to him. Or maybe it was because of the differences, and because of the trouble, that they reached out.
Maybe this was the latter stages of a dream come to fruition.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Look around
‘Yep, life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile you could miss it!’ -Ferris Bueller
Monday, January 17, 2011
Who are we trying to please?
Have you ever had someone try to teach you something and that teacher, who doesn't have to be a trained teacher, got frustrated with you because you weren't getting whatever it was they were trying to teach you?
While reading a few chapters from Romans this week, I noticed some scriptures that got me to wondering if God gets that frustrated teacher sensation with us. Surely if God was a human he would be frustrated with us because we just don't get the things he has laid out for us in His book, or we don't take the time to understand or we're too stubborn to even read what he writes.
But fortunately for us God is patient and He repeats things over and over for us. He wants us to get it!
And God not only has to fight for the non-believers, sometimes He has to fight for the believers who have been influenced by those who insist that they are the only ones who know what God means. I ran into a friend last week who told me that many of us suffer from this affliction, from a Messianic Complex.
These selected lines from the book of Romans, Chapters 14 and 15, are things that I believe God wants us to be more aware of and to put into practice so we don't try to control what people believe.
o Accept those whose faith is weak without quarreling over disputable matters.
o Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?
o You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat your brother or sister with contempt?
o Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
o Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
o We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. We should all please our neighbors for their good to build them up.
While reading a few chapters from Romans this week, I noticed some scriptures that got me to wondering if God gets that frustrated teacher sensation with us. Surely if God was a human he would be frustrated with us because we just don't get the things he has laid out for us in His book, or we don't take the time to understand or we're too stubborn to even read what he writes.
But fortunately for us God is patient and He repeats things over and over for us. He wants us to get it!
And God not only has to fight for the non-believers, sometimes He has to fight for the believers who have been influenced by those who insist that they are the only ones who know what God means. I ran into a friend last week who told me that many of us suffer from this affliction, from a Messianic Complex.
These selected lines from the book of Romans, Chapters 14 and 15, are things that I believe God wants us to be more aware of and to put into practice so we don't try to control what people believe.
o Accept those whose faith is weak without quarreling over disputable matters.
o Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?
o You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat your brother or sister with contempt?
o Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
o Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
o We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. We should all please our neighbors for their good to build them up.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
They don't quite get it
The excerpt below appeared in the book titled ‘The 33 Strategies of War’ by Robert Greene. It appeared in the chapter on 'The Turning Strategy' in the Interpretation section and the example used to demonstrate it was about Julius Caesar.
Caesar was very strategic in everything that he did. He was also unpredictable and an example is used showing how he did not extract retribution from enemy troops when they surrendered and all the laws of war would indicate that he could. Then these troops joined Caesar’s forces to fight against their former leader. How often has this happened?
Here is the practical advice the author suggests we use that is derived from the examples presented in the chapter.
“Life is full of hostility – some of it overt, some clever and underhanded. Conflict is inevitable: you will never have total peace. Instead of imagining you can avoid these clashes of will, accept them and know that the way you deal with them will decide your success in life. What good is it to win little battles, to succeed in pushing people around here and there, if in the long run you create silent enemies who will sabotage you later? At all cost you must gain control of the impulse to fight your opponents directly. Instead occupy their flank. Disarm them and make them your ally: you can decide later whether to keep them on your side or to extract revenge. Taking the fight out of people through strategic acts of kindness, generosity, and charm will clear your path, helping you to save energy for the fights you cannot avoid. Find their flank – the support people crave, the kindness they will respond to, the favor to disarm them. In the political world we live in, the flank is the path to power.’
The suggestions in themselves are not bad but are not the best suggestions for us. The author's purpose is to help you have success but success won't solve your problems. His advice about creating enemies is right on, and getting control of your desire to fight your opponents is definitely helpful but not for the reasons he is identifying. How you treat others impacts your relationships with them. His purpose is to encourage you to manipulate others for your benefit.
We should find their flank as he indicates near the end of the piece not for the reasons stated but because we should want to live with and love others as we are taught through God's Word. Life is a whole lot easier and more fulfilling that way. Plus we are being obedient.
Caesar was very strategic in everything that he did. He was also unpredictable and an example is used showing how he did not extract retribution from enemy troops when they surrendered and all the laws of war would indicate that he could. Then these troops joined Caesar’s forces to fight against their former leader. How often has this happened?
