Water Polo Experts

It's funny how we all become experts in the most random of sports every four years.

Olympics time is awesome because we get to watch sports that are never on except for during the Olympics: water polo, kayaking, synchronized swimming. Okay, maybe not synchronized swimming.

What is not quite as awesome is how we all become experts in each of these sports. I can remember over the years having conversations with others about results in these various sports. During these conversations, we suddenly become experts in the respective sports, noting how and why certain athletes finished the way they did.

I thought about this as I saw a poll on TV the other day, asking viewers to text in what they think Jon Daniels  (Texas Rangers General Manager) should do at the trade deadline: whether he should get a pitcher, a position player, do nothing, etc.

Seeing that got me to thinking: JD has done a pretty darn good job during his tenure to help make the Rangers the team they are today. He has pulled off some moves that no one could have seen coming. And his success has translated into unprecedented success. Who are we, as fans, to suddenly be the expert in what needs to happen to the team?

I understand what was going on: the TV poll was simply a way to get viewers to interact and to buy in to what they were watching. But things like this can easily lead us to believe that we really are experts. And when we carry that to other things, like watching the Olympics, we know everything about every sport. And then, when we make the simple connection to the way we live our lives, we become the experts on everything: not only sports and news stories . . . but also the way others live their lives.

We would do well to put a break on our expertise of things like water polo. Let's just sit back and watch . . . and enjoy.

A Little Help From My Friends

This past weekend, I was sitting outside the clubhouse at the golf course I grew up on when all of the sudden I heard, "Brian Edwards, I haven't seen you in forever." I turned around to see . . . well, I had no idea. Before me stood a man who clearly knew me. But I had no clue, nothing even close to an idea of who I was about to begin a conversation with.

We began to talk, on a somewhat personal level, as he shared what he was currently doing. I didn't even know where to start. Was this a person that I went to school with? Had I known him from some other point in my life? Who knows?

Another person came up and began to talk with him and hold his attention for a second. And at that moment, I saw a friend walk by, so I walked for a moment with her and finally asked, "Who in the world am I talking to?" After laughing at me, she told me who it was. I thanked her profusely.

I walked back over to him and then figured it out. Because of the sunglasses he had on, I had virtually no chance figured out who he was. But then armed with this sudden knowledge of who the masked man was, it was suddenly clear. Of course! That's who it is!

It was a guy I had went to school with, who was a couple of years younger than me, who I had not seen in at least ten to fifteen years. I was then able to ask him about what had been going on in his life and vice versa. We had a nice conversation, then I moved on with my day.

But thank goodness for that friend who walked by. Without that, I would probably still be wondering who I was talking to and, at some point, I would have no doubt made a fool out of myself.
That got me to thinking: we need to be thankful for the help that we have received in our lives. Be it friends who give us advice or information . . . or someone who stands up for us or goes to bat for us with some sort of deal or job opportunity . . . or anything else that helps us in any way, we need to be thankful for that help. And we need to take the steps necessary to show them our appreciation.

Baby Crawling Competition

I listen to the podcast, Sklarbro Country, fairly regularly. The podcast is done by two twin brothers, Jason & Randy Sklar. They combine sports, comedy, and some pop culture thoughts (all interests of theirs) in an incredible way. Podcasts really are interesting. Pretty much anyone can do one. And those that are done well, like Sklarbro Country, are really popular and, from all accounts, seem to be pretty profitable, with lots of commerical $ pumping in.

I listened to one of the Sklarbro Country episodes during a drive this morning. One of their bits is to take news stories, particularly sports-related ones, and comment on them. Generally, these are pretty outlandish stories, ones that make your mouth fall wide open.

That was certainly the case today, when they discussed a baby crawling competition. I forget where it happened; but they came across a yearly competition in which parents enter their babies to see who can crawl ten feet the quickest. The Sklars were right on target when they noted that this is over the top. Not only are parents pushing their kids with sports competitions at incredibly young ages . . . they're now doing it before their children can even walk.

There's nothing wrong with competition. There's nothing wrong with sporting events. There is something wrong with over-the-top parents who try to live out their sporting fantasies through their children. And there is plenty wrong with entering babies in crawling competitions.

