Who Is Your Hero

I haven't written in awhile because of vacation and family time and various other reasons, but watching the news coverage of the sports "scandals" causes me to get sick. This time I am really not ranting at the news, but at organized sports and "athletes".

I am old enough to remember when men of integrity played the games as professionals. Oh, I know there were always bad apples, but the conferences had more control over behavior. Now with player unions you can even "dis" a coach and get away it. There seems to be no respect for authority. When a player is paid more than the coach what can you expect?

Now I am about to say something and no one is to read between the lines because there is no hidden agenda. We all know that a lot of our current pro athletes are from very poor backgrounds. By living in that socio-economic background, where the kinds of activities we are seeing today are common place, they have to take some if not all of that with them. We all do. We all are human beings. You place more money than they, for that matter, I have ever seen and you fund those activities they are accustomed to. Maybe they are legal and maybe not. It's the "not" that gets you into trouble. I don't mean to imply that everyone would behave that way, but some do while others rise above it all.

One person interviewed about bad sports in general said that we shouldn't put people on a pedestal because when they fall we become disappointed. True, but to ask someone to not do sot goes against human nature. For example, should pastors be held to a higher standard than church members? In God's eyes, the answer is no. But as humans, we do hold them to a higher standard. And it goes even further, we hold their families to the same standard. I know because I grew up as a child of a pastor. As Christians we are to all live by a higher standard set by Jesus himself.

In a limited response to the man interviewed, the Gospel of Luke said this; "To whom much is given, much is expected" Luke 12:48. Should we expect more from those in professional sports? Absolutely! Should they meet the moral standards set by society? You betcha ya! Should they pay the price when they fall? Yes. Not that they cannot be restored, but for awhile they should be removed from the limelight until which time they prove they can offer a worthy example.

Just so you know. I don't watch the NBA and very little professional football. I do not buy tickets and don't plan to help fund this behavior. I don't buy sports memorabilia with any one's name on it.

If you sick and tired as I am with all these highly paid hula gins running around like no one can touch them then do I as do in this matter. Don't pay them to do it. Quit going to games and buying stuff with their names on it. Support those who provide good examples and forget the ones who wish to endeavor in criminal and immoral behavior.

Presidential Faith Part 2

Cal Thomas has once again hit the nail on the head. Read it here. I just could not say it any better than he does.

Is Adultery Ethical?

Salinas said in a statement that she would cooperate with the investigation. She said, "I am confident that when all the facts are analyzed it will be clear that I conducted myself in an appropriate way."(Fox News)

This is the answer to a question about ethical behavior and whether she comprised journalistic ethics after having an adulteress affair with the mayor of Los Angeles.

Am I alone or is something backwards here? I think the mayor's wife got it right, she filed for divorce!

The Will Of The People

Mark one down for the people of this country. When push really comes to shove they will speak up. Speak up they did on the immigration bill that was about to be forced down our ever loving throats.

Here in my great state we had one senator(Thad Cochran) against the bill and one(Trent Lott) for it. Trent made several bad comments like talk radio was a problem. He said something to the effect that his state knew he would do what was best for them. The problem was he turned his volume off and didn't listen. There were many on radio and even a petition brought to his office expressing our displeasure in his stance.

I am not against legal immigration. I don't know anyone who is. I am against anyone breaking the law whether they be citizens or illegals. What I would like to see is the laws on the books enforced to the letter. The strain on the economy of states and the feds is surmounting our abilities to sustain.

Many of the elites say talk radio defeated this bill and should be controlled. Controled? Sounds like state sponsored censorship to me. With the mainstream media in their hip pocket doling out what ever propaganda they see fit, talk radio and internet blogs and websites is the only way to get the other side of the story to make rational decisions.

Chalk one up for us. Pay attention they will try it again or something else to push us down the road to destruction.

A Morning Thought

This morning I am sitting in a campground looking out over the water. A gentle breeze is blowing and cooling off the already humid air accumulating today. The birds are singing and the geese are honking and water is rippling from the breeze.

I love mornings like this. It helps you forget some of the issues that we face in life. Here the war seems distant and the politicians irrelevant. Here you can be and are reminded how great God is. He is seen in everything around us. Look there is a red headed woodpecker, over there the geese are gathering at the camper next door where the lady is feeding them corn. Even they have a pecking order.

It has been a difficult week here in my little world. Last Sunday we said goodbye to our son-in-law as he heads off for his deployment. The plus here is that he is not headed for Iraq but his mission is important just the same. He is joining with other American and NATO forces in keeping the peace in another country. This experience has softened me quite a bit. I can never look at deployment the same as I did in the past. Now it has affected me personally. It is not someone else's loved one but one that I love. I feel a great deal of sadness at his leaving. Not for me, even though I will miss him, but for his young family. His son is 2 1/2 and even though I thought he really wouldn't grasp the reality of his daddy leaving, I believe I am mistaken. He does realize that his daddy is not here, and he asks for him regularly. Such an innocent mind, yet he is able to pick up on all the emotions around him.

My daughter is being the trooper. She wants so much for her husband to proud of her. Underneath all that outward strength is a woman whose heart is broken. She is lonely and misses the companionship of her husband. She has things to keep her busy but it isn't enough right now, maybe it will be later.

My family over the years has been spared the harsh reality of life. Death was close but not to close. We have lost close friends, and children of cousins and other family members but not in our immediate family. And then 18 months ago, our bubble was popped with the suicide of my sister's son. I have not led a sheltered life these 52 years but it hasn't been a tragedy either. Now we are facing our next first.

I am angry, but not for the reasons you might think. I am angry at the reasons that my SNL had to go away for a spell. Not at our military, they are the finest money can buy, but at the heart of men that cause the need for such action. These men have a corrupted view of how the world should look and they are willing to have others die for it. These men believe they can change the world with threats followed by devastating actions that affect all. If it doesn't affect you physically it is their hope it will emotionally. They want you to fear them and their capabilities. They want you to fear their ruthlessness. They want you to roll over and play dead or be dead they don't care which it is. Give up or be eliminated is their motto.

That is why our men go and stand in the gap for us. No matter how you feel about this war or any war in general that is what they do. They stand between the evil men and us. Imagine a world without those warriors. Imagine the evil that would befall us. You don't really have to use your imagination. Look at history. History has shown us these evil men. Men who go against the government then insert themselves as the government usually as a dictator. That has been the difference between America and the rest of the world. After the overthrow of the British in the American Revolution it would have been easy to set up another monarchy or a dictatorship but that is not what happened. They established the government we now have in place.

Now when you see one of our mighty warriors in person, offer your hand in gratitude of the sacrifice they made. Maybe it wasn't life or limb, they gave. That sacrifice is great and there is no comparison. But for those who don't give the ultimate, their sacrifice is no less important. They sacrifice their year of two away from home and family so that you may live and raise your family in the safest environment possible.

So to all that must leave their families to serve and protect you and me...

God's Speed and safe return.