Monday, December 29, 2008

On To Something Better

First off, congratulations to Allen for winning our fantasy football league! He wheeled and dealed all season, making some great trades and picking up key free agents at the right time. It was quite a different experience for me than fantasy baseball, and hopefully I'll do better next time around. (For the record, my team won as many games as the Chiefs did, but with two fewer losses!)

In a few short hours I'll be headed to the airport, where it'll be a 90 minute flight to Chicago, followed by a 9 hour jaunt to Munich before a final 3 hour leg to Ankara. If I'm reading the itinerary correctly, it looks like we should land in Ankara on Tuesday around 3pm local time, 7am Maryville time.

I intend to blog as much as possible while I'm gone, we'll see how that goes!

That Took Forever

Wow. Just ... wow. All I can say is that the Chiefs season is finally over. 2008 ended up to be much messier than I (or anyone else) imagined. Today there are all kinds of interesting stories in the Star of what different players are saying, as well as a great season summary by Poz:

Before I say anything else, I want to share my respect for Herm one last time. He said, "You anticipate the best, but it didn’t turn out like we’d like for a lot of different reasons. I’m not going to state the reasons. I don’t need to do that." It's pretty clear to me that Herm will be gone, and I expect he's inclined to think the same. How can you not when you've lost 23 of the past 25 games?

So if there ever was a time to throw someone under the bus - this is it. A single poor play by a DB has twice cost us a game this year. Another was lost because Bowe couldn't hang on to an on-side kick - and the Chargers should send him something nice today. I know Herm is the coach, but it's still settled on the field. Good for him to take the high road when a lot of people wouldn't.

That being said, I will finally relent and say he's got to go. For me it's not just about Herm, it's about Gunther as well. They are both defensive guys and yet they just finished putting the worst defense on the field in team history. Are you kidding me?? Worse than what we watched in the Chiefs/Colts playoff game that featured zero punts? Yep. You've given them time to draft and develop some defensive talent and they finish the season by laying an egg against the Bengals. On top of that, they still don't have a clue how to use Derrick Johnson. Will he ever be a play maker?

The season was going to be judged on how well the young guys developed, and it just doesn't seem to be enough. If you haven't read Posnanski's article, you really should. When Herm challenged that play of Bowe's - I felt the same way. It was as if Herm knew we couldn't score with 1st and Goal from the 1. And he was right. We stink at short yardage, and that's got to be fixed. I imagine the spread experiment is over.

Herm has helped out the future of the team by giving playing time to a lot of young guys, especially in the secondary. Flowers, Carr, Leggett, Pollard and Page could be good for quite a while. But the defensive line is suspect and the linebackers stink. Herm also tied his future to a quarterback who has been injury-prone his entire football career and will likely never take another snap for the Chiefs. That blew up in his face big time.

I am thankful to be much less of a fanatic than I used to be, the losing doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to. I feel bad for the people who post at the end of the Star's articles - there are some really unhappy folks in this world. It will be an interesting off season for the Chiefs, hopefully the franchise can only go up from here.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Good read

Just a quick link:

Broncos offensive tackle left lifestyle to follow God.

Fast Forward

Time to get caught up again, so this morning it's a bullet list:

  • Daily Proverb - I'm still spending my morning quiet time in Proverbs, today was chapter 26. I really love this chapter, it's one of my favorites and has challenged me a lot in the past. I'll throw out verse 10 for now: "Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by." Sometimes we so want to fill a position or vacancy that we'll lower our standards in order to find someone to take the job. That can definitely be true in church circles, where almost everyone is a volunteer.

    I've run across this at BSU in seeking future leaders, and once while considering a candidate the Lord brought this verse to my attention. It might give us a warm feeling to have all of the blank lines filled in with names, but in the end the results will prove our decision was foolish. It's probably better not to have a position than to have one that's filled with the wrong person. I don't know who all this applies to out there, but I encourage you to keep it in mind.

  • Merry Christmas! - I didn't get an official Christmas post in (although obviously updates have been lacking a bit recently). So here's a little something to pass along to you all. How many of you are familiar with Tim Hawkins? He's a comedian who was an all Big 8 baseball player at MU and is also a Christian. I borrowed a DVD of him from Tate several months ago and just got around to watching it this week. He's got lots of stuff on YouTube. This one looks to be straight from the DVD, I don't know how long it will be active, but go ahead and watch, it's short:


  • New Chief at the Top? - Apparently Carl Peterson is resigning. I think that's a good thing, although I'm not jumping up and down for joy and didn't honk my car horn in excitement like some did when they heard the news. I was at the game against the Chargers, the day before his resignation was announced. That was downright cold, but I still had lots of fun! I hadn't been to a game in several years, I still can't pinpoint how long it's been. I was joined by Allen, Gary and Bob:





    There were some irritating clock management problems at the end of that game, and it was even more apparent to those of us sitting there freezing in the stands. This past Sunday against the Dolphins was more of the same - playing well enough to just lose a close game. Unfortunately I had a bit of a DVR mishap and missed the last five minutes or so. Oh well, maybe it was for the best.

    I'll watch with interest to see how the off-season unfolds. A case can be made for bringing Thigpen back as the starter next year, although that's still probably tied to keeping the spread offense around. If we get a new coach then I don't think that will happen. I'm expecting to see Herm stay another year, that's just my gut feeling right now. Blah blah blah, this is the part where Karin checks out... probably the other three of you that read this as well. :)

  • Divorce Averted - It seemed to be a case of irreconcilable differences. My lawyer had the papers all written up. But in the end, I just can't bring myself to get rid of Pippin. It's mainly just a matter of annoying things that he does, and that seems like a pretty lame and selfish reason to get rid of a dog. It probably also has to do with Cooper - before we got him I didn't know just how cool a dog could be. Either way, he's going to live with us until the end of his days. (Hey now, don't read into that!)

  • Turkey Approaches! - Next Monday I'm heading to Turkey, with an expected return of January 9. I think I've got my laptop and home computer all set to video chat and my outlet adapters should arrive tomorrow. I've needed some better snow shoes for a while, and a few days ago picked up a pair of waterproof/steel toed shoes. I fully intend to tromp around Turkey in those and my big brown coveralls. I won't stick out at all :)

    Assuming I can secure some Internet abilities, I'll try to add plenty of updates here while I'm overseas. I would certainly appreciate prayer for myself and my family during this time. Thanks!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Watch That First Step...

Here it is, Friday night, just about time to go to bed. Tomorrow we're going down to my parents' house to have Christmas with my family, I'm sure it will be a great time. I just finished watching Groundhog Day (have it on DVR) and it sparked some thoughts.

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were in that situation? If you were able to live one day over and over again? I've thought about that many times. In fact, there are some days where I've thought, "I would HATE for this to be that day!" (I have often had this thought while spending all day driving somewhere for a mission trip. Imagine weeks of non-stop driving. Ug.) Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I ever ponder this question on a really good day... I wonder what that means...

Anyway, I think the movie does a great job exploring what an average person might do. We'd probably start off taking advantage of a life without consequences and would fulfill our every desire. Phil (Bill Murray) eats every dessert he can order, finds a woman he can seduce, and robs an armored truck to give himself a large bankroll. But the movie cleverly reveals that this is a very unfulfilling life. I know this to be true, and as a Christian I believe I know what (or should I say, "Who") life is really all about. While the movie falls a bit short of my answer, Phil does eventually find that it's much more rewarding to spend your life on others rather than yourself.

So why is it so easy to lose sight of that? Nothing drastic has happened recently... I don't have some horrible unconfessed sin to reveal. It's more a matter of simply letting days go by here in December without really doing anything with them. After all, it's Christmas "break." A week or two ago I added a verse to my desktop background, because it's something I constantly need to be reminded of: "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you." (Proverbs 4:25) In today's vernacular it might say, "Keep your eyes on the prize." Apparently putting it on my computer wasn't enough, as I'm still so easily distracted.

Unlike Phil, I don't get to do any one of these days over again. Each one is precious and should be treasured. Paul gets it, and writes these words in Ephesians 5:15-16: "Be very careful, then, how you live— not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." It's been a period of about two weeks, but since classes ended at Northwest, I've really been on cruise control. Nothing embarrassing to report, just floating along instead. I've prayed that the rest of break will be different.