To me, this all comes down to balance. We cannot let ourselves get carried away with things like being eaten up with competition, with pushing others/children too much to do things, etc. We need balance in our lives . . . especially in a culture that calls for us to live on extremes, on other sides.

Taking Time For the Important Things

I played in a golf tournament this weekend with my good friends, John & Riley. Doing things like thsi reminds me that it is good to be able to get away, to get out of our normal routines, to do something different, something fun . . . to re-kindle friendships.

We all surely have plenty of things going on in our ever-busy lives. And these things need plenty of our time and attention. But it's important for us to be able take a step back and re-create ourselves through times like this.

The Groesbeck Golfer

Yesterday, I drove through the thriving metropolis of Groesbeck, on my way to a golf tournament with some good friends of mine. As I passed through the out-skirts of town, I passed by a house with a young man out front. As I got closer to the house, I could see something was in his hand. Having just seen a handful of people out mowing their yards, in town, I figured he had a weed-eater in his hand. But as I passed by, I was taken a bit back as I noticed it was a golf club.

Looking in my rear-view mirror, I saw him tee a ball up and proceed to hit a shot across Hwy. 164 after the road had cleared. My first thought was something along the lines of: crazy twelve year-old . . . or that must be how golf is played in Groesbeck . . . or redneck golfer. I surely thought, "Who would do something like that?"

Then my mind immediately jumped back to my childhood, when I was twelve. My friend Kyle and I got onto a kick (that he taught me, I must insert) of playing golf around the neighborhood. We would tee the ball up at his house and play down a few streets, turn around, and come back.
In other words, I remembered teeing the ball up and hitting it across the road, too.

Before we rush to too quick of a judgment of others, we need to put ourselves into their shoes. Or maybe we don't need to judge at all. Perhaps we would do better to just let people do their thing and not always have to rush to some sort of critique or thought about it.

At least I know I would be better off doing something like that.

What's With You, Man?

As I am driving, whether on the small streets of Huntsville or on the hustling, bustling freeways south of us, or anywhere in between, and I see the way other people act out on the roads, the line from the old Spaceballs movie often creeps into my mind: "What's with you, man?"

We drive crazy. We really do. We drive like we're headed to the most important thing in the world. And if anyone gets in our way, we go crazy, we succumb to what is known as road rage. And when we take a step back and really look at these habits . . . and ourselves . . . we see that it's all just a bit silly.

It's like the scene from the movie, The Gods Must Be Crazy. The movie is about an African tribe that is truly off the map: they have no modern technological advancements (though the movie was made probably 20 yrs ago); they actually live off the land, etc. The movie gives a short look at life in a modern city, sort of seen through their eyes. And what we see, when we take a step back, is people scurrying around, acting truly crazy on the freeway, for seemingly no good reason. 
What we see is ourselves.

And I say we because I am admittedly in there with everyone. I am no better than anyone else. Maybe the next time we see someone driving crazily or with road rage, instead of yelling, "What's with you, man?," perhaps we ought to ask ourselves the same question and begin to embody and model correct behavior . . . before we insist on it for others.

At least I know that's what I need to do.

They'll Know Us By the T-Shirts That We Wear

When you look around, you can't help but notice something: there's a lot of t-shirts out there. All kinds of t-shirts: t-shirts expressing kitschy/funny quotes or statements, t-shirts expressing love of something (be it the Texas Rangers or Buc-ee's convenience stores), t-shirts expression derision or hate, etc.

There's nothing wrong with t-shirts, in and of themselves. I love t-shirts and have a huge, varied assortment of them. But when we allow our t-shirts to do our living for us or our communicating for us, we might need to take a step back and re-evaluate.

Singer/songwriter Derek Webb has a wonderful song entitled, "T-Shirts (What We Should Be Known For)." There's a line in the song that goes: "They'll know us by the t-shirts that we wear. They'll know us by the way we point and stare." The song, of course, is about followers of Christ who try to live out their faith with their t-shirts that express their disdain for the way other people, presumably people who are not following Christ, are living their lives and the actions that make up their lives.

