False Starts
There are few things as frustrating to a sports fan as a false start. The team prepare the play, anticipating the defense’s moves, and get set to move forward. Then someone messes up the snap count or even barely moves. Play stops and the whole process begins again, except that the goal is five yards further away.
I had a blogging false start yesterday.
I was 300 words into a great blog. I had developed some great points, proved them, and even tied into one of Aesop’s Fables. This is good writing, right? I had a few more points to make, then I was going to put a nice bow on the blog by linking the fable one more time. It was going to be a great blog… except that I was wrong.
Well, not entirely wrong. My points were valid, but there were some overwhelming piles of evidence against my point. My ideas all of the sudden did not hold enough water to post.
This whole exercise made me think about writing, and blogging, in general. Often, ideas are not vetted but simply published. We think that because we have a forum then we have a right to post whatever our thoughts may be. We can even reach a point where our posts are so inflammatory or exciting that people read them knowing that they are not true or at least not verified.
If a news writer did not verify his or her sources and the story turns out not to be true, then that person could be in danger of losing the job. No such accountability exists. So I can post anything I want. You may know it is false. I may know it is false. But it does not matter. Whole websites have been built on grainy photos, suppositions, and unnamed sources. As long as the information is current and largely negative, readers can be found.
Blogging gives many people a forum that they would not have otherwise. I am thankful for this opportunity. But with this opportunity, we should feel a responsibility to be honest. I know I am sort of fighting an uphill battle here. I do not think that bloggers at large are all of the sudden going to grow a conscience. But I do believe that we can all do a better job of doing our homework before posting.
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I guess I should let you know what I was writing. I am very excited about the Atlanta Braves and their chance to win the division this year. They have a great starting team and one of the top farm systems in the league. They are reaping the benefits of a few years of development and smart moves. I had this whole post congratulating them on their development of talent and their staying away from chasing the big contracts.
Then I remembered that they signed a $60 million dollar, four year deal with Derek Lowe two years ago. They once moved a lot of their top line talent to rent Mark Teixera, which resulted in zero playoff berths. They signed an older Japanese pitcher on a three year contract and he spent time in the minors last year. This off-season, they signed Dan Uggla through his prime years and then some for too much money (for the record, I like the deal, at least for the first two years). And let’s not forget Mike Hampton.
At the end of the post, I realized that I was writing as much about the evidence against my theory as as the evidence proving it. I stopped writing and trashed the post. Trust me, it’s better that you never read it.
It’s Time for Random Thoughts Again
At times, I am able to take an idea and think through it until it formulates into a blog post (or series of posts). Other times, I have a number of random thoughts that cloud my mind so much that I cannot pick one out of the group. Thus, the occasional post of random thoughts was born. Some of these may turn into posts.
Some of you may say, “Why not use twitter?” I do. You can follow me at twitter.com/moodythinking. Some of these ideas, while brief, are not small enough for 140 characters. So here goes (In no particular order):
- I struggle with reading the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. However, I am learning that they are more than historical narratives and legal documents, but proclamations of God’s glory and holiness. The books are extensively detailed, and I think the reason is because God is extensively detailed… and he’s kind of a big deal.
- Requirements for Starring in an Informercial: 1. Be excited. 2. Yell. 3. Be able to read a screen. Note: These same requirements apply to game show contestants. I could never star in an infomercial because I just cannot get that excited about the Nu Wave Oven, Oxy-Clean, or Ronco Showtime Rotisserie.
- I think we all knew that Dr. House was going to hit the Vicodin again at some point. Whether he falls all the way off the wagon remains to be seen.
- I am curious to see the path The Office takes after Steve Carell leaves. He is such an integral part of that cast. Rainn Wilson (Dwight) said they are going to make it more of an ensemble cast and that idea could work considering the fact that they have some very funny people. Any thing we can do to get more Kevin is a good thing.
- The reading list from a couple of posts ago is finished. I really enjoyed Tim Keller’s “The Reason for God.” I like his succinct and profound answers to pressing questions, and he did a good job in keeping the text from becoming to academic for the culture at large. If you can buy a book in the airport, it needs to be accessible to a lot of people. I still love Gladwell’s books and will grab one of the two I have not read next (Blink, The Tipping Point).
- “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” was a good read as far as plot goes and the characters were decently developed, but all the relationships between the people lacked any real intimacy. Plus, I do not buy that a guy can have an on-going affair with his married coworker and the husband is just cool with it. This lack of relational commitment permeates the book, and while I may be in the dark about Swedish culture, I think Larsson was a little to flippant with the relationships.
