My NFL Week 11 Power Rankings
M.D. Wright
11.11.08
1. New York Football Giants. Yes, the Titans are undefeated, but they are reading their own press clippings and teams are gunning for them. They have come close to losing (but haven't, so give them credit). The Giants have the best rushing attack and no one can touch that, along with the best offensive line in the NFL. They are also the most well-rounded/complete team in the NFL. The Titans are not going to be able to pass the ball when they need to in the playoffs with Collins. The Giants have proven they can (seek 2007 Playoffs).
2. Tennessee Titans. They are 9-0. But this isn't New England 9-0 (neither because they aren't cheaters but it is an uninspiring 9-0, they're not destroying anyone, and they've eeked out their last three wins). They run the ball nearly as well as the Giants and Falcons, and have an EXCELLENT defense, but Collins is STILL their QB. He's going to kill them like he killed us in 2000 in the Super Bowl.
3. Atlanta Falcons. They go this high because they are consistent. Yes, they have three losses, but one of them was directly attributed to the refs (vs. PHI). They don't make mistakes and Michael Turner and Roddy White are playing out of their minds. I thought Ryan was NFL-ready because of the pro-style offense he ran at BC. Trust me, as an FSU fan, I saw it first-hand. The Falcons are no fluke. Mike Vick just did 10 more sets as I typed this paragraph.
4. Carolina Panthers. Jake Delhomme was due for that stinker of a performance vs. OAK (7-27, 72 yds, 4 INT). Although I didn't think he would play THAT bad, he's got one of those in him every 4-5 games. This is why people are not completely sold on them... yet.
5. New York Football Jets. Hey, I'm playing Cee-Lo here. Part of this ranking is banking on their momentum carrying them to a win over New England and sole possession of the AFC East, 10 games into the season. Who saw that coming? The Jets are like a wave in Hawaii in regards to their yearly records. Go back and look at their records from 1995-present.
6. Arizona Cardinals. I don't care if they didn't blow out the 49ers like Vegas wanted (or myself) but they won, and that's all that matters. They have a 4-game lead in the NFC West and are very good. If they win consistently on the road, then you can be convinced.
7. Washington Redskins. Campbell is looking shaky, and I think Portis has peaked for the season.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers. I am reaching by even putting them this high. They stink when they play good defensive teams. All three of their losses came against fast defenses. Doesn't that spell doom for them?
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ... but you can't discard them.
10. Indianapolis Colts.
11. New England Patriots. You cannot put New England ahead of Indianapolis just based off records. The Colts beat the Patriots head to head and the Patriots are doing it with smoke and mirrors. Smoke and mirror teams don't win. Ask Green Bay last year.
12. Baltimore Ravens. I was tempted to put them at 7, but that will depend upon how they play vs. the Giants this Sunday.
13. Miami Dolphins. WILDCAT OFFENSE!!!
14. Chicago Bears. Hey, even Rex Grossman is playing well right now. The Bears very well could have beaten Tennessee last week.
15. Philadelphia Eagles. They better find out who they are ASAP, because finesse football never wins in the NFC East.
16. Buffalo Bills. They stink right now. Dick Jauron blew the game early on by not challenging a play that would have at least held the Patriots to a FG on their opening drive. It's the little things like that which have kept Jauron from winning and the Bills from getting over the 7-9/8-8 hump.
17. San Diego Chargers. You keep waiting for them to go on a run, but until they play better defensively (obviously NOT Ted Cottrell's fault, but none of his defenses have ever been great, now that I think of it), they aren't going to do anything but win the AFC West with an 8-8 record.
18. Minnesota Vikings. They are always alive with Adrian Peterson and always on the verge of being KILLED by Gus Frerotte's age and INTs/fumbles.
19. Dallas Cowboys. Hard to justify putting them any higher than this. If they lose to Washington on Monday Night they are DONE.
20. Denver Broncos. Their defense is a SIEVE. That, plus Cutler will have off days and they are not going to win more than 7 games. I had them at 6 preseason, so they are overachieving.
21. Green Bay Packers. They score on defense more than on offense it seems. That's not good in the NFL and it's not good as I have Aaron Rodgers in Fantasy Football.
22. New Orleans Saints. The Saints are like the 2003 Rams or something.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars. They finally came back to life after a bizarre week where the best LB on the team gets sent home over nonsense and then brought back before the game. ???
24. Houston Texans. I have given up on them.
25. San Francisco 49ers. Hey, Singletary has them fighting. Just last week he said "you can't play with 'em, can't coach with 'em, can't win with 'em... CAN'T DO IT!"
26. Cleveland Browns. What can Brown do for Romeo Crennel? Ship his boxes back to Richmond or East Rutherford, or wherever he plans to go after getting fired at the end of this season.
27. Cincinnati Bengals. *Hocks and spits on logo*
28. St. Louis Rams. Right when you think they are building, they get smacked by the other New York team. They have given up 88 points to the Giants and JETS in two games.
29. Seattle Seahawks. Sorry to see you go out like this, Mike (not really, I hate Green Bay).
30. Kansas City Chiefs. You go for 2 at the end of the game when you're down 1 because YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!!! HELLO!!!
31. Oakland Raiders. They showed a pulse this week, hanging with the Panthers whose quarterback actually looked worse than JaMarcus Russell did the previous week (which is VERY HARD TO DO IN THE NFL).
32. Detroit Lions. 0-16 and drafting... you guessed it, ANOTHER WR #1 overall in the 2009 Draft -- Michael Crabtree. Who could make this up???
As politically incorrect as I wanna be.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
ESPN's Week 11 Power Rankings
ESPN's Week 11 Power Rankings
1 (1) Titans 9-0-0 Has a team ever set franchise records for most rushing yards in a game and fewest in a game within four games? The Titans nearly did. They had to throw to beat the Bears and they did, to great effect. (PK)
2 (2) Giants 8-1-0 This is a Super Bowl team. No way anyone in East catches the Giants. (MM)
3 (4) Panthers 7-2-0 Survived a challenge from the mighty Raiders. Next up: Detroit. Panthers have to load up on wins before schedule turns tough. (PY)
4 (3) Steelers 6-3-0 "Big Ben" is struggling, and so are the Steelers. Suddenly Pittsburgh has dropped two of three. (JW)
5 (5) Redskins 6-3-0 They need Clinton Portis to play Sunday. He'll answer the bell. (MM)
6 (7) Buccaneers 6-3-0 Bucs should be pretty healthy coming off the bye, and they might have Cadillac Williams back. But Adrian Peterson will be most talked-about runner in Tampa this week. (PY)
7 (12) Patriots 6-3-0 The Patriots keep marching forward. Matt Cassel has established himself as more than a proxy for Tom Brady. He's a legit NFL starter. (TG)
8 (10) Falcons 6-3-0 Still think they're a fluke? The Falcons seem to get better every single week. (PY)
9 (11) Jets 6-3-0 The Jets' defense is among the NFL's elite. The Jets stop the run, sack the quarterback and create huge turnovers. (TG)
10 (15) Colts 5-4-0 The Colts impressed with back-to-back wins over New England and Pittsburgh, results that could be monumental when wild cards are sorted out. (PK)
11 (8) Cardinals 6-3-0 Sloppy play wasn't enough to cost the Cardinals against the 49ers, but Arizona must improve. (MS)
12 (13) Ravens 6-3-0 Is this an offense-first team or a defense-first team? The Ravens are averaging 33.5 points the past four games. (JW)
13 (6) Eagles 5-4-0 Now 0-3 in the division. And that game against the Giants wasn't as close as the score indicated. (MM)
14 (9) Bears 5-4-0 Even Rex Grossman would fare well against the Bears' pass defense. (KS)
15 (17) Dolphins 5-4-0 The Dolphins escaped with a 21-19 victory over the Seahawks in their first of three straight home games. Dolphins have won three in a row for first time since 2006. (TG)
16 (19) Cowboys 5-4-0 The bye week couldn't have come at a better time. Tony Romo should give them a big lift. (MM)
17 (14) Bills 5-4-0 They've lost three straight divisional games and four of their past five overall. An advantage they have is one more "home" game than every other AFC East team -- except they're playing one in Toronto. (TG)
18 (20) Vikings 5-4-0 Minnesota faces a tough task this week in Tampa Bay, where the Vikings haven't won since 1997. (KS)
19 (22) Broncos 5-4-0 The Broncos are battered on defense and they have no running game. But they do have Jay Cutler. Will it be enough? (BW)
20 (21) Chargers 4-5-0 The Chargers were lucky to beat the Chiefs on Sunday. They'll need more than luck to beat Pittsburgh this Sunday. (BW)
21 (16) Packers 4-5-0 Something is missing this season in Green Bay. (KS)
22 (23) Jaguars 4-5-0 The Jags go from facing winless Detroit to undefeated Tennessee in the span of a week. With the likelihood of a playoff berth fading, the Jags handing the Titans their first loss could be a season-maker. (PK)
23 (18) Saints 4-5-0 Injuries keep piling up and it seems like the Saints are on the brink of having their season fall apart. But they do have a trip to Kansas City. (PY)
24 (24) Browns 3-6-0 Despite its season going down the drain, Cleveland has some solace: Brady Quinn shows great promise. (JW)
25 (25) Texans 3-6-0 The Texans just haven't figured out how to hold onto the ball. Odds are their best chance to beat the Colts came in the first matchup, when they folded late and gave the game away. (PK)
26 (28) 49ers 2-7-0 Offensive adjustments seemed to make the 49ers more competitive, a positive step despite MNF defeat. (MS)
27 (27) Seahawks 2-7-0 Seahawks must emphasize running game even after Matt Hasselbeck returns. (MS)
28 (26) Rams 2-7-0 Last two games offset any progress the Rams made in their first two games under Jim Haslett. (MS)
29 (31) Chiefs 1-8-0 One of these days the Chiefs are going to win another game. Really. We think. (BW)
30 (29) Bengals 1-8-0 The bye gave Cincinnati two weeks to celebrate its first victory. But how long will it take to get win No. 2? (JW)
31 (30) Raiders 2-7-0 It's been three weeks since Oakland last scored a touchdown. It's also been three weeks since Oakland won a game. (BW)
32 (32) Lions 0-9-0 Who will the Lions call out of retirement this week? Eric Hipple? (KS)
1 (1) Titans 9-0-0 Has a team ever set franchise records for most rushing yards in a game and fewest in a game within four games? The Titans nearly did. They had to throw to beat the Bears and they did, to great effect. (PK)
2 (2) Giants 8-1-0 This is a Super Bowl team. No way anyone in East catches the Giants. (MM)
3 (4) Panthers 7-2-0 Survived a challenge from the mighty Raiders. Next up: Detroit. Panthers have to load up on wins before schedule turns tough. (PY)
4 (3) Steelers 6-3-0 "Big Ben" is struggling, and so are the Steelers. Suddenly Pittsburgh has dropped two of three. (JW)
5 (5) Redskins 6-3-0 They need Clinton Portis to play Sunday. He'll answer the bell. (MM)
6 (7) Buccaneers 6-3-0 Bucs should be pretty healthy coming off the bye, and they might have Cadillac Williams back. But Adrian Peterson will be most talked-about runner in Tampa this week. (PY)
7 (12) Patriots 6-3-0 The Patriots keep marching forward. Matt Cassel has established himself as more than a proxy for Tom Brady. He's a legit NFL starter. (TG)
8 (10) Falcons 6-3-0 Still think they're a fluke? The Falcons seem to get better every single week. (PY)
9 (11) Jets 6-3-0 The Jets' defense is among the NFL's elite. The Jets stop the run, sack the quarterback and create huge turnovers. (TG)
10 (15) Colts 5-4-0 The Colts impressed with back-to-back wins over New England and Pittsburgh, results that could be monumental when wild cards are sorted out. (PK)
11 (8) Cardinals 6-3-0 Sloppy play wasn't enough to cost the Cardinals against the 49ers, but Arizona must improve. (MS)
12 (13) Ravens 6-3-0 Is this an offense-first team or a defense-first team? The Ravens are averaging 33.5 points the past four games. (JW)
13 (6) Eagles 5-4-0 Now 0-3 in the division. And that game against the Giants wasn't as close as the score indicated. (MM)
14 (9) Bears 5-4-0 Even Rex Grossman would fare well against the Bears' pass defense. (KS)
15 (17) Dolphins 5-4-0 The Dolphins escaped with a 21-19 victory over the Seahawks in their first of three straight home games. Dolphins have won three in a row for first time since 2006. (TG)
16 (19) Cowboys 5-4-0 The bye week couldn't have come at a better time. Tony Romo should give them a big lift. (MM)
17 (14) Bills 5-4-0 They've lost three straight divisional games and four of their past five overall. An advantage they have is one more "home" game than every other AFC East team -- except they're playing one in Toronto. (TG)
18 (20) Vikings 5-4-0 Minnesota faces a tough task this week in Tampa Bay, where the Vikings haven't won since 1997. (KS)
19 (22) Broncos 5-4-0 The Broncos are battered on defense and they have no running game. But they do have Jay Cutler. Will it be enough? (BW)
20 (21) Chargers 4-5-0 The Chargers were lucky to beat the Chiefs on Sunday. They'll need more than luck to beat Pittsburgh this Sunday. (BW)
21 (16) Packers 4-5-0 Something is missing this season in Green Bay. (KS)
22 (23) Jaguars 4-5-0 The Jags go from facing winless Detroit to undefeated Tennessee in the span of a week. With the likelihood of a playoff berth fading, the Jags handing the Titans their first loss could be a season-maker. (PK)
23 (18) Saints 4-5-0 Injuries keep piling up and it seems like the Saints are on the brink of having their season fall apart. But they do have a trip to Kansas City. (PY)
24 (24) Browns 3-6-0 Despite its season going down the drain, Cleveland has some solace: Brady Quinn shows great promise. (JW)
25 (25) Texans 3-6-0 The Texans just haven't figured out how to hold onto the ball. Odds are their best chance to beat the Colts came in the first matchup, when they folded late and gave the game away. (PK)
26 (28) 49ers 2-7-0 Offensive adjustments seemed to make the 49ers more competitive, a positive step despite MNF defeat. (MS)
27 (27) Seahawks 2-7-0 Seahawks must emphasize running game even after Matt Hasselbeck returns. (MS)
28 (26) Rams 2-7-0 Last two games offset any progress the Rams made in their first two games under Jim Haslett. (MS)
29 (31) Chiefs 1-8-0 One of these days the Chiefs are going to win another game. Really. We think. (BW)
30 (29) Bengals 1-8-0 The bye gave Cincinnati two weeks to celebrate its first victory. But how long will it take to get win No. 2? (JW)
31 (30) Raiders 2-7-0 It's been three weeks since Oakland last scored a touchdown. It's also been three weeks since Oakland won a game. (BW)
32 (32) Lions 0-9-0 Who will the Lions call out of retirement this week? Eric Hipple? (KS)
Bailouts? Hmmm...
