Chillin'

No new entries until the new year. I am busy catching up with friends and family.

Quote of the Day - The Birth of Christ

As Philip Yancey says, I have never seen this version of the story on a Christmas card. Yet is is the truer story, the rest of the picture of what was going on that fateful night. Yancey calls the birth of Christ the Great Invasion, "a daring raid by the ruler of the forces of good into the universe's seat of evil." Spiritually speaking, this is no silent night. It is D-Day."

John Eldredge on Philip Yancey

Quote of the Day - Ulysses S. Grant

The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity.

Ulysses S. Grant.

Quote of the Day - Billy Graham

Only those who want everything done for them are bored.

Billy Graham

Article for the Day - Episcopal parishes in Virginia break away

Parishes in Virginia break away as the Episcopal Church of America struggles to keep its house in order. Click here.

Quote of the Day - Bono

"If only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. …When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s—- and everybody else’s. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that’s the question."

Bono

Video of the Week - Yosemite

Sam, Rick, and I took a backpacking trip on the Upper Chiquito Trail in Yosemite a little over a year ago. It was a blast and I definitely want to take another one soon. I was limited to what I could take on the trip and regret not taking more equipment but was at least able to put a video together. Thanks to Rick who also took some fantastic pictures.

Quote of the Day - Martin Luther King Jr.

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven will pause to say, 'There lived a great street sweeper who did his job well'."

Martin Luther King Jr.

Quote of the Day - William Wilberforce

“Let everyone regulate his conduct . . . by the golden rule of doing to others as in similar circumstances we would have them do to us, and the path of duty will be clear before him.”

William Wilberforce

Rise of the Vulcans

I am reading Rise of the Vulcans. Does anybody know anything about it?

Quote of the Day - Dwight D. Eisenhower

From this day forward, the millions of our schoolchildren will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural schoolhouse, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Second Video of the Week - Interlaken Adventure

Brian and I met up in Interlaken, Switzerland a couple of years ago for an extreme sports weekend. Here's a video of our 450-foot bungee jump in the Alps.

Video - Meet the Press

Eliot A. Cohen of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies comments on Meet the Press on the Iraq Study Group Report. (Internet Explorer required)

Angels

Kudos to my Angels who just signed left-handed reliever, Darren Oliver. This bolsters an already strong bullpen with Francisco Rodriguez, Scot Shields, recently signed Justin Speir, and Hector Carrasco. This addition solidifies the Angel pitching staff and makes it perhaps the deepest in the majors. Stay tuned as to whether they trade pitching for a power hitter. Don't be surprised if they sign Barry Zito and trade one of their young starters. Rumors have spread that the Angels could trade Casey Kotchman and Chone Figgins for Atlanta first baseman Adam Laroche. If they could do it without trading pitching, this would position them as one of the favorites to win it all next year.

Quote of the Day - Dwight D. Eisenhower

I despise people who go to the gutter on either the right or the left and hurl rocks at those in the center.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Quote of the Day

It is always easy to be giving with other people's money.

No Way to Win a War

I am always quite skeptic of the effectiveness of government commissions, especially ones consisting exclusively of politicians. My boy Eliot Cohen wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal summing up my sentiments.

Quote of the Day - Soren Kierkegaard

One can advise comfortably from a safe port.

Soren Kierkegaard

Quote of the Day - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Pessimism never won any battle.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Quote of the Day - Soren Kierkegaard

Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.

Soren Kierkegaard

Quote of the Day - Dwight D. Eisenhower

If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Video of the week - Rubber Band William Tell

My roommates and I can do some odd stuff when we are bored. Gainer really hit it with a rubber band.

Quote of the Day - Soren Kierkegaard

It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey.

Soren Kierkegaard

Quote of the Day - Soren Kierkegaard

Once you label me you negate me.

Soren Kierkegaard

Quote of the Day - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels - men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Quote of the Day - Theodore Roosevelt

Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.