If nothing else, this blog post will at least bump the dancing Spidey down the page a bit :)

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Time Warp

I blinked, and it appears that I haven't blogged in over a week! The last week of classes was fairly hectic, but finals week (which was last week) was actually nuts for me. Normally it's a very relaxing time, but instead I was finishing up a research paper for a grad class. I've been working on my master's degree (MA in Religion) from Liberty University, and I just finished History of Christianity I. Good stuff! I think I can begin resuming normal activities again.

But before I do, let me simply start out with this ridiculously cool animated GIF of Spider-Man. I found it today on the WoW Mini's forum, and I have no idea what dance Spidey is doing. At first I thought it was from Napoleon Dynamite, but it doesn't seem to match up. Does anyone recognize the moves, or is it a Spidey original?



Sunday, December 07, 2008

Don't Phish in Colden Pond!

A little while back I shared a phishing scam that had come through our Hotmail account. This morning I just checked the BSU's school email account with Northwest and got my first ever scam email there. The only bonus is that it came from "info@nwmissouri.edu" ... other than that it is ridiculously lame. I'll copy and paste it below and will put my own comments in italics.

**************************************

--

Really, the message begins with "--" ... like the HELP TEAM sat around for hours trying to decide what to write here and when they couldn't agree they gave up and went with the mysterious dashes.

ATTN USER,

Does "ATTN" make it more official, or less? And someone might feel like the school just views them as a USER, but I think "STUDENTS/FACULTY/STAFF" might have worked a bit better.

This message is from the mail server center to all users and
account owners.

For the record, I don't think we have any account "owners." The majority are simply renting the account - and the rent goes up every year.

We are currently upgrading our data base and account
center. We are deleting all email account to create morespace for new accounts.

This one definitely gets them in trouble. If only they knew that the University deletes a student's account not long after they graduate or leave school. Not sure how long it takes, but I'm guessing not more than six to twelve months. Of course, there's also the obligatory misspellings and bad grammar - "account" and "morespace."

To prevent your account from been inactive you will have to update it below
so that we will know that it's a presently used account

Lazy school. If they just talked to the Registrar's office, they would know which students still go to school here!

CONFIRM DETAILS
USERNAME :
PASSWORD;

At least they're not shy about what they're trying to get. I want to know why PASSWORD gets a semicolon. Clearly the HELP TEAM wasn't comprised of English majors.

Thank you for using nwmissouri.edu !

No, thank YOU for the diploma eight years ago!

Warning Code:VX2G99AAJ

Wait a minute... I still have my old student handbook lying around here. VX2G99AAJ? It says here that it's a phishing scam designed to test if students are smart enough to be a Bearcat!

Thanks,
HELP TEAM nwmissouri.edu
LIVE INTERNET SERVICE

Again, let me thank you instead. I appreciate the hard work of the HELP TEAM and the LIVE INTERNET SERVICE I'm able to get with my laptop every time I'm on campus. And thanks for giving me an easy way to extend the streak to five days.

**************************************

Saturday, December 06, 2008

The Exorcist

I've got a little bit of a daily streak going here, so I think I'll go ahead and make a quick Saturday morning post. Today I'm going to see my parents to try and rescue my mom's computer. It seems to have a host of viruses, which suddenly makes me wish I had come up with a cool tie in to Legion :)

Anyway, last night my resident computer expert, Tim Dreyer, gave me a list of programs that any computer doctor would want in his handbag when making a house call. I can't give a great description of what they all do just yet (hopefully I'll be able to later today!) but I thought I could list them here in case anyone needs the help. All of these are free but some also have pay versions, so be sure to look for the right download link. A big shout-out to Tim for all the help!

  • AVG Anti Virus - a completely free anti virus software. It's what all the kids are using these days, and it's supposed to be just as good as the ones you pay big $$ for.

  • Spybot Search & Destroy - I think it removes spy bots, but maybe it gives stock quotes or sports scores...

  • Avast Anti Spyware - heard what Spybot was doing and wanted to join the crowd.

  • Hitman Pro 3 - a good diagnostic tool with an even better name. Malware runs in fear.

  • Autoruns - lets you see every single program that automatically runs on your computer.

  • Ad-Aware - another good program, this one detects all kinds of bad stuff on your computer. But I'm sure it doesn't critique any of your term papers.

  • a-squared Anti-Malware - every college student knows the only thing better than one A's is two A's!

  • RootKit Revealer - a tool that (as far as I can tell) helps clean up your Windows registry against those hard-to-reach problems.

  • CCleaner - comes in to optimize and clean up your computer after all those other guys have finished doing their jobs - and tracked mud all over the house.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Video Fee(d)

It's time for another video post, this one is of Steve Fee playing "All Because of Jesus" which is a song that he wrote. I don't know how many of you have heard it, but it's one of my absolute favorite worship songs.




(For those seeing this as an imported note on Facebook, you can see the original post on my blog at http://yaggleberryfinn.blogspot.com)

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Being a Wise Guy

Continuing with the Proverbs theme, two of my favorites are a pair of proverbs found back-to-back in chapter 26. At first glance they can be a bit confusing.

Proverbs 26:4

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.

Proverbs 26:5

Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Hmmm ... is this a contradiction in the Bible? Did the compiler of Proverbs begin to jot down verse five, immediately forgetting what verse four said? How do we handle these two competing pieces of advice?

The key is in the understanding of wisdom itself. The person who has wisdom is not simply one that has knowledge. Wisdom means someone who is skilled at life. It is one who recognizes the proper application of the knowledge that they have.

So here we see that sometimes the wise thing to do is to ignore the fool and say nothing. Other times it is wise to address the fool directly. The key of wisdom is knowing which time is which! It's kind of like being an offensive coordinator. There are many plays in the playbook, but a skilled coach knows which play is best to call in a given situation.

This requires thinking and insight, which is where I think we get in trouble. It would be much easier to just have a list of rules to follow that covers any and every situation. But life is not a simple mathematical formula. If it's a formula at all, it's one with a large number of variables!

Proverbs tells us that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." While this phrase is worthy of several blog posts on its own, I will say here that it is pretty much always tied to submission and obedience to God. Only as we lay aside our best thoughts and learn to see things the way God does and follow His ways will we understand true wisdom and begin to live a skilled life.

And as that happens, we will certainly know better than to call a fake field goal and expect to gain ten yards with our 250 pound kicker.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

First Things First

As I've probably mentioned before, Proverbs is usually what I consider to be my favorite book of the Bible. That is certainly subject to change, and has often taken a back seat to other books at times, but I always find myself drawn back to the simple yet profound wisdom of Proverbs.

A proverb that has really been challenging me recently is 24:27, which says, "Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house." I've read that the "build your house" phrase may be an implication of marriage and building a family. If that's the case, then my initial application may be a bit out of context, but it still lines up well with overall biblical truth.

It's hitting me in this way: take care of what's important before you spend time on what is non-essential. You can live without a house, but you can't live without food. If you start working on what will make you comfortable instead of planting and tending to your crops, you're going to be in trouble. That's probably a pretty obvious truth, but I'm certain it causes problems for people every single day. Here's how it's been playing out for me recently.

The first area has been financial. I was blessed with some extra income for a time, and during that period it seemed that all kinds of needs came up. The washer had to be replaced and the dryer repaired. The van suddenly needed four new tires. We still needed money for Christmas presents and property taxes. (Those last two obviously come every year, but this was a convenient way to cover them.) Almost all of the extra income was exhausted, and yet here I am both surprised and pleased to see that there is some left over for me to "build my house"! And it comes with the peace of knowing that the "fields" were taken care of first.

The second area has been in regard to leisure time. I often find myself at home in the evenings wishing I could just have some "me time." And I've come to realize that I feel that way quite often (I am often surprised at my selfishness!) and can easily rationalize how I deserve a break. But the Lord has been challenging me and helping me to see that my wife and kids are more important than anyone else - including me, and I need to tend to their needs first. Of course the Bible confirms this repeatedly, such as in Philippians 2:1-4 or Ephesians 5:22-33. And again, I'm amazed at how He then provides me the opportunity to "build my house" and do some of those things I want to do.