I think he's on to something there, regardless of our religious heritage or anything else. When our t-shirts speak louder than we do, or in a way that is just plain ill-mannered, we need to re-think things. It's like the old saying goes: "Actions speak louder than words." Perhaps we could put a new twist on it: "Actions speak louder than t-shirts."

The Amazing, Fascinating, Incredible Human Body

When you stop and think about it, our bodies are pretty remarkable.

Last week, at camp, one of the youth got right in my face with a camera and snapped a picture. Only thing is that wonderful young man left the flash on. So yeah, my head hurt for a very long time; and I had some trouble with vision. But before long, my body healed itself. That's amazing.

It happens all the time. We cut our finger and even without our own remedies, the body will just heal itself right up. We bang our knee on the table. Yep, give it some time and we'll be back to normal.

That really is amazing. We don't give our bodies enough credit.

"What Do I Know? I'm Just a Sacker."

I overheard that line by a sacker at Kroger today. I had already been thinking about this. Her quote just reinforced it.

When you walk into the Kroger here in town, you are not exactly set at ease, taken away to a tranquil, peaceful state. Rather, you feel like you have probably just walked in on a firing squad. What I'm trying to say is that you immediately get the feeling that you are among disgruntled workers.

And I can empathize with them, to a point. I've worked in similar environments, in similar situations, to an extent. Grocery stores can be a place where one feels stress from one's superior, who is probably feeling stress from their superior, who is probably feeling stress from their superior, and on, and on, and on. It keeps being passed on down the line . . . all the way to the sacker. Working in an environment like that tends to not be one of great optimism, hope, or peace.

That tends to be the case in many retail situations, grocery stores, etc. That's what makes places like Buc-ee's (see previous post) like an oasis in a desert. I hate that is how it is. But that's what makes me flock to places where you don't get the feeling that workers hate your being there and at least, even if they don't mean it, put a smile on their face and try to help you out.

Because we all want to know that we matter, that our thoughts are important . . . we all want to know, regardless of our lot in life, that we do have good things to offer. We want to know that we are good enough, smart enough, and that doggone it, people like us. We don't want to be made to believe that we are just a sacker.

Buc-ee's Commercial

If you have not yet had the great pleasure of making it to a Buc-ee's, you need to make that happen . . . soon. Buc-ee's is awsome. Buc-ee's is a happy place to be. Buc-ee's is an incredible experience.

Before I go any farther, it must be stated: Buc-ee's is a convenience store. How could a convenience store get this kind of praise? The first Buc-ee's I went to is about twenty miles north of us, on the interstate. I can still remember walking into it last August and thinking, "Where in the world am I?"

This particular store is huge, very huge. Probably somewhere between 60-70 gas pumps. There is a separate outdoors store to it. Incredible food that they make in-house. The restrooms are immaculate and huge. If I even tried to describe the awesomeness of the food, drink, and random assortments of things to buy in there, I would do it injustice.

I realized Buc-ee's is a cultural phenomenon when I saw many kids wearing Buc-ee's t-shirts last week at camp and was involved in multiple conversations with kids about Buc-ee's.

Buc-ee's are all over southeast Texas. The farthest north store I have seen is the one close to us, in Madisonville. But they are all over the place in the region. They range from the super-sized stores to fairly small stores in smaller towns. But they share many things in common: cheap gas, very clean, nice restrooms, and awesome food/drink options.

I went into one last week in Wharton (one of three that I made it to on my trip to camp and back) and noticed a sign that says minimum wage for works at Buc-ee's is $12-$13. After I saw that, I knew that I had to start shouting from the mountaintops about the awesomeness of this place.

If you at all can, you've got to make it to a Buc-ee's . . . soon. You'll thank me for it.

Makes Me So Angry

I think I have identified part of why it is so difficult for me to watch or read a news story about the tragedy last week in Colorado. Every time I see an image of the guy who did that, I become furious. I want to just reach through the TV and hit the guy.

What that guy did was horrible, ridiculous, and just plain stupid. It makes no sense. And because of that, I can't even begin to look at news stories. It's just ridiculous.

