We Don’t Deserve Heroes

WE DON’T DESERVE HEROS

We love our heroes. But we love to tear them down even more. For 47 years Joe Paterno represented everything right with college sports. He emphasized education and sports. He taught young men how to be men not just football players. In his bubble at Penn State he did good work. But one unproven allegation and we don’t just throw him under the bus we crucify him. What many don’t understand is that at most universities faculty and employees are prohibited from reporting incident to authorities outside the university. There is a tremendous amount of crime that occurs on college campuses that is never reported to municipal authorities. Colleges do not want the public to know the types and amount of crime that occurs because that would hurt their bottom line. So, the administration tries to keep it all in house. Sandusky “retired” in 1999 after he was accused of inappropriate conduct with some kids. So the administration knew about Sandusky’s criminal activity. Why didn’t they report it then? Why was he allowed to retire and was not fired?

If Penn State operates like most of the universities in this country then Joe did exactly was he was told to do. He reported This non football, non university activity of a man already know to have “issues” with children to his immediate superiors who did nothing.

Joe is being held accountable for not reporting to police. If he had reported the incident to the police it is very likely he would have been suspended or possibly fired.

Joe lived in a bubble. A comfortable bubble where he got to do what he did best. He played by the rules. The rules were made by the same people who used the rules against him in order to keep from being held accountable themselves.

Joe may be guilty of more that we know so far but to direct all this judgment toward him without all the truth is wrong.

Who allowed Sandusky back on campus?

Why was he allowed to retire instead of being fired?

Why does McCrery still have a job?

Why is he being treated as a victim?

A man who built his life on honor, integrity and character is being torn apart in the court of public opinion while others who are more culpable escape and some even hold the judgment stick.

I guess that all us perfect people who never make a mistake have a right to judge everyone else.

Seeing our heroes fail makes us feel better about ourselves. It makes it easier for us not to have any standards.

We have no grace for anyone who is less than perfect. Except ourselves of course.

We don’t deserve heroes

What were you meant to do?

There is a great line from the movie the rookie.
“It’s ok to think about what you want to do until it becomes time to do what you were meant to do”
I wonder how many people ever really ask themselves that question. What was I meant to do?
I think most people are so caught up in what they want that they never ask that question.
I know a lot of people who have never asked that question feel they are perfectly happy doing what they want to do but think about it for a moment. Could you be happier doing what you were designed to do? What you were meant to do?
I also know some who do know what they were meant to do but do what they want regardless
In Gods kingdom are you doing what you were designed to do or are you doing what makes you happy?
Many are happy just going to church on Sunday, listening to good worship, a good message and dropping $20.00 in the offering plate and then going home and watching a good football game.
Others spend the week prior getting ready for Sunday, praying, writing, meeting people, preparing video and music so they can serve other on Sunday morning.
And still others are working the mission fields, working with underprivileged, homeless, sick unsaved children of god.
So here is the question, are you doing what makes you happy or are you doing what you were meant to do?

Why?

Why do we want the things we want? Why do we act the way we do when we don’t get them? How do we respond to God when we don’t get the things we ask for from Him? We pray and ask God to change our circumstances, to give us things, to heal us or our loved ones. To give us a promotion, to give us our heart’s desire. And He says no, or not yet. Just like a parent who has knowledge and wisdom and experiences the child does not yet have.
God has read the end of the book. He knows how it ends so he knows what is best for us. He knows when to say yes and when to say no, and He knows the right timing. Our job is to trust Him and have faith that He is acting in our best interests.
His timing is always the right time. His decisions are always the right decisions. It only gets messed up when we mess it up. We get impatient, we lose faith, we get disobedient. And then we wonder why God didn’t do for us the way we wanted him to do.
It is because He loves us that He doesn’t always say yes. Just like you parents didn’t always say yes. It didn’t mean they didn’t love you, it just meant that their timing was different than yours. And face it, sometimes we ask for things that we really don’t want or need or are not ready for, and sometimes we ask for things that would hurt us.

