Into the Fire

I'm lousy at waiting. Terrible. Miserable. Frustrated. Sad. Mad. Not likin' it. Which is precisely why I'm forced to experience it at all levels by the One who desires to make me a better person. What a challenge for a mighty God.

So. I'm waiting for the creative fervor to return, but common sense tells me to get active at that level to usher it back to where it needs to be. Having said that, I'm also waiting for the desire to return to get active at that level, and it's been slow going. You could say I've got reasons, but reasons rarely give bearing to excuses, and all I've got right now are excuses.

I know succinctly that apart from the Lord, I can do nothing. Nothing is a huge word. So while I wait, I seek His direction, His inspiration, His blessing, His healing.

And I wait.

Father, help me. Lead me. Let me hear your voice and instruction. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Yes, football season is over. For Seahawks fans it ends in defeat after a controversial call at the one yard line. Some people rejoice at the end of the season because they have zero interest in this game, don't understand the hype or devotion attached to it, believe all the negatives about the sport and players, and they've decided it's much ado about nothing.

Not my family. The shock of how Sunday's Super Bowl ended resonates like a gong. The loss caused major distress at the moment, anger, frustration, sadness, and a multitude of other emotions. As I've said before, football provides a release from the ugliness of this world. Yes, it has its own drama throughout the on and off season with current players, past players, and future players in the NFL. It's a community that gets a magnifying glass put upon it – sometimes rightfully and often wrongly.

Right now the NFL is suffering from poor politically correct leadership, over punishing some players and letting others slide. Whatever is the hot issue with its fringe observers, who have no interest in this sport but perceive themselves as the measuring sticks for morality, becomes the focus of this Commissioner and his crew. Their policies have undergone new revisions, many of them ruining players' lives for the short term and made based on hysteria from the fringe mob rather than the actual characters of the individuals involved.

Some of the players have brought their own punishments into play using terrible judgment in their actions. Others have defied decency and set their own demises into action. Still others have been caught in the crossfire of a politically correct rendition of what should be right, not what is right.

When we select our favorite characters, we "adopt" them into our family. We wear their jerseys, we pray for them, we defend them, we celebrate their accomplishments. They become one of us. They're important to us.

We're not ashamed of our love for the game or for some of the players. It's a treasure to be able to watch them play and hopefully see them excel.

There's an east coast bias that runs through this world. In the media, in sports, in politics. To say it's disappointing is an understatement. We are west coast through and through, even though Seattle is regrettably politically correct and progressive. But while watching the players on the field, we can ignore the politics for 60 minutes or thereabouts and watch men doing what God has gifted them to do for a season of their lives. That's why to some of us: it's more than a game.

Father, please bring your healing to many of the players who left it all on the field of play. Help them look to you for the decisions they must make and realize that you alone have given them their skills. Bless their lives as they look to you for what they need. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

         "They" say silence is golden. Right now it feels black.

Lord, thank you for an amazing season. I ask your blessing on the athletes who play so hard, compete so long, and leave it all on the field. Life lessons . . . In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

"The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

Psalm 92:15 (NIV)

Thank you, Lord, for the game, for the individuals, for those who belong to you and those who don't. May you reach each one for your glory. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

In keeping with the politically correct climate of our current government, it seems the sports media has the same affliction as the news media: a sense of entitlement and self-righteousness which requires the person of their focus to comply with their demands.

The circus surrounding Marshawn Lynch (pictured above) has no clue why anyone would not want to speak to them followed by serious anger and outbursts such as, "How dare he not speak to us!"

As accustomed as the news media is to lying about its subjects and issues, it's not a stretch to inform the gullible public that they do the same thing about athletes. They sensationalize, they lie, they make up "information" from their anonymous sources, and they spread hurtful falsehoods and misinformation as often as the regular news media does the same.

If victimized by the press either by intentional errors, malicious reporting, and/or character assassination, it's only logical that a person would guard themselves from opening up to the possibility again.

The media needs to realize that few people really trust them. Although some of them take their jobs seriously, it's hard to take a group of pseudo-journalists seriously who seem to make no effort to verify and investigate the information they dig up. Much of what is read in the mainstream media is hearsay and wishful thinking. Sports writers can be equally guilty of damaging innuendoes and suggestions instead of facts and truth.

When Marshawn Lynch refused to answer media questions precisely because of the aforementioned reasons, some of that huge media presence became incensed and furious, ranting and complaining. It wasn't as if they had no one else to question. There was ample representation from both teams on Media Day and for each required appearance set aside just for the media.

It's long past time for media to realize they are nothing more than people, not more important than the people they seek to cover or the event they're recording. They're no better. The truth is they desperately need to get over themselves because much of what they write or report isn't worth the time it takes to read it or hear it.

Father, your word reminds us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. Help us to keep you our focus and act accordingly. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Football fans will tell you the ultimate quest is to make it to the Super Bowl. Pictured above is the Lombardi Trophy won last year by the Seattle Seahawks for the first time in their history since their inception in 1976. For die-hard fans like myself last year was a dream-come-true sort of season. To make it back this year is another such season which was plagued with serious injuries, the removal of a talented but disruptive player, a team meeting where all players clarified their aims and quests, and the determined efforts of the entire roster and coaching staff to make a run for the return to this big game.