Ultimately, it's not right to have that kind of anger and malice towards someone. But I think it takes some time to deal with those emotions, to, in a sense, get over it. That's part of the process of dealing with things like this . . . things that are so illogical, so ridiculous that there really is no real "normal" way of dealing with it.

Words of Affirmation

I received lots of words of encouragement and affirmation with my preaching and ministry at youth camp last week. I appreciated what so many people had to say. But I think what two youth had to say really touched me the most.

After camp was over, I headed out and went into town. I stopped at a Buc-ee's convenience store to fill up, etc. While there, I saw some youth from camp who were also heading home. We were all talking. Two of the youth, sort of to the side, looked at me and said, "Your keynotes (sermons) really touched us. They meant a a lot to us."

That's it . . . probably no more than 15-20 words. But those words really meant a lot to me. They were right from the heart.

That's how it is. We never know the power our words can have. As we go through life, doing what we do, we need to remember how much words of affirmation have impacted us. And we need to use the words that we have to impact others, too.

What's the Deal With . . . Toothpaste?

I went to Target today to get some toothpaste. That's all I wanted: toothpaste. Took me probably 7-8 min's on the toothpaste aisle to get that whole thing achieved.

There are so many different sorts of toothpaste that when all you want is just good ol' regular toothpaste, you spend that much time searching. Colgate & Crest each probably take up almost 1/3 of the aisle. But the regular, non-froo, froo stuff is at the very bottom of the aisle.

So I finally found what I wanted: the regular stuff. But I have to buy two of them (they call it a "value pack"). No, I just wanted one!!!!!

Guess that's just how it is . . . with toothpaste . . . with shampoo (remember the old Seinfeld bit: All I want is the normal, regular shampoo!!! The kind that rips the hair right out of the scalp!) . . . and with many things in life. Either deal with it . . . or else.

Why We're Frustrated With the Rangers

So many Rangers fans seem to be frustrated with the team. Not frustrated with their first-place status. Not frustrated with their nine all-stars. But frustrated . . . yet we all don't know what is so frustrating about the team.

It hit me yesterday: I think we're frustrated because the Rangers overachieved for the past few years. Last year, the Rangers overachieved by making it back to the World Series and almost . . . well, anyway. Year before that, the Rangers overachieved by simply making it to the World Series. They were nipping at the hills of the Rangers and the playoffs for a couple of years before that, far above expectations of die-hard Rangers fans.

This year, we're not overachieving. But then again, how could we? Seems to me that nothing short of a 115-win season would qualify for overachieving this year. Currently, we're six games up on the Angels, hopefully seven after the game I'm watching right now. We're kicking butt with one of the best records in the majors. Yet Rangers fans, even those of us who have rooted for them for more than just the last two years, feel like we should have at least five or six more wins than we currently do.

The Rangers have spoiled us. So simply doing what they should isn't doing much for us this year. And, really, I guess nothing will, for years to come now . . . short of a World Series championship.

Too Much to Handle

I awoke yesterday morning to read Facebook posts about some sort of tragedy in Aurora, Colorado. Not having a TV nearby this week, I started searching the internet and saw what everyone was talking about.

I have yet to be able to make it through the news stories that I keep trying to read. It was just too much to take in early this morning. I got the facts that were available at that point from the story and moved on with my day, thinking about it from time-to-time. At lunch, I sat down again to pull up a news story. This time, the story, of course, had more details. I made it through about half the story. But I had an overwhelming sadness that prevented me from going any further.

I hate that. I really want to know more about what happened and why experts might think that it happened. And I want to try to process the story and internalize it a little bit.

But I just can't. It's just too much to handle. Guess that's how it is sometimes.

Everybody in the Pool!

Last night at camp, we had Water Olympics. As per the usual camp happenings, the activity consisted of five different games/relays, which all eventually turned into: "Dump Water on the Adults (or Kids)." After that fun chaos, everybody jumped in the pool.

That was probably the coolest part of the night. After getting dunked 734 times by 6th & 7th graders upon entering the waters, some of us adults found ourselves gathered together in a circle in the pool, gabbing and laughing it up. I looked around at one point and saw quite a site: There we were, the adults, all of us from very different backgrounds, in the middle of very different lives, all of us probably headed in very different directions, all together as one.

