I was able to attend the Rockies vs the Dodger at Chavez Ravine, today. Because no one else was available (at least that I knew of or remembered to ask), and I had some time off and had not watched a game for a while, I decided to go anyways.
Ever since Gibson's limping pinch-hit home run to lift the light-hitting Dodgers to a famous 1988 World Series victory over the power-amped Oakland A's, I've waited for a special Dodger team to once again put together that special something. Dodger stadium has always been a special place since that year - but then I lived in Portland, not in the Los Angeles area.
It was so cool to hear Vin Scully's voice greet you even if it was about what you can bring in to the stadium. I know one day the stadium will likely be destroyed in order to make way for something new and 'better' so it is nice to savor the environs every once in a while.
It was a picture perfect day. Temp in the mid-70's, a light west to east breeze and a a seat behind home plate in the shaded section. I couldn't ask for anything more (a closer seat was more than I was willing to spend). Had some nachos and a dodger dog and waited for Chad Billingsley, a good young pitcher, to try for a perfect 3-0 record.
I fell asleep in the top of the sixth!!!!!!!
Either I'm getting old or I'm starting to see the triviality of the professional sports scene.
You see, before the game, there was a meet and greet with the players on the turf inside the stadium. Everyone was here to meet their heroes...their gods. Everyone paying money to seat in seats to hopefully participate in a vicarious victory 'for themselves'. In the end everyone lost 3 hours (sorry this is LA - some lost only about an hour) of their lives, some hard earned money and gained a few pounds for a little hard ball, overpaid players, and superficial bonhomie.
In the end I was extremely bored and imitated the type of LA sports fan I used to abhor - the ones that left early. I packed it in in the middle of the seventh.
Did I get a few thrills from Manny's two solo shots and Ethier's 3-run homer? Sure. But, that feeling of vicarious victory didn't last one hour. Maybe better to occasionally check the score on TV or online.
Still, it takes an occasional visit to the ballpark to remind me of the superficiality of these things and put my idols where they belong - way in the background of my mind.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
a reminder - the Gospel is good news!!!!!
In the beginning God...both Christ and the Holy Spirit are God and also at the beginning in creation. God = Father, Christ, Holy Spirit
God creates the world and man.
Man has all he needs but wants more (because he listened to the serpent Satan and was fooled by his eyes)
Man sins against God - God and all He made was not enough.
Man's relationship with God is broken.
Man, because of sin, is now condemned to death and hell.
God promises He will redeem man even after the choice he made.
God chooses Abraham and with him a group of people for no other reason than for God's glory and plan to be known.
God promises Jesus (the promised seed) will come through Abraham.
God promises to be with Abraham and his descendants and fulfill His promise as long all remain faithful.
God makes a promise that He himself will be torn apart if the promise is broken even if by Israel.
The people of Israel are to live holy and declare who God is to all who come.
Despite Abraham's less that perfect record and eventually, Israel's less than perfect record, God keeps his promise.
After hundreds of years and disobedience, God shares Himself with us by sending his Son Christ, who is both man and God.
Christ lives a life of obedience as a man, humbling himself to our level.
He does good, lives a life of righteousness and calls all to hear Him and follow Him for He is the only way to mend the broken relationship between man and God.
Some follow Christ, others reject Him.
The sin we commit is ours. And the sinful state we are cursed with was through one man, Adam, we inherited; Christ, who is both man and God, perfect and only did good, is crucified on the cross fulfilling God's promise to take on the punishment for the broken promise and reconcile our relationship to God.
Christ is resurrected and saves the faithful who have died before.
He ascends back to be with the Father in glory at the right hand of the throne.
He sends His Holy Spirit to cause faith and change those who believe to be like Christ - to live in obedience.
All who believe that God has done this in Christ are then brought by the Holy Spirit into a group of people known as the Church - it is meant to have no racial, socioeconomic, sexual orientation (as long as life is lived in repentance), or gender segregation along with those from the Jews who believe.
Because of God accomplishing this salvation from sin and bringing us back to Himself by sacrificing Himself, in Christ, we are now to obey Him and live in thanksgiving because we deserved NONE OF IT!!!!
And because all that is promised Christ for His obedience are also ours - eternal life with God and a crown of righteousness - we can live in obedience even in hard times and suffering.
God creates the world and man.
Man has all he needs but wants more (because he listened to the serpent Satan and was fooled by his eyes)
Man sins against God - God and all He made was not enough.
Man's relationship with God is broken.