Bailouts? Hmmm...
M.D. Wright
11.11.08
I don't know how I feel about this. Of course we, the taxpaying public, have to foot the bill for all the predatory and immoral lending that banks, mortgage loan companies and credit card institutions engaged themselves in. When I was little, you couldn't even THINK about getting a line of credit, buying a house for more than double your income or buy a car that cost 30% of your take home pay (which has become very commonplace) unless your credit score was pushing 800, you were white and had plenty of collateral. Now, a homeless person can get a $50,000 line of credit with no questions asked.
I have watched several people (first-hand) acquire a mortgage on a $200,000+ house and they were making less than $50,000 a year (with several thousand in other debts, mind you). I don't get it. How does this happen?
Meanwhile, throughout the 90s, people just became more and more loose with their spending, eventually resorting to running up credit cards and lines of credit, taking out second mortgages on their homes and robbing themselves of their 401(k)s and other savings. Now, a lot of those same people are being foreclosed upon. It's sad.
I sat and watched with my Real Estate buddies around 2000-2001 and we all shook our collective heads (pause) at the people who were getting ARMs (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) and Interest-Only loans on houses. While the market is good and property values increase (and while there is relatively little variance in the FED rate and mortgage companies being bought out -- as is customary), this is a moderate-risk, potentially high-reward venture. When the Housing Market bubble began to lose air around 2002, 2003, then those people (if they were wise, they would have prepared at the time) began to pay exorbitant mortgage payments, in some cases QUADRUPLING what they were previously paying while the Housing Boom was taking place. In other words, you had people paying $900/mo. on a mortgage, paying, in some cases, nearly $3,000/mo. Naturally, as many middle class families are, they were close to the break-even point when they signed the mortgage, so such a swing would kill their wallets.
Likewise, with credit cards. Everyone had 3-5 credit cards in 2000. Many with over $7,500 balances (yours truly included, although I was debt-free in 2003 and again ran up thousands in business and education debts later... along with the purchase and subsequent blind costs of owning a brand new Nissan 350Z at the time). Most figured as long as they were working, they'd be fine. Not true. Just like the housing situation, as long as the economy is good, there's no problem. When the minimum payment due increase took place in February 2006, the minimum payment tripled for many people who were already in the red.
Credit crunch + Housing Crash = COMPLETE DOMINATION when you are living check to check.
All I know is I want a bailout for all this student loan debt and credit cards, since General Motors, AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Circuit City (and probably Starbuck's with their 97% losses in the 3Q) along with any other company that did not make their outrageous "bottom line" by bending everyone over with their crazy prices and moving jobs overseas. Do not get me started. I feel very strongly about this.
I feel no pity for these companies who have made a living from getting over on consumers by predatory and reckless lending.
In the midst of all this, the New York MTA is claiming losses (huge shock), even though rideship is up, more than ever -- up from an already skyrocketing number since July 2006 -- and therefore they think raising fares again. What is it going to be now? $2.50/ride? $6 for the express? $12 for the Verrazano? When I first started college, the train was $1.50. Perspective. When I was 9 and we still used tokens and what not, it was 75¢!!!
I WANT MY BAILOUT SO I CAN WIPE MY DEBTS CLEAN, BARACK OBAMA!!!
M.D. Wright
11.11.08
I don't know how I feel about this. Of course we, the taxpaying public, have to foot the bill for all the predatory and immoral lending that banks, mortgage loan companies and credit card institutions engaged themselves in. When I was little, you couldn't even THINK about getting a line of credit, buying a house for more than double your income or buy a car that cost 30% of your take home pay (which has become very commonplace) unless your credit score was pushing 800, you were white and had plenty of collateral. Now, a homeless person can get a $50,000 line of credit with no questions asked.
I have watched several people (first-hand) acquire a mortgage on a $200,000+ house and they were making less than $50,000 a year (with several thousand in other debts, mind you). I don't get it. How does this happen?
Meanwhile, throughout the 90s, people just became more and more loose with their spending, eventually resorting to running up credit cards and lines of credit, taking out second mortgages on their homes and robbing themselves of their 401(k)s and other savings. Now, a lot of those same people are being foreclosed upon. It's sad.
I sat and watched with my Real Estate buddies around 2000-2001 and we all shook our collective heads (pause) at the people who were getting ARMs (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) and Interest-Only loans on houses. While the market is good and property values increase (and while there is relatively little variance in the FED rate and mortgage companies being bought out -- as is customary), this is a moderate-risk, potentially high-reward venture. When the Housing Market bubble began to lose air around 2002, 2003, then those people (if they were wise, they would have prepared at the time) began to pay exorbitant mortgage payments, in some cases QUADRUPLING what they were previously paying while the Housing Boom was taking place. In other words, you had people paying $900/mo. on a mortgage, paying, in some cases, nearly $3,000/mo. Naturally, as many middle class families are, they were close to the break-even point when they signed the mortgage, so such a swing would kill their wallets.
Likewise, with credit cards. Everyone had 3-5 credit cards in 2000. Many with over $7,500 balances (yours truly included, although I was debt-free in 2003 and again ran up thousands in business and education debts later... along with the purchase and subsequent blind costs of owning a brand new Nissan 350Z at the time). Most figured as long as they were working, they'd be fine. Not true. Just like the housing situation, as long as the economy is good, there's no problem. When the minimum payment due increase took place in February 2006, the minimum payment tripled for many people who were already in the red.
Credit crunch + Housing Crash = COMPLETE DOMINATION when you are living check to check.
All I know is I want a bailout for all this student loan debt and credit cards, since General Motors, AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Circuit City (and probably Starbuck's with their 97% losses in the 3Q) along with any other company that did not make their outrageous "bottom line" by bending everyone over with their crazy prices and moving jobs overseas. Do not get me started. I feel very strongly about this.
I feel no pity for these companies who have made a living from getting over on consumers by predatory and reckless lending.
In the midst of all this, the New York MTA is claiming losses (huge shock), even though rideship is up, more than ever -- up from an already skyrocketing number since July 2006 -- and therefore they think raising fares again. What is it going to be now? $2.50/ride? $6 for the express? $12 for the Verrazano? When I first started college, the train was $1.50. Perspective. When I was 9 and we still used tokens and what not, it was 75¢!!!
I WANT MY BAILOUT SO I CAN WIPE MY DEBTS CLEAN, BARACK OBAMA!!!
Disobedience Has Consequences
Disobedience Has Consequences
Jeremiah 7:13-15
"And now, because you have done all these things,' declares the Lord, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer, therefore, . . . I will cast you out of My sight . . ."
Remember Lot's Wife
While God was gracious enough to rescue her from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, she dared to look back, and lost her life because of it. Her looking back was a sign of dissatisfaction with what God had provided. She was willing to obey Him, but she still had a place in her heart for her old sinful life. This is a slap in God's face, and in a way, a rejection of Him and of the salvation He was offering to her. We need to obey Him, and be happy with it, because He truly has our best interests at heart, and our circumstances will always be better when we choose to follow His commands.
Sometimes, we don't obey Him because it will make us uncomfortable
In the first four verses of 2 Timothy chapter 4, Paul warns Timothy, a young church leader, to preach the truth, even if the recipients of the message don't want to hear it. In verse three, he says: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth . . . "
Paul obviously is implying that these believers who want their ears tickled are not pleasing God, and if you and I truly wish to please God, we need to be willing to hear Him speak, even if He is speaking through a fellow believer, and even if it hurts to hear it. The truth of the matter is that God never called us to be comfortable. According to 2 Corinthians 4-5, any comfort we get comes from Him. We are called to glorify Him with our lives, a task which will often require us to step out of our comfort zones.
Experiencing Him should cause us to want to obey Him
Peter was an apostle who, as you may know, messed up several times during the time Jesus was walking the earth. He cut off a guard's ear. He lost faith while walking on water, and had to be rescued by Jesus' hand. And, of course, he denied association with Jesus just before the Crucifixion. When listing all of Peter's bonehead moves, however, it is interesting to note that none of them occur after the Resurrection. That is, once Peter had seen the risen Christ, he was all of a sudden able to keep his eye on the prize. He had singleness of purpose, and could no longer let his own will get in the way of doing God's will.
If you have a difficult time obeying the Lord's voice, you should consider that maybe you have not really experienced Him. Not that you aren't saved, but that you haven't been in a place where you truly connected with God. Once you have, you will never be the same, and obedience will come easier for you, just as it did for Peter. The idea of how to cross this line is beyond the scope of this little lesson, but I recommend Henry Blackaby's book Experiencing God for more on this.
Jeremiah 7:13-15
"And now, because you have done all these things,' declares the Lord, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer, therefore, . . . I will cast you out of My sight . . ."
Remember Lot's Wife
While God was gracious enough to rescue her from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, she dared to look back, and lost her life because of it. Her looking back was a sign of dissatisfaction with what God had provided. She was willing to obey Him, but she still had a place in her heart for her old sinful life. This is a slap in God's face, and in a way, a rejection of Him and of the salvation He was offering to her. We need to obey Him, and be happy with it, because He truly has our best interests at heart, and our circumstances will always be better when we choose to follow His commands.
Sometimes, we don't obey Him because it will make us uncomfortable
In the first four verses of 2 Timothy chapter 4, Paul warns Timothy, a young church leader, to preach the truth, even if the recipients of the message don't want to hear it. In verse three, he says: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth . . . "
Paul obviously is implying that these believers who want their ears tickled are not pleasing God, and if you and I truly wish to please God, we need to be willing to hear Him speak, even if He is speaking through a fellow believer, and even if it hurts to hear it. The truth of the matter is that God never called us to be comfortable. According to 2 Corinthians 4-5, any comfort we get comes from Him. We are called to glorify Him with our lives, a task which will often require us to step out of our comfort zones.
Experiencing Him should cause us to want to obey Him
Peter was an apostle who, as you may know, messed up several times during the time Jesus was walking the earth. He cut off a guard's ear. He lost faith while walking on water, and had to be rescued by Jesus' hand. And, of course, he denied association with Jesus just before the Crucifixion. When listing all of Peter's bonehead moves, however, it is interesting to note that none of them occur after the Resurrection. That is, once Peter had seen the risen Christ, he was all of a sudden able to keep his eye on the prize. He had singleness of purpose, and could no longer let his own will get in the way of doing God's will.