Theodore Roosevelt

Quote of the Day - Dwight D. Eisenhower

A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

UCLA ranked No. 1 for first time in 11 years

UCLA ranked No. 1 for first time in 11 years
Bruins won Maui Invitational; No. 1 Florida and No. 2 North Carolina lost

Article for the Day

I found the following article thought provoking even though I did not agree with everything. It is easy to argue that the Washington Consensus was not the best advice for developing countries. However, this article dares to say that simply increasing aid is not necessarily the answer. Kudos to the Millenium Challenge Corporation for recognizing this. I am unsure what to think about the article's position on minimizing the emphasis on intellectual property rights. Are we really willing to accept that the Chinese have violated most of these agreements anyway?


How to Help Poor Countries
Nancy Birdsall, Dani Rodrik, and Arvind Subramanian
From Foreign Affairs, July/August 2005

Quote of the Day - John Piper

One of the most important discoveries I have ever made is this truth: God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in him. This is the motor that drives my ministry as a pastor. It affects everything I do.”

John Piper

Picture of the Day

Great Whites really are scary, no?

Article for the Day - Vietnamese Capitalism

The Song Of The South

Hanoi's communists won the Vietnam War, but southern-born reformers are leading an economic boom as the country opens up to the world.

2008 Predictions Update

Here are my updated predictions for 2008. Governor Mark Warner has pulled out of the race which means the democrats will probably rely on Barack Obama or Hilary Clinton for their nomination. Governor Tom Vilsack could surprise us but there is little indication that would lead us to believe that. The nomination for the democrats will probably come from the Senate. The last Senator to go to the White House was John F. Kennedy and he barely got in. John Kerry tried to defy history in thelast election by not only going from the Senate to the White House but also selecting another Senator as his running mate. Governor Bill Richardson is often mentioned as a VP candidate. He was just reelected and is very popular in the state. If Obama does not run for president, expect him to be mentioned as a VP candidate. Either Richard of Obama could balance the ticket by drawing the minority vote.

George Allen's stock fell like a rock over the last several months and it made it look as though the G.O.P. nomination was John McCain's to lose. However, Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin announced that he will form an exploratory committee. Thompson could be one of the few viable candidate with executive experience. Other candidates have had a large start in fundraising but a lot can happen in two years. Governor Mitt Romney has thrown his hat in the ring also. It is probably safe to say that the G.O.P. nomination will go to either McCain, Romney, or Thompson.

Article for the Day

What will she do? Few people are as polarizing as Hillary Clinton. Today's article shows that partisan politics does not dominate everything in Congress.

Quote of the Day - Winston Churchill

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Winston Churchill

Quote of the Day - Winston Churchill

I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.

Winston Churchill

Quote of the Day - Winston Churchill

The price of greatness is responsibility.

Winston Churchill

Quote of the Day - G.K. Chesterton

People generally quarrel because they cannot argue.

G.K. Chesterton

In Defense of Politics - Peter Wehner

This well written speech by Peter Wehner of the Ethics and Public Policy Center explains the necessity of politics and that we need not shy away from it.

I am intrigued by the triggered response when the topic of politics comes up. Many are often quick to criticize politics which is merely a mirror into our own souls with real life as its subject and a reflection which is open for all to see.

Quote of the Day - C.S. Lewis

There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.

The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit: and the virtue opposite to it, in Christian morals, is called Humility. You may remember, when I was talking about sexual morality, I warned you that the centre of Christian morals did not lie there. Well, now, we have come to the centre. According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.

C.S. Lewis

Video of the week - Yahoo

I saw this commercial the other week and laughed for about 30 seconds afterwards.

Quote of the Day - Winston Churchill

Too often the strong, silent man is silent only because he does not know what to say, and is reputed strong only because he has remained silent.

Winston Churchill

Quote of the Day - C.S. Lewis

It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers, will bring us to Him. We must not use the Bible as a sort of encyclopedia out of which texts can be taken for use as weapons.

C.S. Lewis

Quote of the Day - Winston Churchill

When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.

Winston Churchill

Mathematic Proof for the Day - Engineers describe woman

For the guys out there, I thought this was funny. Click here.