- I picked up Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian.” I wish I could write in 500 words what he writes in 50. His writing is, for lack of a better term, ridiculously good. It takes an amazing writer to build a strong narrative out of a protagonist we know only as “The Kid.” I recommend that you read any of his books.
- CNN.com is doing a series of articles about the slavery around the world. Please go read and be informed and think of ways you can help.
- Along the same lines, as mentioned in a previous post, The Invisible Children organization will be screening their new movie, “Tony” at Gateway Baptist in Montgomery on April 2. If you are in the area, it will be well worth the trip.
- Michael Lewis has a new book coming out this June about the collapse of financial markets in Europe called Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World. You can read his articles about the financial collapses of Ireland, Greece, and Iceland on vanityfair.com. He’s a great writer that brings subjects like macro-financial disasters to micro levels by telling individual peoples’ stories, be they high-ranking government officials or cab drivers.
- Speaking of Michael Lewis, Moneyball the movie is currently filming. I am interested to see how well it tells the story considering that the book was written 8 years ago. The book is still readable even if the main names have moved on from Oakland, so maybe the film we be able to connect as well.
- Speaking of Baseball season… only about 3 weeks until opening day.
That’s all for now. Please feel free to comment on any and all ideas. Be well.
Hope in Death
I ate dinner last night at a gathering of friends to support a person who had lost his father to cancer on Sunday. He and his wife had been a backbone of support for his father and mother in these last few weeks as the cancer began to take its toll.
Death brings a certain weight to conversation, and this weight was present last night. However, I was struck by the overwhelming sense of peace that this couple exuded in the midst of this loss. They had been expecting that this day would come soon as they decided to withhold treatment in the last couple of months. However, no amount of preparation can prepare someone for those final moments and the quiet after those moments have passed.
Yet, this couple, while noticeably bearing this heavy weight, saw this man’s death as a release, the end of suffering and the culmination of joy in the presence of Jesus.
The English Renaissance poet George Herbert shows how one can see death as other than terrifying.
(From Luminarium.org)
DEATH
DEATH, thou wast once an uncouth hideous thing,
Nothing but bones,
The sad effect of sadder grones :
Thy mouth was open, but thou couldst not sing.
For we consider’d thee as at some six
Or ten yeares hence,
After the losse of life and sense,
Flesh being turn’d to dust, and bones to sticks.
We lookt on this side of thee, shooting short ;
Where we did finde
The shells of fledge souls left behinde,
Dry dust, which sheds no tears, but may extort
But since our Saviours death did put some bloud
Into thy face ;
Thou art grown fair and full of grace,
Much in request, much sought for, as a good.
For we do now behold thee gay and glad,
As at dooms-day ;
When souls shall wear their new aray,
And all thy bones with beautie shall be clad.
Therefore we can go die as sleep, and trust
Half that we have
Unto an honest faithfull grave ;
Making our pillows either down, or dust.
The death of Jesus on the cross turned death from a monster into a welcome friend, as it is now the passage to life face to face with Jesus. Death seems to be a final point, casting a dark cloud over everything. However, my friend last night spoke of death as a comforting release for his father who could now go to Jesus free of cancer and pain.
My friend was not hiding his feelings behind a false attitude of bravado as though he had not experienced great suffering. He and his wife were honest about the difficult journey their family has faced and will continue to face. Yet, they were not without hope.
The Apostle Paul writes of this idea in 1 Corithinians 15:
“For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory, O death, where is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This passage culminates a section where Paul explains how the death and resurrection of Jesus gives us hope in death. These verses do not mean that death is not painful but that we have hope in death because, for those who trust in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, death is now the passage to heaven.
I saw this hope firsthand in friends dealing with immense pain because of their loss while at the same time living with joy in God’s work. May we all have this same hope.
The Annual (Sort of) Baseball Primer
Spring training games start tomorrow. Most of the South is still talking about Auburn’s run to the national championship. People will branch out and fill out a bracket for March Madness, all the while forgetting that our former national pastime, and the only sport getting us through Summer, is starting again.
Here’s a link to a post I wrote two years ago about why I prefer baseball: http://moodythinking.com/2009/04/10/in-defense-of-baseball/ . The line about the Red Sox having a good farm system and a lower payroll is a little bit laughable now, as they have become the Yankees-light.
I do not want to rehash what I said two years ago… but I do have a couple of modifications about the upcoming baseball season.
Yes, I'm ready.
