Tag: Life

Why So Mad at Phillies Karen?

From time to time, a seemingly insignificant event is caught on camera, and it galvanizes the nation. Such an event took place this past week at a Phillies/Marlin game.

A homerun was hit into the upper deck of the left field seats, which, as usual, prompted a massive scurrying of fans to collect the much-coveted souvenir. A father came away with the ball and handed it to his son.

This situation plays itself out hundreds of times throughout the course of every baseball season. A ball is hit into the stands, fans scurry for it, the victor claims his prize, and on some occasions, there is a confrontation over who the rightful owner of the ball is. Again, this happens all the time.

What happened this time, however, is that the lady confronting the man over the ball was so adamant, the man wound up taking the ball from his son and giving it to her.

Recently, I took two of my kids to a Round Rock Express game. We got free admission to the left-field upper deck with the donation of canned goods. During the game, a homerun was hit into our section. My son pursued the ball, only to break off the pursuit when he saw the father of a young child going after it.

Again, these situations happen all the time.

Just me and a couple of my kids taking in a ballgame

So, why is the entire country mad at this one woman? Here’s why, and it’s an answer that the country is not ready to discuss at this moment.

A father taking his son out to a baseball game is one of the last remaining safe-havens of childhood. Few things remain as a part of childhood that are as pure, innocent, peaceful and fun as that.

Think about it. We still sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch. That song is obviously written from a child’s viewpoint.

“Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks. I don’t care if we never get back.”

If you go to a minor-league game, you will see that the entire event (except for the beer sales) is centered around creating a wholesome event for the family… for parents and children.

Everything from the team name (What is a Sodpoodle anyway?), to the games they play between innings (Tricycle races, etc) which are usually played by kids picked at random from the stands.

Baseball is still America’s pastime. It is still where people go to leave their problems at the gate and enjoy some peaceful, fun time with the kids, and to make memories.

There’s nothing like the view from the cheap seats. Dell Diamond, Round Rock, TX.

And… on occasion, the families are able to take home a souvenir, whether it is a t-shirt shot into the crowd, or a baseball hit into the stands. The baseball is the ultimate prize. You take home a piece of the game, handled by the actual players, and catching it (or retrieving it) is the ultimate accomplishment.

To have your dad catch a homerun ball at a major league game? That’s the kind of formative memory that sticks with you. That’s a story you tell your grandkids when they come visit you in the nursing home 70 years later.

This is why, when Shannon Stone died trying to catch a ball for his son at a Texas Rangers game, it became a national tragedy. As a local reporter, I covered the funeral, stationed next to ABC News, Univision, ESPN, CNN and others.

If any other fan had died in the same way, it would have been written off as a tragic accident, and no big deal would have been made. But in this case, it was a father, looking for a souvenir for his son, who called out to Josh Hamilton for the ball. Reached out for the catch, lost his balance, and fell.

In a press conference following the tragedy, Rangers owner Nolan Ryan said, “This hits us at the core of who we are.”

As a way of helping fans grieve, recover and move on, the Rangers erected a statue of Stone and his son outside the gates of the stadium, to remind us who we are, and why we bring our kids to the game.

Which brings us back to Phillies Karen. The father catching (or retrieving) the ball for his son is an emblematic moment, in this case shattered by the selfishness of an irate individual.

The audacity not only offended fans at the game, but the TV commentators, the Phillies organization, and social media. Why?

Because without even realizing it, this moment encapsulates the ongoing war our culture has with the innocence of childhood.

Let’s be honest. Our culture is at war with childhood. The sad part is, that war was never officially declared. It just sort of happened. And those warring against childhood often don’t even realize that they are.

Like the situation with the baseball at the Phillies game was driven by the selfishness of adults, the war on childhood is driven by the selfishness of adults.

Kids can no longer just enjoy playing summer baseball. Now, every level of youth sports is seen as a preparation for the major leagues. Sure, the leagues now hand out participation trophies, but I believe that is even driven by the selfishness of adults.

Does a 5-year old joining his first T-ball team really hope the league prepares him for the next level? No. He just wants to play and have fun. It’s the parents who are looking for validation from the child’s on-field performance. And the problem is not limited to youth sports either.