Here is the practical advice the author suggests we use that is derived from the examples presented in the chapter.
“Life is full of hostility – some of it overt, some clever and underhanded. Conflict is inevitable: you will never have total peace. Instead of imagining you can avoid these clashes of will, accept them and know that the way you deal with them will decide your success in life. What good is it to win little battles, to succeed in pushing people around here and there, if in the long run you create silent enemies who will sabotage you later? At all cost you must gain control of the impulse to fight your opponents directly. Instead occupy their flank. Disarm them and make them your ally: you can decide later whether to keep them on your side or to extract revenge. Taking the fight out of people through strategic acts of kindness, generosity, and charm will clear your path, helping you to save energy for the fights you cannot avoid. Find their flank – the support people crave, the kindness they will respond to, the favor to disarm them. In the political world we live in, the flank is the path to power.’
The suggestions in themselves are not bad but are not the best suggestions for us. The author's purpose is to help you have success but success won't solve your problems. His advice about creating enemies is right on, and getting control of your desire to fight your opponents is definitely helpful but not for the reasons he is identifying. How you treat others impacts your relationships with them. His purpose is to encourage you to manipulate others for your benefit.
We should find their flank as he indicates near the end of the piece not for the reasons stated but because we should want to live with and love others as we are taught through God's Word. Life is a whole lot easier and more fulfilling that way. Plus we are being obedient.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Occidental or Oriental
Parenting. Isn’t this an interesting experience? Now there is a new entry into the how-to parent advice book arena. The book referenced below is very different from what most Western parents are encouraged to be. And may be something that may arouse your ire.
An excerpt from the book ‘Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother’ by Amy Chua, a professor at Yale Law School, appeared in the Wall Street Journal last week and it is still one of the most popular articles at the WSJ web site. The title of the article is ‘Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior’.
My own view is that the modern day Western parent is afraid that their child(ren) won’t like them if they are strict and insist on certain behaviors or actions.
Read this excerpt and then see the full article at WSJ.com
Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment.
By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.
I've thought long and hard about how Chinese parents can get away with what they do. I think there are several big differences between the Chinese and Western parental mind-sets.
I've noticed that Western parents are extremely anxious about their children's self-esteem.
Chinese parents believe that they know what is best for their children and therefore override all of their children's own desires and preferences.
What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up.
But if done properly, the Chinese strategy produces a virtuous circle. Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetition is underrated in America. Once a child starts to excel at something—whether it's math, piano, pitching or ballet—he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun. This in turn makes it easier for the parent to get the child to work even more.
An excerpt from the book ‘Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother’ by Amy Chua, a professor at Yale Law School, appeared in the Wall Street Journal last week and it is still one of the most popular articles at the WSJ web site. The title of the article is ‘Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior’.
My own view is that the modern day Western parent is afraid that their child(ren) won’t like them if they are strict and insist on certain behaviors or actions.
Read this excerpt and then see the full article at WSJ.com
Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment.
By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.
I've thought long and hard about how Chinese parents can get away with what they do. I think there are several big differences between the Chinese and Western parental mind-sets.
I've noticed that Western parents are extremely anxious about their children's self-esteem.
Chinese parents believe that they know what is best for their children and therefore override all of their children's own desires and preferences.
What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up.
But if done properly, the Chinese strategy produces a virtuous circle. Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetition is underrated in America. Once a child starts to excel at something—whether it's math, piano, pitching or ballet—he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun. This in turn makes it easier for the parent to get the child to work even more.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Finding the right guys
In anticipation of the Auburn – Oregon BCS football game tonight I got thinking that if I was a major college football coach I would want the Auburn Football Coach who found, recruited and signed Cam Newton, the Heisman Trophy winning Auburn quarterback, on my staff.
Recruiting the best players is essential to winning Championships as Auburn has done in the SEC. Now they are competing to win the National Championship against Oregon.
I will be glad with whichever team wins tonight as I think they are both worthy of the title of Champions of College Football.
Recruiting the best players is essential to winning Championships as Auburn has done in the SEC. Now they are competing to win the National Championship against Oregon.
I will be glad with whichever team wins tonight as I think they are both worthy of the title of Champions of College Football.
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