1. It really, really helps if your team is a contender. The Braves made the playoffs as the NL Wild Card team last year. While they played above their talent most of the year, it was still incredibly fun to root for them. I gave up on the 2009 team about mid-August. For me, it is difficult to continue to watch a sport once my team is officially out of contention. The Braves have every opportunity to compete well again this year.
Most analysts have decided that it is a foregone conclusion that the Phillies are going to win the NL East. I cannot blame them. They have a sick rotation. The collective refrain is that the Braves have a shot at the NL wild card. I may be crazy, but I think they have a shot at the division. The Phillies have a great staff… and a lot of question marks on offense. I am not implying that they will lose as they probably have the best shot to win the division. I simply think that the division will be a lot closer than most people seem to think.
Call me a homer.
2. Baseball represents something missing from our culture. A season of 162 games is a grind. Seasons are not decided by one game but many. Big moves impact the teams; but lots of subtle small moves make a larger difference. Look at the talent the Braves will unleash this year. Freddie Freeman, Mike Minor, and Julio Teheran head the list, but there are great pitchers in Randall Delgado and Arodys Vizcaino that could make a late season impact.
Sports Illustrated shows in this week’s issue how the Braves have committed to development as opposed to dumping tons of money on free agents. Yes, they paid 2B Dan Uggla a lot of money, but it was off his best season and he is in the middle of his prime years.
Baseball teaches us, more than any other sport, how to take the long view. Yes, teams can rise quickly to the top, but most of them are looking for ways to have sustainable success. Our culture currently rewards those who rise quickly, enjoy their 15 minutes, and then fade to obscurity. Yet those who make the most difference in their field take the long view, building over time, and enjoying long term success. My language is intentionally vague because I think this point applies in all walks of life.
Or to be succinct, the tortoise wins the race for a reason. Maybe that’s why slow people can still play baseball.
Enjoy the season.
The Congo Tour: Screening the “Tony” Video
I found out last night that the Invisible Children are coming to Montgomery. They will be screening their new movie “Tony” at Gateway Baptist Church on Saturday, April 2. I will post more details about the screening as they become available.
I heard a tremendous story of pain and love last night involving this area. A woman named Margaret in Northern Uganda was attacked by the LRA. The cut off her lips, nose, and ears and left her for dead. Later, as she was rebuilding her life with the help of World Vision, her attacker came to her camp, seeking help as he had left the LRA. Keep in mind that we do not know how old this child was when he attacked her, but we do know that children under the age of 10 had been made into soldiers by the LRA. Because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, this young man was able to face this woman and she was able to forgive him. I saw a great picture last night where Margaret even let him hold her child.
This story is one example of the horrible atrocities committed by the LRA in Uganda and other parts of East/Central Africa. Yet in the midst of this horror, God is working to restore lives. Please visit http://www.invisiblechildren.com for more information about Africa and how you can help.
My wife and I have been involved with the Invisible Children and their TRI program for a couple of years now. We are blessed to be able to support this organization and the work they are doing in Central/East Africa. Please consider joining TRI as well ($12.00 per month? Really?) Here are the details on the new movie.
What are You Reading?
I am in the waiting phase of the application process for my next level of graduate school (Ph.D. in English). I applied to 16 schools, and I am hoping I will get offers from at least one. I received my first rejection letter yesterday. I had a very small chance of getting into the program, so I am not terribly surprised or upset. Given the current glut of students seeking Ph.D.’s, it is likely that I will receive more rejections than acceptances.
For the first time in a while, I do not have any hard deadlines. My thesis is done. Statements of Purpose are all submitted and filed. I actually have a mental break for the first time in about five years. It will probably be a while until I have one of these again, so I am trying to finish some books I have been meaning to read for a while. I have had my current job for as long as I have been in graduate school, so I have a hard time traveling without a bag full of books. Here’s the current list:
What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures – Malcolm Gladwell – I recently read Outliers and really love the way that Gladwell tells stories. He is a great writer that makes me adjust my perceptions of how we measure key ideas of our lives. In this book so far, the chapter on Cesar Milan’s great example of how body movement conveys emotion and the chapter on the economics of homelessness have been my favorite. Gladwell challenges conventional measurements, and I am better for reading his works.
The Reason for God – Tim Keller – I have heard most of this book in sermon form before reading it, but Keller’s approach to the modern skeptic is a great read full of challenging ideas. He does not shy away from the challenges to the existence of God but offers answers.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson – I tend to follow literary trends. Unfortunately, I am well behind the pack in most cases. It is hard to give a full review as I am only about 150 pages in to the book, but so far Larsson has done a nice job involving characters with depth. I am a sucker for geography and season playing a part in a story, so this book intrigues me as it takes place (for the most part) on a remote island/town in Sweden and in the big cities. Larsson juxtaposes the quiet island missing girl story with large firm financial fraud nicely (so far).
