Is there a problem here?...

The problem with the most Churches today is they expend a majority of their resources keeping their existing congregation entertained. They’ve made the relationship with God into just another thing to do. Week in and out, you go and get your religon-card punched and call yourself faithful. Dare I say it; Churches are more concerned with keeping their existing congregation coming to Church rather than spreading the Good News. I find this to be an incredible contradiction to the very foundation of our Faith. If the goal is to grow and to spread the Gospel, then to maintain headcount by preventing attrition is in contradiction to that goal. Here’s the Truth, the message will keep them faithful if it’s truly faith your are providing.

Even in my own professional arena we hit our current constituency with approximately 90% of our own messaging. That leaves roughly 10% of the resources left to grow constituency. However, our goal is to grow constituency by adding 2 million more names. Anyone else see the flaw?

Reverse that number and concentrate instead on growth. Get out into the community and provide interactive services to at risk or people in need. Expose all people to the Church by providing for the needy, offering quality family entertainment, and most of all, live as an example of Christ. Use popular media to promote the great things you are doing, and people will begin to associate what you are with positive feelings. Those feelings should grow into a curiosity to find out “why are these Christians so happy all of the time, how can they accomplish so much good in this world?” Here are some ideas I came up with on the fly:

Forget having the latest Christian band to play for your congregation; spend that money on a ‘free’ ski bus to send a group of folks up the mountain (seriously, you’d have a captive audience to witness to. Money well spent if you ask me).

Cancel that world renowned speaker you have scheduled and provide a ‘free’ street breakfast downtown.

Don’t put all of that energy into create 100+ small groups (my own Church has well over 200 small groups); reconfigure them to be community volunteer groups who actively seek opportunities to serve at soup kitchens, donation centers, hospitals, and even at city hall or the DMV.

If you concentrate on growth, spreading the Good News through your own actions, you will no longer need to worry about attrition. The growth will create more opportunities to be active and through this you can change your community for the better. After all, would Jesus be scheduling speakers, forming small groups, and booking bands for his congregation? Or, would he be out and about in the community touching as many lives as possible?

Where in the world is....?

Where is BHO on Gaza? Vacation of course. Why not? He still has the old “one president at a time” rule to fall back on. While the Middle east falls further into turmoil BHO can relax, on vacation, in a $9 mil home, where he can be free to finally ‘mourn’ his Grandmother (aka: ‘the rock’ of his family) 2 months after her death by showing his abs and playing golf.

This apparently has the world losing patience as well, see: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1102951/Shhhh-As-world-waits-Obama-voice-opinion-Gaza-Americas-President-elect-hits-golf-course.html

I just wonder why I am not surprised. After all, we are talking about a community organizer here, not some powerhouse politician. It’s also possible with all of the power troubles in Oahu they couldn’t get enough juice for a teleprompter.

The sound of one hand clapping...

My mind is better off now that I’ve seen the arguments for Intelligent Design, and I would say the same for the youth of america. It interesting to see how absolute scientists are regarding Natural Selection. I have to say, that if scientists were so absolute on Newton’s Laws the Einstein’s Theory of Relativity would never have taken hold.

I’ve never seen so adverse a reaction as when you even mention the ‘possibility’ of Intelligent Design into a scientific conversation. Last I remember the purpose of science was to hypothesize, then test, objectively. That part that really gets me on the subject is there are unexplained issues and flaws within the Darwinists theories, but somehow, through scientific community’s insistence, they are beyond reproach; such as: the failure to account for the origin of life from non-living matter, or the failure to account for natural selection’s demonstrable inability to produce any new genetic information, or the failure to explain immense complexities like the single cell, the eye, or the ear (problem of irreducible complexity). If you cannot admit to the possibility, then science itself is doomed.

I personally believe in God, and God as our creator. But that does not mean I can’t look at both sides of an argument. I believe the issue of the scientists is they have to admit that there is a possibility of a God to be able to enter into such a conversation. Which is so weird because some of these guys are die-hard sci-fi fans and dress up as Romulans, study Klingon, and dream about slaying dragons. However, the chance that there might be an omnipotent creator…well that’s fantasy. I also love how that actually removes the possibility of alien intervention, something most of these guys do believe in. How can you support both UFO’s and Natural Selection? Laughable…now go play with your Spock ears.

Conspiracy theory…

I’ve held a suspicious conspiracy theory for about [3] weeks now. Want to hear it? Here it goes….

The Broncos will have to play the Chargers to decide the AFC West. Amazingly, it has happened, it is not longer a theory but an actual occurrence. You may ask yourself, then why is this a conspiracy theory, what events could possibly lead you to believe in more than chance itself? Here’s my take:

Jay Cutler vs. Phillip Rivers

These two have had a long standing feud ever since 2007 when the two exchanged taunts. I personally remember seeing Rivers start it, but hey, I am also biased. Every sport needs a rivalry (Earnhardt v Gordon, Yankees v. Sox, Avalanche v. Red Wings, etc…); it doesn’t hurt that these two young QB’s came into the league around the same time, play in the same division, and are both quite charismatic.

The feud has even gotten press as recent as 12/4; Yahoo! Article: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cr-badblood120408&prov=yhoo&type=lgns ; A google search will turn up quite a bit more on this ongoing feud.


Come from behind/Cinderella story

The Chargers were down [3] games and were counted out. The Broncos have held the division lead since the 1st game of the season. No one expected to see the Chargers in this situation. Yet, here we are, they have played tough, and put themselves in a position to do something that has never been done. Everyone loves an underdog.

Ratings

What a ratings machine this will be. NO TEAM has ever lost a division lead when up by [3] games; well, the Broncos have officially done it. The winner of this weekend’s match-up will win the Division, and host a play-off game. In an era of declining ticket sales, the recession, and lack of an exciting story; The NFL has managed to produce a week 17 match-up that actually matters. Seriously, when most teams will be playing their benchwarmers to stay healthy for the play-off, and most fans tune out for lack of interest. Now there is something to buzz about in the NFL, imagine that. THIS JUST IN: The Broncos/Chargers game has just been moved ot prime time. Kickoff is not 8:15pm ET (From 4:15pm ET)

You tell me if this is all mere coincidence ;-)

Honoring Christmas…

Some of us forget that this season, for many of us who would call ourselves followers of Christ, is all about the birth of our Savior. With all of the commercialization and ‘sensitivity’ around the even mentioning the word, it can take us away from why we really celebrate Christmas. I personally am on a mission to change that a little.

How? Simple, I have made a promise to be overly kind, generous, and spread a little peace on earth in the name of our Lord. I challenge you to as well.

We can all simply modify our behavior just a bit in favor of kindness, and Christmas. Here are some examples….