And surrounding us were tons of youngsters, who all come from incredibly different living situations, all a part of vastly different group and cliques at their respective schools, all wrapped up in all sorts of different extra-curricular activities and hobbies . . . all of them living it up & having the times of their lives. As one.

I think that's what the idea of community is all about. It's definitely what wholeness is about. And maybe, just maybe, that's a glimpse of what heaven is . . . even heaven in our midst, in our world, smack-dab in the middle of a pool.

Seeing Through a Mirror Dimly

There's no doubt that I have my own convictions about all sorts of social issues, ethical issues, religious issues, political issues, and otherwise. And I love to engage others about various subjects, particularly with people who might differ on some respects about those subjects. I really do, or at least think I do, respect those who have differing opinions. I believe in my convictions, hold to them; but I also know that I don't have it all figured out . . . by a long shot.

One of the things I value most about my years of vocational ministry is that I think (and hope) that most of the youth and adults that I have ministered with would not know if I am a Republican or Democrat, for the women's right to choose abortion or against the women's right to choose abortion, conservative or liberal (whatever all of those types of labels/terms might mean), etc., etc.

Thinking about this reminds me of a story of a seminary professor who used to respond to students' concerns and comments, either by letter or through conversation, with the phrase: ". . . but I may be wrong." This person no doubt has lots of intellect and training. And no doubt he was probably correct in most of his correspondence with his students. But what a humble and awesome approach.

Because at the end of the day, I see through a mirror dimly: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." 

Hurdles That Are Too High

Our theme for today at camp is: Hurdles. We have hurdles in our lives that we have to deal with, obstacles that we must work through. My 70 year-old camp sponsor friend shared with me that one of the kiddos asked today if there are hurdles that are too high for us to get over. He responded that it depends upon the person and the situation.

He then told me that he thinks the worst situation someone could be in is for them to have no one that cares about them.

That hit me pretty hard. He went on to talk about a man that he knew, once upon a time. The man was homeless. All his kids lived on the other side of the country and didn't care to ever come see him. He said it broke his heart. And hearing the story broke mine.

Realizing that no one cares about you, about what goes on in your life, or if you even have a life must be about as low as it gets. That may just be a hurdle that is too high.

Sharing the Earth With All of Our Friends

Being out in the country, away from the modern conveniences and interruptions of modern-day life can be such a refreshing experience. I am currently staying at an encampment that is at least ten miles from any city. One cannot help but see all of the insects, birds, and living creatures that surround you in a place like this. I took a short walk yesterday afternoon and saw probably three to four grasshoppers for every step I took. It's amazing how much life is here, when you stop and take a look.

Experiences like this remind us that these types of beings have been here much longer than we are . . . and they will continue to be here long after we no longer roam the earth. That should give us caution when we too carelessly bulldoze and develop this earth of ours. We need to do things like that in a way that is mindful of what is already here.

It's easy to get frustrated at animals and critters that cause us to swerve when we drive on the road. But those animals, and their ancestors, were most likely traveling along that same path for years before we ever tried to put a road there. There's nothing wrong with development and growth, in and of itself. But we would do well to remember that we share this earth . . . and that along with the right to cultivate things, we have a responsibility to do it the right way.

One-Liners

For whatever reason, I have come to appreciate people who can come up with good one-liners. Sure, I look to people who have good advice or thoughts on a varieties of subjects and issues. But of late, I am drawn towards the people who seem to not talk all the time but when they do, you listen because you know it'll be good.

I am preaching at a youth camp this week. And one of the adult leaders (a 70 year-old preacher who is an adult youth summer camp leader, nonetheless! So no one can say they are too old to work with youth!) has come up with two of the best one-liners I have heard in a while:

*You can call me what you want . . . just don't call me late for dinner.

*I'm feel as out of place as a ham steak at a Bar Mitzvah.

That's good stuff.

Trespasses, Debts, Sins . . . Which Is It???

