Happy Trails, Brett Favre

There are some people that defy the odds.

There are some people that defy their era or generation.

And then, there are some people who just defy the definitions of words.

Like RETIRED. We thought it meant one thing, and yet Brett Favre has continually denied us that meaning of the word…. 

Oh Brett, please just let us get back to a comfortable understanding of the word “retired.”

This is unbelievable

This is from a high school baseball game in Georgia. The ump was calling a crappy game so the pitcher and catcher coordinated a duck at the right time to pop the guy in the face. Classy and rebellious. Latrell Sprewell would agree.

LSU Fans are Classy

This is not a sports blog; however, I love all things sports. People like the good folks at “Friends of the Program” do a much better job at covering sports than I could, but this post was too funny not to link (especially given my hatred of LSU sports). You stay classy, Baton Rouge:

Sir, take a stand

I’m still reading parts of Charles Barkley’s “I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It” as I find the time. Last night, with most of my work for classes wrapped up, I picked it up and read a few pages. There’s not really a rhyme or reason to the flow of this book, so it’s perfect to read small bits at a time. Though Barkley is often maligned and can be bombastic for no apparent sake, he’s often filled with common wisdom (that is, wisdom the average person can grasp) and seems to have a great grasp on humanity’s role in Creation. Check out this quote:

“I guess I could just keep my TV job, make a couple of million a year and be happy. But there’s no way God allowed me to make all this money, meet all the people I’ve met and rise to this status just to sit around, count my money and not try to help people improve lives”(p. 139).

Sir Charles and his resolutions to do something to help others live quality lives literally litter the pages of this book, right alongside profane language and stories of wealth and success. One could look at Mr. Barkley’s life and complain because he self-indulges occasionally, but who doesn’t? I think we’re quick to discount the heart and character of such celebrities in the face of vices, but we wouldn’t ever want someone to know what’s been in our hearts and on our minds.

But me? I wish more people with status, influence, and wealth would be like Charles Barkley. He’s not perfect but he wants to try. That’s about all we can ask most days.

Seeing Stars and new Dreams

It’s 11:30 on a Sunday night and I’m intensely watching Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The Western Conference of the NHL, that is. That’s right, I’m watching pro hockey and I’m totally diggin it. The 2nd OT is about to start and the Dallas Stars are on the verge of giving back a 3-0 series lead to the San Jose Sharks.

Even though Jim Rome is vehemently opposed to pro hockey, I think it rocks. I’m excited to live in a town where I can get into this kinda thing from more than an arms’ length. It’s one of the many things that I’m joyful about these days.

Also among them is the awesome service at HPPC this morning, 1105, which is the most contemporary of services at church. We had a great communion Sunday and I got to spend time with lots of cool people. I’m also a big fan of the fact that the worship leader/band writes some original stuff that we worship to as a community.

I’m very stoked to be working with Lars, Keith, and Jon, as well as lots of other people who aren’t techaholics. Tomorrow I’ll spend a few hours in a good meeting with our Young Adult staff and I’m excited about it. Well, I’ll be excited if I can get some rest after getting so fired up over hockey….

School starts soon

A few things on this beautiful Saturday night:

• How do I integrate a Twitter badge into my basic wordpress page? If anyone has the answer to this and will be in Dallas soon, I’ll gladly buy them dinner. Yes, Twitter is that important to me… Also, if you know how to link Twitter and Facebook Status, same thing…
• I start school again on Monday. Our summer class at George Fox Seminary is Essentials of Christian Theology and I’ve got 4 books to work through over the coming weeks. The bad part is that only 1 of the 4 has arrived and class starts on Monday, and our professor expects us to read all 4 throughout the week. I was frustrated by this because I was thinking that reading 4 books at once would seem like overkill and keep me from learning anything. But then I thought about Jason Clark’s comment that “if you’re reading every word, you’re wasting your time.” Perhaps there’s wisdom in that. Rather than getting caught up in the individual styles and tales of the authors, I could actually start to find myself focusing more on the concepts and ideas laid out in the book. This would lead me to become a more critical reader/researcher, which would be a great thing! School is cool!
• Jaime was very gracious towards me for putting his mullet picture on the blog earlier today. He took it as a compliment, which is how it was meant. I’m trying to make the mullet famous! He wanted me to let my friends know that he’s compiling The Book of Mullets and it will be for sale soon. So… friends… keep your eyes open.
• The last couple of mornings I’ve gotten to read a Sports page for a major-market newspaper that’s talking about professional teams that are actually in the town where I’m reading the paper. Go Mavs, Stars, Rangers, Cowboys, and FC Dallas!