• Hold the door for a stranger, then wish them a Merry Christmas
• Buy a stranger a coffee at your local coffee shop, and wish them a Merry Christmas
• Give up your place in line to a stranger, and wish them a Merry Christmas
• Write Merry Christmas, on the top of your credit card slips as you sign your
  name helping the business recognize your appreciation for Christmas.
• Honestly, in everything you do, try to include a Merry Christmas…and be kind
  to one another.

Oh, and I truly wish you and yours a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The power of Twitter…

The power of Twitter…

I’ve been on Twitter for about as long as I’ve held this blog (http://twitter.com/frmrdj). I’ve found the key is to be active on Twitter, and for that sake, I have only been active for a week. It all started with curiosity, but now I’m finding it to be a useful way to spread information. I also think it takes advantage of need for quick spurts of information due to our ever shortening attention spans.

I have [3] examples of creative uses of Twitter:

1st; #TCOT, or True Conservatives On Tweeter (http://www.topconservativesontwitter.org), have been incredibly active with a ranking function to identify who is the Top Conservative; they have recently launched a new campaign that is getting tremendous buzz. Operation: Three Little Piggies (re: The piggies being: CEO of Chrysler, CEO of GM, and UAW President)

http://www.tcot-otlp.org/

2nd, Babycenter.com had an interesting interactive way to drive a targeted audience to their site. Why not? Who wouldn’t be curious to predict the height of their baby?

http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/child-height-predictor?scid=pcbulletin_20081216:2&pe=4wFnVD

3rd, You may have heard of the Comcast stalker; well, in a sense it is a proactive way to meet a client’s needs before they call you. They have an agent, or agents sift through the “tweets” looking for people mentioning Comcast, and proactively call them if they mention trouble with their service. It’s a good idea and other service industries should take note. (GM, Southwest, and JetBlue have since followed suit)

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2008/tc2008095_320491.htm


I honestly feel this is just the tip of the Twitter iceberg as several new ‘tweeter-apps’ are being released daily to further the ease of use…such as:

Twurl
http://tweetburner.com/
(To shorten URL’s since you are limited to 140 characters per tweet)

Outtwit
http://www.techhit.com/OutTwit/
(Enables you to use Twitter from MS Outlook)


Many others can be found here:

http://twitter.pbwiki.com/Apps

Chalk one up...

Chalk one up to Live Action Films. It was announced today that another Indianna Planned Parenthood employee was suspended as a result of an undercover video produced by Live Action Films. (latest video below, for as long as YouTube will allow it)

http://www.liveactionfilms.org/



"The release of the video today led one lawmaker to urge Attorney General Steve Carter to investigate and to ask the Family and Social Services Administration to suspend Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood of Indiana.

Planned Parenthood says it has suspended without pay a counselor shown in the second video while it investigates the matter. Planned Parenthood fired an aide at a Bloomington clinic after the release of a similar video two weeks ago by Live Action, which has three chapters in California and one in Oregon."

I'm obviously appaled at the brashness of these so called counselors. I can only imagine how many times this has happened prior to these videos being released. The only victory here is that it is being exposed and the funding is being suspended, albeit, temporarily.

Another wrong being commited is YouTube's banning of these videos. They outright censor them. Yet I can hear all about japenese martial aides or extreme defication. Some of the most disturbing videos in the world are published to YouTube every day and these videos from Live Action Films get censored. Silly....eh?

Let's look at the irony of it all, lawmakers make it nearly impossible fior a child to have bendryl at school; yet these counselors can tell our children how to get an abortion without our knowledge. Ar you hearing me AG Steve Carter? I'll say it loud and clear "Throw the book at these people".

Life is a gift....

This is the time of year when folks go to 'holiday' parties (how dare they call it a Christmas Party, wouldn't want to offend anyone), and their CEO or President tells them all about the wonderful work they've done all year, highlighting sucessfull projects and milestones, and talks about how they look forward to next year. "Were going to have a great year, team!"

The following is excerpted Cecile Richard’s (of Planned Parenthood) annual report to stakeholders…

• We provided medical services to more than three million people and helped prevent an estimated 621,000 unintended pregnancies in the U.S. alone.
• Our activists and supporters helped convince 11 more states to decline federal abstinence-only funding, bringing the total to 26.
• We helped defeat anti-choice legislation and ballot initiatives across the country, including 33 of the 34 abortion ban bills introduced in state legislatures in 2008.

Sobering; 621,000 lives ended this year and PP is rejoicing over another successful year. 621,000 mothers, for whatever reason, would not keep their babies. I will pray for them and hope they will find comfort. I wish I could be upset, but I’m really just saddened.

Saturday, I was driving around town, doing the usual holiday routine, not thinking about anything other than the weeks to come. Then, as if it were a five-story stop sign planted right in front of me, I was stalled. I saw a billboard with an incredible blue eyed, blonde haired, smiling baby on it. It had a bright white background with only [5] words on it:

“Smile, your mom chose Life”.

That was all I needed to remind me that there are bigger things in this world. Larger than my Christmas, larger than what days I may need to take off for the holidays. It is Life itself.

[8] years ago I had never really bought into the pro-life movement. I always said, abortion is not for me, but who am I to tell others what to do with their bodies. That means for twenty five years I went through this world non-stop, not seeing the signs, or at least not taking the time to read them. That is, until two things happened in my life.

First, I had a child. It’s amazing what a joy that is. Words cannot describe the happiness in my life all a direct result of having children. I have [2] now and they are both incredible. In fact, my wife and I are looking into fostering and adopting to help bring the joy of family into others lives.

The second was listening to a very compelling testimony from Gianna Jesson (I’ve mentioned her in a blog before). It is incredible what this young woman had achieved and terrible what she had to go through as an abortion survivor.

http://www.giannajessen.com/EPK/bio.html

It’s those two moments in my life that helped me realize that Life is amazing. It is a gift, and an honor to be alive. Use your time here wisely, and never, ever, take that gift from anyone else.

It's always money...

I’ve decided not to talk about the Broncos. I do not need any reminders of a terrible outing vs. a very good Carolina team. My prediction of a 1st round play-off loss still stands. That is, if the Broncos make the play-offs; this very well could come down to the final game of the season vs. Sand Diego and re-ignite the Jay Cutler/Philip Rivers feud. Rivalries can be good, high blood-pressure and heart break aside.

On to BHO; I read results of a recent Zogby poll stating 71% of “born-again” Christians opposed the Freedom of Choice Act; yet many of these “born again” Christians are the very same people who voted for BHO. I know I keep going back to this, but with the media distortion I felt many Christians weren't able to see the policy vs. the personality difference. They were, in effect, led astray. The rude awakening will be when they figure out that many of BHO’s policies are indeed in direct conflict with the Christian faith. Ex: BHO’s campaign promise to Planned Parenthood to sign the Freedom of Choice Act as “the first thing I will do as president”. This act virtually removes all State and Federal laws regarding abortions, such as parental notifications in the case of a minor (that's right, you're daughter can have a Federally funded abortion and you'll never know), and informed consent for women. Remember, this is a bill that BHO co-sponsored in the Senate.

