Gift

So last night our neighbors donated their brand new trampoline to us. Actually they just put it up yesterday. Five hours later a storm blew it over our fence, onto our roof. This is where it ended up. 

Three Years

Here's another thing I remember: In 1984 the Royals won the American League West with only 84 wins. Detroit won the AL East with 104 wins. The Royals would have finished somewhere around 4th or 5th place in the East. People called the West the AL Worst.

The Royals had fallen on tough times after the 1980 World Series. The 1981 baseball strike and a big drug scandal in 1983 had hit Kansas City hard. Willie Wilson wins the batting title in '82 and then gets busted for cocaine in '83 (1982 batting avg: .332, 1983 avg: .276). That was the first time I had heard of cocaine. That story was the spark for the drug conversation with my parents. Big drug trial in Pittsburgh involving a lot of baseball players including a bunch of Royals. Wow. Crazy times.

1984. It had been THREE YEARS since the Royals had last been in the playoffs. That was considered a terrible drought in KC back then. THREE YEARS! Kansas City had been so good that three years without being in the postseason was unthinkable and completely unacceptable. And remember there were no wildcard teams back then. Only four teams made the playoffs. And yet, Kansas City fans could not BELIEVE it had been three years since the Royals had last made the postseason.

And we didn't call it the ALCS. We called it the playoffs. It was the American or National League Playoffs...then the World Series. Playoffs. No acronyms.

So the Royals beat out the Angels and A's (Texas and Seattle were always at the bottom of the division with the Sox and Twins somewhere in the middle) to win the West. 1984 was the last year of the best of five format for the playoffs (Not ALCS. Playoffs). And the Royals got swept. Got swept bad. Kirk Gibson, Alan Trammel, Sparky Anderson and that crew. It was inevitable. Tigers won the series that year and half the city was burned down in the celebrations. Seriously. They burned that sucker to the ground.

And I was depressed. Eleven years old and I was depressed. I remember after the game seeing Dick Howser leaning against the dugout wall as rain fell in Detroit. He watched the stupid Tigers celebrating in the rain in old Tiger Stadium and he looked so forlorn. I thought we can't get lower than this.

Of course things got better the next year and KC won the whole freaking thing.1985. Nineteen-EightyamazingFive.

And then it went away. The magic. TWENTY-NINE YEARS the magic stayed dead. Kauffman dies. Brett retires. Young stars like Beltran, Damon and Dye traded away for nothing. Small market realities sink in. Teams that most AAA teams could beat.

And to think, I remember when three years was considered a terrible playoff drought.

So EXCUSE ME if I over-celebrate a little bit. I think Kansas City fans have earned it.

Wow

That may have been the craziest thing I've seen in a long time. Three comebacks, 12 innings, sac bunts, stolen bases, a pitcher who four months ago was pitching in the college World Series, and more craziness. 9-8 Royals. Game over right before midnight. On to an actual series. On to Los Angeles. Go Royals. 

Tonight

TONIGHT! Tonight the Royals are in the playoffs. Glad to see the revival of an old tradition: dyeing the fountains of Kansas City blue when the Royals are in the playoffs. 

And last night the Chiefs humiliated the New England Patriots to get their season back on track. In the process they shattered the Guinness Record for being the loudest outdoor stadium in the world.   

Been a crazy week for Kansas City fans. 

Overrated by Eugene Cho

I just finished reading Eugene Cho's new book, Overrated. Excellent read. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Christian service. Cho, the pastor of Quest Church in Seattle, examines the current trend of starting non-profits, NGO's and other service enterprises that have become synonymous with "hipster Christianity." Many Christians want to do the work of Christ. But Cho states that we must ground our efforts in prayer and humility. We must ask ourselves why do we want to do this work? Is it for Jesus? Or is it to make ourselves feel good about ourselves? And what are the unintended effects of our initiatives on those who we are trying to help? Are we really thinking these things through? Are we building relationships with those we are trying to help?  

Cho asks a lot of really great and hard questions. His book is a needed wake-up call. I found it truly inspiring and a humbling read.