If you have a difficult time obeying the Lord's voice, you should consider that maybe you have not really experienced Him. Not that you aren't saved, but that you haven't been in a place where you truly connected with God. Once you have, you will never be the same, and obedience will come easier for you, just as it did for Peter. The idea of how to cross this line is beyond the scope of this little lesson, but I recommend Henry Blackaby's book Experiencing God for more on this.
When & How To Terminate A Relationship - Part V
When & How To Terminate A Relationship - Part V
Neil Clark Warren
eHarmony.com
Over the past four articles we've been examining relationship termination. There is no way for a good person to feel pleased when it's time to end a relationship with someone they like, especially if it's clear that they really like you.
But in order to marry the right person, you need to avoid marrying the wrong person. That means understanding when a relationship isn't going to work and ending it.
As a quick review, here are the points I've touched on previously.
If you have doubts, set a six-month limit to make a decision.
Some problems require an immediate termination of the relationship.
Understand the importance of chemistry to a relationship.
Assess your ambivalence.
In the final installment we look at your enthusiasm.
Idea Number Five
The fifth area that I want to talk to you about is when there is a low level of certainty about the wisdom of investing more of yourself in the relationship. You just aren't sure at all that this is the right relationship for you.
"She's a nice person, he's a nice guy, and you know, I like his mother, I like her mother, and they have a really nice family and he's always been very kind and considerate to me but I don't know, I just don't get excited about it." You've got a kind of a low level of drive.
Making a marriage work takes energy – boy does it take energy! You've got to fill your energy tank on a frequent basis, and the more natural it is the better off you are.
If you need to fill your energy tank and work hard just to understand the other person or work hard to feel good about the other person, that's tough. So if you have kind of a low level of energy in relation to another person, here's what I'd suggest. I would suggest that you go see someone like myself, a psychologist, who's been at it for a long time and who can see you for five sessions. All I want you to do is see this person for five sessions.
Don't make a career of seeing this person, and here's what I'd like you to talk about. I'd like you to say, "Here's what I like about this other person and here's what I don't like about this other person." My suspicion is that, on this low level of energy, your list will be short on both sides. There will be some things you like, but not very many. There will be some things you don't like, but not very many.
It's kind of like you just don't have much drive to be with them. The big questions I would ask you are these:
"What would it be like five years from now if you say no to this person right now?"
"What do you think you would look back and feel?"
If you say, "You know, I think I'll look back and say, I think he was a good person, and I know that she's married now, but I don't think I'd have many regrets," there's your answer.
How long would you go with this nice person? How long would you go with this low level of interest? I'd say again, six months or so if you want to. I mean, when you get married, make sure it's a big emotional thing for you. Make sure that you just love this person so much. Marylyn and I were in different parts of the country during parts of our courtship and I can still remember that everything about my mind was on her.
I was in the east going to graduate school and Marylyn was in the west, a stewardess for an airline. We wrote to each other two full typewritten pages every day, and I would look out the window of the classroom I was in, waiting for that mailman to come because I could just not wait to get her letters. That energy has served me well. Her energy was similar and served her well through these long years of our marriage. That's what I want for you: Plenty of energy in the relationship.
Well, those are the five ideas. Remember this: The likelihood is, if a relationship is going to get good, it will get good early on because ultimately most relationships get good pretty early and you have a little bit of a tough time holding on to the goodness over the years. If the relationship takes quite a while before it gets good, it's quite an unusual relationship. Six months is probably long enough to wait.
Neil Clark Warren
eHarmony.com
Over the past four articles we've been examining relationship termination. There is no way for a good person to feel pleased when it's time to end a relationship with someone they like, especially if it's clear that they really like you.
But in order to marry the right person, you need to avoid marrying the wrong person. That means understanding when a relationship isn't going to work and ending it.
As a quick review, here are the points I've touched on previously.
If you have doubts, set a six-month limit to make a decision.
Some problems require an immediate termination of the relationship.
Understand the importance of chemistry to a relationship.
Assess your ambivalence.
In the final installment we look at your enthusiasm.
Idea Number Five
The fifth area that I want to talk to you about is when there is a low level of certainty about the wisdom of investing more of yourself in the relationship. You just aren't sure at all that this is the right relationship for you.
"She's a nice person, he's a nice guy, and you know, I like his mother, I like her mother, and they have a really nice family and he's always been very kind and considerate to me but I don't know, I just don't get excited about it." You've got a kind of a low level of drive.
Making a marriage work takes energy – boy does it take energy! You've got to fill your energy tank on a frequent basis, and the more natural it is the better off you are.
If you need to fill your energy tank and work hard just to understand the other person or work hard to feel good about the other person, that's tough. So if you have kind of a low level of energy in relation to another person, here's what I'd suggest. I would suggest that you go see someone like myself, a psychologist, who's been at it for a long time and who can see you for five sessions. All I want you to do is see this person for five sessions.
Don't make a career of seeing this person, and here's what I'd like you to talk about. I'd like you to say, "Here's what I like about this other person and here's what I don't like about this other person." My suspicion is that, on this low level of energy, your list will be short on both sides. There will be some things you like, but not very many. There will be some things you don't like, but not very many.
It's kind of like you just don't have much drive to be with them. The big questions I would ask you are these:
"What would it be like five years from now if you say no to this person right now?"
"What do you think you would look back and feel?"
If you say, "You know, I think I'll look back and say, I think he was a good person, and I know that she's married now, but I don't think I'd have many regrets," there's your answer.
How long would you go with this nice person? How long would you go with this low level of interest? I'd say again, six months or so if you want to. I mean, when you get married, make sure it's a big emotional thing for you. Make sure that you just love this person so much. Marylyn and I were in different parts of the country during parts of our courtship and I can still remember that everything about my mind was on her.
I was in the east going to graduate school and Marylyn was in the west, a stewardess for an airline. We wrote to each other two full typewritten pages every day, and I would look out the window of the classroom I was in, waiting for that mailman to come because I could just not wait to get her letters. That energy has served me well. Her energy was similar and served her well through these long years of our marriage. That's what I want for you: Plenty of energy in the relationship.
Well, those are the five ideas. Remember this: The likelihood is, if a relationship is going to get good, it will get good early on because ultimately most relationships get good pretty early and you have a little bit of a tough time holding on to the goodness over the years. If the relationship takes quite a while before it gets good, it's quite an unusual relationship. Six months is probably long enough to wait.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Jesus Was/Is Obedient
Jesus Was/Is Obedient
John 5:30
"I [Jesus] can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."
Luke 4:43
"but He said to them, I must preach the Kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."
Romans 5:19
"For as by one man's [Adam's] disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's [Jesus'] obedience many will be made righteous."
Examples of the correct way to practice obedience to His commands
Matthew 4:18-22
"And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him."
Examples of the incorrect way to practice obedience to His commands
Exodus 3:10
[God speaking from the burning bush] "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Exodus 3:11
"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?'"
To make a long story short, Moses spends the rest of Chapter 3 arguing with God, and the Lord has an answer for every one of Moses' excuses to get out of the job. Finally, in Chapter 4 verse 13, Moses asks God to send someone else. God's reaction is in the next verse:
Exodus 4:14
"So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses."
OUCH! I don't know about you, but the absolute last thing I would ever want is to have the Lord angry with me.
In Matthew 19:16-23, we are told of a man who wanted to come and follow Jesus, but he was not willing to follow Jesus' command to sell everything. Actually, he might have done it if he had taken the time to think about it, but the Lord wanted him to do it immediately, just as Simon, Andrew, James and John had dropped their fishing equipment without hesitation to dedicate their lives to the Lord.
The story of this man, often referred to as the Rich Young Ruler in modern discussions, is applicable to us for that very reason: he was expected to obey God immediately, without worrying about his possession or other worldly concerns. Sadly, this man is not alone. He lost a chance at salvation. You and I may have salvation, but we are still called to immediate obedience, and the thing that will keep us from this is the worries of the world, and possessions, both of which are temporary anyway. This is why Matthew 6:21 says that where your treasure is, there is your heart also.
One final point here can be made if we will remember what was said earlier about the definition of obedience. The Greek and Hebrew words translated into "obedience" both are centered around the concept of trust. If you don't obey God when He speaks to you, you are essentially saying, "God, I don't trust Your will for my life. I don't think You have my best interests at heart. I know better than You, so I will handle this one myself." As you can imagine, this sort of attitude can upset the Lord greatly. Which leads us to His anger being kindled against us and I'm sure none of us want that, now do we?
John 5:30
"I [Jesus] can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."
Luke 4:43
"but He said to them, I must preach the Kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."
Romans 5:19
"For as by one man's [Adam's] disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's [Jesus'] obedience many will be made righteous."
Examples of the correct way to practice obedience to His commands
Matthew 4:18-22
"And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him."
Examples of the incorrect way to practice obedience to His commands
Exodus 3:10
[God speaking from the burning bush] "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Exodus 3:11
"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?'"
To make a long story short, Moses spends the rest of Chapter 3 arguing with God, and the Lord has an answer for every one of Moses' excuses to get out of the job. Finally, in Chapter 4 verse 13, Moses asks God to send someone else. God's reaction is in the next verse:
Exodus 4:14
"So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses."
OUCH! I don't know about you, but the absolute last thing I would ever want is to have the Lord angry with me.
In Matthew 19:16-23, we are told of a man who wanted to come and follow Jesus, but he was not willing to follow Jesus' command to sell everything. Actually, he might have done it if he had taken the time to think about it, but the Lord wanted him to do it immediately, just as Simon, Andrew, James and John had dropped their fishing equipment without hesitation to dedicate their lives to the Lord.
The story of this man, often referred to as the Rich Young Ruler in modern discussions, is applicable to us for that very reason: he was expected to obey God immediately, without worrying about his possession or other worldly concerns. Sadly, this man is not alone. He lost a chance at salvation. You and I may have salvation, but we are still called to immediate obedience, and the thing that will keep us from this is the worries of the world, and possessions, both of which are temporary anyway. This is why Matthew 6:21 says that where your treasure is, there is your heart also.
One final point here can be made if we will remember what was said earlier about the definition of obedience. The Greek and Hebrew words translated into "obedience" both are centered around the concept of trust. If you don't obey God when He speaks to you, you are essentially saying, "God, I don't trust Your will for my life. I don't think You have my best interests at heart. I know better than You, so I will handle this one myself." As you can imagine, this sort of attitude can upset the Lord greatly. Which leads us to His anger being kindled against us and I'm sure none of us want that, now do we?
Sunday, November 9, 2008
NFL Week 10 Picks: Regular Edition
NFL Week 10 Picks: Regular Edition
M.D. Wright
11.8.08
OK, I'm back on track. After a busy Friday and running all day on Saturday, I am finally getting an opportunity to put my thoughts together for Week 10. Let's get it.
New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Georgia Dome
Atlanta, Georgia
The Saints are a .500 for a reason: they have a great QB who puts up pinball-like numbers and a defense, that despite adding several free agents (who have all been busts, while letting go players like Darren Howard), that still sucks.
The Falcons are for real. And given that Matt Ryan came into the NFL with four years of running a pro-style offense, he's going to flourish against the Saints' shaky secondary. Add to that the fact that the Saints are a turnstile against the running game, and you can envision Michael Turner and Jerrious Norwood gaining 200+ yards between them
Call:
New Orleans 24
Atlanta 30
---
Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
This is going to be a bloodbath, and an enjoyable one at that (unlike watching Roy Jones, Jr. further convince us boxing experts that he should've retired in 2002 -- that was a PAINFUL-T0-WATCH bloodbath... ufff). Anyway, if Orton plays, the Bears are in good shape to possibly pull this out. If Gross Man plays, well, the Bears chances are gross, man... (you like that Cam-like wordplay right? hah).
The Titans don't wow you with their passing game. Collins just makes the plays when he needs to. But I really do FINALLY see him killing them with an INT. It's going to be close and I am going to go out on a limb and call the Bears for this one.
