Christianity: A Brief Meditation on Deciding What to do With One's Life

The Book of Genesis shows us that our "natural habitat" is to be in relationship with God, to be with others we love, and to tend the garden of His creation (Gen 2:15). We are often told by Christian teachers that we are made to be in community with God, which is true, but not often enough taught that we are designed to work in the world, to tend to it so that it reflects its creator's designs and purposes. For a garden is not self sufficient--plants must be pruned, weeds pulled, seeds planted and the like (nod to R. Zacharias for that insight regarding a garden). We have been created to work, and to make the world better--to maintain or (more accurately in light of the fall) restore God's design for the world. Since the fall, our work is difficult and prone to frustration in a fallen world. (Gen 3:17). Yet, we are designed to tend to God's garden, in his presence (Gen 3:8), and in community (Gen 2:18).

I believe that there comes a time in each person's life when they have to decide how they will change to world, and present Christ to the world around them in word and deed. We have been made to do so, because we are created in the image of God. As Dorothy Sayers points out, we often think of that as being spiritual or rational beings. However, God is presented to us in Genesis as the creator. We are creative beings, and designed to manifest what is within us into the world around us, for good or ill. If God and goodness (Christlikeness) are the "stuff" that is in us, that is what will be manifest. That is also why it is important to know ourselves. What talents and passions are in us, and what are the things we can do where that stuff can be manifested? Certain stuff is more fully and truly manifested in certain environments and endeavors. A great songwriter who spends all her time as an accountant will not manifest her gift in the world around her, and thus that gift will not transform the world in power.

A final point is that the decision of what to do in life must be made using practical wisdom. We have to be mindful of the work, difficulties, sacrifices, and likely results of the decisions we make. To restore a garden takes hard work, so we must think through the likely costs, and need to have the passion to pay those costs. What a privilege it is to be able to count that cost. So many people have to work simply to eat, and do whatever is set before them. God has given us a great gift, and to whom much is given, much is required. Let us set about figuring what it is we are to do with seriousness, effort and joy. And let us pray for the strength to follow through on our calling and for God's blessings to make it fruitful.

Sports: Al Thornton--College Basketball's Unknown Superstar

After watching Florida State's 98-90 overtime victory over the University of Miami on Saturday, I have decided that Al Thornton is the best college basketball player that most people have not heard about. Florida State is fighting for an invitation to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and is widely considered to be on the borderline for being considered worthy by the tournament committee. With FSU down 6 points with little more than a minute to play, Thornton scored 7 points over the last two mintues, and with the aid of Toney Douglas' 3 point basket, sent the gaem into overtime. Thornton and the Seminoles finished off the Hurricanes in overtime and Thornton finished with 45 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocked shots, and 2 steals. It was an amazing, classy performance, as Thornton could have set the school record for points in game with a dunk shot in the last 10 seconds, but with the game decided, he simply dribbled the ball away from the basket and let time run out. After the game, Thornton said that he could have scored the basket, but that the Miami players had given to great an effort to be disrespected. Thornton finished as the ACC's leading scorer this year. One hopes that the people that vote for postseason awards will give Al his due as one of the most talented and classy basketball players in America.

The Associated Press Runs a Headline Completely at Odds With Article on Samaritan's Purse

Read this article on the work of Samartian's Purse in Africa and tell me if the headline accurately captures the content of the article. I give credit to the author for outlining the good work that the organization has done.

Funtime: Star Python

I plan to have a serious post on here tomorrow, as there is plenty to write about. However, I had an invite to hear Jimbo Fisher speak at the Tallahassee Quarterback Club by a friend of mine who was inducted as President tonight, so the blogging didn't quite happen. However, I don't want to leave anyone empty handed, so here is a funny and rather random video.

The Blog is Back...Again

I've decided to start blogging again, and will try to have a new post every day like I used to do. Topics will continue to be Christianity, News, Politics, Sports, Arts/Entertainment, Web Fun, the occasional personal comment, and the all important Miscellaneous. Hope you find it interesting if you decide to check it out, and feel free to comment as it lets me know folks are reading.

News: California Arson

Sadly, a wildfire was started by an arsonist near the city of Palm Springs, California today. The fire has already claimed the lives of four firemen and has burned thousands of acres. It is obviously a terrible thing that is happening, and one hopes that there will be no further loss of life, that the fires will be controlled shortly, and that the arsonist is caught.