The whole thing makes me think of Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Monday, December 01, 2008

Winning is Overrated

For the frangible faithful out there, blogging will resume this week. I was living in the land of slow dial-up (not a redundant statement, by the way. There are varying degrees of dial-up, and this was very slow) and was unable to post for the past week or so. Naturally, the first thing to discuss is the Chiefs end to a seven game losing streak.

I find it quite amusing that now that the Chiefs finally won a game, some people are saying we only won because the Raiders gave the game to us. Are you kidding me? A win is a win, right? How many games have the Chiefs given away this year? The other team didn't get an asterisk next to those games, why should we? So quit the whining about getting a tainted win. Now, on to the bulleted game items:

  • Thigpen Gets a Win! So What? Several of the stories in today's KC Star point out that Thigpen finally got his first win as a starter. Good for him. However, it came in possibly his worst performance of the last five games. So what does that stat really mean? Could it be that he's lost several of those past games, not because of his performance, but because the defense and special teams have been terrible? Why does the QB have to get all the credit for a win or all the blame for a loss? Is Larry Johnson ever judged by a win/loss record? How about Derrick Johnson, or even Derrick Thomas for that matter?

    Folks will rave about Ben Roethlisberger's rookie season or even how Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan are doing this year. True, they're making plays and avoiding mistakes, but aren't they surrounded by quality players? They have good running games (ATL - 2nd, BAL - 3rd), or pretty good defenses (PIT - 1st, BAL - 2nd). The Chiefs are actually 12th in rushing (no doubt helped by Thigpen himself), but are dead last in defense.

    To me it's a bit like the win/loss stat for starting pitchers. They have no control over what kind of run support they get, which goes a long way in determining whether or not they win, not to mention the bullpen's ability to hold a lead. ERA is a much better stat for a pitcher, although it sounds like advanced stats like ERA+ are even better. Yesterday's win was nice, but it had more to do with the defense avoiding big plays and JaMarcus Russell playing horrendous.

  • Thanks, Russell! It's an obvious point, but wow did JaMarcus Russell look bad. He had all day to throw (again, little pressure on the QB!) and looked like the early season version of Tyler Thigpen, badly overthrowing wide open receivers. I haven't watched any other Raiders games, but I would question whether he's made any progress. Again the Chiefs failed to notch a single sack, but Russell managed to fall down all by himself. I'm guessing he'll get another year to prove himself, since the Raiders have so much invested in him. One more season for the Chiefs to reap the rewards!

  • Missing the Mark Am I the only one that thought the passing game really suffered without Mark Bradley in the lineup? Or did he actually step on the field? Maybe he was there and just never got any looks ... but his presence definitely stretches the field and opens things up for Bowe and Gonzalez. Gonzo certainly had a monster day, but Bowe was MIA and had another ball bounce off of his hands. I imagine it's the sophomore slump striking again, and still expect Bowe to be a quality number one for years to come.

  • The Most Irritating Offensive Play Back in the days of good defense, I always hated it when the Chiefs would have everyone covered and get some pressure on the quarterback only to watch him take off and run for a first down. It sure is nice to have a guy who can do that for us instead. For the game, Thigpen had 11 carries for 48 yards, some of which were short gains that prevented sacks. There was a nice QB keeper in the red zone where Charles ran as a lead blocker - I think Thigpen would've scored if he had followed him to the end zone rather than cutting off to the left.

  • Field Goals Make Me Want to Barth Do we finally have a kicker we can rely on? Is this what the Chiefs expected from their last rookie, Justin Medlock? (And did I just curse Barth by bringing up that name in the first place? Nah, a curse would involve mentioning Lin Elliot. Ooops...) So far he's 8/8 on the season. That's enough to cause me to overlook the fact that he's a Tarheel.

  • Say What? Just something I read multiple times today in the Star: the Chiefs have 17 rookies on their roster. Wow. Nothing to add... just... wow.

  • Injury to Insult Did anyone else see the hit Bernard Pollard laid on Justin Fargas just after Rocky Boiman had caused him to fumble? I'm glad I have DVR - I watched that play four or five times in a row. O U C H. Unfortunately it does seem like Pollard often goes for the big hit rather than wrapping up. It's hurt us before, but this time it was highlight material.

  • Still Not Pro-Bowl Material Earlier in his career, Donnie Edwards wondered aloud what he needed to do to get to the Pro Bowl. The response was that it wasn't enough to post 100 tackle seasons and play every game, he also needed to make game-changing plays. For at least the second time this season, Derrick Johnson had a potential pick-six bounce off of his hands. Until he starts making plays like that, he'll continue to be a guy playing way below his potential and the expectations that come with being a first-round drafted linebacker.

  • Marty Said There'd Be Days Like This Of course we save the best for last. Marty Schottenheimer had a theory that if you just wait long enough, eventually the Raiders will do something stupid to lose the game. The Chiefs didn't actually have to wait that long, as the Raiders ran the craziest fake FG attempt in the second quarter.

    It was 4th and ten, and it appeared that C-Bass was supposed to run for the first down. Are you kidding me? He might have the best leg in the history of the NFL but he certainly doesn't have two of them. The Chiefs may have the worse record, but that play right there defines the Raiders. Of course the "pitch" was bad and Maurice Leggett picked it up and returned it for a TD.

    That play was unbelievably dumb, and it turned out to be the difference in the game. Maybe the Raiders should've been watching the Nebraska-Colorado game on Friday to see how a fake field goal could blow up in your face?

Monday, November 24, 2008

Monday Bullets

Every once in a while I think I'll just write a post with some random tidbits that wouldn't support a full blog post and aren't really related to each other. Today is one of those times! I thought about using the term "quick hits" but didn't want to step on Bill's toes.


  • Bitter Sweet Sunday - Yesterday was my last Sunday as interim pastor at Grant City Baptist Church. I am happy for them that they will have a full time pastor for the first time in over a year. However, I will miss having the opportunity to preach there and also to have a slight involvement in the lives of the church body. I would have preferred the title of interim preacher, as that's mostly what I did. Living 40 miles away and having a full time ministry at the BSU simply didn't allow any more than that.

    It was a great opportunity and I think I caught the briefest glimpse of what it might look like to be a pastor. I'm very content where I am now and believe wholeheartedly this is where God wants me to be, but I can see why some campus ministers leave collegiate work to be church pastors instead. I was genuinely surprised when I was presented with a gift by the church - a sweet Penn State hoodie and hat. It's the first Penn State clothing I've ever owned (except for my old hat) and I love it. I'm glad I will still have the opportunity to see those people again, there are some great folks out there and God is truly doing some cool things in their midst.



  • Doom and Gloom?! - I'm amazed at how much impact one football game has on the outlook of NFL prognosticators and fans. Today the Kansas City media is all over Herm, Carl, and how the plan to build through the draft has failed. Admittedly I'm a fan of Herm (although I don't support him blindly, I have my reasons) and therefore am likely much more patient and understanding than many fans. It's just hard for me to get too up or down about this season.

    First of all, a loss is a loss. Yesterday was a blowout, the recent ones have been close. The season is still all about evaluating the young talent, and that will continue to happen regardless of the losses or how bad they are. Miami is in the thick of the playoff hunt this year after winning one game last year, so it can be done. But with so many positions decimated by injuries, I just don't see how you can get too depressed about what's been happening lately. This team still needs two new starting linebackers, some help on the offensive and defensive lines, and more depth at cornerback/quarterback/running back. It's not going to happen overnight, and setbacks will happen. It's not the end of the world, people!


  • Sweet Technology - I've gotten a technological boost lately, and it's been making a big impact in my life. For once I don't feel inclined to say, "Technology is a tool of Satan." (Too often it tends to malfunction when I can least afford it to.) My new Blackjack II has been a great help in reminding me of appointments and being a portable notepad any time I need to jot down some thoughts, as well as being incredibly convenient when I need to text someone.