Every day a there is a defining moment. And as Kevin Costner said in Tin Cup “When a defining moment comes along, you define the moment or the moment defines you.” That is a chance for us to believe that He is in control and knows what is best for us. And that helps to develop and strengthen our spiritual self image. We get stronger in our faith. We develop strength to stand against the obstacles and distractions and the enemy that is trying to take us out.

Every day we have an opportunity to be obedient, to display our faith through our patience. To trust Him
God WILL give you the desires of your heart…in His good time.

Show The Love

Finally THE day to let the one you love how you feel, a day to make them feel special.
What do you let them know the rest of the year, how do you make them feel the rest of the year?
Isn’t it a shame that we have to designate a day to show our love. Our life should be a continual expression of love. It is commanded to love one another. But, we let the business of life to interfere with the most important thing we have to do.
Do you show love on a daily basis to your husband or your wife? How about your kids? Your Parents? Your neighbors? How about the person you don’t like at work?
Use this day to resolve to show love to someone everyday.

Worse than dying.

If you don’t know it yet I love good quotes. They can start some my best thoughts.  So here is one of my favorites.

It comes from the movie Open Range.  Charlie (Kevin Costner) is talking to a man who is afraid to let his sons stand up for the town against a ruthless land owner because he is afraid they would get killed.  Charlie says “you may not know this but there are things that gnaw at a man worse than dying“

What a great message. In studies done with elderly patients they ( yes the infamous and anonymous they) found that none of those  when asked about their regrets ever said they wished they had spent more time at work, or made more money.  They said they wished they spent more time with friends and family, that they had made difference, that they had done something of significance.  And some even gave their lives to Christ before they died. What if they had done that years before they died? What could Christ do with a surrendered heart?

So what will gnaw at you? What regrets will you have? Do you have? What is left undone for you to do? Your deathbed is not the place to decide you should have, could have.  It’s now!

There are things that gnaw at a man and at a woman that is worse that dying.  Aren’t there.

Who are you? (who who, who who?)

Whom do you take after?
Is it your father ? Is it your mother? Perhaps a mentor.
What do people notice about you when they first meet you? What do you want them to remember about you when you leave?
Who do you see looking back at you from the mirror?
My mother once told me I was just like my father. And that is who I saw looking back at me from the mirror for most of my life. That was not a good thing. I’m not him. Now I strive to be like my FATHER.
Who are you truly? Who are you on the inside as opposed to what you let people see?
Who are you when no one is looking?
What will it take for the spirit of Christ to be the most noticeable thing about you?

Fight Like a Man

What are your personal non-negotiables? 

What are the things that you are so committed to that you refuse to compromise them? The things you are willing to die for to defend.

Let’s list some.
Your favorite sports team? No. I don’t think anyone would die defending that.
Your favorite NASCAR driver?
How about your favorite wrassler?
Your city? State?
I have seen people actually fight over these things but not so much of the things that follow.

How about your wife and kids?
Your integrity?
Your faith?
Your God?
How many of us are more committed to our favorite sports team than we are to our wives and kids? Do you turn off the TV to spend time with them? Do you forsake a night out with your pals or do you forsake your family?
And how many of us forsake our God for things of less importance? And for those trying to figure it out, everything is of less importance.
People will argue and even come to blows over things of less importance but will refuse to get on their knees and fight for the things of greater importance. God, family, friends, things of greater importance.

Fight for them…..fight like a man…… on your knees.
Remember, your character is the only thing you really leave behind when you leave here. What will people remember about you?

My Look Back at 2010

Ted’s 2010 Remix

(Heavy obnoxious beat box rhythm)

So many experiences,
in this past year.
Wait,
There’s nothin to fear

I started the year
running a church.
Wow.
Nothing to fear
just left in the lurch

(wiggy wiggy wiggy wig)

A brand new lesson.
Time for a sabbatical?
No, not really
I’m just messin
just being radical

Just having it all just
fall into my lap.
Nothing to fear
What’s my job?
Just keep it on the map.

Managing relationships,
balancing personalities,
Nothing to fear
Hey what’s with all this reality?