I have recited the Lord's Prayer in a number of different places, in a number of different settings, at lots of different times. From worship services to gym locker rooms (yes, I remember saying the Lord's Prayer as a junior high basketball team before a game--strange, on a number of levels), I know me some Lord's Prayer. "Our Father, who art in heaven. . . " I could say it in my sleep.

The part that is really interesting to me is: "Lord, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespasses against us." Or is it "our debts?"

We were at a church in Georgia for four years. We said the Lord's Prayer together every Sunday morning. I got used to the way we said it. Then we moved to Huntsville. And yep, we say it together every Sunday morning. Only we have a different word for trespasses/debts than what I had gotten used to. So, yes, that has taken some getting used to.

I am preaching at a youth camp this week. We recited the Lord's Prayer tonight. Instead of trespasses . . . or debts . . . I heard many people gathered together here tonight say: "sins (and those who have sinned against us)."

Okay, let's all get on the same page. We all need to decide what we're going to use. I don't care what it is we use: whether trespasses, debts, sins, whatever. But someone just decide it and tell everyone, including me. Then we can all say the Lord's Prayer together . . . the same way . . . and it will be beautiful and sweet and all that sappy stuff.

The reality, of course, is that our different wording for what we are asking God to forgive us of shows the variety within the Christian faith. God created us that way. And it's beautiful. Unfortunately, too many within the Christian faith demand uniformity. But God has been calling us away from that from the beginning, from the creation stories, from the Tower of Babel, and on and on and on. We're created different and unique. And that's good.

So next time I recite the Lord's Prayer with others, maybe I shouldn't get frustrated when the person beside me uses a word different than me. I need to fight that temptation to stand up and declare that we all need to pick the same word and stick with it. We can all use different words. And that's okay.

Seeing Life Through Jane's Eyes

For the past couple of months, our dog, Jane, and I have made a routine out of walking early in the morning. I have come to enjoy that time. It's often before many people are up and on the road. Lots of time, it's just she and I out there walking the streets of Huntsville. There are two main routes we take, though lately we have been taking the same one everyday.

Jane doesn't care where we go. She knows the routes, the turns, the people and dogs we will see and hear. But she loves it. She is thrilled with doing the same thing over and over again. She gets such a rush out of these seemingly, small, simple things, along with the major highs of the day, like barking and whining at dogs that pass by our house.

It really is a beautiful thing and an encouragement & challenge to me. Lots of stuff happens throughout our days. But when we take the time, patience, and determination to see beauty and wonder in the seemingly small, mundane, regular things and rhythms of our day, the days and weeks and months of our lives can really be enriched. There is much beauty and much to learn from our everyday happenings and events.

I guess dogs really are human's best friends.

Everybody Hurts

Last night, we turned on the television a little after 7:00. It was on NBC from something we watched earlier in the day. The show that was currently on was "Whitney." I really don't know much about the show. I have heard of it. It may be a great show. But at that particular time, it was really annoying. Seemed like a mid-20s girl probably living in NYC, complaining about life. Had no stomach for that. So I turned it. To anything besides that show.

The TV flipped to the ESPYs. I didn't really want to watch it. But it was better than Whitney to occupy the time it took us to find something else on. I've never really understood the ESPYs. Does the sports industry really need an awards show? It has always seemed like an attempt by ESPN to Hollywood sports. Sports doesn't need that. Anyway, I digress.

The ESPYs were just coming on, so they were showing the top plays of the year. The second thing we saw was Neftali Feliz on the mound, David Freese in the batter's box, and Joe Buck declaring, "The Texas Rangers are one strike away from their first World Series Championship." We all know what happens next.

I'm still not over it. I may never be. Anytime someone mentions or shows clips from that game, I have to turn it. Immediately. By now, I have seen replays of the play: the Cruz miss, Feldman giving up the home run, all that stuff. I still don't understand how it happened. But perhaps more importantly, I'm still not okay with it.

I wonder how long it took Red Sox fans to get over the ball squirting between Buckner's legs in '86. I think that might be the only thing that compares with the feeling of the ball going right over Cruz's glove. I want to be over it. But that's going to take years. And that's okay. We, or at least I know that I do, try to rush through tramatic events, things that shake our very core, our very being.