Call:
Tennessee 13
Chicago 17
---
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Detroit Lions
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
The Jags are pissing me off. They've cost me three losses in a row with their uninspired play. The Lions suck royally, like the '07 Dolphins (who had an excuse) and the '89 Cowboys, who also had one -- I forget which year it was that the Jets went 1-15, but those teams had inept GMs/Head Coaches or a general lack of talent. The Lions had enough talent on offense to AT LEAST win three games by now. But nooooo
The Jags miss their offensive linemen and they really miss Marcus Stroud on defense. That release of Byron Leftwich and Garrard's (poor) Game Manager play this year might cost Del Rio his job. I am only picking the Jags because I want the Lions to go 0-16 lmao
Call:
Jacksonville 26
Detroit 21
---
Seattle Seahawks vs. Miami Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium
Miami, Florida
Seabags in a 1 ET game in the east? With THAT squad right now? Wildcats are more vicious than birds hah
Call:
Seattle 10
Miami 27
---
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, Minnesota
This game doesn't have the same buzz that it had from 1992-2007, but it's compelling, because all of these teams being bunched together atop the NFC North. I still think the Vikes are dangerous because of Peterson. However, I think Rodgers will find a way to get it done with JUST ENOUGH from Grant and Jackson, along with the defense bending and not breaking against Aging Gus.
Call:
Green Bay 31
Minnesota 27
---
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts
It would do me no better than to see the Pats get sent into a full-blown tailspin in a loss here. They very well SHOULD win, but Trent Edwards' mind-numbing turnovers this season is making me cautious. The Pats are slow on defense, but they make timely plays. Time is catching up with Cassel, and his stage coach is turning into a pumpkin.
Bills will win this one, going away actually.
Call:
Buffalo 28
New England 19
---
St. Louis Rams vs. New York Jets
Giants Stadium at The New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
The Jets need to win this game; a fact that is not lost on Mangini nor Favre and the rest of the team. I think they will do it, even though the Haslett-led Rams defense is all of a sudden playing well... hmmmm.
Call:
St. Louis 14
NY Jets 20
---
Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans
Reliant Stadium
Houston, Texas
The Ravens are smart by playing Ray Rice now. McGahee is finished; sad to say, and McClain is good in a complimentary role -- not starting or being the feature 'back. The Texans? I've given up on them. They are at home, yes, but they stink.
Call:
Baltimore 27
Houston 21
---
Carolina Panthers vs. Oakland Raiders
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland, California
Do you really think I am going to waste words here? The Raiders will probably have negative yardage for the ENTIRE game this week instead of just the first half (vs. Atlanta last week).
Call:
Carolina 31
Oakland 0
---
Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Colts are still on life support. They cannot win the AFC South unless both the Titans' running backs get injured for the season and Albert Haynesworth stomps Jeff Saturday senseless or something hah... but the Steelers aren't going to roll over easily. It APPEARS as if Willie Parker is not going to play. Or is he going to? Who's on first? What's on second? I dunno.
The Colts' desperation (see: last week vs. NE) will win out in an eeker.
Call:
Indianapolis 24
Pittsburgh 19
---
Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Diego Chargers
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, California
The Chargers are desperate, and the Chiefs are down to their 14th string QB and RB, respectively.
Call:
Kansas City 2
San Diego 31
---
New York Football Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*GAME OF THE WEEK*
The Eagles are playing very well. I must give them credit, because I counted them dead when Westbrook began piling up his injuries a few weeks ago. McNabb cannot hold onto the ball like he has been in the past couple of games against the Giants, however. Eli Manning, likeise, cannot get caught up in the Eagles' relentless blitz packages and start throwing the ball off his back foot. MARK MY WORDS, IF MANNING DOES THIS, THE GIANTS WILL LOSE.
No one (only the Steelers have come close to doing so) can stop the Giants' running game, and until the Eagles are a threat to run the ball more than 12 times a game, they can't expect to beat the Giants, all else being virtually equal.
Call:
NY Giants 31
Philadelphia 27
---
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
Head Coach Mike Singletary has tried out for the next round of Coors Light commercials with his post-game rant following his first game as coach -- AFTER benching their 2nd best offensive player (TE Vernon Davis) and reportedly dropped his pants while cursing out the team before that press conference. Let's just hope he doesn't openly whizz on the defense as Kurt Warner chops them to shreds with a 34-41, 483 yard, 5 TD performance. Oh yeah. He's going to do that. I'm not making this stuff up. I wish I had a Cardinal on my fantasy squad.
Call:
San Francisco 6
Arizona 41
---
More on Monday!
M.D. Wright
11.8.08
OK, I'm back on track. After a busy Friday and running all day on Saturday, I am finally getting an opportunity to put my thoughts together for Week 10. Let's get it.
New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Georgia Dome
Atlanta, Georgia
The Saints are a .500 for a reason: they have a great QB who puts up pinball-like numbers and a defense, that despite adding several free agents (who have all been busts, while letting go players like Darren Howard), that still sucks.
The Falcons are for real. And given that Matt Ryan came into the NFL with four years of running a pro-style offense, he's going to flourish against the Saints' shaky secondary. Add to that the fact that the Saints are a turnstile against the running game, and you can envision Michael Turner and Jerrious Norwood gaining 200+ yards between them
Call:
New Orleans 24
Atlanta 30
---
Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
This is going to be a bloodbath, and an enjoyable one at that (unlike watching Roy Jones, Jr. further convince us boxing experts that he should've retired in 2002 -- that was a PAINFUL-T0-WATCH bloodbath... ufff). Anyway, if Orton plays, the Bears are in good shape to possibly pull this out. If Gross Man plays, well, the Bears chances are gross, man... (you like that Cam-like wordplay right? hah).
The Titans don't wow you with their passing game. Collins just makes the plays when he needs to. But I really do FINALLY see him killing them with an INT. It's going to be close and I am going to go out on a limb and call the Bears for this one.
Call:
Tennessee 13
Chicago 17
---
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Detroit Lions
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
The Jags are pissing me off. They've cost me three losses in a row with their uninspired play. The Lions suck royally, like the '07 Dolphins (who had an excuse) and the '89 Cowboys, who also had one -- I forget which year it was that the Jets went 1-15, but those teams had inept GMs/Head Coaches or a general lack of talent. The Lions had enough talent on offense to AT LEAST win three games by now. But nooooo
The Jags miss their offensive linemen and they really miss Marcus Stroud on defense. That release of Byron Leftwich and Garrard's (poor) Game Manager play this year might cost Del Rio his job. I am only picking the Jags because I want the Lions to go 0-16 lmao
Call:
Jacksonville 26
Detroit 21
---
Seattle Seahawks vs. Miami Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium
Miami, Florida
Seabags in a 1 ET game in the east? With THAT squad right now? Wildcats are more vicious than birds hah
Call:
Seattle 10
Miami 27
---
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, Minnesota
This game doesn't have the same buzz that it had from 1992-2007, but it's compelling, because all of these teams being bunched together atop the NFC North. I still think the Vikes are dangerous because of Peterson. However, I think Rodgers will find a way to get it done with JUST ENOUGH from Grant and Jackson, along with the defense bending and not breaking against Aging Gus.
Call:
Green Bay 31
Minnesota 27
---
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts
It would do me no better than to see the Pats get sent into a full-blown tailspin in a loss here. They very well SHOULD win, but Trent Edwards' mind-numbing turnovers this season is making me cautious. The Pats are slow on defense, but they make timely plays. Time is catching up with Cassel, and his stage coach is turning into a pumpkin.
Bills will win this one, going away actually.
Call:
Buffalo 28
New England 19
---
St. Louis Rams vs. New York Jets
Giants Stadium at The New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
The Jets need to win this game; a fact that is not lost on Mangini nor Favre and the rest of the team. I think they will do it, even though the Haslett-led Rams defense is all of a sudden playing well... hmmmm.
Call:
St. Louis 14
NY Jets 20
---
Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans
Reliant Stadium
Houston, Texas
The Ravens are smart by playing Ray Rice now. McGahee is finished; sad to say, and McClain is good in a complimentary role -- not starting or being the feature 'back. The Texans? I've given up on them. They are at home, yes, but they stink.
Call:
Baltimore 27
Houston 21
---
Carolina Panthers vs. Oakland Raiders
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland, California
Do you really think I am going to waste words here? The Raiders will probably have negative yardage for the ENTIRE game this week instead of just the first half (vs. Atlanta last week).
Call:
Carolina 31
Oakland 0
---
Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Colts are still on life support. They cannot win the AFC South unless both the Titans' running backs get injured for the season and Albert Haynesworth stomps Jeff Saturday senseless or something hah... but the Steelers aren't going to roll over easily. It APPEARS as if Willie Parker is not going to play. Or is he going to? Who's on first? What's on second? I dunno.
The Colts' desperation (see: last week vs. NE) will win out in an eeker.
Call:
Indianapolis 24
Pittsburgh 19
---
Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Diego Chargers
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, California
The Chargers are desperate, and the Chiefs are down to their 14th string QB and RB, respectively.
Call:
Kansas City 2
San Diego 31
---
New York Football Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*GAME OF THE WEEK*
The Eagles are playing very well. I must give them credit, because I counted them dead when Westbrook began piling up his injuries a few weeks ago. McNabb cannot hold onto the ball like he has been in the past couple of games against the Giants, however. Eli Manning, likeise, cannot get caught up in the Eagles' relentless blitz packages and start throwing the ball off his back foot. MARK MY WORDS, IF MANNING DOES THIS, THE GIANTS WILL LOSE.
No one (only the Steelers have come close to doing so) can stop the Giants' running game, and until the Eagles are a threat to run the ball more than 12 times a game, they can't expect to beat the Giants, all else being virtually equal.
Call:
NY Giants 31
Philadelphia 27
---
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
Head Coach Mike Singletary has tried out for the next round of Coors Light commercials with his post-game rant following his first game as coach -- AFTER benching their 2nd best offensive player (TE Vernon Davis) and reportedly dropped his pants while cursing out the team before that press conference. Let's just hope he doesn't openly whizz on the defense as Kurt Warner chops them to shreds with a 34-41, 483 yard, 5 TD performance. Oh yeah. He's going to do that. I'm not making this stuff up. I wish I had a Cardinal on my fantasy squad.
Call:
San Francisco 6
Arizona 41
---
More on Monday!
Friday, November 7, 2008
God Delights In Obedience
God Delights In Obedience
If we love Him, we will want to make Him happy
-- 1 Samuel 15:22
"And Samuel said, ''Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice . .'"
--John 14:21,23
"He who has My [Jesus'] commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and He who loves Me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will disclose myself to him. . . If anyone loves me, he will keep my Word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him."
Obedience Will Make Your Relationship With Him Better
-- James 2:21-26
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
We could go on about what "justified" means, but without trying to stir theological debate, I must state here that I am one who believes man cannot lose salvation. Therefore, this passage describes the importance of obeying God in respect to our walk with Him beyond our initial salvation. What James is saying, then, is that our obedience does have a significance. Once we are saved, we can choose not to pursue Him aggressively, but we are the worse off for it.
If you are truly saved, and over time, you choose to follow the world instead, you will still have enter eternal life, but your walk with Him while in this life will not be rewarding. You will be missing out on all the joy and peace that comes packaged with a relationship with Him. You will try to replace that joy with the world's imperfect substitutes, which cannot satisfy. The question is, what kind of walk do YOU want to have?
If we love Him, we will want to make Him happy
-- 1 Samuel 15:22
"And Samuel said, ''Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice . .'"
--John 14:21,23
"He who has My [Jesus'] commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and He who loves Me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will disclose myself to him. . . If anyone loves me, he will keep my Word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him."
Obedience Will Make Your Relationship With Him Better
-- James 2:21-26
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
We could go on about what "justified" means, but without trying to stir theological debate, I must state here that I am one who believes man cannot lose salvation. Therefore, this passage describes the importance of obeying God in respect to our walk with Him beyond our initial salvation. What James is saying, then, is that our obedience does have a significance. Once we are saved, we can choose not to pursue Him aggressively, but we are the worse off for it.
If you are truly saved, and over time, you choose to follow the world instead, you will still have enter eternal life, but your walk with Him while in this life will not be rewarding. You will be missing out on all the joy and peace that comes packaged with a relationship with Him. You will try to replace that joy with the world's imperfect substitutes, which cannot satisfy. The question is, what kind of walk do YOU want to have?
Thursday, November 6, 2008
NFL Week 10 Picks: Rushed Edition
NFL Week 10 Picks: Rushed Edition
M.D. Wright
11.6.08
11:19 PM
I promise you, I meant to do this earlier, and forgot there was a Thursday game until DK reminded me as he posted his picks earlier.
And I promise ANYONE who doesn't trust me, regardless of what happens in the CLE/DEN game, I was picking CLE all the way. It is 11:19 PM as I type this.
Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Cleveland, Ohio
I think the Browns are scratching and clawing for a boost. Putting Quinn in reeks of desperation for Romeo Crennel. It could backfire, or Quinn could play well. I honestly thought he'd be in the middle, but what do I know? I figured the game would be loosey-goosey and high scoring. I had Cleveland picked in the beginning.