Quote of the Day - G.K. Chesterton

Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.

G.K. Chesterton

UCLA Bruins

I love Ben Howland. He is so many things that Steve Lavin and Jim Harrick were not. The following insightful article shows a few of the coaching techniques employed by Howland. Kudos for Ben Howland who will hopefully be in Westwood for a long time.

Quote of the Day - C.S. Lewis

I like bats much better than bureaucrats. I live in the Managerial Age, in a world of "Admin." The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid "dens of crime" that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern.

C.S. Lewis

Quote of the Day - 1 Corinthians

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Quote of the Day - Winston Churchill

There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at without result.

Winston Churchill

Video of the Week - Urban Ninja

I love watching this guy. So here's a video for just a little fun.

Quote of the Day - G.K. Chesterton

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.

G.K. Chesterton

Quote of the Day - Winston Churchill

Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it.

Winston Churchill

Quote of the Day - C.S. Lewis

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

C.S. Lewis

Quote of the Day - Alexander Hamilton

Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.

Alexander Hamilton

Quote of the Day - Benjamin Franklin

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.

Benjamin Franklin

Quote of the Day - George S. Patton

If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you'll be amazed at the results.

George S. Patton

Article for the Day - His Corps Value Was Bravery

Tony Perry of the Los Angeles Times writes about the life of Chris Adlesperger (center) and his decision to enlist in the Marine Corps. Adlesperger has been posthumously nominated for the Medal of Honor for his action after the death of his friend Erick Hodges, left.

Quote of the Day - Warren Bennis

"Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens people feel centered and that gives their work meaning."

Warren Bennis

A Man and His Father

It is safe to say that Jim Leyland is perhaps one of the best managers in major league baseball. The Tigers are back in the playoffs after years of losing and I am always curious as to what motivates people to succeed. This short but insightful article by Wright Thompson of ESPN provides insight into the good, the bad, and the ugly of a father's influence on his children. It is rare that we get a glimpse into a lifetime in such a short amount of time. Click here.

Quote of the Day - Theodore Roosevelt

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.

Theodore Roosevelt

Tribute to King Fish

Tim Salmon

This weekend marks the end of the career of a longtime Angel, Tim Salmon. Kudos to a class act who was there during the lean years but also during the lone World Series Championship in 2002. Salmon created the fish bowl where he donated a block of 100 seats for disadvantaged children. It is estimated that he ended up allowing hundreds of thousands of kids to see baseball games. Hopefully he'll be able to get one more home run for a total of 300 for his career.

Quote of the Day - Proverbs

Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Proverbs 29:18

Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address

You may have figured out that I am a big Abraham Lincoln fan. Well, I went to the Lincoln Memorial again today and as always, I take a long time to read his 2nd Inaugural address. This is perhaps one of the best political speeches by an American ever made. I have taken years to think about why it is so powerful and meaty. Lincoln accurately captures the sign of the times in just a few words. Here you go:

At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office, there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement, somewhat in detail, of a course to be pursued, seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention, and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.

On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it--all sought to avert it. While the inaugeral [sic] address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war--seeking to dissole [sic] the Union, and divide effects, by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came.

One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war, the magnitude, or the duration, which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has his own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" If we shall suppose that American Slavery is one of those offences which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a Living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope--fervently do we pray--that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether"

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.

Video of the week - Boys of Summer

It is starting to feel like Autumn is it not? How about something a little lighter?

This song by Don Henley is a classic yet the underrated video deserves recognition too. I love the black and white and even the choice of the kid on drums. The video screens in the background shoot us across timelines and contrast the past and present. It is all very subtle and poetic. Boys of Summer

Quote of the Day - Abraham Lincoln

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.

Abraham Lincoln

Quote of the Day - Change

Think of managing change as an adventure. It tests your skills and abilities. It brings forth talent that may have been dormant. Change is also a training ground for leadership. When we think of leaders, we remember times of change, innovation and conflict. Leadership is often about shaping a new way of life. To do that, you must advance change, take risks and accept responsibility for making change happen.