People who have lost loved ones (which yes, I know, far eclipses a sports event) do not need to be told things like: "It's okay." "He/she is in a better place." "Time will heal." Those things may be true, to some extent. But what they really need to hear is things like: "I'm here for you." "This stinks."

We surely do need to take steps to get over things. But we can't just get over it because we want to. We have to allow things to run their course. The reality is there are some things we will never completely get over. I don't care if the Rangers win it all at some point or win 27 World Series Championships. I'll never get over that feeling of what happened last year. And there is nothing that will ever make it feel better. That simply is the way it is.
As the R.E.M. song says: "Everybody hurts sometimes."

Thoughts on the Rangers' Second Half

While the first half of the season was not exactly what we all expected for the Texas Rangers, we are still 4 games up in the West as the second half begins. For those of us who are life-long Rangers fans and have endured years of losing, we have to be content with where we are. Some thoughts on the next 76 games:

*Offense has to pick up the slack. It's no secret that we would be running away with the West right now if our offense simply played to their abilities (there's no telling where we would be if they were above their abilities). Shutouts, one-run, and two-run games simply will not get it done, regardless of how well the pitching staff does.

*Don't sell the farm this year. Two years ago, we gave up a lot to get Cliff Lee. I applauded that then. And I still applaud it today. We were at a spot where we had never been before: one pitcher away from putting us over the top. And he did put us over the top in 2010 (Even though he shook off the pitch selection from the dugout in the 8th inning of WS Game 5 to give up a 3-run game-winning home run. I'm not bitter or anything.). But I do not think we are in a spot where Hamels or Greinke will not improve our pitching staff enough to give up valuable prospects this year. We are where we want to be: contenders every year. We stay that way by continuing to do what got us here: investing heavily in the farm system. The only profitable trade I see out there is Justin Upton if, and only if, we can get him to put ink on an extension with us. That would give us insurance for when we lose Hamilton to free agency this year. An expiring contract, particularly for a pitcher, is not something that we need to take on.

*Feliz will be the difference. I truly believe that what we do with Feliz once he returns from the DL will be an X-factor of sorts for our year. I do not know where he belongs. But what we do with him, be it the rotation or the bullpen, will have great impact, not only upon him but upon the feelings of whoever he replaces in the rotation or in the bullpen. We can blame Cruz all we want for not catching the ball in Game 6 last year. But Feliz was the reason we were in that position to need a great catch from Cruz. The dude is fragile. But we need him. And we need him to be in the right place, in the right frame of mind.

*No World Series does not mean failure. Bandwagon Rangers fan know nothing but the World Series, since we have played in it for the last two years. Taking a look at perennial postseason times, like the '90s-early '00s Braves, shows us that success does not always equal a spot in the WS. So stinkin' much can happen once you reach the playoffs. I believe the Rangers will make the playoffs, be it through the West or through the wild card. But the idea that nothing short of a World Series championship is a failure this year is ludicrous.

We'll see what happens. Rangers fans, keep your head up and on straight this second half, even during losing streaks. It's a long season and 76 games still to go. Believe in Wash. Believe in Jon Daniels. And believe that ultimately, the best team wins. Let's hope we're the last team . . . and the best team standing.

Rockin' Some Bobby D

I was mowing the yard this morning, listening to my iPod. A Bob Dylan song came on; and it hit me: the craziness of being able to load any song I can get my hands on onto my music device is really, well crazy. Sure, in our day and age, being able to download songs onto iTunes is really not that big of a deal. But not that many years ago, I would have had to have gone to great lengths to be able to get my hands on a Bob Dylan album.

I can remember when Music Phone started (at least I think that's what its name was). You could call a number and preview any album, to potentially purchase it. So my friends and I would call up Music Phone and listen to random artists that we had always wondered about. I can remember listening to Peter Frampton because I had always seen him on late-night infomercials and had wondered exactly what his music sounded like. The idea of Music Phone was amazing. Today, it's ancient and, in a way, silly.