    My new laptop has freed me completely from my office, allowing me to easily work on campus or even from home. Plus, with its 3GB of RAM, I can boot it up and be ready to use Vista in about 45 seconds. Outstanding! Last December we finally got high speed internet, and just last week I added a wireless router so I can get online with lappy from anywhere in the house. It's actually allowing me to spend more time with Karin, as we can be in the same room and I can still get some things done, whether she's working in the kitchen or watching TV in the bedroom. Technology: it has redemptive value after all!


  • New Hobby Developing - if any of you have known me for long, then you're familiar with the toy/game of Attacktix. I have my own strategy website Master Attacktix that I ran for a while, and I even took a road trip all the way to Toledo, OH with three other guys in order to play in a tournament. Hasbro did a poor job of marketing the game and now it is dead... along with our interest in it.

    Well, a new game has come along that is ready to take its place. World of Warcraft Miniatures has a few of the same strategy elements of Attacktix without any of the fun spring-loaded attacks. It's a much more involved game and has a high level of strategery involved. I initially told Michael I wouldn't get into it, but at this point I've accepted the fact that I'm in.

    Attacktix gave me some great opportunities to connect with people I never would have otherwise, and I hope this game does the same thing. It's also been a lot of fun to play with Meghan. She really enjoys it and we've already played four games against each other. Once I have some disposable income I'll definitely be making a few purchases here.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

50 Dollar Bills

What can you say about the Chiefs' "game" today? Allowing the Bills to hang 54 points on the board certainly was rough. In the fourth quarter with a huge lead, I was shocked to see the Bills running play-action passes and throwing deep. I admit I was secretly hoping one of their star players would get hurt for such shenanigans. I suppose it's the NFL and it's your own fault if you can't stop someone. Oh well, at least it's over now.

Given the minus-four turnover ratio, it's no surprise that our defense was on its heels all day. Even when we didn't turn the ball over, it seemed like the Bills got the ball on our side of the field via special teams just as often. Our defense simply can't handle that much pressure, although they did have a nice goal-line stand in there at one point.

As far as Thigpen's performance, I'd like to highlight the positive and overlook the negative. He's a very young player and will have days like this. I remember a much older Rich Gannon having five turnovers (2 INTs, 3 fumbles, I think) in one game ... maybe against the Jags in '97. The offense still managed to put up 31 points, so one could certainly argue that without the turnovers it's a different game.

On the bright side, Maurice Leggett seemed to be everywhere and showed a lot of improvement from just a few weeks ago. It was also good to see Brandon Flowers back.

In the end it was another loss, and for the first time in several weeks it wasn't much of a contest. Herm seems to be doing well motivating the troops, so I expect them to come out fired up next week, ready to play hard and hopefully secure their second win of the season. It would be nice to get it against Oakland.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Something to Consider

Here is the message from last night's worship service at the BSU. This week we looked at Hebrews 10:24 and the challenge to spend serious thought thinking about (and then doing!) how to spur one another on.

There are still some technical issues that need to be worked out - primarily the sound - but at least the cell number isn't there this time around! As before, comments are welcome, whether they be specifically about the message or just about making the video itself better.


Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Other Phil

Earlier this week I was reading in Philemon and was really encouraged by the Lord and what He's been doing in my life. On the side, I am amazed and instructed by Paul's tact as he handles a very delicate situation with grace and wisdom. But what really hit me was his statement to Philemon in verses 4-5, especially how Paul is thankful for Phil's "love for all the saints."

This is something that God has really been showing me in the past year or two and it's been exciting to see His hand at work. For quite a few years in campus ministry, there was a real feeling of "turfism" for me. I would never come out and say that we were in competition with each other, but somewhere deep down that's exactly how I felt. If another ministry was more successful, I would feel like a failure. If a student chose to get involved somewhere else, I would wrestle with feelings of inferiority. And any time I heard of the amazing things God was doing somewhere else, I would wonder what was wrong with me and why He wasn't doing those amazing things in our midst as well.

It's been a long process, and although I am well-versed in making a short story long (and a long story even longer) I'll zoom past all of that and just detail a few of the things that have happened recently. Instead of viewing others as competitors or rivals, the Lord has showed me that I can learn from them and we can be mutually encouraged by each other. I've been able to begin developing relationships with other campus ministers (both here at Northwest and at other campuses) that have proved to be incredibly useful in my life - for insight, encouragement, humility, instruction, and friendship.

It's very easy to draw lines in the Christian sand and divide the body into tiny pieces, rather than seeing what we have in common and Whose Kingdom we are all trying to promote. And more than anything else, I think that's what God has been developing in me - a Kingdom mindset. I now pray for those other ministers and the ministries they lead, because when one part of the body succeeds, we should all rejoice! And in the process I have begun to accept and even love the way God has made me to be - that I don't have to look like anyone else or be like anyone else, but that my best contribution to His Kingdom will be to fully surrender to Him, allow Him to work through me, and strive to become all that He designed me to be.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Rough Draft

In my moments of being distracted I like to read up on my beloved but struggling Chiefs. Right now I see a debate developing that centers around what they should do with their first round draft pick. The fact that it's even an argument is encouraging in itself, as the play of Tyler Thigpen has soothed some of the QB-NOW! feelings.

Adam Teicher of the KC Star argues that the Chiefs' number one need is a pass rusher, and I am inclined to agree. The fact that the team only has six sacks ten games into the season is laughable. Time and time again the opposing quarterback has enough time to make a sandwich before delivering a pass. The last few weeks it's been the defense's inability to make key stops that has cost the team the game, not the offense's inability to move the ball or score points.

I want to throw out two questions that I find very interesting. First of all, should the Chiefs adopt the spread offense permanently? Obviously they will continue to run it with Thigpen at the helm, but what would happen if Thigpen got hurt before the end of this season? Would they return to a more traditional NFL offense? Or is this the wave of the Chiefs future?

Supposing that they decide to adopt the spread permanently, how might that affect the drafting of a quarterback? It seems to me (and my unresearched opinion) that quarterbacks who run the spread in college aren't highly desired by NFL teams. There are knocks against them being able to run a pro offense and they are either passed over entirely (except perhaps for the exceptional few, I would have to research to say for sure) or are relegated to very late round draft picks.

Again, assuming this is true, doesn't this play right into the Chiefs' hands? Since no other team in the NFL runs a spread offense, shouldn't the Chiefs have an easier time finding a good spread offense quarterback in next year's draft? I mean, if Tyler Thigpen and his Coastal Carolina background can succeed, imagine if we picked up someone from a high quality college program that ran a more sophisticated spread? (I hear you Chase Daniel fans clamoring already!)

I don't know how any of those thoughts play out in the real world of the NFL, but it leads me to think that we are much more in need of an improved defense than a new quarterback. And that a new quarterback that could run this offense could be found later in the draft - while all teams covet quality pass rushers.

The spread might even affect what type of running backs we want to add in the future - Charles is certainly more suited than LJ. Anybody care to share their opinion?

The Response of Forgiveness

I have wrestled and struggled with this moment all semester, but I knew all along that eventually it would come. I've been recording my preaching on Thursday nights at the BSU and have agreed (with the Lord) to go ahead and put them online. I could give much more commentary, but I think at this point I'll just leave it at that.

This is from last Thursday night and centers around the issue of receiving God's forgiveness and how that should naturally lead us to practice forgiveness in our own lives. Since I hadn't initially intended to share the videos publicly, there are now some recording issues that we'll have to work on. This particular video is zoomed out too far - to the point that a cell phone number was visible on the projector screen (which is there for people to text in questions if they want to). I couldn't very well go back and re-record the message, and I don't have grand video editing software, so I simply inserted a line of 8's to cover the info.

I do welcome any comments, whether they be related specifically to the message or just the recording of video in general.


Monday, November 17, 2008

Frangiwhat?

The other night I was visiting with a friend of mine and casually asked if he read my blog. He replied that he did, and even let me know that he had come up with a pretty good name - which unfortunately he could no longer remember.

So naturally I asked what he thought about the current name, which brought a confused look as he had never heard of frangible before and wasn't even sure how to pronounce enyrgy. Let me take a moment to explain so everyone can appreciate its brilliance.