Then there’s the 81% of “born again” Christians that support the ban on partial birth abortions, yet BHO voted against such a ban [4] times while in the senate.

Then there’s the say one thing yet do another; BHO’s position of saying he does not support gay marriage but making another campaign promise to strike down the Federal Defense of Marriage Act. Why? This is not a reflection of many deeply held religious values by Christians, Jews, or Muslims.

So you might ask yourself, what purpose does it serve? I know, I know; money, of course.

PP has turned abortion into a cash-cow. With Federal and State tax dollars they’ve been able to create a considerable cash surplus. Since they are a “non-profit” that money has to be spent. Wait, so why do my tax dollars support this industry again? They obviously have more than enough money to continue their mission of infanticide. Oh, that’s right, they can put that money back into the hands of the politicians that keep granting them the funds. That makes sense? Huh? What?

We get upset at oil companies for their ‘windfall profits’ and demand the government ‘do something about it’ by taking away their tax breaks; why do we not get upset at other government tax breaks and funding to companies making profits? As long as abortion remains birth-control for the immoral, and population control for children who may be born with special needs, it will continue to grow and remain profitable for those who support it. The excess is then funneled into politics, and there you have it, an endless cycle.

People get militant at the thought of mixing religion and politics, here’s a thought, get militant at mixing money and politics. Then, maybe, your government will actually work for you.

Burning ants and dancing....

Excerpt from and Alexander Burns article (12/11/2008; http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/16481)

“Over a period of fewer than 10 days, Democrats have seen their nominee go down in defeat in the Georgia Senate runoff — eliminating the prospect of a filibuster-proof majority — lost two winnable House races in Louisiana and witnessed House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) sink deeper into ethics trouble.

Then there’s the still-unfolding Illinois Senate debacle, which exposed Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s tawdry attempts to auction off President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat and forced Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) to hold a press conference Wednesday denying any inappropriate discussions with the governor.”

I’m not going to say I take anything gleefully away from these happenings, but I do see a small shard of light. And with that light, when properly magnified and focused you can burn more than just ants. I also have to agree with many of the bloggers that if there is any way that BHO made it through Chicago Politics corruption free; I’ll gladly put on a tutu and perform the nutcracker in the middle of Millennium Park center stage of the Jay Pritzker Pavillion.



Trust me, I’m not going tutu shopping anytime soon. We’ve already been privy to Rezko and Ayers, there’s more…there’s always more. You simply can’t come out of nowhere, to a national stage without owing/doing favors. (see the 20+ Harvard alumni already on staff in BHO’s transition teams) I wonder what role Oprah has in the new admin? ;-)

Are the Broncos cursed at RB?

Those familiar with the NFL have likely heard of the ‘Madden Curse' and the 'Sports Illustrated Cover Curse', but who would have ever thought the Broncos were cursed at Running Back (RB)? With Peyton Hillis being their latest RB to hit the Injured Reserve (IR), that makes [5]. Yes, I said [5] Running Backs for one team have all sustained season ending injuries.

Most teams only carry [3] RB’s into a season without even a thought of ever having to hand over your offense to the 3rd string guy (sometimes a 4th RB is placed on the Practice Squad Roster, which is separate from the Active Roster).

The Broncos have used [6] different starting RB’s, and [8] have seen significant playing time due to injuries. Wow, imagine the personnel department and what they have had to go through. I’d be hesitant to sign with the Broncos for fear of going down. ;-)

The last man standing (limping really) is Selvin Young, who has had [1] carry in the last [7] games, due to an injury that was re-aggravated on the single carry. Luckily, he has not been placed on IR.

They brought in Tatum Bell a couple of weeks back, and he appears to be the starter for now while Selvin Young is recovering. They must be feeling very comfortable with Tatum and Selvin for the remainder of the year as when they placed Peyton Hillis in the IR they signed another Tight End (TE). My advice, start scouting another RB. I tend to use historical trends in predictive modeling. If that is the case, the Broncos need to get someone signed and their nose in the playbook as they are losing a running back every 2.16 games. Is there any good news? (Do I need to invite Little Optimist for this one?) There is; there are only [3] regular season games remaining, though the Broncos can clinch the division with [1] more win or a San Diego loss which would guarantee them at least [1] playoff appearance. That said, see my earlier prediction of a 1st round playoff loss. If this is true, they have exactly enough RB’s to play out their season according to my numbers.

Don’t even get me started on the injury plagued Defense….

Worse before it gets better…

Since Obama is never really clear in what he is saying, I wonder if this is what he was referring to? ;-)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081209/ap_on_re_us/blagojevich_corruption_probe

I have to admit, I didn’t know much about the IL Gov, but (and here’s the media for you) this article makes him sound like hardened garbage can sludge. I can’t wait for the wire-taps to become public, this will be a popcorn moment.

In other news, I am wary of this so called Fairness Doctrine. I agree that it is outdated, and unnecessary. I believe it does violate the 1st Amendment. However, I am not a Supreme Court Justice. So my opinion only matters with my vote. Which, I take very seriously and never miss poll, primary, or election. Over the next 4 years I plan to hold “election parties” in my home where family, friends, and even strangers can gather at my house, we’ll drive to the polls together, vote, and return home for food and fellowship. That’s another story for another time though, especially since I haven’t told my wife yet ;-).

Back to the Doctrine; Here we have a legislation that was repealed in 1987. In 2005 Dem’s started bringing it back into the limelight. Now, here it is again. The Fairness Doctrine basically requires media to provide opposing views regarding ‘Controversial’ subjects. If passed, it will have the greatest affect on Conservative and Christian Radio. Where everything is often deemed ‘Controversial’ to someone. Providing a pro-choice and pro-homosexual opinion would just turn these audiences off, if not outright offend them, since much of this audience holds deeply religious views. It will also adversely affect those who advertise on these stations, which in turn adversely affects these stations revenue.

I think Stewart Shepherd says it best in his video clip:



More of Stewart here:

http://www.citizenlink.org/videofeatures/A000008831.cfm


If only I could trust executing the Fairness Doctrine would be done in a Hannity & Colmes fashion I’d be more accepting. Since I realize this is the media we are talking about, I become more concerned.