(wiggy wiggy wiggy wig)

Making the decisions
to keep it open,
to keep it relevant,
anyone know what happened
to the pink elephant?

Hiring a pastor. (what a nerve)
Nothing to fear
Just another man
called to serve.

(wiggy wiggy wiggy wig)

Another experience, totally new,
Nothing to fear
Just not sure of what to do,

What to ask?
what to require?
just another guy
thrown into the fire.

What do I do?
For this I have no affinity
Just lead by God,
and the rest of the Trinity.

(wiggy wiggy wiggy wig)

Now in the second chair,
Now in submission
How will I fare?
Now what is my mission?

Now where is my place
is in this process.
Now maybe I can get back
To making sauces.

(wiggy wiggy wiggy wig)

A new grandson
a new son-in-law,
didn’t Jordan teach Krav Maga?

A daughter in college,
a new adult,
trying to figure out
how did that happen?

Getting renewed,
getting refreshed
my vision, my purpose
it’s starting to mesh

((wiggy wiggy wiggy wig)

A year of highs,
a year of lows,
where it leads
I don’t know

Nothin to fear
That’s the goal,
I can do nothing,
God is in control.

(wiggy wiggy wiggy wig)

My thanks to all
who hung in there,
knowing all the time
that God was there.

Will it work?
Remains to be seen
Hey what does snizzle mcfizzle
really mean?

Xtreme is destined
To do something great
hang in there as we pursue our fate.

(wiggy wiggy wiggy wig)

We got a new pastor
Just what we were after
A man with vision
Yep, right decision.

Now there’s less fog
Things are more clear,
Maybe now I can get back to my blog
This year.

Finally got our space,
almost done.
A brand new place,
Boy was that fun.

(wiggy wiggy wiggy wig)

We’re getting our rhythm,
getting this thing done.
Help us,
as we add to the King-dom.

The transition’s been radical ,
almost done.
Anyone know
how to spell sabbatical?

so comes the new year
so much to be done
changing the world
its going to be fun

That’s all

(wiggy wiggy wiggy wig)

Remember

It’s the soldier, not the reporter who has given us
Freedom of the Press.
It’s the soldier, not the poet, who has given us
Freedom of Speech.
It’s the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the
Freedom to Demonstrate.
It’s the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the
Right to a Fair Trial.
It’s the soldier who salutes the flag,
serves under the flag and
whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who gives the protestor the right to burn the flag.
~Father Dennis Edward O’Brien, USMC

Peace Out?

“I understand about indecision
But I don’t care if I get behind
People livin’ in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind.” Boston: Peace of Mind

Peace Of Mind

Wow. Peace of mind.  Wouldn’t that be great?  if you could get up every day with “Peace of Mind”?  Count me in.

What is Peace of Mind?  How do you get it? Where do you find it?  How do you keep it?  Who do you know that has it? I suppose it is different for many.

What brings you peace?  What is it that gives you that feeling of no worries, no dangers, and no concerns?  Or rather what keeps you up at night?  What distracts you from enjoying life?  What keep you from being fully engaged in the lives of your friends and family? Is it no money in the bank? What about job security?  Are you worried about your spouse?  Is it that the bill collectors’ filling your mailbox or calling 3 or 4 times a day?

So, you have money in the bank, all your bills are paid your spouse loves you,  your car is working fine, you just got a raise at work, and your rent is up to date.  So you’re feeling pretty good.  Even with all that there can still have peacelessness about you.  Because you know that all that can change so fast.  You can suffer setbacks in every area of your life that is in the world.  You can lose your job, your spouse can stray, you can suffer illness, your car breaks down, your house gets caught in a flood.  This thing we call life can change so, so fast.

There is a peace that transcends all the earthly concerns.  Money, power, security. A peace that surpasses all understanding.  A peace that makes all the concerns of this world seem so unimportant.  Do you have the peace that surpasses all understanding?

The list of things to be worried about gets longer everyday but the thing that gives us an eternal peace is always the same.

Does your Peace come from the right source?