True football fans are fanatics. I can't speak for others, but I can tell you this from my perspective. The game itself is simple: the objective is to score points, preferably touchdowns and point afters. You get four chances to make a first down which gives you four more to make another first down, hopefully working your way down the field to score either with a kick (field goal worth 3 points) or a touchdown (worth 6 + either a PAT worth 1 point or a 2 point conversion). The diversity of coaches and players to design ways to score points and keep the opponent from scoring them is as complex as chess maneuvers and far more enter entertaining.

I can't describe to you any of the subtleties of the position players, the intricacies of the routes receivers run, the stances and movements of linemen, but I can tell you watching my team outgain the opposition is one of the best experiences in life.

Why? Because the men on the field, some barely out of college, young and daring, some battle-scarred and wily, have been gifted to play the game just as others have been gifted to lead a church, play an instrument, write a story. Their passion is displayed on the field and many of them recognize from whom all good and perfect gifts come. Some not so much. A snapshot of life around us.

I love the game of football because . . . it gives me a break from the horrors of some of real life. It takes me away from the hard reality that headlines newspapers, the web, or any of the media. If we want to spiritualize it, it can represent the battle of good and evil - selecting whichever team you choose for each category. Granted, hatred for opponents does exist among NFL watchers. For me, football is a release and an escape. I have my favorite players, and, yes, I pray for them on and off the field. As my favorite quarterback Russell Wilson has said, "It's a spiritual experience." If you want to scoff at his remark or mine, it's your prerogative, but it doesn't change anything.

I love the game of football because . . . it gives me a break from the horrors of some of real life. It takes me away from the hard reality that headlines newspapers, the web, or any of the media. If we want to get symbolic, it can capture the battle of good and evil – selecting whichever team you choose to represent either. Granted, hatred for opponents does exist among NFL watchers. For me, football is a release and an escape. I have my favorite players, and, yes, I pray for them on and off the field. As my favorite quarterback Russell Wilson has said, "It's a spiritual experience." If you want to scoff at his remark or mine, it's your prerogative, but it doesn't change anything.

This year the Seahawks play the New England Patriots who are favored to win by one point. The heralded team, coach, and quarterback of the Patriots have a history of winning Super Bowls. Lots of football savvy, the Pats know what it takes to win big games. The Seahawks are the first team to return to the contest in 10 years after winning the previous year. The Patriots did it 10 years ago. No easy task. The Seahawks did it after much adversity. I hope they repeat.

Many of you don't care about football – it's not your sport, your thing, your interest. I get that. But to me it rises above being a sports fan. The Seahawks have captured my heart and soul. I love them. So many of them have foundations for kids, for helping the impoverished in communities, for doing good things with the money they make. I enjoy learning of who they are on the inside of those helmets.  

And I always hope they'll win.

Lord, thank you for calling your people to all kinds of things. Thank you for them giving you the credit for who they've become. Thank you for what you allow them to do and helping them to remain true to you in the midst of it all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.    

I know we've been over this, but it still irritates me with all of the multiple (and excessive) genre labels available, novels that aren't thrillers by any stretch of description turn out labeled as such. I suspect this is done to capture the attention of thriller readers. I get that. But you're taking a huge chance labeling a book a thriller when it's not. This disappoints real thriller readers. I can testify to that personally.

It's okay to call your work a suspense, mystery, cozy mystery, etc. Believe me, serious readers will appreciate accurate genre identifications over manufactured hype to sell a book.

Okay then. Peeve done.

Father, help us all to be accurate and honest in our books and their descriptions – and in all things. Apart from you, we can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=When%20Night%20Comes%20by%20Dan%20Walsh 

For World War II history buffs, this quaint little suspense novel should serve them well. Author Dan Walsh has taken a little detour from his self-described Nicholas Sparks type of stories to pen an interesting mystery of sorts in When Night Comes.

Jack Turner returns to his roots in Culpepper, Georgia, to reunite with and guest teach for his old history professor while hoping to get serious about the new book he's writing. Already an accomplished World War II author, Jack's agent is anxious for this new book to get done.

After his reunion with Professor Thornton, he settles into the guest apartment where he used to stay in his college days. Rustic and perfect for what he needs, Jack is sure he'll be inspired to get a lot done on his book. However, when Jack experiences a lifelike "dream" in which he was one of the sailors at Pearl Harbor, he finally awakes after seeing, hearing, and feeling the devastation firsthand. Feeling like he'd just been transported through time, he couldn't share it for fear of ridicule or worse.

Prior to Jack's strange occurrence, a college kid turns up dead with a horrific expression on his face but no visible signs of anything but a heart anomaly which caused his death. Detective Joe Boyd is grateful to learn a heart defect was responsible, but there remains a nagging question at the back of his mind.

Professor Thornton is caught in a web of deceit and tries to free himself after cooperating with a sinister doctor, but it's too late for idle threats. Jack is caught in the middle of something he knows nothing about while his bizarre lifelike dreams continue.

With danger and murder afoot in Culpepper, Jack stumbles upon the source of his dreams and realizes he needs concrete proof before anyone will believe his outlandish claims.

With well-written characters and an interesting plot, Dan Walsh has constructed an intriguing contemporary story with nuggets of WWII history tucked into its pages. There were a couple of "too convenient" places in the story used to solve some serious problems, but overall the story stayed true and finsihed well with a twist.

Father, please continue to bless Dan's writing and imagination. Meet his needs physically, emotionally, and spiritually as he continues this writing journey. May he always honor you in the process. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.   

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."

Luke 8:14-15 (NIV)