Man, because of sin, is now condemned to death and hell.
God promises He will redeem man even after the choice he made.
God chooses Abraham and with him a group of people for no other reason than for God's glory and plan to be known.
God promises Jesus (the promised seed) will come through Abraham.
God promises to be with Abraham and his descendants and fulfill His promise as long all remain faithful.
God makes a promise that He himself will be torn apart if the promise is broken even if by Israel.
The people of Israel are to live holy and declare who God is to all who come.
Despite Abraham's less that perfect record and eventually, Israel's less than perfect record, God keeps his promise.
After hundreds of years and disobedience, God shares Himself with us by sending his Son Christ, who is both man and God.
Christ lives a life of obedience as a man, humbling himself to our level.
He does good, lives a life of righteousness and calls all to hear Him and follow Him for He is the only way to mend the broken relationship between man and God.
Some follow Christ, others reject Him.
The sin we commit is ours. And the sinful state we are cursed with was through one man, Adam, we inherited; Christ, who is both man and God, perfect and only did good, is crucified on the cross fulfilling God's promise to take on the punishment for the broken promise and reconcile our relationship to God.
Christ is resurrected and saves the faithful who have died before.
He ascends back to be with the Father in glory at the right hand of the throne.
He sends His Holy Spirit to cause faith and change those who believe to be like Christ - to live in obedience.
All who believe that God has done this in Christ are then brought by the Holy Spirit into a group of people known as the Church - it is meant to have no racial, socioeconomic, sexual orientation (as long as life is lived in repentance), or gender segregation along with those from the Jews who believe.
Because of God accomplishing this salvation from sin and bringing us back to Himself by sacrificing Himself, in Christ, we are now to obey Him and live in thanksgiving because we deserved NONE OF IT!!!!
And because all that is promised Christ for His obedience are also ours - eternal life with God and a crown of righteousness - we can live in obedience even in hard times and suffering.
US trounces T&T, Jozy creates curiosity in Spain?
Yes, the US were exposed by speed in the back, though things are better without Pearce in the back.
And, yes, it was T&T.
But ya gotta love a 3-0 victory! Can you believe how well Altidore positions himself?
An encouraging victory after the flat 70mins+ in El Salvadore. It gives some hope that this maybe the year the US can break it's non-winning streak at Azteca.
I think of the two final pieces of the puzzle for the world cup push will be inserting Torres in the middle of the midfield. I like Dempsey out right, Donovan out left, Bradley as defmid with Torres in the middle of that triangle. A 4-1-3-2 if you will.
If Beasley is in game shape, I think he can eventually catch up and be good at left back. Kudos to Coach Bradley for making this switch. And as long as Hejduk can keep motoring, leave him in.
Ching and Altidore together was a huge revelation for me. As good as Ching is at holding the ball and heading the ball into space and into a run, the US needed someone big to get position and fight off defenders to control the ball. No more knocking down the second onrusing forward. There's going to be a foul involved one way or another, called or not!
Here's looking forward to June and a lot more playing time for Jozy in Spain. Xerez has got to be looking a bit silly for not putting him in on the pitch.
Small note on El Salvadore...we came back late and took a point. Yes, the beginning 70 were crap especially Kljestan with his little touches to nowhere! Leave it to Jozy (and Frankie).
And, yes, it was T&T.
But ya gotta love a 3-0 victory! Can you believe how well Altidore positions himself?
An encouraging victory after the flat 70mins+ in El Salvadore. It gives some hope that this maybe the year the US can break it's non-winning streak at Azteca.
I think of the two final pieces of the puzzle for the world cup push will be inserting Torres in the middle of the midfield. I like Dempsey out right, Donovan out left, Bradley as defmid with Torres in the middle of that triangle. A 4-1-3-2 if you will.
If Beasley is in game shape, I think he can eventually catch up and be good at left back. Kudos to Coach Bradley for making this switch. And as long as Hejduk can keep motoring, leave him in.
Ching and Altidore together was a huge revelation for me. As good as Ching is at holding the ball and heading the ball into space and into a run, the US needed someone big to get position and fight off defenders to control the ball. No more knocking down the second onrusing forward. There's going to be a foul involved one way or another, called or not!
Here's looking forward to June and a lot more playing time for Jozy in Spain. Xerez has got to be looking a bit silly for not putting him in on the pitch.
Small note on El Salvadore...we came back late and took a point. Yes, the beginning 70 were crap especially Kljestan with his little touches to nowhere! Leave it to Jozy (and Frankie).
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