I have a difficult time understanding what motivates this particular type of arsonist. Generally, we think of crimes as an attempt to gain some item by an illegal means, or as a form of revenge. The arson of a building or workplace is likely often done for such reasons. However, there is no particular person being attacked in a forest fire, and there is no material gain the arsonist realizes in this act. We hear about the dysfunction of being fascinated by fire or starting fires that some people have, but there is obviously a difference between lighting minor things on fire and developing a plot to create a raging firestorm that is likely to kill people and destroy homes. The arsonist (who starts a forest fire) appears to strike out at society in general, or the community. A general hatred of the world we live in is my guess at the state of mind of the arsonist, but it is no more than a guess. If the person who set this particular fire is captured, it will be interesting to see what the motivation behind this act was.

Sports: Noles Lose; Bucs Win; Champ Car World Series

FSU Loses
Florida State continued its least successful season in over 2 decades with a 24-19 loss to Boston College, which was earned when Drew Weatherford threw a horrid interception that was returned by BC for a touchdown shortly before halftime. The Noles have a minimal margin of error when playing any solid squad, and that play clearly crossed the line and was the difference in the game. With the latest loss, stories about FSU booster discontent with the state of the program have entered the national news, with ESPN now covering the situation. Expect things to get worse before they get better as FSU will win 7 or 8 games and Coach Bowden will not be forced to make major staff changes until the team likely bottoms out next year competing against a very difficult schedule (Florida, Miami, Virginia Tech, BC, Clemson, Alabama and more).

Bucs Win on Miracle Kick
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 23-21 on the strength of Ronde Barber's two interception returns for touchdown and a SIXTY-TWO yard field goal at the buzzer by Matt Bryant. It seemed absurd that the Bucs would even attempt to make what would be the 3rd longest field goal in NFL history coming from a kicker who is solid, but had never made a kick beyond 50 yards. The entire Matt Bryant story is a pretty cool one, and I recommend Mike Bianchi's column to you if you'd like to read about it.

Champ Car Crowns Champion Down Under
Sebastien Bourdais won the Champ Car World Series points title for the 3rd straight year after his 8th place finish at the Lexmark Indy 300 at Surfer's Paradise, Australia. Nelson Phillipe won the race, and in so doing became the youngest winner in Champ Car history. Most folks prefer NASCAR to Champ Car or IRL racing, but I really enjoy the variety of street courses and road circuits the Champ Car World Series and the IRL offer along with the speed of the cars.

2006 Florida Statewide Elections Page

On November 7, 2006, Floridians will head to the polls and cast ballots in statewide elections for a multitude of state and federal offices. The positions of Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner will all be on the line, as will state House and Senate seats, federal House and Senate seats, and multiple state constitutional provisions. Keeping in mind that an informed voter is the best order, here is all the information you need to learn about the various candidates and issues, stay up to date on the latest developments, and track the results on election night.

Federal Offices

US Senate: Katherine Harris (R) vs. Bill Nelson (D)

US House
District 1: Jeff Miller (R) vs. Joe Roberts (D)
District 2: Allen Boyd (D)
District 3: Corrine Brown (D)
District 4: John Blade (Write) vs. Ander Crenshaw (R) vs. Bob Harms (D)
District 5: Virginia Brown-Waite (R) vs. John Russell (D)
District 6: David Bruderly (D) vs. Cliff Stearns (R)
District 7: John Chagnon (D) vs. John Mica (R)
District 8: Clay Hill (Write) vs. Wes Hoaglund (Ind.) vs. Ric Keller (R) vs. D.J. Mauro (Const.) vs. Larry Sapp (Write) vs. Charlie Stuart (D)
District 9: Gus Bilirakis (R) vs. Phyllis Busansky (D) vs. Andrew Pasayan (Write)
District 10: Salvatore Fiorella (W) vs. Samm Simpson (D) vs. C.W. Young (R)
District 11: Eddie Adams, Jr. (R) vs. Kathy Castor (D) vs. Jim Greenwald (Write) vs. R.J. Spencer (Write)
District 12: Ed Bowlin (Ind.) vs. Adam Putnam (R) vs. Joe Viscusi (Ind.)
District 13: Vern Buchanan (R) vs. Christine Jennings (D)
District 14: "Dan" (Write) vs. Richard Grayson (Write) vs. Connie Mack (R) vs. Robert Neeld (D)
District 15: Bob Bowman (D) vs. Dave Weldon (R)
District 16: Tim Mahoney (D) vs. Joe Negron (R) vs. Emmie Ross (Ind.)
District 17: Kendrick Meek (D) vs. Eric Simpson (Write)
District 18: David Patlak (D) vs. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) vs. Margaret Trowe (Write)
District 19: Robert Wexler (D)
District 20: Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)
District 21: Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R) vs. Frank Gonzalez (D)
District 22: Neil Evangelista (Ind.) vs. Ron Klein (D) vs. Clay Shaw (R)
District 23: Alcee Hastings (D)
District 24: Clint Curtis (D) vs. Tom Feeney (R)
District 25: Michael Calderin (D) vs. Mario Diaz-Balart (R)


