Discussions

Be honest, how awesome is this?

So I’ve got this friend, he’s a great friend and he’s usually full of really good advice. We aren’t very much alike in some respects but in other respects we are very much alike. Therefore, our friendship is very beneficial as we sharpen each other in areas that we wouldn’t normally be sharpened. Well, his latest suggestion was that I look into running. Apparently running has really dispensed a lot of grace into his life. Who would have thought that hard work would dispense so much grace?

With that in mind, I have decided to give my best shot at running. Starting today I will run 1 mile and then try to run at least 1.5 miles by the end of the week. The air quality is really bad in Turlock, in fact, I only breath through my right nostril. I have this condition which many people have called “a deviated septum.” It sounds like a really bad calculus problem. This condition might hinder my running abilities but I’m whipping ahead anyway. We’ll see what kind of grace running dispenses into my life. Maybe it will give me a chance to think about things I wouldn’t normally think about? Maybe it will give me a time to drown in my IPOD. Lately I have been feeling tired quite a bit and yawning too much. Hopefully this will help to overcome that. I will post an update after I’ve made progress. If I end quitting then I will post a blog confessing my weakness.

This video can almost get me in tears every time I see it.

Or maybe there is something right with me? Maybe the New Orleans Saints point to their maker, their creator. The Creator of all things who himself is likened to a CHAMPION.

Psalm 19: 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; ……………5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

A CHAMPION. A CHAMPION.

Wow, this totally made my day.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=steve

“Steve (short for Steven/Stephen) is a name associated with power and awesomeness.
An Australian male with the name Steve should be praised constantly.
Historians have noted that the name derives from a line of kings, sports stars and top blokes.
It has been noted that philosophers in the mold of Nostradamus and Albert Einstein have stated that the name Steve should be put away because it would be difficult for any young male to have such a burden placed on their shoulders.
However this theory was rebuked by the AOS (Association of Steve’s) who correctly suggested that once a child is named Steve they can automatically take upon such a mantle, as with the name they are the recipient of much greatness, authority and laid-backednesss.
Parents who embed their children with this hallowed name shall receive an all round champ of a son for their knowledgeable choice.”
My name is Steve

In lieu of the New Orleans Saints 1st Super Bowl appearance, I felt it necessary to share some of my fondest memories as a Saints fan.  I must admit that being a Saints fan, as insignificant as it is, has been an awesome experience.  I understand that for many, football might seem immature and overrated, but for me it has been an escape from a busy world. Enjoy.

There have been some VERY difficult times, especially in my younger years,  friends couldn’t imagine why I would choose the Saints.  The Saints had one of the most ferocious defenses but could never overcome the 49ers of the 80′s or the Cowboys of the 90′s.  Greats like; Sam Mills, Pat Swilling and Ricky Jackson have long since been forgotten because of the more star powered teams with the Montana’s and the Aikman’s.  I grew up having to defend the Saints year in and year out.  Always having to explain why “next year” would be different.   They were the forgotten franchise and before the 80′s they were known as the “aints” as in the Saints aint winning.  In the last 10 years they have gotten things moving in the right direction but still with frustration and confusion every step of the way.   I watched the Saints trade away their entire draft for Ricky Williams, the so-called savior of the Saints.  Ricky ended up getting traded away and a few years later, he totally shined for the Dolphins.  I watched Jake Delhomme sit on the bench while an injured Aaron Brooks gave his all in a losing effort.  One season, the Saints had Aaron Brooks, Jake Delhomme and Marc Bulger on the bench.  The Saints let Delhomme and Bulger go and they both had greater success on other teams.   I remember when Kyle Turley ripped off a Jets player helmet and tossed across the stadium.  I watched the River City Relay live, and for those who don’t know, it was when the Saints scored a 80 yard touchdown with 6 seconds left on the clock only to miss the extra point and get eliminated from the playoffs.  I watched the Saints get eliminated from the playoff  contention because of a botched reverse that should have never been called in the first place.  I drove 8 hours to San Diego only to watch Aaron Brooks throw a backwards pass and the Saints get pummeled  17-43 against the Chargers.  The people in my section were so frustrated that they started cheering for beer instead of the Saints.  I once drove to New Orleans from Dallas to watch the streaking 4-4 Saints LOSE to the 0-8 Rams.  TERRIBLE.  In 2006 I moved to Dallas, TX for seminary and that was the year that the Saints made the NFC Championship.   The first year of seminary was lonely because I was in a new environment where I hardly knew anyone but the Saints were a familiar solace.  Many thought the Saints were going to leave New Orleans after hurricane Katrina but instead they came back better then ever.  I went to the reopening of the Super Dome for the  Monday Night Football game against the Falcons.  U2 and Green Day opened the game with “The Saints Are Coming”.  I’ll never forget that surreal feeling that I experienced at the stadium knowing how much it meant for the city and the people in attendance.  I am not a native of New Orleans or even close to it but I could still relate to the sense of rebirth that the people felt.  We all redemption and rebirth.

While watching football has been a great experience, it pails in comparison to the times of had with the people I’ve watched the Saints with.  I wish I had more pictures of some of my good football friends but here are just a few of my fondest memories as a Saints fan.  WHO DAT!

My favorite football team, the New Orleans Saints have started out the season strong and now have the best record in football at 7-0. They beat all the best teams and are THE team to beat in the NFC. There is this impulse in me to brag about them and hold it over peoples heads that my football team is better then theirs.

What people don’t realize is that I grew up during a time in which the Saints were the cellar dwellars of the NFL. Well actually it is worse then that because while they weren’t the absolute worst team, they were in a division with the absolute best team. The Saints of the 1990′s once went 12-4 and made the playoffs only by the wild-card. The wild-card! That was because the 14-2 49ers won the division. This was the plight of many Saints fans for a long long time. As good as we did we could never overcome the evil 49ers or Dallas Cowboys. I grew up in the heart of the Central Valley and so all through out grade school, jr. high, and high school I heard a lot of trash talking from 49er fans. Year after year they would just pour it on about how good their team was and how bad my team stunk.  (For a boy in his teens this can be quite damaging.)

So here we are about 15 years later and MY MY how the tables have turned. My team looks to be the dominator while the 49ers are the new cellar dwellars.
So a few days ago a friend of mine tells me to remain humble during these times. For some reason that statement really hit home. It reminded me of a line in Victor Frankl’s book about “Man in Search of Meaning”. I wish I had the book in front of me but it is in storage somewhere so please forgive me for misquotes. But the book is about his experiences in Jewish concentration camps and the Psychology he developed from his experiences. It is a fabulous book but the one story that I always remember is when he talked about a man who had been freed from the camp.  This man then happened to cross paths with one of the guards who once held him captive.  The former prisoner then beat the guard and began to treat him as he used to be treated.   What was surprising to me was that you would think that this former prisoner would have learned the cruelty in treating people that way but he hadn’t. As soon as he was released from the camp he then went on to treat others badly as some sort of revenge. There is something in the human impulse that aches for revenge. But revenge doesn’t feel good. Revenge doesn’t satisfy, especially if you are the one heaping on the revenge. Romans 12:19 says “Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” says the Lord.

So the moral of this blog is that staying humble is really important. Now that the Saints are on this hot streak I should simply enjoy it not because it gives me bragging rights but because they are a fun team to watch. Sure there is room to brag perhaps after they win the Super Bowl. Then I can celebrate and be proud of my team for all their hard work. But if I celebrate now there will be no celebration left for the big day! Let’s hope there is a big day. The Saints have been known to surprise you. Nobody saw them winning this much and now nobody sees them losing in the future but if they remain humble and don’t get ahead of themselves then anything is possible.