Charles E. Rice, CEO of Barnett Bank

Quote of the Day - John Maxwell

The first step to leadership is servanthood.

John Maxwell

Old Rag and the Shenandoah's

I went camping in the Shenandoahs this last weekend with a group of friends. Despite the rain on Saturday morning, it was tons of fun. On Sunday Stephen, Chris, and I went and hiked Old Rag Mountain which I have been wanting to do for the last year. The first half was a brutal 2 1/2 hour hike uphill with a rock scramble. This is probably the most strenuous hike I have ever done. However, getting to the top was quite a satisfying feeling. Thanks to Stephen who is almost always willing to take pictures!

The City Church Washington DC

There's a new church in town. I've been attending the City Church of Washington DC. It meets on Thursday nights at 7 PM.

Quote of the Day - George S. Patton

General George S. Patton

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.

Video of the Week - The Unusual Suspect

You may have heard of Stephen Baldwin's story but here he is in person with Matt Lauer on the Today show (Follow the link and click on the video, Internet Explorer required). I also recommend reading the excerpt from his book. He is definitely a different man.

Video of the week - A Well Kept Secret

Here's to the U2 fans and to those who are not. You have probably heard this song quite a bit but do you know what it is really about? This time, listen to Bono's toast beforehand and think about the lyrics again. Who is he talking to?

How long to sing this song?

Bad Day? How about a laugh?

Click on the following link and slowly scroll down:

http://www.idiots-guide.org/badday.htm

Life's Little Lessons - Little League

Life's little lessons
A team of 10-year-olds reminded me what's important
by Tom Verducci

Lonely Americans

Americans try to connect as loneliness grows
Need for companionship rises as more live alone and have fewer friends

I was not surprised to find this article from the Associated Press. I heard a statistic that 9 out of 10 men do not have a very close friend that they can really confide in.

So you do not feel lonely. Have you thought that a lot of people around you are?

Jonathan House Retreat

Here's a picture from our last retreat at Ocean City in Maryland.

Video of the week - Indigo Girls

I've recently discovered www.youtube.com which has all kinds of video that you can stream. If you have some time to listen to music, here is a lesser known but long time favorite of mine.

Least Complicated
by the Indigo Girls

100 Pianos

Read about A. W. Tozer

July 30

The Church: 100 Pianos

...that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. --John 17:21

Someone may fear that we are magnifying private religion out of all proportion, that the "us" of the New Testament is being displaced by a selfish "I." Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become "unity" conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified. The body becomes stronger as its members become healthier. The whole church of God gains when the members that compose it begin to seek a better and a higher life. The Pursuit of God, 90.

"Lord, let this start with me. Give me a closer walk with You today. Then as a leader enable me to encourage others as well, individually, so that all to whom I minister might be in harmony as we individually are close to You. Amen."

Quote of the Day - John Falconer

I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light.

John Falconer

The Nigerians are Coming!

The following article affects a lot of people I know directly:

The Nigerians Are Coming!
The rift in the Anglican Church comes to Northern Virginia.
by Mark D. Tooley

Quote of the Day - Mike Stachura

The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but its sending capacity.

Mike Stachura

Quote of the Day - C.T. Studd

Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell, I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell.

C.T. Studd

Journey to Afghanistan

Mike Mannina (left) in local attire poses with an Afghan.

Do you want to know what it is like to be on the ground in Afghanistan? One of my housemates took a trip to Afghanistan awhile back and saw firsthand. Click here.

Question

How many people change the world while working from a desk?

Churchillian Courage - Joseph Loconte

Churchillian Courage
Moral leadership and the War on Terror.

By Joseph Loconte

Quote of the Day - Theodore Roosevelt

I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of heart and that is softness of head.

Theodore Roosevelt

Quote of the Day - General George S. Patton

Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.

General George Patton Jr

Quote of the Day C.S. Lewis

Badness is only spoiled goodness.

C.S. Lewis

Quote of the Day - Benjamin Franklin

A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.