When I decided to truly pursue this blogging endeavor, I originally had the title of "This Space for Rent." That was a very temporary title, and more or less expressed how I felt about it in the first place. There was no particular inspiration for a title, and there's not a singular theme that will be followed here. I decided I wanted to try and work off of the one thing that unites everything else I have in various internet locations: my nickname.

The nickname itself is not popular in usage anymore (and I'm not trying to revive it) but it was given to me in high school and is still what I use any time I have to have a user name or login name for something on the net. A friend in high school was an avid nicknamer and dolled them out on a regular basis to anyone and everyone, regardless of whether or not they actually wanted it or appreciated the one they got. It began as a play on my last name (Yarnell) combined with a Kansas City radio personality (Chuck Nasty) and evolved through several stages: Yagnasty, Yaggleberry, Yaggleberry Finn and then finally just Yags, which was the one that stuck.

Yags was unusable as a permanent internet nickname, as it's short enough to have other uses or meanings. Once upon a time I considered getting yags.com, which turned out to be the Yale Anti-Gravity Society - a juggling club. (I, myself, am a decent juggler.) Looks like it's now a clothing store of some sort. I have yet to find anyone else that uses or goes by Yaggleberry Finn, so it's mine - a rare original.

How does that relate to Frangible Enyrgy? I'm getting there. This past summer I played Fantasy Baseball (which I won, incidentally ... although I'm now getting crushed in my first try of Fantasy Football) and I constantly changed the name of my team. I did my best to imitate or mimic my opponent's name. There were several, but my favorite was a subtle change to Sterling's team (putmeincoach) which led my team to be called putmeincouch. That still makes me smile.

So in the process of all of that, I started working on anagrams. Pastor Paul's team, the Saints, inspired me to be the Stains. As I continued to think about a name for this blog, I wondered what kind of things you could spell with all the letters of Yaggleberry Finn.

At the beginning, none of the words really worked together to make anything worth using. There were several options, but none really grabbed me. So instead of trying to use all the letters, I simply looked at all the words that could be made from Yaggleberry Finn. The most intriguing word to me was frangible - one I was completely unfamiliar with.

It turns out frangible means "capable of being broken." As a Christian, I was instantly attracted to this word. Brokenness is such an essential ingredient in a genuine walk with the Lord, something worthy of many blog posts. Once I was hooked on frangible, I looked at what letters I had left. Ygeryn doesn't leave a lot of options... in fact, you can't spell any real words with that. But if you just substitute an "e" with a "y" you can spell energy. Outstanding!

Those two words work very well to describe much of my life and my struggles. I've been one to get excited or motivated about something for a short time, only to lose interest or personal discipline and move on. Sometimes my walk with God feels like a roller coaster, with all of its ups and downs. When I depend on myself rather than God, that "spiritual energy" definitely comes and goes. There are also some things that affect me physically (primarily large amounts of sugar as well as those other pink mushrooms) that rob me of my energy. So, on multiple levels my energy is capable of being broken. And that's what frangible enyrgy means.

Kudos to anyone that reads all the way through - proving they have quite a bit of energy of their own! (Or is it mercy? or maybe you're just bored ...)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Passing This Along

In my daily readings this morning I came across this little gem by Ladd Biro, a guy who writes a fantasy football piece for the Kansas City Star. You can read the entire article here if you like, but I wanted to reproduce this opening section that genuinely made me laugh out loud in places (especially the one about Marvin Harrison). It's already been pointed out in the comments section that this may not be completely original, but I don't care - it's still funny.

******************************************
Willis McGahee called last night and asked me to pass along this message to his fantasy owners: “Yes, I hate you.”

I got a letter from Michael Vick, postmarked from Cell Block D, last week. Said he led his prison league in rushing, but had completed only 40 percent of his passes. Is hoping Matt Jones will be there in time for the playoffs. “I’ll bet the Falcons can’t wait to get me back!,” he mused. “Haven’t seen any games, but they must be dog-awful with a rook under center…”

I texted a note to Ricky Williams congratulating him on his first 100-yard game since 2005. “Yeah, man, I was smokin’!” I couldn’t hit delete fast enough.

Jake Delhomme shot me an email this morning asking why I hadn’t responded to his text messages last night. “Didn’t get them,” I said. “Must’ve been intercepted.” He didn’t think that was funny.

Brett Favre left a voice mail for me. He sounded depressed because his wideouts wouldn’t make eye contact with him after the game. “I could hear Cotchery and Coles across the locker room, griping about scoring 47 points and only getting one catch each. Wide receivers are so dang sensitive these days!”

Speaking of which, I heard the Colts enrolled Marvin Harrison in an 11-step program. When I asked why it wasn’t 12, they said he’d already lost a step.

I ran into Tony Romo over the bye week at a local travel agency. He had just booked a surprise vacation with Jessica leaving right after New Year’s. “But that’s the first week of the playoffs,” I said. “So?” he replied. Uh oh.

My cell phone rang as I was writing this. Someone named “Culpepper” was calling. Figured it had to be a wrong number. Haven’t seen that guy in years.

I called Chris Chambers to see how he was feeling. “I’m great, man. I’ll be back right after the bye.” When I reminded him the Chargers were off in Week 9, all I heard was “Oh, sh…”, before the line went dead.

I rang the Seahawks training facility the other day looking for D.J. Hackett. The receptionist told me he had moved to Carolina in the offseason. Who knew?

Shot Mike Singletary a note wishing him well on his Monday Night Football debut tonight. He sent back a picture of his rear end and told me he didn’t have time to chat with some silly columnist. “I’ve got a game to win. Grrrrr!”

I sent Kerry Collins an email, asking him how it felt to be 9-0. “It’s great,” he replied, “but Coach Fisher got mad at me for ignoring the game plan. He said the next time I throw a pass in the red zone, he’s trading me to Detroit.”

Sunday, November 09, 2008

You Play to Win the Game!

Okay, so it's a little less than original to quote Herm in the title of this blog post. Before things get too far out of my head, I want to throw some thoughts out there on the latest Chiefs loss.

A lot has been said about Herm deciding to go for two, and I think it was the right call. We can argue the play call, but deciding to go for the win was definitely the way to go. The defense was decimated with injuries (really, I couldn't tell you the names of three or four of those guys) and San Diego had marched up and down the field all game. We did a decent job of stopping the run - especially not giving up the big run - but Rivers was completing passes all over the place. And we continued to struggle putting any pressure on the quarterback.

Given all of that, what are the chances our defense would've stopped them if they had gotten the ball to start overtime? Some say that the Chiefs might have won the toss, which is true. However, they had three straight three-and-outs in the second half and weren't moving the ball until that last drive. Even then it took a lucky pass interference call (sorry, Chargers) to set up the touchdown. If you can get two yards, you win the game and avoid all the rest of that. Herm played to win. He put the game in the players' hands, which they all expected him to do. It just came up short.

Something I don't hear anyone talking about it is the play of the Chiefs offensive line. The Chargers usually only rushed four, but even when they blitzed the line gave Thigpen plenty of time to throw. That's a welcome change from how they did when Huard was back there earlier in the year. They even opened up a few running lanes, but it's tough when you're down to your fourth string running back. Not having LJ or Kolby Smith really hurt in short yardage situations, and I'd love to see what a healthy Jamaal Charles could do in this spread offense.

Mark Bradley continues to look like a solid number two option, and Bowe and Gonzalez were nothing short of fantastic. I am really liking the routes that have Bowe dragging across the middle - once he catches the ball with the defender trailing he is very tough to bring down. He just needs to make sure he catches it before he runs with it.

Once again the Chiefs were plus in turnovers (+2) and couldn't pull out the victory. That's +8 for the last three games. Ug. And the Chargers had several unforced errors in there, like Rivers missing a wide open Tomlinson on a key third down play close to the Chiefs' end zone.

After watching our punter (forgot his name) constantly booming punts into the end zone last week, it was nice to finally get Colquitt back yesterday. He did a good job of pinning them inside the 20 several times and limiting what they did in the return game.