Call:
Denver 41
Cleveland 43
---
The rest of the picks coming tomorrow.
M.D. Wright
11.6.08
11:19 PM
I promise you, I meant to do this earlier, and forgot there was a Thursday game until DK reminded me as he posted his picks earlier.
And I promise ANYONE who doesn't trust me, regardless of what happens in the CLE/DEN game, I was picking CLE all the way. It is 11:19 PM as I type this.
Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Cleveland, Ohio
I think the Browns are scratching and clawing for a boost. Putting Quinn in reeks of desperation for Romeo Crennel. It could backfire, or Quinn could play well. I honestly thought he'd be in the middle, but what do I know? I figured the game would be loosey-goosey and high scoring. I had Cleveland picked in the beginning.
Call:
Denver 41
Cleveland 43
---
The rest of the picks coming tomorrow.
What Is Obedience, Anyway?
What Is Obedience, Anyway?
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated into English as obedience means "to hear." The New Testament agrees with this, and gets more detailed. The Greek word means "to hear or listen in a state of submission" or "attentive hearkening." Another use of the same word means "to trust."
Obedience
All believers know that obedience is part of the Christian experience. God expects His people to obey Him. We have several reminders of this. There are those two stone tablets made famous in the Charlton Heston movie. There is the picture of God as Father and us as His children. There is the account of Adam and Eve eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
We all realize that God has every right to expect certain behavior of us, and throughout the Bible, He exercises that right. We all realize that there are commandments He has given us which apply to us as a whole. We should love each other. We should all abstain from immoral behavior. We should give. We should not get drunk. We should pray. We are accountable to Him for the way we raise our children.
These and many other truths are universal, applying to everyone. Since we all have a basic understanding of that concept, I am going to skip over it, and focus on one aspect of obedience, that of obeying Him on an individual basis.
Besides those commandments which we should all obey, there are times when He gives us commands on a more personal basis. He may tell an individual that He wants him or her to handle a situation a certain way.
NOTE: This is a good time to interject that when I say tell or speak, I have never heard an audible voice from God, yet I know there are times when He has impressed upon me that He wants me to do something (or, many times, He wants me NOT to do something). It is a feeling I get inside, and I know it's Him speaking. In the past, He has told me to confess and apologize when I have done something to offend someone. He has told me to pray for a friend. He has told me that He wants me to fast for a particular time period. He has told me to say a certain something to a friend who needed to hear it. I realize this may be new to some readers, and some will be skeptical when they hear someone talk of God speaking to them. I can tell you that it does happen, and when it happens to you, you will know it's Him.
Having said all that, it is important to know that just because we may know it's Him speaking to us on an individual basis, there is no guarantee that we will act in obedience. Jonah is one example. He knew it was God telling him to go to Nineveh to preach; there was no doubt in his mind. He did not say to himself: "Maybe that's not God. Maybe it's just random thoughts popping into my head." Yet he chose to disobey Him.
In that case, God chose to use radical methods to bring Jonah around to His way of thinking, but He doesn't always do that to individuals. However, I can guarantee you that if you know it's Him telling you to do something, you are better off in your own personal circumstances obeying Him. He simply knows better than you and me what lies ahead, and many times He impresses upon us to steer our lives in a particular direction because He knows what's going to happen.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated into English as obedience means "to hear." The New Testament agrees with this, and gets more detailed. The Greek word means "to hear or listen in a state of submission" or "attentive hearkening." Another use of the same word means "to trust."
Obedience
All believers know that obedience is part of the Christian experience. God expects His people to obey Him. We have several reminders of this. There are those two stone tablets made famous in the Charlton Heston movie. There is the picture of God as Father and us as His children. There is the account of Adam and Eve eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
We all realize that God has every right to expect certain behavior of us, and throughout the Bible, He exercises that right. We all realize that there are commandments He has given us which apply to us as a whole. We should love each other. We should all abstain from immoral behavior. We should give. We should not get drunk. We should pray. We are accountable to Him for the way we raise our children.
These and many other truths are universal, applying to everyone. Since we all have a basic understanding of that concept, I am going to skip over it, and focus on one aspect of obedience, that of obeying Him on an individual basis.
Besides those commandments which we should all obey, there are times when He gives us commands on a more personal basis. He may tell an individual that He wants him or her to handle a situation a certain way.
NOTE: This is a good time to interject that when I say tell or speak, I have never heard an audible voice from God, yet I know there are times when He has impressed upon me that He wants me to do something (or, many times, He wants me NOT to do something). It is a feeling I get inside, and I know it's Him speaking. In the past, He has told me to confess and apologize when I have done something to offend someone. He has told me to pray for a friend. He has told me that He wants me to fast for a particular time period. He has told me to say a certain something to a friend who needed to hear it. I realize this may be new to some readers, and some will be skeptical when they hear someone talk of God speaking to them. I can tell you that it does happen, and when it happens to you, you will know it's Him.
Having said all that, it is important to know that just because we may know it's Him speaking to us on an individual basis, there is no guarantee that we will act in obedience. Jonah is one example. He knew it was God telling him to go to Nineveh to preach; there was no doubt in his mind. He did not say to himself: "Maybe that's not God. Maybe it's just random thoughts popping into my head." Yet he chose to disobey Him.
In that case, God chose to use radical methods to bring Jonah around to His way of thinking, but He doesn't always do that to individuals. However, I can guarantee you that if you know it's Him telling you to do something, you are better off in your own personal circumstances obeying Him. He simply knows better than you and me what lies ahead, and many times He impresses upon us to steer our lives in a particular direction because He knows what's going to happen.
He Said-She Said: Letting Go of the Parenting Dream
He Said-She Said: Letting Go of the Parenting Dream
Cliff Young & Laura MacCorkle
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer & Senior Editor
EDITOR’S NOTE: Each He Said-She Said column features a question from a Crosswalk.com reader with responses from a male and female point of view. If you’ve got a question about anything related to singleness, please CLICK HERE to submit (selected questions will be posted anonymously).
QUESTION: How does a single let go of the parenting dream? I am never married and have always wanted to be married. I will soon be 46, so I am letting go of the parenting dream. Those around me won't let me. Is it so wrong to say I can be happy on my own without a child or that my future husband and I (wherever he is) could be happy as just a couple? How do guys feel about this? I know biologically speaking that men have so much longer to make babies. There are no books on this or Web sites with this kind of information. I feel so lost and so alone on this.
HE SAID: The greatest human tragedy is to give up the search. Nothing is of greater importance than the life of our deep heart. To lose heart is to lose everything.
— John Eldredge, The Journey of Desire
I would venture to say most singles have the desire to be married and have a family at some point in their life. My desire started somewhere around the early days of The Brady Bunch. Although I have yet to find my own family drama/comedy, being single hasn’t deterred me from experiencing joy and finding happiness.
It sounds as if you are letting go of more than just your dream of being a parent. You have lost the joy and happiness outside of being a parent.
Is it wrong to say I can be happy on my own without a child?
YES, it is wrong to say, “I can be happy…without a child,” only for the reason you would even ask yourself that question. In case anyone hasn’t discovered the fact that things (including spouses and children) do not make a person happy, they don’t. I have neither had a spouse nor a child, but I have reason to believe that if I am unhappy without them, I would be unhappy with them (and they would not be happy with me).
If having a child made someone happy, why would we have so many children aborted, abused, and abandoned by a parent? If having a child made someone happy, why are there so many marriages (with children) ending in divorce? If having a child made someone happy, why are there so many unhappy and messed up children?
Is it wrong to say that my husband and I could be happy as just a couple?
If the woman I was marrying (or dating) asked, felt, thought or even entertained this notion, I would RUN! If there is any question in your mind that you won’t be happy in your marriage unless you had a child, forget the marriage thing all together. What would marriage be like until you had a child? What if you couldn’t have one? What is marriage for, only to procreate? Nowadays, you don’t even need a man to do that.
If your dream is to be a parent, the only aspect of your parenting dream that may be in jeopardy is the birthing part. Your goal can be reached in a number of different ways.
Adoption is a wonderful option in becoming a parent. There are thousands of children in the United States and around the world who need a loving home and parent. Single parenting presents its own set of challenges, but it is possible to be a great single mom—especially with the support of family and friends.
Foster care may be open to single adults and might be another avenue for reaching your parenting dream.
Organizations that help a young person experience their dream or potential, like Make-a-Wish, Starlight Foundation or Special Olympics are always looking for volunteers. By helping someone reach their dream, you may in fact discover your own.
(Broadly) speaking for men, we do have a longer “shelf life” for fathering a child, yet we have many of the same desires, concerns and fears about getting married and starting a family.
Men have an innate ability to act tough in the face of their own fears, however, there are many (including myself) who wonder if the Lord has called us to be a father someday. Just because we are descendants of Abraham, doesn’t mean we can father children until we are 100 years old.
You may have put yourself out into the world, joined activities at your church, pursued opportunities with people, registered with an online dating service, gone out on blind dates, but haven’t moved any closer to your dream. Don’t lose hope.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12).
We can all attest to how hope deferred has made our hearts sick in one way or another. Don’t allow it to dictate how you live your life. Seeking happiness through something on earth is fleeting. Nothing can give you the joy (and peace) that comes through your relationship with Jesus. He promises us more than we could dream or desire and that will be our tree of life.
(God) has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ…. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:3, 18-19).
You are blessed to have friends around you who “won’t let you” give up your parenting dream. Keep giving your dream over to the Lord and let Him take care of the rest.
There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
— Saint Thomas Aquinas
SHE SAID: “Letting go” of dreams … well, it’s hard to do. We all have different desires in our hearts. Some are of our own making, and some (I believe) have been given to us by the Lord.
The Bible does not prescribe a specific timeline for when you are to “let go” of dreams. We are merely instructed to trust the Lord and to follow the path that he lays out for our lives.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).
But before the path is straightened out and while it is still crooked and we can’t see what’s up ahead … that’s when it’s hard to trust. And that’s when we can get frustrated and wonder if we’ll ever reach the realization of a particular dream.
You have had a dream to be a parent, but now you are “letting go.” And meanwhile, your friends don’t want you to do this. That can be a difficult place to be as I’m sure they only want the best for you, and in their minds you shouldn’t abandon a dream (most likely a God-given dream!) that you have long held. But maybe that’s not what’s really going on here. Maybe you aren’t really giving up on the parenting dream, and maybe the Lord is impressing upon you to just reposition it for now.
A couple of years ago, the Lord asked me to set aside a particular dream of mine because I had made it an idol in my life. Not only was I clutching it very protectively, but I was worshipping it—living, breathing and non-stop journaling about it! It was getting in the way of my spiritual growth, and so he was asking me to give it back to him.
You know, when Abraham was asked to lay down his beloved son Isaac (his long-awaited dream!) on the altar as a sacrifice, God did not ask him to stop loving his son. No, God was merely testing him and asking Abraham to be obedient—to have faith and to follow his instructions for his life (Genesis 22). Did Abraham want to obey God more than he wanted to cling to his precious child? Amazingly, yes. And he did it without hesitation. Abraham still loved his son (that didn't change!), but he gave back to God what God had given to him.
Well, it took me about six months before I would finally let go of my dream. I agonized and cried and probably figuratively kicked my feet like a little child. This was MY dream, and I had become obsessed with reaching it because it was what I desired for my life.
But after a time in the depths of despair, I realized that I would never be happy and fulfilled unless I gave this dream to God. When I did, he showed me that I could still have this dream (and that it was from him) but that it had to be repositioned in my life. I could still appreciate it, but it needed to be in the proper place so that the primary desire of my heart would be in line with what God wanted for me.
And that, I think, is the real crux of matter: we must desire to do what God desires us to do.
I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart (Psalm 40.8).
That means obedience. When I obey the Lord, the desire of my heart will naturally fall in line with what his desire is for my life. Sure, it’s easier said than done (how many times have I said that?). But I know that God can change the desires of our hearts to conform to his.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
It sounds like you may have come to a similar place. Perhaps you have made peace with God regarding not becoming a parent. He has shown you that this is not his plan for your life. And if that is the case, then I believe you will find contentment without having a child (and only God can help you reach this point).
But he also may be asking you to just put your dream to the side for the time being, so that he may open your life to other opportunities or another desire that he wants to place on your heart.
Also, I know plenty of couples who married “later in life,” beyond the childbearing years, and the Lord has blessed their lives—even without children. They are still being used for God’s purposes, as they serve him through the union of marriage.