How to Read Literature Like a Professor – Thomas C. Foster – As I finished graduate school, I started flipping through this book and really have enjoyed it. The chapters are short and Foster does a stellar job of explaining literary criticism in layman’s terms all the while leaving the doors open for other interpretations. My basic thought is that I would really enjoy taking a class from Dr. Foster, and you would enjoy reading this book.
That’s all for now. I hope to have a different list in about 6 weeks. What are you currently reading?
The Guarantee Fairy
I have no idea why my mind turns to certain things. I do know that I watched Tommy Boy enough times as a teenager to remember most of the movie. While in the gym this morning, my mind somehow went to a certain scene in this movie. The turning point of the movie is Tommy Callahan (Chris Farley) making his first sale as he has taken over his dad’s business and has struggled to carry the mantle so far.
He basically tells the customer that though the competitor writes guarantees on the box, Callahan’s break pads are simply a better product. The customer associated safety with the guarantee; Tommy showed him (through a ridiculously funny story about the “Guarantee Fairy”) that a guarantee is only worth the product inside.
Ever had a conversation with someone like this? You tell him something and he doesn’t believe you. So you say:
“I Promise”
“I Guarantee It”
“I Swear”
Having to qualify statements with these words reveals a lack of trust. Either the person you are speaking with does not trust you, or you do not trust yourself enough to simply make a statement and let it stand.
Jesus, as he often does, gives the quintessential statement on these guarantees. “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil” (Matthew 5:37).
We should all strive to be trustworthy enough, to ourselves and others, to let our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. I wish this were the case with my own life, but I think it is a goal worth pursuing. In the end, if I am confident enough to say something, I should also be confident enough to let the statement stand on its merits alone.
Of course, I do not mean to say that I am always right. Part of making sure I strive for this goal is making sure I know the subjects I address and admit when I have some gaps in my knowledge. I can then honestly make a statement based on my knowledge (or lack thereof).
I am also sure that there are occasions where certain people are overly skeptical. These situations are great opportunities to prove trustworthiness.
When we get into the business of making promises that we cannot keep or definitive statements about murky subjects, we will soon be forced to qualify any future promises or statements with guarantees, oaths, and promises.
I want to reach the point where I say something and my statement is regarded as trustworthy. This means a lot of work for me, but I am working toward that goal.
(I promise)…
You Should Read More John Donne
The great writers never shy away from the difficult subjects, as evidence in John Donne’s works about death. In a culture doing everything it can to avoid the topic, it helps to have a classic perspective.
Below is his Holy Sonnet X, which gives a great perspective on the thing many of us fear most: death.
“Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so ;
For those, whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy picture[s] be,
Much pleasure, then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou’rt slave to Fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,
And better than thy stroke ; why swell’st thou then ?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And Death shall be no more ; Death, thou shalt die.”
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And one that is probably more familiar (From Meditation XVII):
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
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Through these pieces, Donne shows that death should not be feared because death is not the end of everything. But, we should also be impacted by the death around us inasmuch as the void left by a person changes our lives.
Credit to Luminarium.org for posting these now out of print texts online.
Toward (and Away from) a Healthy Lifestyle – Part 3
(Click here for Part 1: http://wp.me/pl3sV-8O)
(Click here for Part 2: http://wp.me/pl3sV-94)
So there I was… (love that opening). During the Summer of 2002, I traveled around Alabama for six weeks and ran at least five days each week. Those runs took place somewhere between 10-12 am during the Alabama summer. It is entirely possible that I lost a lot of the weight purely by sweating. That summer, I realized that all of life was an opportunity to glorify God.
I came back and starting actually trying at school. In the process, I learned that I loved learning. I loved class (in most cases). I loved papers (again, in most cases). Mandy and I got married and I graduated school. I picked up my first job in July after I graduated and we moved to Montgomery from Hope Hull. We joined a small church staff as youth ministers and adjusted to life as a young married couple.
Like many young couples, Mandy and I rarely ate at home. We cooked occasionally but mostly grabbed whatever food was available. I still exercised on a fairly regular basis and my job provided me with some opportunities to work on my feet. I ran around with teenagers at church, so I guess you could say I had an active lifestyle.
In May of 2005, I left to work with a friend on a new business. It was an inside sales job where I mostly worked behind a desk with occasional 10 foot walks to the coffee machine. This new job was also close to my house, so I did not need to drive past a YMCA and be encouraged to work out anymore.