The world really is changing before our eyes. I have heard it said that the world has changed (technologically, etc.) more in the last 15-20 years than it had for hundreds of years before that, due largely to the internet. I cannot say for sure if that is entirely correct. But there's definitely something to it. One really has to stay on top of the ever-changing world of technology, computers, and social media, lest they be left behind.

For some, that is a call to be afraid, to fear what's coming around the corner and their ability to stay up with the times. But I think we would do well to look at changes for what they are: simply changes. Change is inevitable. And if viewed wholistically and with optimism, change can be positive and enriching. We can't stop change, even if we wanted to. So we might as well expect it and embrace it.

As Bob Dylan said, "The times, they are a changing."

Have it Your Way

People who demand to have it their way is what tends to make the headlines in news. That's unfortunate. Whether it's Dwight Howard demanding to be traded from his basketball team (after recently opting in to the last year of his contract) . . . or politicians refusing to go along with a law that they just can't repeal or defeat (both sides, in all forms of government) . . . the news is filled with people who just can't take "no" for an answer.

I think in this respect Burger King has it wrong. We would do well to hear more stories of people who understand they can't have everything their way. Stories like teachers who keep on giving it their all, day after day, when their benefits and compensation are continually cut. Stories like enlisted soldiers who fight in wars that they don't agree with. Stories like athletes who prepare, train, and play to the best of their ability for teams that they know most likely do not stand a chance of being successful.

I have heard a story of a seminary professor who would always end his letters/responses in a very curious, humble way. He would often receive letters from students who disagreed with him, be it over theological matters or grading issues. He always took the time to explain himself or his stance at length. But he would end his response with the phrase: "But you may be right."

He surely believed in what he was saying. But he was humble enough to realize that he didn't have it all figured out, that he couldn't always have it his way. What an encouragement and challenge. If we dealt with people and issues in our lives in the same way, it could have an incredible impact upon the way we live our lives..

Getting in Touch With Our Feelings

There are so many forces calling us away from paying attention to our feelings and our emotions. Sure, many times our emotions can cause us to get in the way of ourselves, overemphasizing what we are feeling. But for the most part, we do not do a good job of tapping into the power of the subconscious, what lies beneath.

We rob ourselves from experiencing all that life has to answer when we suppress and push our feelings down, so that we don't have to deal with them. The truth of the matter, of course, is that our feelings will always affect us. What's at play is whether we our identify them and try to get a grasp on/of them or allow them to control us without our paying heed to them. We would do well to embrace our emotions, the positive, happy ones, as well as the negative, sad ones . . . and everything in between. Only by identifying how we feel and what causes us to feel that way will we truly live.

Being the Best Me I Can Be

One thing is clear: when many of us, myself definitely included, post things to Facebook, we do it in a way that is different than how we "post" things to real life. In other words, we say and post things that we probably would not if all of our Facebook friends were all gathered together at once. Facebook, and all social media, provides us a false sense of protection and maybe even anonymity that empowers us to behave in ways that is not true to ourselves, though it may be true to our false selves that we project.

We should approach Facebook as if every single one of our Facebook friends are going to take it in. All of our Facebook friends do not respond to what we put out there . . . but most of them will see it/read it, let it soak in, are blessed by it, offended by it, challenged by it, shocked by it.

Facebook is a wonderful thing. We get to keep up with people that we otherwise probably would not. We make new friends and reunite with old ones. We get to go on people's vacations with them and experience birthday parties that we would never be able to by looking through other people's pictures. We can even be prophetic and say things that other people might not be saying that help others see things in a new way.
But as we experience all the good things about social media, we need to be sure that we are projecting our true selves and that we are saying and doing the things we do in our non-Facebook lives (and vice versa). Facebook is not a different alternate, reality. Facebook is life: our lives. It is simply a way we live out our lives by connecting with others-a wonderful tool for us to use.

Seen in this light, social media can teach us many valuable lessons. Not only in Facebook, but in everything, we need to be the best me that we can be. So many factors and forces in our daily lives tell us how to be, what to say, how to dress, etc. We are created to be us and all the greatness that implies. I truly believe that we can only experience life at its fullest when we tap into who we truly are, deep-down inside. I need to be myself and be the best me that I can be.