Benjamin Franklin

Memorial Day

(Brian Vander Brug / LAT)

'Would I die for my job?' One brother struggles to understand why the other insisted on fighting for his country in a war that eventually killed him. (Los Angeles Times, registration may be required)

In commemoration of memorial day and our veterans, here is an article by Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times that shows the personal side of this day.

Quote of the Day - Vince Lombardi

Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser.

Vince Lombardi

Way tired

I've been way too busy so I've not blogged much lately. This probably means I need to slow down.

I went to a community group Bible Study on Wednesday. There were two guys and eight women. It was quite disturbing. I am starting to agree more and more with David Murrow who wrote Why Men Hate Going to Church that our churches are not letting men be men. I felt like I had crashed a women's support group and spoiled their party. It was painful.

Since I've lived in community with quite a few men for some time, I've concluded that if you want men to exercise servant leadership in the kingdom, you must have a Men's ministry at the church level. Men have such special needs and are often dealing with so many issues that you have to dig deep to heal their wounds. Those needs can only be addressed when men feel free to tackle issues that only men face. I am willing to bet that the church you attend is at least fifty-five percent women if not more.

Ever hear a lousy preacher?

May 15

Preaching: The Authority of God

...I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, "Thus says the Lord God." As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse--for they are a rebellious house--yet they will know that a prophet has been among them. -Ezekiel 2:4-5

I don't want to be unkind, but I am sure there ought to be a lot more authority in the pulpit than there is now. A preacher should reign from his pulpit as a king from his throne. He should not reign by law nor by regulations and not by board meetings or man's authority. He ought to reign by moral ascendance.

When a man of God stands to speak, he ought to have the authority of God on him so that he makes the people responsible to listen to him. When they will not listen to him, they are accountable to God for turning away from the divine Word. In place of that needed authority, we have tabby cats with their claws carefully trimmed in the seminary, so they can paw over the congregations and never scratch them at all. They have had their claws trimmed and are just as soft and sweet as can be....

I believe in the authority of God, and I believe if a man doesn't have it, he should go away and pray and wait until he gets the authority and then stand up to speak even if he has to begin on a soapbox on a street corner. Go to a rescue mission and preach with authority! They had it in those days--when they stood up, there was authority! The Counselor, 150-151.

"Lord, may I always preach boldly like the Apostle Paul, like Ezekiel, like Jeremiah and the prophets. If I have the Word of God; if I have the Holy Spirit; if I have a humble spirit of dependence on You--there's no reason I should preach like a de-clawed tabby cat! Amen."

Quote of the Day - Martin Luther King Jr.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

- Martin Luther King Jr.

Quote of the Day - Theodore Roosevelt

It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things.

Theodore Roosevelt

Quote of the Day - Martin Luther King Jr.

Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Quote of the Day - Michael Pritchard

You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.

Michael Pritchard

Quote of the Day - Winston Churchill

If you're going through hell, keep going.

Winston Churchill

Charity

Okay some I'm feeling convicted by a sermon I heard on Sunday about all these "Christians" with blogs but yet they are not necessarily showing more charity to our neighbor. Do we need more blogs? I'm not so sure. So C.S. Lewis says something like if you want to figure out how to love your neighbor more, just do it. If you just love them then the emotion will follow or something like that. I guess blogs are kind of like adding more Christian book stores.

Biographies

Does anybody have a recommendation for the best biographies on Winston Churchill or Benjamin Franklin?

Quote of the Day - Oscar Wilde

Consistency is the last resort of the unimaginative.

Oscar Wilde

Global Night Commute

Not doing anything on Saturday night? Go try the Global Night Commute. If I'm not still nursing a cold, I think I'll go join a few friends on the national mall and camp out.

Still sick

I've been sick all week and have been quite exhausted. So, no blogging.

Free Cone Day

Today is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's ice cream. So go in and take advantage!

At home sick

I've got some sort of bug from my roommates and it is wiping me out. You might want to check out this website for music: www.pandora.com. I do not like it as much as Yahoo Launch but at least there are no commercials. You have to create your own stations and I had to suffer through a lot of obscure music that I never heard of. I almost gave up on it but now it is finally playing music I enjoy.