And then there is always adoption. You could meet the man of your dreams tomorrow, get married and then decide to adopt a child. Or perhaps the Lord will steer your “parenting dream” toward working with children in some capacity (serving in the nursery at church, volunteering in an after-school program, leading a Bible study for young girls, babysitting for your nieces and nephews or friends’ children, etc.).
I know how you feel. Believe me. As you said, you feel “so lost and so alone” right now and are having trouble as you focus on the limited options you see around you. But look up! And keep your focus on what you cannot see as you surrender your heart to the Lord. He has a plan for you (he makes the options possible, so they are limitless!), and he knows the dream you have been carrying.
In his time, I believe he will show you what he wants to do in your life as he works in your heart. Have faith, knowing that trusting and worshipping the Lord comes with a cost as we offer ourselves (and our dreams!) as a sacrifice to him. But know that the Lord WILL provide for you as he sees best.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever (Psalm 145:13b-21).
HE is … Cliff Young, a Crosswalk.com contributing writer and a veteran single of many decades. He has traveled the world in search of fresh experiences, serving opportunities, and the perfect woman (for him) and has found that his investments in God, career and youth ministry have paid off in priceless dividends.
SHE is … Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com’s Senior Entertainment Editor. She loves God, her family and and her friends. Singleness has taught her patience, deepened her walk with the Lord and afforded her countless (who’s counting anyway?) opportunities to whip up an amazing three-course meal for one.
DISCLAIMER: We are not trained psychologists or licensed professionals. We’re just average folk who understand what it’s like to live the solo life in the 21st century. We believe that the Bible is our go-to guide for answers to all of life’s questions, and it’s where we’ll go for guidance when responding to your questions.
GOT A QUESTION? If you’ve got a question about anything related to living the single life, PLEASE SUBMIT HERE (selected questions will be posted anonymously). While we are unable to answer every inquiry, we do hope that He Said-She Said will be an encouragement to you.
**This column first published on November 6, 2008.
Cliff Young & Laura MacCorkle
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer & Senior Editor
EDITOR’S NOTE: Each He Said-She Said column features a question from a Crosswalk.com reader with responses from a male and female point of view. If you’ve got a question about anything related to singleness, please CLICK HERE to submit (selected questions will be posted anonymously).
QUESTION: How does a single let go of the parenting dream? I am never married and have always wanted to be married. I will soon be 46, so I am letting go of the parenting dream. Those around me won't let me. Is it so wrong to say I can be happy on my own without a child or that my future husband and I (wherever he is) could be happy as just a couple? How do guys feel about this? I know biologically speaking that men have so much longer to make babies. There are no books on this or Web sites with this kind of information. I feel so lost and so alone on this.
HE SAID: The greatest human tragedy is to give up the search. Nothing is of greater importance than the life of our deep heart. To lose heart is to lose everything.
— John Eldredge, The Journey of Desire
I would venture to say most singles have the desire to be married and have a family at some point in their life. My desire started somewhere around the early days of The Brady Bunch. Although I have yet to find my own family drama/comedy, being single hasn’t deterred me from experiencing joy and finding happiness.
It sounds as if you are letting go of more than just your dream of being a parent. You have lost the joy and happiness outside of being a parent.
Is it wrong to say I can be happy on my own without a child?
YES, it is wrong to say, “I can be happy…without a child,” only for the reason you would even ask yourself that question. In case anyone hasn’t discovered the fact that things (including spouses and children) do not make a person happy, they don’t. I have neither had a spouse nor a child, but I have reason to believe that if I am unhappy without them, I would be unhappy with them (and they would not be happy with me).
If having a child made someone happy, why would we have so many children aborted, abused, and abandoned by a parent? If having a child made someone happy, why are there so many marriages (with children) ending in divorce? If having a child made someone happy, why are there so many unhappy and messed up children?
Is it wrong to say that my husband and I could be happy as just a couple?
If the woman I was marrying (or dating) asked, felt, thought or even entertained this notion, I would RUN! If there is any question in your mind that you won’t be happy in your marriage unless you had a child, forget the marriage thing all together. What would marriage be like until you had a child? What if you couldn’t have one? What is marriage for, only to procreate? Nowadays, you don’t even need a man to do that.
If your dream is to be a parent, the only aspect of your parenting dream that may be in jeopardy is the birthing part. Your goal can be reached in a number of different ways.
Adoption is a wonderful option in becoming a parent. There are thousands of children in the United States and around the world who need a loving home and parent. Single parenting presents its own set of challenges, but it is possible to be a great single mom—especially with the support of family and friends.
Foster care may be open to single adults and might be another avenue for reaching your parenting dream.
Organizations that help a young person experience their dream or potential, like Make-a-Wish, Starlight Foundation or Special Olympics are always looking for volunteers. By helping someone reach their dream, you may in fact discover your own.
(Broadly) speaking for men, we do have a longer “shelf life” for fathering a child, yet we have many of the same desires, concerns and fears about getting married and starting a family.
Men have an innate ability to act tough in the face of their own fears, however, there are many (including myself) who wonder if the Lord has called us to be a father someday. Just because we are descendants of Abraham, doesn’t mean we can father children until we are 100 years old.
You may have put yourself out into the world, joined activities at your church, pursued opportunities with people, registered with an online dating service, gone out on blind dates, but haven’t moved any closer to your dream. Don’t lose hope.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12).
We can all attest to how hope deferred has made our hearts sick in one way or another. Don’t allow it to dictate how you live your life. Seeking happiness through something on earth is fleeting. Nothing can give you the joy (and peace) that comes through your relationship with Jesus. He promises us more than we could dream or desire and that will be our tree of life.
(God) has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ…. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:3, 18-19).
You are blessed to have friends around you who “won’t let you” give up your parenting dream. Keep giving your dream over to the Lord and let Him take care of the rest.
There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
— Saint Thomas Aquinas
SHE SAID: “Letting go” of dreams … well, it’s hard to do. We all have different desires in our hearts. Some are of our own making, and some (I believe) have been given to us by the Lord.
The Bible does not prescribe a specific timeline for when you are to “let go” of dreams. We are merely instructed to trust the Lord and to follow the path that he lays out for our lives.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).
But before the path is straightened out and while it is still crooked and we can’t see what’s up ahead … that’s when it’s hard to trust. And that’s when we can get frustrated and wonder if we’ll ever reach the realization of a particular dream.
You have had a dream to be a parent, but now you are “letting go.” And meanwhile, your friends don’t want you to do this. That can be a difficult place to be as I’m sure they only want the best for you, and in their minds you shouldn’t abandon a dream (most likely a God-given dream!) that you have long held. But maybe that’s not what’s really going on here. Maybe you aren’t really giving up on the parenting dream, and maybe the Lord is impressing upon you to just reposition it for now.
A couple of years ago, the Lord asked me to set aside a particular dream of mine because I had made it an idol in my life. Not only was I clutching it very protectively, but I was worshipping it—living, breathing and non-stop journaling about it! It was getting in the way of my spiritual growth, and so he was asking me to give it back to him.
You know, when Abraham was asked to lay down his beloved son Isaac (his long-awaited dream!) on the altar as a sacrifice, God did not ask him to stop loving his son. No, God was merely testing him and asking Abraham to be obedient—to have faith and to follow his instructions for his life (Genesis 22). Did Abraham want to obey God more than he wanted to cling to his precious child? Amazingly, yes. And he did it without hesitation. Abraham still loved his son (that didn't change!), but he gave back to God what God had given to him.
Well, it took me about six months before I would finally let go of my dream. I agonized and cried and probably figuratively kicked my feet like a little child. This was MY dream, and I had become obsessed with reaching it because it was what I desired for my life.
But after a time in the depths of despair, I realized that I would never be happy and fulfilled unless I gave this dream to God. When I did, he showed me that I could still have this dream (and that it was from him) but that it had to be repositioned in my life. I could still appreciate it, but it needed to be in the proper place so that the primary desire of my heart would be in line with what God wanted for me.
And that, I think, is the real crux of matter: we must desire to do what God desires us to do.
I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart (Psalm 40.8).
That means obedience. When I obey the Lord, the desire of my heart will naturally fall in line with what his desire is for my life. Sure, it’s easier said than done (how many times have I said that?). But I know that God can change the desires of our hearts to conform to his.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
It sounds like you may have come to a similar place. Perhaps you have made peace with God regarding not becoming a parent. He has shown you that this is not his plan for your life. And if that is the case, then I believe you will find contentment without having a child (and only God can help you reach this point).
But he also may be asking you to just put your dream to the side for the time being, so that he may open your life to other opportunities or another desire that he wants to place on your heart.
Also, I know plenty of couples who married “later in life,” beyond the childbearing years, and the Lord has blessed their lives—even without children. They are still being used for God’s purposes, as they serve him through the union of marriage.
And then there is always adoption. You could meet the man of your dreams tomorrow, get married and then decide to adopt a child. Or perhaps the Lord will steer your “parenting dream” toward working with children in some capacity (serving in the nursery at church, volunteering in an after-school program, leading a Bible study for young girls, babysitting for your nieces and nephews or friends’ children, etc.).
I know how you feel. Believe me. As you said, you feel “so lost and so alone” right now and are having trouble as you focus on the limited options you see around you. But look up! And keep your focus on what you cannot see as you surrender your heart to the Lord. He has a plan for you (he makes the options possible, so they are limitless!), and he knows the dream you have been carrying.
In his time, I believe he will show you what he wants to do in your life as he works in your heart. Have faith, knowing that trusting and worshipping the Lord comes with a cost as we offer ourselves (and our dreams!) as a sacrifice to him. But know that the Lord WILL provide for you as he sees best.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever (Psalm 145:13b-21).
HE is … Cliff Young, a Crosswalk.com contributing writer and a veteran single of many decades. He has traveled the world in search of fresh experiences, serving opportunities, and the perfect woman (for him) and has found that his investments in God, career and youth ministry have paid off in priceless dividends.
SHE is … Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com’s Senior Entertainment Editor. She loves God, her family and and her friends. Singleness has taught her patience, deepened her walk with the Lord and afforded her countless (who’s counting anyway?) opportunities to whip up an amazing three-course meal for one.
DISCLAIMER: We are not trained psychologists or licensed professionals. We’re just average folk who understand what it’s like to live the solo life in the 21st century. We believe that the Bible is our go-to guide for answers to all of life’s questions, and it’s where we’ll go for guidance when responding to your questions.
GOT A QUESTION? If you’ve got a question about anything related to living the single life, PLEASE SUBMIT HERE (selected questions will be posted anonymously). While we are unable to answer every inquiry, we do hope that He Said-She Said will be an encouragement to you.
**This column first published on November 6, 2008.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
How Important Is Obedience To God?
How Important Is Obedience To God?
Exodus 4:24-26:
How important is obedience to the will of God? Here is an illustration from the life of Moses that should answer that question. While Moses and his family were on their way to Egypt, they stopped in an inn for rest. There the Lord met Moses and sought to kill him, because he had refused to obey that which he knew God required of him.
God required Moses to circumcise his son, but he had not done so. Moses knew what God required of him. It should have been done eight days after the boy was born. Moses had not obeyed God’s will. Maybe he was waiting until the boy was older. Maybe he had neglected his responsibility in deference to his wife Zipporah, choosing to please her rather than obey God. Maybe he just looked upon God’s command as a trivial, unimportant matter and neglected it. We are not told why he was disobedient, only that he was.
Because of Moses’ disobedience God sought to kill him. God crossed Moses’ path in the inn and demanded obedience. How he confronted him we are not told. These things are however clear:-
1) God made it known to Moses and his wife that he was determined that either Moses would obey him or he would kill him.
2) The specific matter of disobedience was the circumcision of his son.
3) Moses had to make a choice on the spot between his will and God’s will. In other words, God said to Moses, you are going to make a decision right now. You will either surrender everything to my rule, even your wife and son, or you will die.
Once Zipporah had circumcised their son, the Lord let Moses go. God will never accept partial surrender, or partial obedience. He requires absolute and universal surrender. Moses was willing to face Pharaoh at God’s command; but he was not willing to circumcise his son! The Lord would not tolerate such an attitude. Moses had to be broken at his point of rebellion.
What is your point of rebellion? Whatever you know to be God’s will to which you are yet disobedient is your point of rebellion; and that is the point at which you must surrender to Christ. You will never find peace with God until you surrender to Christ. Whatever the issue is between you and God, settle it quickly. If you refuse to do so, the Lord will slay you!
