Archive for November, 2007
Friday Photos — Christmas is Coming!
November 30th, 2007 | Comments Off | Posted in » Pictures
With Christmas approaching, it’s time for family Christmas photos. Here’s a few of our kids cheesing it up in front of the tree.
If God Had a Refrigerator…
November 26th, 2007 | Comments Off | Posted in » Just For Fun..., Pictures, Quote of the Day
Nancy picked up a new t-shirt for Jenna last weekend. Just thought I’d share a photo of her modeling it for us.
In case you can’t quite make out what it says, the text is, “If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it!”
Very cute, a bit cheesy, yet most profound.
It Could be a Long Season… Episode 11.
November 25th, 2007 | Comments Off | Posted in » KC Chiefs
This will be short today… my beloved Chiefs blew a big one today at home to the hated Raiders, 20-17. I wasn’t able to see the game live, missing most of it as we spent time catching up with friends in Springfield over lunch, hearing only a bit on the radio as we drove to the restaurant and after hitting the long road home back from our Thanksgiving visit to see the relatives. You wanna talk Thanksgiving blessings? I count not seeing this game as a big one!
Anyway, I will say this… what’s up with relatively unknown rookie Kolby Smith rushing for 150 yards and 2 TDs? Neither Larry Johnson nor Priest Holmes even came close to that kind of a performance this season, but the rookie ran wild? Makes me wonder what in the world we did re-signing Johnson to the big money contract. Maybe we could haved fixed our woeful offensive line with the money saved and draft picks likely obtained.
Gotta love 20/20 hindsight.
Right Herm?
You’re probably kicking yourself not just for that, but for any number of other coaching decisions you’ve made this year.
Speaking of kicking… well… nevermind, I want to think about Lin Elliott Dave Rayner anymore.
How about those #1 ranked Missouri Tigers?!?
Pondering Prayer… Part 2.
November 21st, 2007 | 1 Comment | Posted in » Christian Living, Devotions / Bible Studies
Let’s see, it’s been three weeks now since I last spent some time on this site pondering prayer. Isn’t it interesting how important Biblical topics and studies always seem to get pushed aside when there’s significant spiritual gain to be found in spending time considering them? Something tells me that’s more than just the busy nature of life.
Anyway, this evening, I want to continue that thought process a bit by looking at the first of the Scripture passages I posted… Psalm 17.
Psalm 17
(New Living Translation)1O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
for it comes from honest lips.
2Declare me innocent,
for you see those who do right.
3You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
I am determined not to sin in what I say.
4I have followed your commands,
which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
5My steps have stayed on your path;
I have not wavered from following you.6I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray.
7Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
By your mighty power you rescue
those who seek refuge from their enemies.
8Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
9Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
from murderous enemies who surround me.
10They are without pity.
Listen to their boasting!
11They track me down and surround me,
watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
12They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart—
like young lions hiding in ambush.13Arise, O Lord!
Stand against them, and bring them to their knees!
Rescue me from the wicked with your sword!
14By the power of your hand, O Lord,
destroy those who look to this world for their reward.
But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.
May their children have plenty,
leaving an inheritance for their descendants.
15Because I am righteous, I will see you.
When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.
This Psalm is a prayer of David, where he cries out to God concerning the attacks of his enemies. While the circumstances of David’s prayer are not specifically applicable to most of our lives (how many of our lives are actually in jeopardy right now?), there’s a very good concept here about prayer that I think all ought to learn.
Honesty.
Take a look at verse 1 of this Psalm:
1O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
for it comes from honest lips.
When I first read this, I thought… how vain of David. I envisioned him with a puffed up chest, declaring to God… “God, I am truthful and righteous, and my prayers worthy. Answer my plea for help!”
But is that really the case here, or the concept communicated? Hardly.
Think about this idea of honesty in prayer for a bit.
How often are you completely honest with God in prayer? Do you ever find yourself using flowery words about his greatness and love, professing how you love to praise His name, or even simply confessing how you enjoy the privilege of speaking to Him, when in reality you’re simply praying either out of habit or obligation? Perhaps you’re one that offers up lengthy and eloquent words in situations of corporate prayer… but rarely give God more than a couple minutes of the mundane in private. Or how about this… offering words like, “not my will be done, but yours, Lord”, when it’s really NOT okay with you that God might not choose to heal the loved one you’re offering prayer for?
I’m guilty as charged.
It’s funny, isn’t it? We’re so often taught to offer our prayers with beautiful words and immense reverence (neither of which are bad, of course)… but in doing so, often find ourselves doing nothing more than putting on a mask of falsehood about how we really feel.
Who are we fooling?
Maybe our church friends. Maybe even ourselves. But God?
No way.
Here’s a thought… Isn’t God big enough to handle us just as we are? Don’t you think He’s more pleased with us when we come to Him with hearts laid bare before Him?
Perhaps our prayers should be more like this:
Oh Lord… I know I’m supposed to pray to you, but I can’t hardly find the strength or words. I simply don’t feel like talking to you, and I don’t know why. Please help me to have a desire to do this prayer thing right. To have a heart for prayer. To have a desire to talk to you. To begin to understand the value of this. To see the way you answer my cries for help.