Too bad there was the botched extra point in the second quarter. If that is taken care of, the game winning drive just requires another PAT for the win. It seems like this team just can't catch a break. But they keep playing hard, which speaks well for Herm. They're definitely showing progress, which means Herm's job is secure. Sounds good to me, even though some of you are less than thrilled about that possibility.

Phishing x2

I often hear about email scams trying to get vital information from people and how some folks allow themselves to be duped. Until yesterday I don't think I'd ever received one of those emails. I considered posting it on the blog last night, but instead I permanently deleted the email and let it go.

Today I got a second copy, so I figured it was a second chance to throw it up here and allow everyone else to be amused. The italicized comments are my own.

************************************************
After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined
that you are eligible to receive a Stimulus Payment.

Really? Another stimulus plan? Somehow I never heard about this one...

Please submit the Stimulus Payment Online Form in order to process it.
A Stimulus Payment can be delayed for a variety of reasons.
For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.

Naturally, I need to apply for this stimulus payment. And if I don't hurry up I might miss my chance! I didn't have to apply for the last one, the IRS just sent me a notification in the mail followed later by a check...

To access the form for your Stimulus Payment, please follow the next URL:

*** website deleted to protect the innocent ***

For security reasons, we will record your ip-address, the date and time.

Deliberate wrong inputs are criminally pursued and indicated.

This cracks me up! This is typical phishing protocol: remind people that doing things wrong will result in punishment. Seems to make the email more official, I guess.

Regards,
Internal Revenue Service

Copyright 2008, Internal Revenue Service U.S.A. All rights reserved.
************************************************

Do people really fall for this stuff? I mean, come on, the email came from fs242f@orange.fr! I was really curious how official the form would look, so I clicked on the link. I was very surprised to have Firefox tell me it was a scam and that I should stay away from the site. Good for Firefox! Hopefully it recognizes these things often, otherwise I suspect there may be people out there that would actually fall for such a scam.

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Adventures in Customer Service

Today was the culmination of a wide range of customer service experiences I've had in the past month or so. I'll start with the one from yesterday before sharing the two from today.

Last month I switched to a new plan with AT&T after getting my new phone, a Blackjack II. When I was there we got everything set up, complete with my first ever texting plan. So it was quite a shock when I opened the bill yesterday and discovered I'd been charged a total of $35 (20 cents each) for all of the texts I had accumulated, instead of getting no extra charges since I stayed within my limit.

I really did expect to get the runaround from them and was pleasantly surprised. First of all there were no other customers there, which was nice since the place had been packed last time I was there. The lady at the desk got on the phone with someone and within ten minutes the problem was fixed and they had credited my account $40. +1 point for AT&T.

That was a welcome change from my recent encounters with Dell. On October 3 I ordered a brand new laptop from Dell, which was about the same time I got my new plan with AT&T. After consulting for a while with an online sales rep, I found a laptop I was really pleased with. Unfortunately he told me that it wouldn't ship for three weeks, as it was a very popular model and they all had to be built to specification. I decided that was okay, even though I really wanted it sooner.

So October 24 rolls around, and I get a message on my phone that my order will be delayed for two more weeks. Not only will it be delayed, but now I have to call them back and tell them that I still want the computer. I found this to be an irritating inconvenience at the time, although I later found out that this was actually a federal law. I called and assured them that I did, in fact, want the computer that I had already paid for. (They would have given a refund if I had said no.)

Yesterday, November 7, I get another call from Dell. Are they letting me know my order has shipped? No, they want me to confirm that I'm okay with another delay! This time they say it will ship by November 12. I told the computer operator that I would wait *again* and I also decided that if they delayed it one more time, I'd get my money back. So what happened? Naturally, today (November 8) I get an email that my computer has been shipped. Huh? -2 points for Dell. (Luckily for Dell they've scored a lot of points in the past, all with their outlet store. I hope the laptop itself makes up for the wait... and I hope it actually shows up next week!)

So while I've had a disappointing experience and a mildly surprising one, neither compares with the final one that happened today. I go to check the mail and find a priority mail envelope from the US Government. Could it be? Surely not ... but here it is, my passport that I applied for just EIGHT days ago. Woohoo! The last detail is in place, I can now go to Turkey at the end of December. +10 points for the US Government!

Friday, November 07, 2008

Instant Encouragement

If you know me at all, you know I'm a huge Skillet fan. They're probably my top three favorite bands. Recently I've been utilizing the windows media player in my Blackjack II to listen to music in my car and sometimes on headphones.

Even though I have lots of music, right now I simply have a playlist of every Skillet CD which plays at random. I stumbled across this song from their Ardent Worship CD and it's just been absolutely blowing me away. I'm sure there are better versions of this song out there and you are welcome to go find one, but either way the lyrics are amazing. (The lyrics themselves are not in the video, this was the only Skillet version I saw on YouTube.)


Wednesday, November 05, 2008

20 Minutes Well Spent

I saw this video posted on Facebook and decided to give it a go and am glad I did. I was very intrigued by the point that is made. While I am not involved in the American education system, I am, in fact, an educator. But more than that, I am a Christian, and I thought the topic ended up being very relevant to ministry. Specifically the struggle of creativity against our genuine fear of failure. I'd love to hear what some of the rest of you think about it.


Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Divided We Stand?

I just got home from voting, and lately I've noticed a very disturbing trend. It seems that the political election is becoming a divisive issue for Christians. I don't know if this falls on both sides of the fence or not, but I've certainly seen it from the Republican side of things. To put it bluntly, some imply, suggest or come right out and state that a true Christian can only vote for John McCain. However, I know of committed believers that are also voting for Barack Obama.

I have my own opinion and obviously just cast my own ballot. I'm not looking to get into a political debate or discuss any of the issues or take a stand on which candidate I voted for. Rather I want to encourage believers to extend grace to one another, to truly love one another, and to recognize that our hope does not lie in any human government but in Jesus Christ! How ridiculous is it for us to tear one another down over this issue? That's a far cry from what Paul encourage in Ephesians 4:29

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Also, it's reality that some of you voted for the guy that didn't win. In that case it will be easy to gripe, complain and bash the new President - and maybe the people that voted for him! Instead I want to encourage you to obey the word of God in 1 Timothy 2:1-3

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."


Don't let worldly things distract you from the Kingdom of God! Don't forget what really matters and what your life is really all about. Let me end with these words from Philippians 2:14-16

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Who's Seen This?

Okay boys and girls, I reserve the right to randomly post clips of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, one of my all time favorite movies. Most any clip could be added and would be worth watching, but I'm particularly fond of this one. On the DVD, Gary Oldman counted these lines as one of the very reasons he wanted to play the part.


Blogroll

Just wanted to throw a quick shoutout to the blog roll on the right side of the screen. That tool is outstanding! Instead of having my bookmark toolbar filled with different links and having to visit several different sites, I can hop on my own blog and instantly know what's been updated. Genius.

That's almost as useful as the Blackjack I was given not too long ago. Now that's been a revolutionary tool right there.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Prayer and Flossing

As I was preparing to preach a message on prayer, I came across this survey while doing a little bit of research. It was a very interesting study to me, especially because they freely admitted, "Survey respondents are well known to overstate behaviors they believe are virtuous, like praying and flossing, and understate those, such as drinking, they feel might open them up to criticism." In other words, this survey really doesn't tell us much of anything - except that we want to look virtuous!

Flossing and prayer are intriguing partners to me. They're both things that we (at least most of us) would agree are important practices. Each of them can be done in a relatively short amount of time and each have proven to have positive impacts on life. (I'm not going to go looking for a study on the benefits of prayer, although I have seen them before. I can speak from experience and that's good enough for me.) However, I really question how much time and effort people put into either of these activities. I will readily admit that I almost never floss. Why not? I don't know ... I guess it's just not that important to me.

This blog post, however, is not about flossing. It's about prayer. And recently the Lord has been showing me a great deal about prayer and what my real thoughts about it have been. Sure, I would agree that it's important, but it's become clear that there has been wide gap between my orthodoxy and my orthopraxy. I would say that prayer mattered, but then I'd spend very little time daily in prayer. And while I do agree that prayer can be effective in short spurts (like flossing), I think it needs to be a daily discipline.