Florida Statewide Offices

Governor: Charlie Crist (R) vs. Jim Davis (D)
Chief Financial Officer: Tom Lee (R) vs. Alex Sink (D)
Attorney General: Skip Campbell (D) vs. Bill McCollum (R)
Agriculture Commissioner: Charles Bronson (R) vs. Eric Copeland (D)

Florida Legislature
Senate
District 2: Durrell Peaden (R)
District 4: Don Gaetz (R)
District 6: Al Lawson (D)
District 8: Joseph Ellyson (Write) vs. Jim King (R) vs. Marsha Morrison (Write)
District 10: Victoria Brake (Write) vs. Stephen Gorham (D) vs. Ronda Storms (R)
District 12: Victor Crist (R) vs. Burt Linthicum (Const.)
District 14: Ed Jennings, Jr. (D) vs. Steve Oelrich (R)
District 16: Kim Berfield (R) vs. Charlie Justice (D)
District 18: Arthenia Joyner (D) vs. Eric Suntich (Write)
District 20: Carey Baker (R)
District 22: Lee Constantine (R) vs. Jeremiah Jaspon (D)
District 24: Bill Posey (R)
District 26: Mike Haridopolos (R)
District 28: Ken Pruitt (R) vs. Stan Smilan (D)
District 30: Ted Deutch (D) vs. Karl Dickey (Lib.) vs. George Haragones (Write)
District 32: Kenneth Lunkins (Write) vs. Jeremy Ring (D)
District 34: Nan Rich (D)
District 36: Alex Diaz de la Portilla (R) vs. Angie Rodriguez (Write)
District 38: Leighton Lang (Write) vs. Alejandro Rizo (Write) vs. Alex Villalobos (R)
District 40: Rudy Garcia (R)

House of Representatives
With 120 different races, it would take too much time to post the websites for each candidate. However here is a list of each of the candidates running in each district via the Florida Division of Elections. Additionally, Project Vote Smart has a list of each candidate running along with information on the candidates political career and stances on issues if supplied.

State Constitutional Amendments
Six different amendments will be on the ballot this November, and they can be found here.

Newspapers: Florida Times Union; Florida Today; Gainesville Sun; Miami Herald; Orlando Sentinel; Pensacola News Journal; St. Petersburg Times; Tallahassee Democrat; Tampa Tribune

The Sayfie Review (Compilation of all the day's political stories)

Sports: 2006 MLB World Series Prediction

The 2006 MLB World Series matches up the Detroit Tigers vs. St. Louis Cardinals in a David vs. Goliath matchup. The Tigers were the best team in the AL through most of the season, only falling to a wild card and merely 95 wins due to a late-season slump. They dumped the favored Yankees 3-1 in the ALDS and the A's 4-0 in the ALCS. The Cardinals won only 83 games during the season, almost blowing an insurmountable division lead to the Astros over the last two weeks, but recovered to beat the Padres and Mets in the NL Playoffs. Everyone is picking the Tigers.

I agree with the conventional wisdom, as the Tigers are superior to the Cards in the starting rotation, bullpen, and batting order. However, though the Cards are not the equal to the Tigers in any of these areas, they do have the strength in the starting rotation with Carpenter as their ace, Suppan as a clutch pitcher, and Reyes as a rookie with good enough stuff to shut down a lineup. The Tigers have the superior rotation, but three of their four starters are very young, and veteran Kenny Rogers has had some postseason difficulties prior to this year. The heart of the Cardinals order is equal to the Tigers, and they have the best player in the series in Pujols. The Tigers hitting advantage comes from superior complementary players such as Inge, Casey and Granderson. The Tigers have the superior and more experienced bullpen, particularly if Zumaya is healthy. However, experience of a different sort will play a part in the Series. The Cards have experience playing in a World Series, as they participated in the 2004 Fall Classic where they served as cannon fodder for the Red Sox. Being able to concentrate and not let nerves get to you is a huge part of succeeding in sports, and the Cards should have an advantage in this area. The key to the series is whether St. Louis can take one of the first two matchups in Detroit, as the series will head back to St. Louis for the middle three games after that and Carpenter and Suppan are expected to start games 3 and 4. If St. Louis can steal a win in Detroit, they will have a fighting chance. Look for a split in Detroit, the first two games in St. Louis to be split, but for the Tigers to defeat the Cards rookie Reyes in game 5 and finish off the Series in Detroit in front of the home fans in the sixth game because there is no way Jeff Weaver wins an elimination game.