Now here is my little optimist dropping by to say a little something:

“Hi guys, I’m Rob’s optimist ;-) Isn’t it a great day!?!? It sure is. There are two good things, potentially, that can come from the Fairness Doctrine that the liberal media may be missing. 1st, they too will be required to present a conservative view…yep. Oh Happy Day, and good luck to you CNN. Also, since Blogging is still unregulated, perhaps the conservative voice will go underground and we can begin talking sense to the masses as they likely will cancel their newspapers (wait, that already happened), turn off their TV’s (which is a great thing if you ask me), set all their radio stations to sports talk radio (since everything else will be too confusing), and subscribe to my blog! Yaaaaaayyyy!”

Thanks little optimist, you’re always so chipper!

“Thank you Rob, you’re always so darned handsome and well spoken!”

Well said….here, here.

What, no change?

So first, euphoria, remember the “mortgage lady” Peggy Joseph?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI

Then there were the excuses…people began saying “give him time” and “...most change will take longer than his 1st term”. Even Oprah rang in with her request for leniency. (I wish I could find a transcript)

Now, I see the left is actually worried that there is no ‘change’. Even upset about it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081208/pl_politico/16292

I stand by my earlier statements or as I like to call it "BO" (Before Obama) statements; you elect inexperience, you get inexperience. Or, if you order fish from a menu, you often get fish on your plate. Moral: Know what it is you are asking for.

I saw a bumper sticker the other day, it was very simple, but it really spoke to me. It read:

"Even I have more experience than Obama"

Forget the bumper sticker; I'd like the T-Shirt please. Size 2T, for my daughter.

More Polling...

Remember the “How Obama Got elected” website I’ve referred to in the past? The site continues to provide updated information including a new ‘Wilson Research Poll’ which duplicated the ‘Zogby Poll’ questions. The results, relatively unchanged, and virtually identical. It’s amazing I love analytics so much since I truly disliked statistics in college.

Maybe it’s like vegetables, the popular opinion is they are yucky, but they are so good for you. And, when you actually research for yourself, not all of them are yucky. I’m assuming there is a “media bias” leading us all to hate vegetables too. Anyway, see results below.

See the video from John Zeigler’s appearance on ‘Hannity & Colmes’.

Wilson Research Poll

The 12 "Zogby Poll" questions were duplicated; one on the Keating scandal was added for extra balance. The results from Obama voters were virtually IDENTICAL in both polls.

Here are the highlights:

35 % of McCain voters got 10 or more of 13 questions correct.

18% of Obama voters got 10 or more of 13 questions correct.

McCain voters knew which party controls congress by a 63-27 margin.

Obama voters got the “congressional control” question wrong by 43-41.

Those that got "congressional control" correct voted 56-43 for McCain.

Those that got "congressional control" wrong voted 65-35 for Obama.

The poll also asked voters to name all the media sources from which they got information.

Those “exposed” to Fox News got "congressional control" correct 64-25 (+39)

Those “exposed” to CNN got “congressional control” correct 48-38 (+10)

Those “exposed” to Network news got “congressional control” correct 48-39 (+9)

Those “exposed” to print media got “congressional control” correct 52-37 (+15)

Those “exposed” to MSNBC got “congressional control” correct 55-35 (+20)

Those “exposed” to talk radio got “congressional control” correct 61-29 (+32)

Voters in the "South" had the best response rate on “congressional control” (+22)

Voters in the "Northeast" had the worst response rate on “congressional control” (+9)

Those “exposed” to Fox News voted 70-29 for McCain.

Those “exposed” to CNN voted 63-37 for Obama.

Those “exposed” to MSNBC voted 73-26 for Obama.

Those “exposed” to network newscasts voted 62-37 for Obama.

Those “exposed” to national newspapers voted 64-36 for Obama.

Those “exposed” to talk radio voted 61-38 for McCain.

Tolerance...it's ok.

It seems that in the world today tolerance is ok, as long as you agree with me. Take the Prop 8 backlash for example. A portion of the homosexual agenda is to promote their message of tolerance, that is, until you disagree with them. Then they become intolerant. I don’t blame them entirely. It’s not like they are the only group who says one thing and then does another. However, It reminds me of a line in an Austin Powers Movie (I wish I could remember which, agreeing that they are all pretty much the same plot and content, only the villains change)…

” There are only two things I can't stand in this world. Those who are intolerant of other people's cultures... and the French.”

Here’s where I often get criticized for my personal beliefs. I have a family member, who is gay. I love that family member. I wish they weren’t gay, but I don’t love them any less. It’s because I have strong moral and Judeo-Christian values I can love them, but still disagree with their lifestyle. The family member I am referring to knows how I feel, and still loves and appreciates me. Our relationship as a family is fine, we don’t send white powdery substances to one another, and we don’t burn each others homes down, or protest each others places of employment. We just simply disagree. In fact, I’m sure a lot of families have disagreements, and learn to live with those disagreements.

This is what I call tolerance. I encourage you to try it.

We're in trouble...

I was reading a report online about how Americans have lost our civic knowledge. Then I was directed to the video below.

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/ifmedia.aspx#flashcontent2

All I can do is shrug. I can no longer ask myself about “How Obama was elected?” It seems the average Joe (Six Pack), possibly even Joe the plumber himself, may not have enough information about “how stuff works” to even know why they are voting, let alone who they are voting for.

I’m appalled. Two quotes come to mind:

“Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it. — "George Santayana

“Mediocrity is forgiven more easily than talent. — “Emil Krotky

It is my opinion that Education, Morality, and Righteousness seem to have little value in these United States. To think I once called Canada, America Jr. We in the US are quickly becoming Canada Minor, or France-West, or Sweden’s Love Child. The irony is most American’s wouldn’t even get what I am saying, worse, I doubt whether more than 50% would be able to correctly identify Sweden on a Map. We are indeed in trouble…

Excited? Sort of…

It’s all about the Broncos; here’s what one Yahoo columnist wrote: (Michael Silver’s Morning Rush, 12/1/2008)

“So you think you have the Broncos all figured out? Yeah, sure you do. Here’s what this playoff-bound team did in November: Lost at home to the Dolphins, pulled out a wild road victory at Cleveland, upset the Falcons in Atlanta, got blown out at home by the Raiders and, on Sunday, ended the Jets’ five-game winning streak at chilly, rainy Giants Stadium by a 34-17 score. Another stealth MVP candidate, Jay Cutler, had a monster game (27-of-43, 357 yards, two TDs, one interception) that set him apart from John Elway in one way: Elway, one of the greatest players in football history, absolutely hated throwing a wet ball. Conversely Cutler, coach Mike Shanahan told reporters, “embraced throwing in the rain. He likes it. There is nothing that seems to bother him. Some guys it bothers, others it doesn’t.” Like the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals, Denver, despite its inferior divisional competition and choppy campaign, has an offense explosive enough to make it a potentially dangerous playoff team.”

It’s amazing how up and down the Bronco’s season has been. It feels like the ’93 season where they had an explosive offense, but played to their competition. The takeaway differential was much more favorable in 1993 at +3 than this year’s lowly -12 (horrendous), plus Elway was sacked 39 times that year to Cutler’s mere 7 this year (amazing).