Exodus 4:24-26:
How important is obedience to the will of God? Here is an illustration from the life of Moses that should answer that question. While Moses and his family were on their way to Egypt, they stopped in an inn for rest. There the Lord met Moses and sought to kill him, because he had refused to obey that which he knew God required of him.
God required Moses to circumcise his son, but he had not done so. Moses knew what God required of him. It should have been done eight days after the boy was born. Moses had not obeyed God’s will. Maybe he was waiting until the boy was older. Maybe he had neglected his responsibility in deference to his wife Zipporah, choosing to please her rather than obey God. Maybe he just looked upon God’s command as a trivial, unimportant matter and neglected it. We are not told why he was disobedient, only that he was.
Because of Moses’ disobedience God sought to kill him. God crossed Moses’ path in the inn and demanded obedience. How he confronted him we are not told. These things are however clear:-
1) God made it known to Moses and his wife that he was determined that either Moses would obey him or he would kill him.
2) The specific matter of disobedience was the circumcision of his son.
3) Moses had to make a choice on the spot between his will and God’s will. In other words, God said to Moses, you are going to make a decision right now. You will either surrender everything to my rule, even your wife and son, or you will die.
Once Zipporah had circumcised their son, the Lord let Moses go. God will never accept partial surrender, or partial obedience. He requires absolute and universal surrender. Moses was willing to face Pharaoh at God’s command; but he was not willing to circumcise his son! The Lord would not tolerate such an attitude. Moses had to be broken at his point of rebellion.
What is your point of rebellion? Whatever you know to be God’s will to which you are yet disobedient is your point of rebellion; and that is the point at which you must surrender to Christ. You will never find peace with God until you surrender to Christ. Whatever the issue is between you and God, settle it quickly. If you refuse to do so, the Lord will slay you!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
A Little Blurb About Election '08
A Little Blurb About Election '08
M.D. Wright
11.4.08
I will keep this short, as I have studying to do and some other blogs to post before the end of this week. However, this historic event warrants a few thoughtful words on my part.
As an Independent who is not beholden to either party, I am not given to the pot shots and labeling that many of the people who grundgingly cling to their party affiliations are wont to resorting to. My wallet was and always is going to be my main concern when it comes to who the President. Everything else is up for grabs and I will adjust accordingly.
Having said that, as a Black man, I am happy to see Sen. Barack Obama become President-Elect of the United States, here on November 4, 2008. I have been truly following politics since I was five years old (my mother took me with her as she went out to hear Jesse Jackson and his supporters speak as he ran for President in 1984) and I have been politically inclined ever since. I followed the 1988 Election, which was much like this one, but everyone knew Jackson would not win.
THIS TIME, however, the anticipation built steadily throughout March and April... throughout the summer and again in the past couple of weeks when reality set in: Barack Obama was going to be elected the next President of the United States.
I think this campaign showed both how far we have come as a nation, but also how divided we still are, how racist MANY people still are (and swept it under the rug, hoping they'd never have to truly address it) and where peoples' minds and hearts really were. Everyone had an opinion. That was not the case in 1984, 1988, 1992 (although that election felt similar to 2008) and there was definitely a general feeling of apathy in 2000 and 2004.
As I watched John McCain's concession speech, I have to give him shouts for taking the high road and being gracious in defeat, not giving himself over to taunts and low blows. He was sincere. HOWEVER, as a lot of his supporters both at his speaking locale and here locally in North Carolina and elsewhere demonstrated, there are a LOT of hateful people out here. And I mean White people who hate Black people for no reason other than the fact they are Black.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. And regardless of what you believe about party lines and what have you, McCain WILL uphold his word to "reach across the aisle" and work with Obama and the Dems to get this nation back on track. As far as the Body of Christ goes, we HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. The two sticking points I have with Barack Obama are two of the main contigents for his being elected: 1) Homosexuals/Gay Rights Activists and Supporters and 2) Pro-Choice Abortionists. Personally, I don't anoint the President as Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord. The Church should be attacking these issues, instead of being scared to even mention them, because sex is STILL SO FRIGGIN' TABOO in the Church. Isn't it obvious that the things we REFUSE to deal with in the Church are the things that come back to bite us in the tail in the end...? Isn't that ALWAYS the case...? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?
As for President Obama, I am happy for him, and I am happy as a Black man to have witnessed this IN MY YOUTH, and not crusty, old and bent over (no homo).
I think we're going to be alright, despite what senseless, no-matter-what-I'm-going-to-support-Republicans-just-because meatheads who think that if you do not fit into their Cookie Cutter image of America then you're wrong and they must change and control you. I think that is what turned me off from the Republican Party (2002-2007) and what has a lot of Democrats and especially Blacks and Latinos who DID NOT GROW UP LIKE WHITE PEOPLE and are naturally different, turned off to them as well. People need to realize that we are all different and have different gifts, talents, skills and perspectives. Just because we do not all agree that there is one way to skin a cat does not mean that the person who DISAGREES with you is WRONG. Democrats seem to have a lesser problem with this than Republicans. Think about it.
I want Republicans and Ultra-Conservatives/Bigots/Racists to take a LONG look at themselves and see the hatred and hypocrisy trail that they have left for everyone to see over the past nine months or so.
M.D. Wright
11.4.08
I will keep this short, as I have studying to do and some other blogs to post before the end of this week. However, this historic event warrants a few thoughtful words on my part.
As an Independent who is not beholden to either party, I am not given to the pot shots and labeling that many of the people who grundgingly cling to their party affiliations are wont to resorting to. My wallet was and always is going to be my main concern when it comes to who the President. Everything else is up for grabs and I will adjust accordingly.
Having said that, as a Black man, I am happy to see Sen. Barack Obama become President-Elect of the United States, here on November 4, 2008. I have been truly following politics since I was five years old (my mother took me with her as she went out to hear Jesse Jackson and his supporters speak as he ran for President in 1984) and I have been politically inclined ever since. I followed the 1988 Election, which was much like this one, but everyone knew Jackson would not win.
THIS TIME, however, the anticipation built steadily throughout March and April... throughout the summer and again in the past couple of weeks when reality set in: Barack Obama was going to be elected the next President of the United States.
I think this campaign showed both how far we have come as a nation, but also how divided we still are, how racist MANY people still are (and swept it under the rug, hoping they'd never have to truly address it) and where peoples' minds and hearts really were. Everyone had an opinion. That was not the case in 1984, 1988, 1992 (although that election felt similar to 2008) and there was definitely a general feeling of apathy in 2000 and 2004.
As I watched John McCain's concession speech, I have to give him shouts for taking the high road and being gracious in defeat, not giving himself over to taunts and low blows. He was sincere. HOWEVER, as a lot of his supporters both at his speaking locale and here locally in North Carolina and elsewhere demonstrated, there are a LOT of hateful people out here. And I mean White people who hate Black people for no reason other than the fact they are Black.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. And regardless of what you believe about party lines and what have you, McCain WILL uphold his word to "reach across the aisle" and work with Obama and the Dems to get this nation back on track. As far as the Body of Christ goes, we HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. The two sticking points I have with Barack Obama are two of the main contigents for his being elected: 1) Homosexuals/Gay Rights Activists and Supporters and 2) Pro-Choice Abortionists. Personally, I don't anoint the President as Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord. The Church should be attacking these issues, instead of being scared to even mention them, because sex is STILL SO FRIGGIN' TABOO in the Church. Isn't it obvious that the things we REFUSE to deal with in the Church are the things that come back to bite us in the tail in the end...? Isn't that ALWAYS the case...? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?
As for President Obama, I am happy for him, and I am happy as a Black man to have witnessed this IN MY YOUTH, and not crusty, old and bent over (no homo).
I think we're going to be alright, despite what senseless, no-matter-what-I'm-going-to-support-Republicans-just-because meatheads who think that if you do not fit into their Cookie Cutter image of America then you're wrong and they must change and control you. I think that is what turned me off from the Republican Party (2002-2007) and what has a lot of Democrats and especially Blacks and Latinos who DID NOT GROW UP LIKE WHITE PEOPLE and are naturally different, turned off to them as well. People need to realize that we are all different and have different gifts, talents, skills and perspectives. Just because we do not all agree that there is one way to skin a cat does not mean that the person who DISAGREES with you is WRONG. Democrats seem to have a lesser problem with this than Republicans. Think about it.
I want Republicans and Ultra-Conservatives/Bigots/Racists to take a LONG look at themselves and see the hatred and hypocrisy trail that they have left for everyone to see over the past nine months or so.
My NFL Week 10 Power Rankings - Election Day Edition
My NFL Week 10 Power Rankings - Election Day Edition
M.D. Wright
11.4.08
1. Tennessee Titans.
I'll give them a break, since we have been looking iffy on offense of late (even though we've still scored 85 points against decent defenses in the past three games).
2. New York Football Giants.
The running game cannot be stopped, which is why the Giants will be there in the end, despite Eli Manning's play of late. And despite a secondary which is battered right now.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers.
Look at their injuries. They still find ways to win. Even their starting QB out for half the game last night, they manhandled Washington.
4. Carolina Panthers.
They have looked very suspect in their losses, but they are still 6-2. Look at their next few games...
5. Arizona Cardinals.
Say what you want, but I have said since late last year that their defense is NASTY and my boy Tim Hightower is about to take off as their RB. You already know about their league-best WR trio. Keep Warner upright and they'll win 11.
6. Chicago Bears.
I'm gambling that they will keep up the good play at QB and solid defense (along with Forte's running ability).
7. Baltimore Ravens.
Remember they lost three straight TOUGH games. Now they won three in a row and they look scary.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They win ugly and lose even uglier. But hey, they are 6-3.
9. Washington Redskins.
They took a few steps back after last night's debacle. Their losses outside of the Giants' opener have been inexplicable.
10. Philadelphia Eagles.
I hate them, but they are finding ways to win with an iffy offense (don't look at their points scored, they're doing it against awful, beat-up teams).
11. Atlanta Falcons.
I'd put them higher, but their defense is shaky outside of Abraham getting sacks (and 2nd in the league at it, BTW) and Brooking's solid play at MLB.
12. New England Patriots.
I hate them, but they are 5-3 for a reason.
13. New York Jets.
Only because they lost to the Patriots in Week 2.
14. Buffalo Bills.
They look flummoxed of late.
15. Dallas Cowboys.
OK, this is their season. They are 5-4. Romo comes back. They face a shaky (lately) Washington team. Make or break for them. Appropriately right here in the middle.
16. Green Bay Packers.
Whiffed on a chance to prove their worth vs. Tennessee.
17. Indianapolis Colts.
I still think they are more like the team that beat Baltimore and New England than the one that blew a chance to get closer to Tennessee in Week 8 and their other losses.
18. New Orleans Saints.
I do not know what to make of them. Big offense. AWFUL defense. They are 4-4 for a reason.
19. San Diego Super Chargers.
I think they are going to go on one of their patented 6-7 game winning streaks to save their season.
20. Miami Dolphins.
I don't feel comfortable putting them any lower nor higher.
21. Denver Broncos.
That defense is going to continue being the death of them.
22. Minnesota Vikings.
Ugly team to watch. But their defense is saving them quite a bit lately.
23. Houston Texans.
I'm sticking with them all year, even if they end up 8-8 and three years off the pace I had them initially (11-5).
24. Jacksonville Jaguars.
They suck. The end.
25. Cleveland Browns.
They made an unnecessary QB change. It might sink their boat, right when they were beginning to play more consistently.
26. St. Louis Rams.
At least they are semi-competitive.
27. San Francisco 49ers.
YIKES...
28. Cincinnati Bengals.
Too bad they waited until halfway through the season to start playing well on offense.
29. Seattle Seahawks.
I almost feel bad for Mike Holmgren. They were slated to win 10-12 games. They might not win 5 now.
30. Kansas City Chiefs.
They are playing with a spark, as if they are playing to win the game.
31. Oakland Raiders.
That game Sunday was an absolute horror show. I do not put them lower because...
32. Detroit Lions.
The Lions are the worst team in the league. THE END.
M.D. Wright
11.4.08
1. Tennessee Titans.
I'll give them a break, since we have been looking iffy on offense of late (even though we've still scored 85 points against decent defenses in the past three games).
2. New York Football Giants.
The running game cannot be stopped, which is why the Giants will be there in the end, despite Eli Manning's play of late. And despite a secondary which is battered right now.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers.
Look at their injuries. They still find ways to win. Even their starting QB out for half the game last night, they manhandled Washington.
4. Carolina Panthers.
They have looked very suspect in their losses, but they are still 6-2. Look at their next few games...
5. Arizona Cardinals.
Say what you want, but I have said since late last year that their defense is NASTY and my boy Tim Hightower is about to take off as their RB. You already know about their league-best WR trio. Keep Warner upright and they'll win 11.