Prediction: Tigers over Cardinals 4 games to 2

Misc: White and Nerdy

Weird Al's latest song is a pretty funny one...

Christianity: Classic "God Stuff" on the Prosperity Doctrine

Here is a classic clip from the Daily Show--Craig Kilborn era--mocking Christian prosperity gospel teachers. The prosperity gospel teaches that Jesus was rich, and that if you are a faithful Christian, God will bless you with riches and good health. The problem is that this is a lie. According to this doctrine, some suburban millionaire attending a prosperity gospel megachurch is more faithful and blessed than a person who is being persecuted for their faith in a third-world country. Just as reprehensively, it stands to reason that if you aren't rich or have problems in your life, it is because you lack faith. So, if a family has a young child with cancer, the parents can blame themselves for not having the faith to keep the child well or to provide for a healing. This is just wicked. God may choose to bless you with riches and health, and wealth in and of itself is not evil. However, Christ said wealth is perhaps the greatest barrier to heaven (it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to reach heaven), and it seems odd that Jesus would grant riches to those who are truly faithful. Jesus is interested in us having a changed moral character, not in being our cosmic vending machine.

As for those who teach the prosperity gospel, it must be lovely to constantly request money from often poor Christians so one can live in a mansion, own a private jet, and drive a luxury car. I have no doubt that these folks are "taking up their cross and following Jesus." However, in their case it is a 24 karat gold cross that has been paid for by their followers. I would suggest that anyone who believes in the prosperity gospel and is consumed with amassing wealth consider the parable of the sheep and the goats.

Arts and Entertainment: No Wynn Scenario Would Have Been Preferred

Billionaire casino developer Steve Wynn had a bit of a clumsy mishap the other day and damaged something in his office the other day. For the normal person, this would mean at worst damaging a nice suit, or perhaps one's personal computer. For Wynn, who is an art collector and has a few more nice things in his office than the average person, it meant damaging Picasso's The Dream by accidentally poking a hole in it while showing it to some friends. I am not a fan of either Picasso the man or his works, so I am not exactly heartbroken over this, but it will be interesting to see if the painting can be repaired.

Science: Study Shows Possible Correlation Between TV Viewing and Autism

Gregg Easterbrook reports today on a Cornell Study that shows a correlation between autism and television viewing by children 3 years old or less. If you have children or grandchildren, you should read Easterbrook's article and consider reducing the amount of TV that your little ones are watching.

News: Navy Seal Sacrifices Life to Save Brothers in Arms

Here is an amazing story of sacrifice as a Navy SEAL jumped on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades. Condolences to his family and friends, who must be both grieving and yet incredibly proud.

Fun Time: Baby Got Book

Here is an oldie but a goodie...

News: North Korean Cretin

North Korea and it's "dear leader" Kim Jong Il claimed on Monday October 9th that they has successfully detonated a nuclear weapon. All rational nations, including the US, immediately condmened the action and stated that coercive diplomatic action could be expected. Certainly, this is a wise move as North Korea's communist regime under Kim Jong Il is dangerous--not because they are likely to start a war in the region, but rather because the nation is so poor, they might be willing to sell nuclear know-how and materials for the right price. Though it may seem like a terrible idea to sell nuclear materials and plans to terrorists or outside parties as it might earn you some missle strikes from the US, but North Korea's leader is not the most predictable or perhaps even mentally stable leader.

North Korea detonated the bomb in order to increase its own security against possible attacks from China or the US, and to increase the nation's prestige and bargaining power in the international community. Though there has been some question as to how successful the nuclear test was, there now appears little doubt that one occurred. The goal of the US and most of the international community will be to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions and end its development of nuclear weapons. Diplomacy will be the means used by the US to achieve this goal, but China and Russia are going to attempt to use the situation to their advantage. Particularly in the case of China, North Korea constitutes a fellow Communist country and a nation that it can try to use to increase China's prestige and power in the region. China views itself as the primary power broker in the far east, and undoubtedly wants to be in the position to dictate what can and cannot be done to its neighbor. Additionally, a little bit of perceived instability in the region does not hurt the Chinese. North Korea is not about to attack China, and if North Korea were to sell nuclear materials to rogue states or terrorist nations, it is unlikely those materials would be used to attack the Chinese. To the extent that China is viewed as a necessary stabilizing power in the region, it will strengthen that nation's bargaining power on a multitude of issues. Look for China to allow sanctions, but use it's possible veto in the UN Security Council to water them down moderately.