I suppose what I’m trying to illustrate is, save subtle balance issues, the teams are eerily similar. That said, the Broncos lost in the 1st round in 1993 and I very much see a similar outcome this year. Given all of the Bronco’s injuries, well you have to hope they can get healthy in time for the playoffs. If not, I predict a 9-7 record (just as in ’93) and a 1st round playoff loss.

Family, Food, and Football

Today, there was so much to be thankful for. Great to see all of our family; we are so blessed. Food was amazing. My wife really outdid herself today. And to cap it all off, 3 football games.

It is snowing this evening, incredibly light and fluffy; A pure white blanket on my lawn. I’m surprised it started sticking so early, but It is wonderful, especially since we have no where to be but here, at home.

So until Monday, we’ll be enjoying our time-off together.

Thank you Lord, for everything.

www.jeremygrantcreative.com

Hey y'all, just wanted to take a moment to promote my good friend Jeremy Grant. He is now doing freelance work. Check out his website for a look-see.



http://www.jeremygrantcreative.com/

Thanks!

On the eve of Thanksgiving, I am just feeling rather grateful. We are having our family over tomorrow, including my Grandmother, Aunt, and Uncle from AZ. This should be a full house. I can’t be more thankful for the many ways my family has been blessed. Sure, some of us have health issues, financial issues, and many other issues. But we all get to spend another holiday, together, and be very thankful for that opportunity as they are limited.

So from me, to all of you who have touched my life; thank you. You are appreciated and I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!

Oh, and another thing. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not exactly a Trekkie. That said, I have watched just about every episode of the original and the Next Generation as well as many, many episodes of Deep Space 9 and Voyager. I never could get into Enterprise (the latest run). I’m a fan, just not obsessed. I’ve never been to a convention, nor wore a costume representing a character. However, you can’t help but be a little excited about J.J. Abrams new Star Trek. The trailer looks great. See for yourself:

Change...oh yeah!

Obama = Clinton’s 3rd term, it’s the change we got. Swallow it, as bitter as it tastes, as it is what you voted for (not I). Maybe now those who were so infatuated with this individual, who are likely the verge of denial right now(natural human reaction to change), will learn to become an informed voter. I was amazed when I watched the video at howobamagotelected.com.

http://www.howobamagotelected.com/

I seriously cannot wait for the documentary to come out. I doubt it will receive the hype Fahrenheit 9/11, or any other Bush Bash film did or even would today. However, I think it is important for the public to see how they were manipulated by the media. I had a conversation with a co-worker, months before the election, where we agreed this is sort of the ‘Media’s Last Stand’ to prove they still carry influence. Looking at the decline in newspaper readership, the myriad of online news sources and how they’ve grown over the years. I truly believe this was an almost coordinated effort to prove they still had the power of influence. Well, it worked, you win, we, as the American voting public….lose.



Image credits: Pat Oliphant, 11/24/2008
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/uclickcomics/20081124/cx_po_uc/po20081124

More ugh....

So, my brother and I did attend the Broncos v. Raiders game at Mile High (Invesco) Stadium. I can’t offer many analytics; in fact, it was such an awful performance I have very little comment. I was witness to many missed offensive opportunities for the Broncos that included a couple of badly overthrown passes and at least 2 wide-open receivers. Turnovers, missed field goals, and a Raiders punt return for a touchdown sucked the life out of that stadium on Sunday.

Yet, we stayed (unlike the majority of the fans) until the final whistle blew. Afterwards we waited near the barricaded players exits for autographs. I scored a Jay cutler and Ebenezer Ekuban autograph. Brandon Marshall was also signing auto’s but only for the kids (admirable). I was impressed that Jay Cutler and Ebenezer stayed to sign every autograph in the chilly weather. I think this is an important way to say thank you to the fans. Especially after a loss.

The Broncos have lost 3 straight home games. This is not helping them with ticket sales. There were over 2,700 no-shows according to the announcer. The Miami game I attended had a similar number of no-shows. I’m sure the economy lends itself to the issue, but (Team owner’s listen up) if you continue to raise the ticket prices and put out a mediocre product, you will continue to see a decline in sporting venue attendance. I’ve never understood the logic in raising ticket prices annually. It’s like they push the consumers to the limit. How far can we go until we see a decline in attendance?….well, you have your answer. Other than the barrage of advertisements and TV time outs, I’d have to say that watching the game from home is surpassing the in-stadium experience. You get more viewing angles, and replays, than you might at the stadium. For my brother and I to attend the live performance, it cost $130 in tickets, $25 in souvenirs, and about $30 in concessions. That’s $185 in lost funds for a single game experience. Conversely, if we had stayed home to watch the game we would likely have spent next to nothing. Though I would have bought the $25 bronco foamhead eventually ;-)…

Broncos update…

I am going to this weekend’s game, taking my brother again. I’m going to force him to listen to Dennis Prager (Radio Personality, Conservative, Judeo-Christian theologian….smart guy) on the drive to Denver ;-) I’m not trying to convert him or change his mind, I just have a CD where Prager talks about many of the humanist effects on culture and even to the non-religious it is fascinating.

Those that don’t know my brother is not exactly a follower of Christ. He still refers to the Bible as a B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth). Those that know me know I am never overt in my Christianity, just if asked, I will provide my best Christian Worldview answer.

Back to the Broncos: Raiders week, grrrrr. I am so anxious to get there. Anyone else attach their tickets to their fridge with magnets? Since I am in the fridge often, I see them often, and euphoric rushes begin to resonate throughout my body. I guess you would say I’m pretty hyped.

Brandon Marshall was suspended for their 1st meeting, and still the Broncos picked them apart. That was with Stokley, Jackson, and Royal. With the Rookie WR Eddie Royal schooling the 2-time pro-bowl CB DeAngelo Hall. The now Hall-less Raiders with have to account for Marshall. Likely drawing the cover of Nnamdi Asomugha , arguably the most feared CB in the NFL (Arguably as I still consider Champ Bailey the most feared CB in NFL history, let alone today). I don’t think the Raiders can risk pulling Safety Gibril Wilson to double cover Marshall with Royal on the other side.

Hopefully we’ll witness another dismantling of the Raiders by the Broncos. I’ll enjoy a nice icy beverage, and get an autograph after the game. (Yes, I still stand in line as if I were 12 yrs old and pester these poor professionals for their names). At the Miami game I got Daniel Graham to autograph my Broncos Memorabilia, and left it on the Broncos Bus on our way home. Sad, sad, sad…

That said, I do have plenty of NASCAR, MLB, and NFL autographs so I’m still a pretty lucky guy.

Unions are great!