Softball politics

I thought this article about Congressional softball was entertaining. Perhaps not even softball is off limits to political leanings. Thanks to sugarplum.

Thought

If you water down the gospel, you get watered down men.

Video of the week - Why are younger Americans so miserable?

What happened to the Generation X over the last decade? Jean Twenge's interview (Internet Explorer required) on the Today sums up her book but I was actually more intrigued by reading the following Newsweek article.

Here's an excerpt from the article's introduction:

Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, examines the generation of Americans born after 1970 in her book, “Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled — and More Miserable than Ever Before.” Twenge argues that younger people are more self-assured than their parents, but they also more depressed. She bases her argument on 14 years of research comparing the results of personality tests given to boomers when they were under 30 to those of the Gen-Me cohort today. Twenge, invited to appear on the “Today” show, places much of the blame on the self-esteem movement of the last few decades.

Any comments?

Question

What is your purpose? What are you fast at?

Quote of the Day - Eric Liddell

“I believe God made me for a purpose--for China. But He also made me fast! And when I run, I feel His pleasure. To give that up would be to hold Him in contempt. …to win is to honor Him.”

–Eric Liddell, film dialogue, “Chariots of Fire”

Chuck Norrisisms

My roommates and I recently discovered Chuck Norrisisms. So here are my top 10 favorite Chuck Norrisisms.

10. Chuck Norris only uses one chopstick.

9. We all know the magic word is please. As in the sentence, "Please don't kill me." Too bad Chuck Norris doesn't believe in magic.

8. When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

7. Macgyver can build an airplane out of gum and paper clips, but Chuck Norris can kill him and take it.

6. Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV.

5. It was once believed that Chuck Norris actually lost a fight to a pirate, but that is a lie, created by Chuck Norris himself to lure more pirates to him. Pirates never were very smart.

4. Chuck Norris died ten years ago, but the Grim Reaper can't get up the courage to tell him.

3. Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

2. Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.

1. Chuck Norris puts the "laughter" in "manslaughter".

Video of the week - Together Team Hoyt

Check out the love of this Father. Don't run alone!

Bush speaks at Johns Hopkins SAIS

President George W. Bush spoke about the "Global War on Terror" at Johns Hopkins SAIS on Monday, April 10. The president was introduced by Johns Hopkins University President William R. Brody.

Click here to read the transcript
Click here for the audio and video

Quote of the Day - Pastor Mark Batterson

Don't let the Pharirazzi keep you from radically loving prostitutes. Don't let the Pharirazzi keep you from healing on the Sabbath. Don't let the Pharirazzi keep you from hanging out with Tax Collectors.

Pastor Mark Batterson
National Community Church

Targeting Men

The other day David Murrow spoke about Why Men Hate Going to Church. Men do not like going to church, so what? Today, we join Jack Elwood, Senior Pastor at Burke Community Church in Virginia. Pastor Elwood recently spoke at a men's conference and laid out why targeting men at your church is a strategically beneficial decision. Full story

The human rights charade at the UN

A friend of mine, Joseph Loconte coauthored an op-ed on human rights and the United Nations that appeared in the Boston Globe last month and the International Herald Tribune this week. I went to a talk yesterday at the Ethics and Public Policy Center where he is now a Senior Fellow.

Video of the Week - Sunday's Comin'

Worship House Media has some sample videos online. You can only watch a small sample on this page but the audio is still good. Certainly all of us know what Friday feels like but do you know that Sunday's Comin'?

Why Do Men Hate Going to Church?

David Murrow gave a talk summarizing his book on why men hate going to church. David Murrow notes:

• The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female, 39% male. This gender gap shows up in all age categories.

• On any given Sunday there are 13 million more adult women than men in America’s churches.

• This Sunday almost 25 percent of married, churchgoing women will worship without their husbands.

• Midweek activities often draw 70 to 80 percent female participants.

• The majority of church employees are women (except for ordained clergy, who are overwhelmingly male).