Misc: Hebrew Crunk

Taglit-birthright Israel is a foundation that provides free trips to Israel for young Jewish men and women aged 18-26. From my limited knowledge, the program looks perfectly legit and has a brief statement of its purposes here. This sounds like a wonderful opportunity that I imagine tens of thousands have taken advantage of, and one hopes that with the Hezbollah conflict having receeded the program will continue going strong. As part of its ongoing mission to introduce a Jewish heritage to young people, the organization produced the video below to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, which is one of the funniest and cleverest things I've seen in a while.

Politics: Increased Ecumenicalism and (perhaps) Evangelical Support for Romney in '08

If you can get past the gratuitous cheap shots against conservative Christians in the second paragraph, you'll find a pretty good article at slate.com detailing how the "religious right" has become more ecumenical over time and sketching out the influence of Richard John Neuhaus and First Things magazine in those changes. The article goes on to note that the increased ecumenical tenor of the movement may give hope to Mitt Romney in his hopes to be the Republican nominee for President in 2008. Regardless of whether Romney is the Republican nominee, I for one am grateful that many Christians have adopted a more ecumenical outlook in attempting to enact just laws and change the culture via the political process. This process is not only happening in the ecumenical sense (different denominations) but also in the political sense as there appears to be a slowly increasing willingness among politically conservative and liberal Chirstians to join together in common cause when appropriate (as seen in some conservatives taking conservationism more seriously, and some social liberals--particularly in minority communities--seeing the value in school choice).

Sports: MLB League Championship Series (2nd Round) Playoff Predictions

The first round of the MLB Playoffs was filled with surprises with the underdog Tigers defeating the $200 million Yankees, the A's sweeping the favored Twins, and the previously slumping Cardinals dispatching the Padres. The Mets were the only squad that was both favored by the experts and managed to advance, thanks in large part to the stupidity of the Dodgers in game 1 of their series. There is no prohibitive favorite to win the World Series now that the Yankees are eliminated, which should make for some competitive baseball.

American League
Tigers over Athletics (4 games to 2): Both of these squads come into this series with tons of momentum after convincing wins in the Division Series. Both squads feature good starting rotations and deep and talented bullpens. The x-factor in the series is Rich Harden, the A's starting pitcher who has dominant stuff but hasn't pitched many innings this year due to injury. If he is well-rested and sharp, the A's rotation is the equal of the Tigers. If not, they have no chance in this series. Assuming the squads are equal on pitching, then the team that takes quality at bats and hits will win this series. The Tigers' lineup is deeper and more productive with quality veteran bats such as Pudge Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen, Sean Casey, Placido Polanco and others providing production. The A's have a few decent bats like Nick Swisher, Frank Thomas, and Eric Chavez, but they are a lineup that struggles to score runs at times. That will cost them in this matchup as the Tigers advance to the World Series.

National League
Mets over Cardinals (4 games to 3): The Mets are the favorite to win the NL pennant, but with the loss of Pedro Martinez and El Duque Hernandez they have lost half of their starting rotation. However, their hitting lineup is far deeper and superior to the Cardinals, who are dependent on superstar Albert Pujols. Additionally, the Mets have a much better bullpen, as the Cards have had serious problems in their bullpen after Jason Isringhausen went down with injury. The Cardinals didn't put together much of a regular season, but in the playoffs a stopper like ace pitcher Chris Carpenter can carry you a long way. In order for the Cards to win this series, Carpenter has to win twice without losing, and they have to find a way to stop the Mets in two other games. If the Mets beat Carpenter even once, they'll take the series. If not, it is going to be a barn-burner. I think that the Mets lineup will be able to grind down the Cards lesser starters and get into their shaky bullpen. It will be a very entertaining series and a barnburner, but I think the Mets advance to the World Series for a fun matchup with Detroit.

Fun Time: George Lucas as LOTR Director

Ever wonder what the commentary on the Lord of the Rings DVDs might have been like if George Lucas had directed them? Turns out, it would be pretty funny.