Ahh, the good old days of unsafe working conditions, unfair wages, and oppressive bosses. Wait? Is this the 19th century or the 21st? What is the purpose of OSHA? Aren’t there federal laws protecting the worker that limit the amount of hours as well? As for wages, well, I truly believe they are a supply and demand issue. You have a higher number of unemployed skilled workers, the pay corrects itself. I would say I believe in the market, and its fluidity when it comes to fair wages.

It’s my belief, and personal opinion, that the union is no longer necessary and in many cases detrimental to the success of our economy. They can be linked to why the auto industry is hurting so badly. Why the Airline industry is hurting. I even believe it can be linked to why education is not what it should be. Argue if you will, but this is my opinion.

I’d even challenge someone to point me to a union run industry that is thriving. I wish I had a more informative, inspirational post today, I do. I’m just not ‘feeling’ the union. A lot of this comes from the Auto Industry bailout that congress, wisely I might say, decided not to bail out. (so far anyway)

Corporate exec’s can’t ask for handouts when they are accepting $25 million /yr bonuses such as Ford Motor Co’s CEO did for 2007. You, as a CEO, should be embarrassed to accept a bonus, when you haven’t turned a profit in, how many quarters? This is not only Ford’s burden; GM’s CEO got $15 million last year.

BTW: Ford, Chrysler, GM, why aren’t Toyota and Honda asking for anything? Could it be that they manage their expenses better? Also, I just want to know, why are you building so many cars if they are not selling? Why are automobile prices still so high if no one is buying? I don’t like seeing good American workers lose their jobs, but I also have a terrible distaste for corporate waste.

'Triumph the Insult Comic dog' has it right; "yes, yes, the bailouts are great....for me to poop on!"

We are amazing...

I was giving advice to a group of friends when I coined the below:

"It’s like learning to walk, if you haven’t learned how to fall down, you’ll never be able to stand without fear."

I wanted to share it, since it is so true. Observe a child, in all of their awkwardness they truly operate without fear.

Why is that? Well, simple of course. A child is truly born innocent, and fear has not yet been defined for them. Learning to walk is something I think we all take for granted. We struggled; none of us were born walking as seen in nature. The powerful horse, the enormous elephant, and the lanky giraffe, are all born able to walk. We, as humans, crawl before we walk. Yet, in trying, we fall, and fall, and fall. Determined, we pull ourselves up again and again. Then, one day, we just walk and never look back.

I am often amazed at how wonderful we really are. If someone honestly thinks we were actually made from ‘space junk’ and ‘evolved from single celled organisms’, you are only kidding yourself. If your ‘theory’ held water, then why are there 8 other empty planets, from that same space junk, orbiting our sun? Why has no meteorite ever contained any living organism. In the immortal words of the C&C Music Factory…”things that make you go hmmm”.

Or in the truly beautiful words of scripture;

Gen 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Interesting to note, those familiar with scripture, that man and woman were created last of all creatures. This was in honor and favor; honor for that man was the advancement of less perfect creatures; and favor was to have man in a place that was designed for him.

I am so blessed to have returned home to live in Colorado. I can breathe in the fresh air as it was meant to be breathed (mostly free of man made pollution). I can look outside any window and view the most amazing of panoramas. At night, as the sun is tucking itself behind the mountains, the most wonderful skylines are created of blue, red, orange, and purple.

Space junk, get real Karl Sagan.

I want to be a loser...sort of...

I remember watching a movie, where the main character, a pro-golfer, won a significant amount of money finishing in last place. I thought, well there it is. Play golf all day, and even if you come in last, you make a decent living. This got me to thinking; what other sports have significant payouts for coming in last?

NASCAR:

The last race held in Homestead, FL on Nov. 16th, 2008; paid $61,876 to the last place finisher, Kurt Busch, who, due to an accident, completed only 207 of 267 laps.

A far cry from the $256,735 the Kenny Wallace received for coming in last in the 2008 Daytona 500 completing only 141 of 200 laps. (1st place was over 1.5 Mil).

Vroom Vroom, how can I qualify my Maxima?


Boxing:

De la Hoya v. Mayweather. This was a split decision in which Mayweather was considered, ultimately the winner.

De la Hoya took home $25 million, with his Golden Boy Promotions set to receive half of the pay-per-view revenue from more than 1 million homes, while "Pretty Boy Floyd" Mayweather, amassed $10 million for the fight.

Punch me out anytime; just give me the check in advance. I’m insured.

I think I’ve made my point here. In some cases, it pays to be a loser.

Stimulus and the Recession...

How did we get so lazy, me in particular? I have found it perfectly acceptable to pay someone $.99 to clean and iron my shirts. Avg 5 shirts a week; and I can feasibly budget $257.40 (not including tax, and the occasional pants at 1.99 ea.). My only justification is, I found the cheapest dry cleaner in town and I hate ironing.

Am I really that lazy? $257.40 x.075 (city taxes) = $275.70, just in shirts. Honestly, those shirts can adjoin to my existing laundry and I can, conceivably iron them during Sunday football.

So I’m hyper focused on one aspect of my yearly output. If I put the same energy into oil changes, car washes, eating out (wow, that’s probably bigger than I imagine) I’ll bet I can come up with $1k, maybe even more.

Conversely, these are uncertain economical times. If I, as an individual, cut my expenses, that would make little impact on the economy but a significant amount of saving for myself. However, if everyone were to think like this, and a significant amount of the community stopped going to the locally owned dry cleaner, or oil change shop, or car wash. You get the idea. By cutting back we are contributing to the decline. Layoffs and job losses are a direct result of decreased demand for services.

I wonder if anyone ever looked at how much ‘spend’ occurred from the latest stimulus package. With all of the retail chains closing, how much did it really help? How many people pocketed the cash and saved it for a ‘rainy day’? I’m willing to bet the majority of folks used it to pay of existing debt (meaning items purchased some time ago) and it had no affect on the current economy.

I’m not in favor of stimulus checks; I’m not in favor of government handouts of any kind. I don’t think I’m alone. I’ve worked for everything I have, and I am thankful, and donate to charity regularly. This is patriotic.

Now, I’m not saying we should all go dry clean our shirts to help the economy. But I believe we can all agree that a stimulus does nothing if it is not spent. Even then, it is only a temporary boost. Yet, it takes budget away from somewhere. The money does not come from thin air. Therefore, either a government programs get cut (not likely under this administration, in fact we were already told they would grow), or ultimately, our taxes will increase to compensate. (Very likely, though I don’t have all of the details, I thought the way the stimulus was funded was through our taxable income/refunds)

I have never met one person that considers paying taxes enjoyable nor ‘patriotic’. I’d even be willing to say the majority of the folks receiving and using the stimulus checks were paying very little into the tax pool from which they were funded.