Jesus Himself practiced such a life of prayer and solitude with God, as Mark tells us in the very first chapter of his gospel: "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35) The BSU has been participating in 24/7 prayer this past week, and it's been a very challenging time for me to finally establish prayer as a true focus of my life. For far too long my Christian life has been about what I can do for God, rather than what God can do through me. The difference may seem subtle, but it is a radically different state of mind.

So far it's been an absolute amazing time for me with the Lord. It is literally transforming my life. It has brought a greater focus and clarity to each day. I've been asking God to weave divine appointments into my day - and He has! I've long believed that you can best minister to others out of the overflow of your own relationship with God and others have often impressed this truth upon me. It's absolutely true, and it's been a lot of fun watching God move and inspire me to pour into the lives of others. Praise be to God!

My prayer now is that this can become an integral part of my day for the rest of my life and not simply be a few good weeks. May I encourage you to begin each day with the Lord, drawing near to Him, seeking His will for your day, asking Him to help you to be His messenger today. Just don't ask if I've flossed today.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Who Was That Masked Man?

I have a lot of different thoughts today, so expect several blog updates soon. Here's the first one to get out of the way - I feel obliged to write about my favorite football team.

So, like everyone else, I was astounded at how well Tyler Thigpen played yesterday. Wow! As I wrote earlier, he makes good decisions with the ball. But yesterday he finally was able to get his arm to work in conjunction with his brain, and the results were both impressive and inspiring. If he can continue to develop and they build the offense around his abilities, the rest of the year may not be lost after all. Perhaps Brittle Croyle getting hurt will turn out to be a major blessing for the team.

The fact that they went with a no-huddle spread offense was very encouraging. There had been a lot of talk of allowing Brodie to roll out of the pocket, employing bootlegs and so forth, but then it just didn't seem to materialize. I've long felt that you have to play to the strength of the players that you have (in any sport - and I think that is part of what makes Tjeerdsma a great coach) and maybe the Chiefs will actually do that now. It is interesting, however, that the spread doesn't fit in with Herm's idea of a ball control offense. I wonder how that will play out if Thigpen continues to start and perform well enough to keep the job.

Related to Thigpen's good game were two "breakout" performances by previously unknown Brad Cottam and Mark Bradley. Bradley is a former second round pick of the Bears who put up pretty good numbers in ten starts for the Oklahoma Sooners. I would love for him to emerge for us like another team's castoff - Eddie Kennison. Cottam isn't so much of an unknown, as the Chiefs took him this year in the third round of the draft, but he made his first receptions of the season and showed that he can be a legitimate weapon. It's probably no surprise that Bowe and Gonzalez had good games as the ball was actually spread around to other players. It sure would be nice to see it happen again.

It was also nice to see our young defensive backs play well. I've been saying all along that they're the strength of our defense and I'm a big fan of both Flowers and Carr. Unfortunately our run defense is so bad that teams rarely have the need to pass the ball (and we just about NEVER have a lead late) and therefore we don't often force teams into major passing situations. I'm glad they played well yesterday, even though reserve nickel back Patterson gave up the game winning TD.

All of those positives being said, I feel like the near-win was a bit of a mirage. The Chiefs were plus three in turnovers - one of those was returned for a TD and the other set one up. Without those it may have been a blowout. I know Derrick Johnson dropped a pick six, but so did one of their guys. Furthermore, the Jets had some bizarre play calling ... that deep bomb on third and one was mind boggling. Why do that? And really, why did they go so pass happy? I guess they weren't afraid of our pass rush, which actually led to one (or more?) of those turnovers. Yes, the gunslinger pulled it out in the end, but it was a questionable game plan against a team that gives up over 200 yards (!!!) rushing a game.

We still have problems with the run, both offensively and defensively. The big third down run for a TD came when we were in a nickel defense, I wonder how often that has been the case this season. Larry Johnson might be our best smash mouth runner, but I think Jamaal Charles is best suited to run out of the spread offense. I hope his injury doesn't keep him out for next Sunday, I'd really like to see what he can do.

Overall I was very pleased with the game and that's about all I ask for any more. It's there for my entertainment, and I was entertained. And more than anything else, I'm glad I didn't have to use the phrase "cover-your-eyes-awful" anywhere in this post!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Question for you blogger experts

A quick question: I just posted a couple of thoughts from 12 Angry Men, which I had started writing on Sunday. I published it today (five days later) but it listed itself as having been posted Sunday.

Is that just the way it works? Is the only way to prevent that to create a new post and paste the info there? Or is there an option I missed?

Monday, October 20, 2008

The Weekly Train Wreck

In the past, this sort of football season would've driven me absolutely insane. I used to take Chiefs football very seriously and would (it's silly, I know) carry a tough loss with me for the first few days of the week. In fact, early in our marriage Karin would pray that the Chiefs would win just so I wouldn't be so miserable to be around!

Coming into this year, I fully expected things to be rough. I'm 100% behind Herm's plan to rebuild through the draft - I even had the chance to tell him so personally back in June. The unfortunate thing is that the team doesn't seem to be showing any progress as the season continues to unfold.

So here are some random thoughts after yesterday's latest debacle.

It sure is hard to win without a quarterback.
  • It's amazing to me the trickle down effect of having zero confidence in your quarterback. The Chiefs rarely throw the ball downfield (although Bowe and Gonzalez both had some nice gains yesterday when we actually TRIED it) and this seems to be so by design. Often the quarterback will immediately look to dump the ball to a running back without ever looking down field. Defenses simply don't have to worry about us even TRYING to stretch the field, so they can keep all of their defenders close to the line which also makes it impossible for us to run.

  • If you were able to combine the two young Chiefs quarterbacks into just one guy, you might have a decent option. Brodie has a cannon for an arm but obviously cannot stay healthy and will no longer be viewed as the answer. He also makes questionable decisions at times. Thigpen, on the other hand, seems to nearly always choose the right receiver to throw to. Unfortunately, he is the most inaccurate quarterback I have ever seen play in the NFL. He throws so far off target that even the defensive players can't catch it. He does seem to have some durability and can make some things happen when he runs with the ball. As for Damon Huard, I don't see a single positive in him. He rarely throws deep, he has a weak arm and isn't much more durable than Croyle. On top of that he seems completely unable to throw the ball away rather than take a sack.


Is it possible to show a little creativity on offense?
  • Coming in to the season, I really thought Chan Gailey would be able to make an impact on the offense. Having former offensive line coach Mike Solari as coordinator the past few years was downright awful. I recognize that Chan doesn't have the greatest offense to work with, and the quarterback carousel has to make things difficult, but man this is bad! I don't understand why we regularly run two tight ends out there, line up in a power formation, and try to run the ball. It's not working! How about going with four wide receivers to spread the defense out and THEN try to run? We have a hard enough time blocking the standard defensive line, why line up in such a way that there are even more guys to block?

  • I recognize that the quarterback play has been awful, but can't you use that to your advantage? Since teams know we can't throw and are trying to lean on the running game, why not run more play action on first down? I hear commentators say that play action only works if you're running the ball effectively. I've wondered if it can still be effective as long as the defense is expecting you to TRY and run the ball - which the Chiefs do no matter what. I was really hoping for them to run play action when they had first and goal (and settle for three points). Instead, they tried to run (which was EXPECTED!) and got stuffed. So naturally they tried play action on second down, one play too late, and Thigpen nearly got decapitated.


Where is the defense??
  • There is a lot of young talent on the defensive side of the ball, and I really don't understand why they are playing so poorly. I will concede that we have no one at middle linebacker right now, and that hurts a lot in stopping the run. I will also acknowledge that the Titans are a good team (the only ones left undefeated) and were not a good matchup for the Chiefs to begin with. But this season we've already seen a pattern of huge runs given up - at some point this has to fall on the coaches not adequately getting the young guys ready to play. I still have hope for the future, especially concerning Flowers and Carr. A veteran middle linebacker has got to be added in the off season.