"Ministry" can sound great on paper. Then you get in the trenches and you find the reality that humanity is broken. The people you want to help can be seriously messed up. You have to be prepared for that reality. People will be mean, they might smell bad, they may betray you, they may look weird, they may spoiled, they may be entitled, they may be abusive...the list can go on and on. If you are not basing your efforts on walking with Christ, then you will burn out and your initiative will fail. Your ministry must be bathed in serious prayer. This isn't about getting on the cover of Christianity Today or Relevant Magazine. Ministry is serious stuff that can only be done through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. 

This book spoke to me and fit my past experiences perfectly. This book is short, accessible and an important read for those desiring to make a difference in their communities.

Last Day

Game 162 of the season today. The division is still in play. If the Twins beat the Tigers and the Royals beat the Sox, then the season will end in a tie for the divisional title. If that happens, the Royals will play the Tigers in game 163, in Detroit. Whoever wins, wins the division. 

I had totally forgotten what this all feels like. 

Worst case: the Royals have wrapped up home field advantage for the Wildcard play-in game. Best case: Royals win the Central and get a guaranteed divisional  series. 

Either way, for long-suffering Royals fans, it's all gravy. But I'm telling you, a run for the Series would be really really nice. 

Clinched

The Kansas City Royals have clinched at least a wildcard spot. This is the first playoff berth for KC since 1985...when they won the World Series. I was 12. I was in 7th Grade. Twenty-nine years. I almost cried last night. 

Reservoir Dogs

Yesterday was Hollywood Day on campus. So the Reservoir Dogs showed up. I, of course, was Mr. White. 

New Toy

This week we were bequeathed one of my Wife's Grandfather's guitars. Her Grandfather, who passed away several years ago, played for many years on this 1960's Custom Kraft Hollow Body before moving up to Gibsons. This thing has a sweet raw sound. Now I gotta get an amp. Looking forward to trying her out. 

Western Day

This is as western as I get. It's Western Day at the high school. I inherited this shirt from my wife's grandfather who used to wear these type of shirts when he'd go play country and rockabilly on his Gibson Les Paul at various honky tonks throughout southern Indiana. 

IOS 8

IOS 8 wants me to free up 4.6 gigs of space before I can download. Seriously? Which of these pics do you want me to delete? Sure, I've backed them up on my PC and an external harddrive. But I like to have many of these photos on hand to look at from time to time. I know I can download via iTunes, but last time I tried that I almost accidentally synced 10,000 of my songs to my phone. What a hassle. May have to stick with IOS 7 for awhile. 

Clear

Nice, clear, smog-free Sunday morning over downtown Dallas. 

Goodbyes

Yesterday we said our final goodbyes to my grandmother. She was a true example of how to live out your faith, not with mere words but with action. Some of the flowers from her service were taken to a local nursing home and given to some of the residents. She would have liked that. 

Back in the Day

Back in the day, I used to play the trumpet. 

Blame Mel

Apparently, this is what is showing on all the channels in Scotland today. So if Scotland votes for independence...blame Mel Gibson. 

Freedom!

Liturgists Podcast

 

One of my favorite singer/songwriter/musician/creators, Michael Gungor, recently began recording a podcast. The Liturgists Podcast stated goal is to be a place where science, art and religion collide. The podcast is hosted by Gungor, "Science" Mike McHargue and Lissa Paino. Great stuff. Check it out HERE.

Ban

I will not post his picture here. Adrian Peterson should be banned from playing football. I was once a big fan of his. I am a Sooner fan. But I hope he never shows his face in Norman again. 

If there was a video of Peterson beating his child, he would never play again in the NFL. 

Smartphone Excess

These new smartphones have gotten ridiculous. That won't fit in your pocket. 

The Central Triangle

This is a map of a small section of East Dallas south of White Rock Lake. That orange line going east-west along the bottom is I-30. That red circle is the church where I attend. Within that red triangle there are no other churches. That  tan square, dead center, is an elementary school where 97% of the students are economically disadvantaged. 44% are labeled at-risk. Looks like we got some people to help, prayers to pray, and things to do. 

My Grandmother

My Grandmother passed away very early this morning. This photo was taken a month ago, the last time we saw her. I loved and admired her greatly. She was someone who actually put action to her faith. When she was able, she visited shut-ins, delivered flowers to those in nursing homes and convinced numerous businesses to give her free stuff to donate to those living alone in care facilities. 

I will miss her terribly. I love her so much. Goodbye Grandma. You fought the good fight. You deserve some rest.