What can I do to stimulate the economy? Drive my car, enjoy an overpriced hot beverage, and eat the occasional ’value meal’ from time to time. I can tell you now; I am certainly doing my part. Chick-Fil-A today ;-)

Sports...looking forward to the weekend

Ok, back to the Broncos; Big weekend with Atlanta. Jason Elam (now with the Falcons) faces off against his former team (the Broncos). ‘The Tater’ (Tatum Bell) has returned (with his own luggage I assume). Coach Shannahan says Tatum is not quite in football shape yet (considering he was managing a T-Mobile in a mall the last 4 mos, I’d agree, who can resist a Cinn-a-bon when they are right there). That said, with the condition of the Broncos running back corps I think he’ll get a few carries. Let’s see if he can maintain his 4.9 yds /p carry average. It’s amazing to me that a man that was considered expendable in Detroit (0-7) is being hailed a savior to the Broncos running game.

My opinion, the Broncos ‘D’ will have trouble containing Michael Turner. Shannahan will over compensate with a safety in the box and Matt Ryan will have a huge day.

Brandon Marshall will likely pull double coverage from the Falcons 'D'. Look for Eddie Royal to have several intermediate opportunities. Also, with Tony Sheffler still ailing, we won’t see the deceptive 2 TE Set too often if at all. Likely a lot of 3 WR slot sets (Marshall, Royal, Stokely) with another big day for Jay Cutler. Due to the formation limitations, the run will be less easy to hide and the Falcons will be able to settle into a Situational D guided by down and distance rather than be off balance and reactive.

Can you tell I miss the 2-TE set? You can disguise running and pass plays much more effectively. Hurry back Tony Sheffler, then maybe we can win a play-off game. Since the AFC-Worst is exactly that, the Broncos should have no problem reaching the pre-season goal of making the play-offs. Odds are, Denver will face the #1 seed based on record. That will hurt.

Other sports related news, the rise of Jimmy Johnson in the NASCAR world is uncanny. The season finale to the 36 race NASCAR season wraps up in Homestead. FL. Johnson is about to accomplish what only one other driver in history has been able to achieve. A 3-peat for the Championship. Cale Yarborough, an amazing driver, is the only other person to win 3 Championships in a row. What makes it more monumental is the #48 team of Jimmy Johnson has endured 3 seasons of rule changes, car changes, and other challenges including crew chief suspensions an still is dominating. Only Carl Edwards (the back flip guy and driver of the #99) has a chance to play spoiler. Jimmy Johnson only needs to finish 36th or better to clinch. I can call it right here, Jimmy 3-peats. Congrats to the #48 team and Hendrick Motor Sports.

2012, short list.

Here's the short list of potential 2012 front runners gathering steam on the web right now:

Mitt Romney
Sarah Palin
Mike Huckabee
Bobby Jindal
Mark Sanford
Tim Pawlenty
Michael Steele
Mike Pence
Sam Brownback
Start campaigning now, albeit 4 years early, we can really get a head of steam around one of these fine folks. Be outspoken on any Obama Admin misteps and we take momentum into 2012. In fact, if there is anyone in the Colorado are working on any of these campaigns, let me know what I can do to help.

Persecution? Really?...come on

You know, my grandfather, and many from his generation would be visibly upset at the site of some protester burning an American flag. I never fully understood or grasped that type of emotional response. That is, until yesterday.

Those who really know me know that I am a very accommodating soul. I tend to lean towards doing the righteous thing rather than the right thing in order to create win-win situations, as long as it doesn’t violate my moral values or my religious freedoms upheld by the 1st Amendment. That said I am not one to infringe on anyone else’s either. I am all for the peoples right to form groups and assemble, whether it be for religious beliefs, social beliefs, or otherwise. Why if it weren’t for those rights we wouldn’t be free to blog as we do.

Let’s talk about the 1st amendment for a moment; for those unfamiliar (and I tremble at the thought that some of us might be) I have posted it below:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Please notice I did underline “peaceably”

Two links I want to share with you….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_ZvPR09N4Q

http://www.gazette.com/articles/student_43174___article.html/williams_spectrum.html

To bear witness to any form of Christian persecution is sickening to me and we (society) cannot, under any circumstance, accept it. Even to you agnostics, this type of persecution should be unacceptable. Here’s why; the very reason these homosexual groups are even permitted to assemble is under the very same ‘rights’ shared by the individuals who are expressing their own beliefs as well. Yet they are now persecuting those who hold beliefs that differ from their own. They have to realize the moment you try to limit one groups ability to express their beliefs you risk losing your own. The irony of it all.

Calling?

We all grew up admiring heroes, thinking for a moment; what if I were ‘Superman’, or 'Batman', or even 'King Arthur'? As technology advanced, we were even able to put ourselves into the hero role, making heroic decisions. We are able to manipulate history and control vast armies in video and board games and being drawn into what it must look and feel like to be a hero through film and song. We can even create and completely control alternate online egos in virtual worlds. I think this may have put an unfair burden on our calling. What if your calling did not live up to your expectations? What if you suddenly realize you have no control over your role? I've heard this fro mpeople who are constantly searching for their calling. People may dismiss their calling because it does not live up to their expectation. How selfish can we be?

I firmly believe that we all must accept that we are small parts to a much larger machine. My daughter watches the Bee Movie, like most 2 year olds, she has to watch “bees” all of the time (With my son it was Shrek, not sure of the message we allowed there...hmmm). However, with the Bee movie, I’ve learned to like it as well; it has humor, and has a message. The message: that now matter how small of a role you have; if you do it really well, it is a really good thing. Like making honey for instance; how does a tiny insect that by all known laws of aviation should not even be able to fly, produce something as wonderful as honey while maintaining the ever delicate balance of nature through pollination. The movie goes on to say it takes a lot of bees doing a lot of small jobs.

I know that If you listen to God’s call and answer this calling, you will be fulfilled. There is nothing insignificant about that. It doesn’t affect your ‘identity’ if you follow your faith. You are no less a part of the master plan as anyone else. Os Guinness writes in “The Call” (Ch. 3, P. 25) “So when it comes to identity, modern people have things completely back to front: Professing to be unsure of God, they pretend to be sure of themselves. Followers of Christ put things the other way around: Unsure of ourselves, we are sure of God.”

Back to basics...

Let me begin with this, I am a Republican...(now if you care to read more...by all means, do so)

I have wondered what could have been the tide turner in our most recent elections. I am settling on not taking a firm moral stand. The Republican Party, at one time, was known as socially conservative, morally sound, fiscally responsible, and focused on our nation’s security (from both domestic and foreign threats).