6. Chicago Bears.
I'm gambling that they will keep up the good play at QB and solid defense (along with Forte's running ability).
7. Baltimore Ravens.
Remember they lost three straight TOUGH games. Now they won three in a row and they look scary.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They win ugly and lose even uglier. But hey, they are 6-3.
9. Washington Redskins.
They took a few steps back after last night's debacle. Their losses outside of the Giants' opener have been inexplicable.
10. Philadelphia Eagles.
I hate them, but they are finding ways to win with an iffy offense (don't look at their points scored, they're doing it against awful, beat-up teams).
11. Atlanta Falcons.
I'd put them higher, but their defense is shaky outside of Abraham getting sacks (and 2nd in the league at it, BTW) and Brooking's solid play at MLB.
12. New England Patriots.
I hate them, but they are 5-3 for a reason.
13. New York Jets.
Only because they lost to the Patriots in Week 2.
14. Buffalo Bills.
They look flummoxed of late.
15. Dallas Cowboys.
OK, this is their season. They are 5-4. Romo comes back. They face a shaky (lately) Washington team. Make or break for them. Appropriately right here in the middle.
16. Green Bay Packers.
Whiffed on a chance to prove their worth vs. Tennessee.
17. Indianapolis Colts.
I still think they are more like the team that beat Baltimore and New England than the one that blew a chance to get closer to Tennessee in Week 8 and their other losses.
18. New Orleans Saints.
I do not know what to make of them. Big offense. AWFUL defense. They are 4-4 for a reason.
19. San Diego Super Chargers.
I think they are going to go on one of their patented 6-7 game winning streaks to save their season.
20. Miami Dolphins.
I don't feel comfortable putting them any lower nor higher.
21. Denver Broncos.
That defense is going to continue being the death of them.
22. Minnesota Vikings.
Ugly team to watch. But their defense is saving them quite a bit lately.
23. Houston Texans.
I'm sticking with them all year, even if they end up 8-8 and three years off the pace I had them initially (11-5).
24. Jacksonville Jaguars.
They suck. The end.
25. Cleveland Browns.
They made an unnecessary QB change. It might sink their boat, right when they were beginning to play more consistently.
26. St. Louis Rams.
At least they are semi-competitive.
27. San Francisco 49ers.
YIKES...
28. Cincinnati Bengals.
Too bad they waited until halfway through the season to start playing well on offense.
29. Seattle Seahawks.
I almost feel bad for Mike Holmgren. They were slated to win 10-12 games. They might not win 5 now.
30. Kansas City Chiefs.
They are playing with a spark, as if they are playing to win the game.
31. Oakland Raiders.
That game Sunday was an absolute horror show. I do not put them lower because...
32. Detroit Lions.
The Lions are the worst team in the league. THE END.
ESPN NFL Week 10: Power Rankings
ESPN NFL Week 10: Power Rankings
RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT
1 (1) Titans 8-0-0 Outplayed for a good while by Green Bay, the Titans didn't flinch and found a way to win, making it to the halfway point of the season undefeated. (PK)
2 (2) Giants 7-1-0 They didn't play that well on offense -- and still killed the Cowboys. A showdown with the Eagles looms. (MM)
3 (4) Steelers 6-2-0 The Steelers finally proved they can beat an NFC East team this season. (JW)
4 (3) Panthers 6-2-0 Healthy and rested coming off the bye. Oh, the picture gets even brighter. The Panthers start the second half of the season with Oakland and Detroit. (PY)
5 (5) Redskins 6-3-0 Jason Campbell's no-interceptions streak met its demise in the face of a brutal Pittsburgh defense. The Cowboys are coming to town after their bye. (MM)
6 (10) Eagles 5-3-0 The Eagles' defense feasted on Seneca Wallace after a shaky start. Donovan McNabb can't afford to have another awful start. (MM)
7 (9) Buccaneers 6-3-0 Avoided disaster in Kansas City. They get a bye week to try to find their offense. (PY)
8 (13) Cardinals 5-3-0 Despite a big day from Tim Hightower, the Cardinals left lots of yards on the field. (MS)
9 (12) Bears 5-3-0 The Bears face a huge question: Can Rex Grossman keep them in first place until Kyle Orton returns? (KS)
10 (16) Falcons 5-3-0 Coming off a shutout of Oakland, the Falcons will be shooting for their first NFC South win of the season when the Saints visit Sunday. (PY)
11 (19) Jets 5-3-0 The Jets have won four of their past five games and are 2-1 against the AFC East. (TG)
12 (7) Patriots 5-3-0 The injury-riddled Patriots were a play or two from beating the Colts in Indianapolis. Despite criticism from that loss, Bill Belichick might be doing the best coaching of his career. (TG)
13 (14) Ravens 5-3-0 Behind rookies Joe Flacco and Ray Rice, the Ravens have discovered an offense. Uh-oh! (JW)
14 (6) Bills 5-3-0 Everything we thought about the 4-0 and 5-1 Bills is in doubt. They are winless in their division and have dropped three of their past four. (TG)
15 (18) Colts 4-4-0 The Colts deserve credit for their win over New England but played a super-careful style that was hardly captivating. Do they now get to face Byron Leftwich instead of Ben Roethlisberger? (PK)
16 (11) Packers 4-4-0 The Packers have a key two-game stretch against Minnesota and Chicago that could decide their season. (KS)
17 (24) Dolphins 4-4-0 The Dolphins have a couple of ugly losses, but they are 2-1 in the AFC East and are one fluke Brett Favre touchdown pass from being undefeated in the division. (TG)
18 (17) Saints 4-4-0 Survived the London trip and bad luck in the first half of the season. Now, the Saints have to make their move. (PY)
19 (8) Cowboys 5-4-0 Tony Romo will try to breathe life into the fading Cowboys after their bye. A loss to the Redskins on Nov. 16 would be a big blow. (MM)
20 (23) Vikings 4-4-0 Can the Vikings beat the Packers for the first time in the Brad Childress era? (KS)
21 (21) Chargers 3-5-0 The Chargers had a great bye week. They are the only AFC West team not to lose Sunday. (BW)
22 (15) Broncos 4-4-0 The Broncos are trying to figure out what went wrong. But they don't have much time. They have to play Thursday night in Cleveland. (BW)
23 (20) Jaguars 3-5-0 When they were 3-3, those who picked them for the Super Bowl still could map out a big season. It's not nearly as easy now after a terrible two weeks. (PK)
24 (22) Browns 3-5-0 No time to sulk after a tough loss. The Browns take the field again Thursday against Denver. (JW)
25 (25) Texans 3-5-0 No sustainability. The Texans followed a three-game win streak with another road dud. Now they are without Matt Schaub for at least two weeks because of a knee injury. (PK)
26 (26) Rams 2-6-0 Steven Jackson's thigh injury is dragging down Marc Bulger and the Rams' offense. (MS)
27 (27) Seahawks 2-6-0 This is shaping up as the worst season of Mike Holmgren's coaching career. (MS)
28 (29) 49ers 2-6-0 The switch to Shaun Hill at quarterback should reduce turnovers, but protection still is an issue. (MS)
29 (31) Bengals 1-8-0 The Bengals aren't the worst team in the NFL after all. (JW)
30 (28) Raiders 2-6-0 The Raiders have a lot more to worry about than reaching the end zone. They have to move the chains. Oakland had three first downs in its shutout loss to the Falcons. (BW)
31 (30) Chiefs 1-7-0 Next step for the Chiefs: winning. They did everything but win in the past two weeks. They've played hard, but it hasn't been enough. (BW)
32 (32) Lions 0-8-0 The Lions have made some progress under Dan Orlovsky. But it looks like it's Daunte Culpepper time. (KS)
RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT
1 (1) Titans 8-0-0 Outplayed for a good while by Green Bay, the Titans didn't flinch and found a way to win, making it to the halfway point of the season undefeated. (PK)
2 (2) Giants 7-1-0 They didn't play that well on offense -- and still killed the Cowboys. A showdown with the Eagles looms. (MM)
3 (4) Steelers 6-2-0 The Steelers finally proved they can beat an NFC East team this season. (JW)
4 (3) Panthers 6-2-0 Healthy and rested coming off the bye. Oh, the picture gets even brighter. The Panthers start the second half of the season with Oakland and Detroit. (PY)
5 (5) Redskins 6-3-0 Jason Campbell's no-interceptions streak met its demise in the face of a brutal Pittsburgh defense. The Cowboys are coming to town after their bye. (MM)
6 (10) Eagles 5-3-0 The Eagles' defense feasted on Seneca Wallace after a shaky start. Donovan McNabb can't afford to have another awful start. (MM)
7 (9) Buccaneers 6-3-0 Avoided disaster in Kansas City. They get a bye week to try to find their offense. (PY)
8 (13) Cardinals 5-3-0 Despite a big day from Tim Hightower, the Cardinals left lots of yards on the field. (MS)
9 (12) Bears 5-3-0 The Bears face a huge question: Can Rex Grossman keep them in first place until Kyle Orton returns? (KS)
10 (16) Falcons 5-3-0 Coming off a shutout of Oakland, the Falcons will be shooting for their first NFC South win of the season when the Saints visit Sunday. (PY)
11 (19) Jets 5-3-0 The Jets have won four of their past five games and are 2-1 against the AFC East. (TG)
12 (7) Patriots 5-3-0 The injury-riddled Patriots were a play or two from beating the Colts in Indianapolis. Despite criticism from that loss, Bill Belichick might be doing the best coaching of his career. (TG)
13 (14) Ravens 5-3-0 Behind rookies Joe Flacco and Ray Rice, the Ravens have discovered an offense. Uh-oh! (JW)
14 (6) Bills 5-3-0 Everything we thought about the 4-0 and 5-1 Bills is in doubt. They are winless in their division and have dropped three of their past four. (TG)
15 (18) Colts 4-4-0 The Colts deserve credit for their win over New England but played a super-careful style that was hardly captivating. Do they now get to face Byron Leftwich instead of Ben Roethlisberger? (PK)
16 (11) Packers 4-4-0 The Packers have a key two-game stretch against Minnesota and Chicago that could decide their season. (KS)
17 (24) Dolphins 4-4-0 The Dolphins have a couple of ugly losses, but they are 2-1 in the AFC East and are one fluke Brett Favre touchdown pass from being undefeated in the division. (TG)
18 (17) Saints 4-4-0 Survived the London trip and bad luck in the first half of the season. Now, the Saints have to make their move. (PY)
19 (8) Cowboys 5-4-0 Tony Romo will try to breathe life into the fading Cowboys after their bye. A loss to the Redskins on Nov. 16 would be a big blow. (MM)
20 (23) Vikings 4-4-0 Can the Vikings beat the Packers for the first time in the Brad Childress era? (KS)
21 (21) Chargers 3-5-0 The Chargers had a great bye week. They are the only AFC West team not to lose Sunday. (BW)
22 (15) Broncos 4-4-0 The Broncos are trying to figure out what went wrong. But they don't have much time. They have to play Thursday night in Cleveland. (BW)
23 (20) Jaguars 3-5-0 When they were 3-3, those who picked them for the Super Bowl still could map out a big season. It's not nearly as easy now after a terrible two weeks. (PK)
24 (22) Browns 3-5-0 No time to sulk after a tough loss. The Browns take the field again Thursday against Denver. (JW)
25 (25) Texans 3-5-0 No sustainability. The Texans followed a three-game win streak with another road dud. Now they are without Matt Schaub for at least two weeks because of a knee injury. (PK)
26 (26) Rams 2-6-0 Steven Jackson's thigh injury is dragging down Marc Bulger and the Rams' offense. (MS)
27 (27) Seahawks 2-6-0 This is shaping up as the worst season of Mike Holmgren's coaching career. (MS)
28 (29) 49ers 2-6-0 The switch to Shaun Hill at quarterback should reduce turnovers, but protection still is an issue. (MS)
29 (31) Bengals 1-8-0 The Bengals aren't the worst team in the NFL after all. (JW)
30 (28) Raiders 2-6-0 The Raiders have a lot more to worry about than reaching the end zone. They have to move the chains. Oakland had three first downs in its shutout loss to the Falcons. (BW)
31 (30) Chiefs 1-7-0 Next step for the Chiefs: winning. They did everything but win in the past two weeks. They've played hard, but it hasn't been enough. (BW)
32 (32) Lions 0-8-0 The Lions have made some progress under Dan Orlovsky. But it looks like it's Daunte Culpepper time. (KS)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