• As many as 90 percent of the boys who are being raised in church will abandon it by their 20th birthday. Many of these boys will never return.

• More than 90 percent of American men believe in God, and five out of six call themselves Christians. But only two out of six attend church on a given Sunday. The average man accepts the reality of Jesus Christ, but fails to see any value in going to church.

Davie Murrow is so passionate about this that he has decided to start Church for Men. Jesus said to Peter "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19). Jesus attracted men with his ministry and this is not happening today with our churches. Something is wrong and one cannot deny it.

What's next?

Bum deal about my Bruins but they surpassed everybody's expectations in the tournament. Joakim Noah and the Florida Gators were too much. We should expect next year's Bruins to be just as good if not better as Coach Ben Howland gets everything out of his kids that he can. Well done!

So baseball season is starting and my Angels are looking good again. Unfortunately, they were unable to pick up a big bat in the offseason. They wisely chose to stay fiscally responsible and develop talent from within by holding on to highly touted prospects Brandon Wood, Howie Kendrick, Jered Weaver, and Kendry Morales. I am a little disappointed that they did not go after center fielder Mike Cameron from the Mets as San Diego obtained him in a trade that was practically a steal. I think their offense may be even better than last year with the emergence of Casey Kotchman and Juan Rivera. Veteran Tim Salmon is back in camp and had a great spring.

I predict that the Angels will win about 91 games and come in second to the Oakland A's who have perhaps the best pitching in the majors. If Bobby Crosby stays healthy expect him to support Eric Chavez and Milton Bradley in providing the offense to support incredible pitching.

The Cardinals are the strongest again in the National League as they will be riding high from playing in a brand new stadium. However, the winner will likely come from the American League. It looks like the Chicago White Sox are no fluke and that they should be poised to repeat as champions.

How about those Bruins!!!

I have not been blogging lately as I have been busy watching my Bruins and reading about them in the sportspages. It has even inspired me to pick up the basketball myself since one of my housemates is a die hard Hoosier and basketball nut. I'm still working on my own jumpshot as its quite rusty.

Quote of the Day - Abraham Lincoln

As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.

Abraham Lincoln

Last In Their Class

Congratulations to my former coworker James S. Robbins who just released his book Last in their Class about the graduates of Westpoint who were famous for great exploits yet infamously performed near the bottom of their class academically. Click here for Jim's online interview.

Quote of the Day - Abraham Lincoln

I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.

Abraham Lincoln

Quote of the Day - William Temple

Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by his holiness; the nourishment of mind with his truth; the purifying of the imagination by his beauty; the opening of the heart to his love; the surrender of will to his purpose; and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy of that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin.

William Temple 1881-1944

Coach Ben Howland Gets It

Adam Morrison

There is a reason why I do not watch NBA basketball anymore. Gonzaga player Adam Morrison who is a great player and did all he could for his team, was crushed after leading the entire game and losing it in the last 10 seconds. He collapsed in tears with disbelief afterwards. Then, two Bruin players did something that is missing in professional sports.

Hollins and Afflalo went to help up Morrison, who was spread on the floor at midcourt. Few then came to hug the crying Morrison.

“That’s just a sign of a great program and great people,” Morrison said. “They had enough guts as a man in their moment of victory to pick another man up off the floor. That’s more than basketball and I would thank them if I could.”

UCLA Ben Howland has understood what all his predecessors since the legendary John Wooden could not. As a coach, you are in the business of not only coaching good basketball players, you are raising boys to be men.

Go Bruins!

Did you watch UCLA vs. Gonzaga??? My Bruins were trailing the entire game by as much as 17 points. They stole the ball with 10 seconds left and took the lead while perhaps ending Adam Morrisson's college career. The next game is against Memphis which at the start of the tournament looked like the weakest of the No. 1 seeds. Kudos to coach Ben Howland who has emphasized what Steve Lavin and Jim Harrick never did, defense, hustle, and fundamentals. The year is not over yet but I am ready to say that next year is going to be even better for the Bruins.