Hear me out: We can’t relate to those who are governed by their bellies. In the case of the most recent election, you have people feeling threatened economically, losing their homes, their jobs, their abundant lifestyle, which was all funded on credit. Credit is the promise to repay a debt; unfortunately, it was flawed because it was very loosely based on the ability (or lack there of) of a person to repay the debt. To repay a debt is the morally correct thing to do. However, if you are without morals, you have no foundation that binds you to your debt. You simply want to be relieved of it with as little impact on your belly as possible. What happened to staunchly supporting the idea of individuals being economically responsible for their own actions and decisions?

This, historically, is how kings are born. We are in crisis, pleading for a strong leader to rescue us, relieve us of our suffering (aka. Debts) and we will follow almost blindly as long as we remain comfortable. Gradually granting this new leader more power, as long as it is good for us, and poof: Instant king emerges. Democracy is lost.

Looking back at our forefathers, who initially wrote the declaration of independence as well as our constitution. They knew, at the very core, that man is not good by nature. The three branches of government, the check and balance system, was created for this very reason. To not allow one person, or party, to govern on a sole agenda.

It is my opinion, that due to the decline or moral values, that we, as a society, could not write a proper constitution today. It would contain far too many inclusions, and exceptions rather than governing rule of law.

Now, let’s start thinking about 2010 (at least 35 senate seats will be contested), and 2012 (presidential election) when we can finally earn back our place in government. I say earn, as I firmly believe we have lost the faith of our traditional voting base. I personally feel it is because we did not take a firm moral stand against our opponents. We failed to push the pro-life issue and we didn't force a dialogue on traditional marriage which failed to ignite our conservative base. We did not articulate our national security, McCain's strength, and we failed to argue fiscal responsibility and accountability when our banks were lending on greed rather than one's ability to repay a borrowed debt.

A former Director I reported to said it best “We need to get back to the basics; blocking and tackling” I’m sure he borrowed it from Lombardi or another famous football coach, but I remember it best from my boss. That, and the abundance of ice-cream he ate. Odd guy, but he was right about “getting back to basics…”

Be happy! Seriously....

Interesting devotional this morning as well as reading in God’s Minute, Vol III (Auth. Schuller).

Let’s begin with the latter as most of us will be able to relate better to those words;

(Excerpt: God’s Minute, Vol. III by Schuller, ‘November 10’ ) “…Thank you God for making me as a creature to be decisive, and capable of making choices. You challenge me to make decisions even before I have all the answers. No wonder I get such energy and excitement from faith…”

Wow! Is that not the truth articulated in pages.

Now on to this morning’s devo. A co-worker held a special devotional this morning that spoke mostly of her visions and inspired thoughts over the last week’s historical election. She spoke of God’s will and the greatest gift is love; not truth, not faith, not hope, but love. It ended with a request to love, not fear, or be angry with our new administration. But to pray for them. I agree, completely. Palin said it best, when she concurred that the election was in God’s hands. Everything is, it is always God’s will. What I saw was millions of people inspired with hope for President-Elect Obama. I am hopeful that God will use this time to bring our nation together. We don’t always have to agree with our leader’s policies; but we cannot argue with God's. The beauty of God’s will is in the mystery. We can’t begin to understand it, and we should never fear or become frustrated because things didn’t go our way. I heard a Christian message over the weekend where the pastor said, “if God is in the passenger seat of your life, switch seats!”. Why can’t we just listen to reason ;-)

Get to work...

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 [ESV]

Economic turmoil, massive layoffs, 14 year high in jobless claims as one new report is claiming. Even as I write this my employer is making plans to cut programs which in-turn affects employees. That said, since when did we have to fear for our future? Sure, there are those of us who are disappointed, hurt, frustrated, and to have these feelings is not wrong. However, don’t spend too much time in worry, hurt, anger, and disappointment, as they are negative, selfish emotions. You have so much to live for, so much to do…

Personally, I have left comfort and invested completely in faith more times than many of us can ever imagine. Most recently, I left a very lucrative “job” in Massachusetts to return home to Colorado on faith knowing that it would be better for my family. No comfort was waiting for me, other than my family and my faith. I truly had no income, no place to live, and no promising employment leads…only the trust and knowledge that my faith will present me with opportunity as it always has.

What did I do? I certainly didn’t spend my time sitting around the house, reading want ads, applying online to job openings until my eyes crossed in utter exhaustion. Well, maybe a little; but, more importantly I maintained my professional routine. I woke up and dressed as if I were heading out to work. I made my usual stop for coffee, and ordered my usual overpriced beverage. The only difference was, instead of going to work and planting myself into a cubicle; I visited prospective employers trying to present myself to as many people that were willing to listen to me. I expanded my network, and continued to keep my faith. The point is I didn’t quit living. I didn’t sit and wait for something to come to me…I went out there, made connections, and ultimately I was called to be where I am today. For however long it may be.

“Get to work”, as I recall, was the favorite saying of one of my 1st bosses. I echo it here, just because you may not have a “professional arena” to report to today does not mean you aren’t supposed to get to work on something.

BTW: The Panic-attack inspiring Broncos won! Though it was close, as usual, they pulled it off.

Broncos...ugh

Let’s get one thing straight; Don't challenge my ‘fanhood’. My ‘fanhood’ has survived a cross country move to Patriot Country (3yrs in Boston, living in Foxboro…I’m sure you can imagine the pressure); 3 heart-wrenching superbowl losses (I wasn’t aware of the game much in ’78, when they lost to the Cowboys or I’d count the 4 franchise losses), several losing seasons and the ‘Elway-Effect’ (QB’s not able to live in Elway’s shadow since his retirement). Granted, in ’97, and ’98 I was able to witness the rare back-to-back accomplishment, but that can only carry a superficial fanhood so long before one might jump to another bandwagon. What I’m trying to say is, I’m a true fan, have been, am, and always will be. So what I offer is honest feedback regarding the team I love to root for. Here it goes…

Cutler: You’re arm may be stronger than Elway’s but you knowledge of the game can use some improvement. Stop, I beg of you; stop telegraphing your passes. I was there, in the South Stands, on Sunday vs. the Dolphins. I knew who you were throwing to from the second deck. There’s no question the DB’s did too. Turnovers…ugh.

Marshall: Come on, seriously, haven’t you garnered enough attention this year without provoking Joey Porter? You’re a machine, go produce yards and touchdowns and let your actions achieve the attention you more likely deserve.

Shanahan: Take control of the defense; if the schemes are too complex, simplify them. You’re an offensive genius, you know where the holes are. Analyze your own defense as if you were creating an opposing game-plan. Even I can manage a top-10 list of issues and implement a performance improvement plan to eliminate them.

OK, ok, on to the good news. Defense held the ‘Wildcat’ to negative yards, and overall held Miami’s rushing to under 75. That’s awesome! Your next opponent, Cleveland, is averaging 2.8yds per carry. D-up! Here’s a chance at what could very well become a trend in the right direction.