  • It's also difficult to win when you get absolutely no pass rush. It's crazy that Hali still doesn't have a sack. I really thought he would do fairly well this season. I don't know if he's injured, but he certainly isn't making much of an impact. Teams are killing us on third and long - I heard yesterday on the radio that teams convert third and long against the Chiefs almost 50% of the time. The league average is 19%. Wow. The opposing QB has all day to throw, although some of those long conversions have been on simple draw plays. On the other side, Turk McBride seems to be improving, which makes Hali's play all the more confusing to me. I think Glenn Dorsey will be an impact player at his position and certainly am not willing to label him a draft bust, defensive tackles generally don't make a great splash at the start of their careers.


When rebuilding is this painful, how long can the coach survive?
  • As I said before, I knew this would be a tough process. Now that Croyle is done, it's even scarier to imagine the possibility of Thigpen playing for the rest of the year. The youth movement is the right way to go, but will Herm be around to see it to the end? A franchise quarterback is absolutely crucial to the plan, and we're certainly back to square one in that regard. Clark Hunt has publicly backed Herm, while giving considerably less love to Carl Peterson. I wonder what the chances are of having a new president and a new GM next year (very likely), as well as seeing Bill Cowher's trademark grimace on the Chiefs sideline?


  • I'll eagerly watch the rest of the year and see what decisions Clark makes. But regardless of the outcome, it won't ruin any of my Mondays.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

12 Angry Thoughts

Last Saturday night after I finished watching Texas storm out to a 35-3 lead over Missouri (sorry, MU fans), I started to surf through the channels toward the Sox-Rays game. On the way I came across the beginning of one of my favorite movies - 12 Angry Men, which I happily watched to the end.

I really enjoy movies that make me think or that illustrate spiritual truth, and this one definitely falls into that category. There are a lot of things that I like about the movie, from the way Henry Ford's character is willing to stand up for what he believes in regardless of the pressure to the way the movie ends without any fanfare or recognition.

However, one particular truth is masterfully displayed in 12 Angry Men. Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him." I've thought about this proverb many times, and it's always challenged me in the real of critical thinking. There are a variety of reasons that the 11 other jurors quickly decide that the defendant is guilty, but as each piece of evidence is carefully examined it all falls apart and the "reasonable doubt" sets in.

It's much easier for us to find something that we want to believe and accept it at face value rather than taking the time and doing the work to actually research the point. There have been two instances recently where this has been very apparent in my life.

First off is the question of Eating Out vs Eating at Home. Karin does an amazing job of keeping our food budget low, if I told you how little we spent on food a month you probably wouldn't believe me. When our average meal costs 50 cents a person, I really don't know how anyone can argue that it's cheaper to eat out. No question it's easier, but cheaper? Come on! (I'm especially amused at how the guy in this article is going to include his hourly rate into the cost of cooking at home.) And yet there are folks who want to justify such an opinion, so they can easily point to an article like this to "prove" their point and move on. (Maybe some day I'll take one of these and disect it FJM style.)

Another area that often rears its ugly head is the wide variety of attacks against the credibility of the Bible. Sometimes I run across these myself, such as the time I wrestled with how Herod could die just a few years after Jesus was born but also alive to order John the Baptist's execution many years later. Turns out Herod the Great's son was also referred to as King Herod. Recently I was presented with the question of how Jesus could be born around 4BC (according to Matthew) since Quirinius (mentioned by Luke) wasn't governor of Syria until 6AD. Turns out Quirinius was governor twice, including the earlier time when Jesus was born. I could go on.

There are many areas of life where truth is attacked, and at first glance it seems to be defeated. We need more people who are willing to stand against the crowd and its easy answers, taking the time, effort and energy to think critically. As Henry Ford said, "Thinking is hard work which is the real reason so few people do it."

Friday, October 17, 2008

An Original Idea?

Sometimes my research consists of about twelve seconds on Google or Wikipedia, but I didn't find any references to this and I'd never heard of it before.

The other day Meghan suggested a new twist to a classic game. I don't know the last time I played checkers against anyone over the age of ten, although I'm sure there are people out there that still enjoy the game very much. But Meghan and I played a variation the other day that was a lot of fun and included a nice strategic element.

An explanation of the game may not even be necessary ... the name itself says it all: Capture the Flag Checkers. Each team has a flag (we used two small beads) that is captured by the first checker to cross the table and become a King. The game is won when the King (that one or another) returns the flag back to its original starting line. We didn't come across the issue of what happens to the flag if it's lost (ie the King is jumped and therefore is removed from the table) but I would suggest the flag stays in the same square and is recaptured when an opponent's piece enters or jumps over the square.

This completely changes the previous goal of checkers - eliminate all of your opponent's pieces - and therefore the way you play the game. I think it makes the game a lot more fun and I encourage you to give it a try!

Props to Meghan, who will turn ten on Monday!!

Walk Out to What?

Every Friday at 11am Michael and I get together to play racquetball at the rec center at Northwest. Since I'm not a student, I have to pay $3 to play, but it's well worth it. One of my hopes is that it will not only be a good time to get some exercise, but that it will be one more way for me to spend time connecting with students.

Fridays at 11am don't work for everyone, but I was hopeful that today would be different - tomorrow is Homecoming at Northwest, which means today is Walk Out Day. Walk Out Day equals no classes, which I expect is a great thing to students and faculty alike. Since there are no classes to keep people away, today would be a great time to get all kinds of racquetball going on!

So as I'm walking to the rec center, I get a call from Michael - the rec center is closed today. Are you kidding me??? Does anyone else understand the logic of this? It seems to me that on a day when students have no other commitments, they would be MORE likely to use the facility, not less. I wonder what else on campus has been shut down...

It's not just that I've been inconvenienced - although that's certainly a big part of it - but I simply don't see the logic here. I'm not sure that anyone out there will even read this, but I'd be happy to hear any thoughts if you do.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Avoiding Pink Mushrooms

I've shared this with a few people already, but I'll toss it up here - my first official post on the resurrected blog!

We have a Nintendo Wii at the BSU, which has allowed me to spend some time playing Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Some of the purists out there don't like to play with items, but we pretty much always do. There are two mushrooms (at least?) that can be used - one red and one pink.

The red mushroom roughly doubles the size of your character, and I imagine it allows you to do a lot more damage. The pink one does just the opposite - it shrinks you down to half size and leaves you much more vulnerable to attack. The problem is that, since we play on the video projector, you can't tell one mushroom from the other! So it's always a roll of the dice when you grab a mushroom - will you get big or small?

The Pink Mushroom has become a symbol for me - of foods that zap me of my energy and greatly decrease my effectiveness in life. I don't know if it's normal or not, but large amounts of sugar or processed foods tend to really mess me up. Either massive fatigue sets in, or I just get lethargic and don't feel motivated to do much of anything. I've been tested and am not diabetic or anything like that.

"So just consume those things in moderation," you say! Yeah, I've tried that. And in the end, it doesn't work for me - it's pretty much all or nothing. The only thing that has worked in the past is completely cutting those things out of my life. So that's where I'm at today, once again trying to avoid the pink mushrooms at all costs.

It's funny, really. I mean, what exactly is the payoff? It's just a momentary pleasure, a quick moment of enjoyment that just isn't worth it. (Yes, I could certainly launch into a sermon here on the parallels to temptation in general, but I'll save that for another time.)

So if you see me chowing down on cookies or Doritos or slamming down a Coke, you may *lovingly* remind me to avoid pink mushrooms. And for the record, there's nothing pink about coffee :)

Lazarus, Come Forth!

I've been becoming a bigger fan of blogs lately and now have several I check on a daily basis. I have one on the BSU site, but as I have tried to post on there a few times I've found a real battle that happens between my wanting to write some thoughts and my "need" for it to be perfect - especially grammatically. Therefore it takes entirely too long for me to write much of anything.

Well, I decided to go ahead and attempt to chuck some of that and just get after it. The other problem I ran into was that a lot of the things I have considered writing had little or nothing to do with the BSU, and therefore wouldn't really belong on its blog. So I went to create my own blog today and when I went to register my name - yaggleberryfinn - it said one already existed.

I was shocked, I mean really ... who else on earth would register that name for a blog?? Oh ... ahem ... it turns out I created one back in 2004 and had completely forgotten. So here we go again. I am attempting to resurrect this blog and see what kind of shenanigans ensue.