God, I don’t know how this prayer stuff works, but I know that somehow you listen and answer.
Please give me strength to pray. Take these requests I’m about to offer and answer them. I want to know that you listen and care.
Lord, I pray for…
Amen.
Some days (maybe even most), that’s how I find myself having to pray. Hardly elegant… most certainly not something I’d want to offer to God in front of my Sunday School class or small group. But raw and real? You bet.
I hope I’m reading Scripture right, and that God truly is pleased with such honesty.
Best Political Ad Ever!
November 20th, 2007 | Comments Off | Posted in » In the News...
This is, hands down, the best political ad I’ve ever seen!
It Could be a Long Season… Episode 10.
November 18th, 2007 | 1 Comment | Posted in » KC Chiefs
My beloved Chiefs travelled to Indianapolis today to face a team few thought they’d have a chance to beat. For the first time in ages, they started a quarterback they’d drafted… Brodie Croyle.
It was apparent from the get-go that the Chiefs were going to try to protect Brodie from himself. For most of the day, Chiefs coaches stuck to their conservative play-calling ways. At no time was it more apparent that they didn’t completely trust Brodie in his first start than just before the half. With 1:18 to go, a full compliment of timeouts, and the ball on the 23 yard line, coaching staff decided to stick to the ground and run out the clock rather than trying to execute the two-minute drill… hardly the conventional call given that the Colts were to receive the second half kickoff.
Yes… the play-calling handcuffed him.
For the majority of the day, the passing playbook consisted of short dumpoffs and quick throws to WR at the line of scrimmage. All well and good if you’re trying to promote a high completion percentage… but not all that great to keep the chains moving and score points.
Thankfully, we didn’t wait until it was too late to open things up. With just less than three minutes to go in the third quarter, we turned Brodie lose, and it paid off.
With the Chiefs on the move, and at the Colts 40… boom. Brodie uncorks an 18 yard completion over the middle to Tony Gonzalez. After a short run up the middle, Brodie started slinging again. Incomplete deep to Gonzo in the end zone, and then the gem of the day… an absolutely incredible 19 yard touchdown pass threaded down the sideline to D-Bowe, who made an unbelievable catch, securing the ball with his legs after coming down in the end zone.
Unfortunately, coaching staff put Brodie back in the box afterwards. With the game tied once again, it was apparently time to revert to short dumpoffs and running plays. We didn’t sniff midfield again in the fourth quarter on two drives, and with 6:59 left in game, the Colts took over, marching down the field, running out the clock, and winning with a FG with 4 seconds on the clock.
Only a miraculous ending could bring the Chiefs victory, and it simply wasn’t to be. I’m still not sure why we tried to emulate the Stanford band play rather than Flutie’s hail Mary, especially given the arm strength Brodie has and that we’ve got D-Bowe and Gonzo to run deep… either one of them can outjump about anyone for a last minute bomb. Oh well… odds on either play succeeding are still almost zero.
The positives?
Well, the defense played very well today, except for the last drive, when we desperately needed a stop. They kept us in the game in spite of our offensive game plan. Who expects the Colts to be held to 13 points? Who expects to hold Manning to only 163 yards on 16 of 32 passing?
Brodie played very well also… especially given the handcuffs he had to wear all day. 19 of 27 with one TD isn’t a bad first start.
The last positive? Well… the Chargers lost too, so we’re 4-6, and they’re 5-5. Playoffs still aren’t out of the question at this point, even if we’re clearly not a playoff-caliber team. The benefit of playing in one of the worst divisions in football. Who’d have thought that would be the case last year?
It Could be a Long Season… Episode 9.
November 11th, 2007 | Comments Off | Posted in » KC Chiefs
The good news? BRODIE BRODIE BRODIE!
We’re gonna get to see if Brodie is our quarterback of the future. He certainly looked, well… better than Huard. One ugly interception, which appeared to be the result of confusion over the receiver’s route… but a whole lot of bullets. The kid simply has a cannon.
The bad news?
We lost to the stinking Broncos at home… for the first time in five years.
Here’s why.
First and foremost, our offensive line continues to perform abysmally. I still don’t get how this year’s line can be so much worse than last year’s… it just doesn’t make any sense at all. Here’s hoping Herm decides to demote Mike Solari and put him back where he fits best… offensive line coach.
The return game still stinks, of course. I simply cannot believe we couldn’t find a decent returner amongst one of our young players. Picking up Detroit cast-off Eddie Drummond has been anything but a good move.
But most disappointingly of all… our defense seems to have its letdowns when we can least afford it.
The bottom line? Brodie may have the deck stacked against to help this year’s Chiefs be anything other than mediocre.
Here’s hoping the defense really steps things up and somehow we get even average performance from our offensive line (particularly the tackles). Maybe, just maybe, we can break out of this tailspin. If nothing else, we need to give Brodie a fair chance at being evaluated to find out if he really is the answer for the foreseeable future at QB.