Like the Krystal Chick, I found a new killer food. The gas station on Twain Curve had an amazing link sausage biscuit that I would bolster with a fried egg and cheese. Total calories: 4520 (estimated). I ate one of these biscuits at least once a week. Couple that with Mandy and I’s eating out tendency, and I was careening back to big boy status again.
This picture is from New Years Eve 2006. I had just rejoined the company I left previously in a different position and Mandy had a new job as well. I was back up to 225 pounds. Several things changed that winter along with the job. We read Dave Ramsey’s “The Total Money Makeover” and realized we were a bit disheveled financially (to put it loosely). I also started working out with my friend Chad, who was interested in starting running.
I had no idea that starting running in January 2007 would lead to a Marathon in February of 2008. I plugged in with a group of runners at Downtown YMCA that were willing to educate me on the process of running and have patience with me as I got in better shape. Again, the weight fell off. Running became a passion, so much so that I ran a 20 mile training run on a snowy Saturday morning… on a treadmill. Yes, it was as bad as you think it would be. I ran the 2008 Mercedes Marathon in 4:28. Mandy was patient with me as we had Ollie that November and I still had the worst of my training runs in front of me.
So that’s my story. I have by no means arrived at total fitness. I fluctuate between 190-195, though I am trying to get under 180 in the next 10 weeks. I hope that hearing my story has encouraged you in your health as well. I went down the road to bad health a couple of times. I do not want to walk down that road again.
You have seen my journey. Do you have a similar one? What areas are a struggle for you? Feel free to leave comments and questions.
Toward (and Away from) a Healthy Lifestyle – Part 2
(Read yesterday’s post for Part 1: http://moodythinking.com/2011/01/25/toward-and-away-from-a-healthy-lifestyle/)
So I was 225-230 and heading into my freshman year of college in August of 2000. I should probably tell you that I did not take school seriously. I should also probably tell you that I did not take my health seriously either. I joined a fraternity and was involved in my church’s college ministry. My friend lived perilously close to a Krystal during the advent of the Krystal Chick. The result: I grew but not in the way I should have.
My appearance and ability to do impressions, along with the popularity of a certain Dreamworks production, led to a new nickname: Shrek. Considering this picture, the name applied very well. You might think I was bothered by the names and jokes. Truthfully, I wore it proudly. I made myself the center of attention, the jovial, chubby guy who made jokes and a fool of himself for a few laughs. I would eventually learn that I was compensating for my insecurities but more on that later.
I did take my faith seriously and looked for opportunities to share it with others. I sought to glorify God in a lot of ways, but for some reason, I did not associate my faith with my health… or my school. Thankfully, I met Mandy during my second year of school and through our relationship began to realize that I was not happy with the person I had become. It took someone loving me for who I really was and not the front I put up for others to see. Mandy was and is the best example of God’s love that I have seen.
(I realize this all sounds a little too cliche, but sometimes cliches are the only way to describe thoughts and emotions. Cliches became what they are because they apply in a lot of circumstances, so DON”T JUDGE ME!, (Sorry for yelling)).
This picture shows me at my worst. I had reached a svelte 250-255 pounds and had one of my worst semesters in school, earning 4 -C’s and a B, which did not put me on the Dean’s List. This picture is from a dance at the AUM BCM. At this point, God began to initiate significant changes in my life. I was pretty sure at this point that I wanted to marry Mandy. I also signed up for Summer Missions where I would travel around Alabama for a summer preaching at youth retreats and revivals. The trip entailed traveling every fourth day and preaching eight sermons a week.
This trip would prove to be significant in my life for a number of reasons. I realized that living life halfway was equivalent to not living at all. God began to work in me to understand that my daily life provided opportunities to glorify him and live life to the fullest. I began to actually try at school and my grades improved. I also asked a friend who was in incredible shape for advice on how I could get in shape. I had always liked the idea of running, but I did not think I would ever be a runner.
My friend advised me to start small by running two minutes and walking eight for 40 minutes. After a few weeks, I could increase the running times. Over the weeks of my trip, I reached the point where I could run for 40 minutes. The weight literally fell off. By the time this picture was taken, which was taken the next summer at Mandy’s family reunion. I was down to about 185 pounds. I also asked Mandy to marry me the very next weekend.
My journey to healthy living could end here and I could say that I made permanent changes and here I am today. Alas, that is not the story. Notice that the title says “Away from a Healthy Lifestyle.” Tomorrow’s blog will detail how I walked back down the road of being unhealthy.