Recently, Snoop Dogg drew criticism for saying he was afraid to take his grandkids to the movies for fear of having to explain same-sex relationships (and other adult themes) when they are depicted in children’s movies. Now, Snoop is shrugging off the controversy and stands by his statements, but that controversy raises another question…

When was the last time Hollywood truly produced a movie for kids?

When was the last time they produced something as benign as “Bambi,” as adventurous as “The Jungle Book,” as fantastical as “Mary Poppins,” or as sentimental as “The Land Before Time?”

When was the last time a movie was produced for kids for the sole purpose of taking them on a big adventure?

Today, even the children’s movies have an agenda to advance the cause of certain adult groups.

So, we’ve ruined youth sports. We’ve ruined movies. The kids cannot open a lemonade stand without getting a tax-use permit and a permit from the health department (because cities now lack the capability to distinguish between legit businesses and kids trying to pass the time and make a quarter.)

I could go on citing different examples from different areas of life, but that would be exhausting for both you and me. The war on childhood and the innocence thereof is a complex issue that requires much discussion.

And it’s hard to encapsulate that issue and how it truly makes us feel. That is, until a random stranger at a ballgame we aren’t watching takes a ball from a child whose father just gave it to him. Then it all comes to a head.

To a large degree, I believe some correction is needed on our part. We need to allow youth sports to return to the simplicity of a season played, with scores kept, wins and losses, and a champion crowned. But when the season is over, let the kids do something else for a while.

We need to let kids be in the moment, and enjoy the simplicity and the joy of the moment. Not every activity needs to be a preparation for a competitive career.

And finally, we need to quit making the minds of our children the latest battleground in the culture war.

We need to restore childhood to what it ought to be, an innocent period of discovery and imagination. A time of learning and of play.

If we accomplish that, angry adults may still take homerun balls away from kids during the game. But, if they do, it’ll be far less triggering.

The Answer Was Right There All Along

At the end of “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy asks Glinda for help getting back to Kansas, to which Glinda says, “You’ve always had the power to go back to Kansas.”

Dorothy had been through a harrowing journey with the scarecrow, the lion, and the tin man on the yellow brick road to Oz, dodging the evil witch and flying monkeys, en route to a man behind the curtain blowing smoke and mirrors, all in hopes of solving their problems.

In the end, each character learned that the solution to his problems was right in front of him the whole time.

In life, we often face problems and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. We try to solve these problems with our own wit, and often self-medicate our own anxieties through TV, music, food and drink. At the end of the day, our problems still plague us.

However, when I read Psalm 4, I am confronted with the same truth that Dorothy faced at the end of The Wizard of Oz. My solution was always right in front of me.

In opening Psalm 4, King David writes, “HEAR me when I call, O God of my righteousness: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.”

David’s first response was prayer, and in his prayer, he praised God for continually helping him in distress and hearing his cries.

David’s prayer life was so robust, and he often praised God even in the storms of life, because David had an intense faith in the Lord. You see this in his writings in the Psalms.

Often, David describes the calamity he faces, but then contrasts that calamity from God’s mercy, strength, love and grace. Psalm 4 is no different.

In Psalm 4:2, David asks his fellow man, “How long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing?” He then writes “Selah,” which is an instruction to stop and ponder.

Human nature gravitates toward the vain, the empty. When David asks “How long will you love vanity?” he is asking “How long will you love emptiness?”

What are some things that we love that, at the end of the day, are empty and worthless?

How often do we get caught up in the temporary things of the day-to-day life and fail to take a moment to consider the goodness of God and the eternal things of His Kingdom? And how often do we misplace our priorities on those temporary things of this world while neglecting the eternal things of the Kingdom?

We become like Dorothy, needlessly taking a frightful journey down a yellow brick road to meet a “wizard” that offers no real solutions.

In the second phase of Psalm 4, David expresses his faith.

“But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: The LORD will hear when I call unto Him. Stand in awe, and sin not, commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.”

David tells us that the Lord sets apart His people. As His people, we are different, and we are set apart for God’s higher purpose. We are special.

Special items are set apart from the rest. The classic 1964 1/2 Mustang may be kept in the garage, while the 2003 Honda Civic sits in the driveway. The Civic may be driven more, but the Mustang’s trips are special, and are for certain occasions.

Likewise, when we become God’s children at the point of faith, the Lord sets us apart. We may not see the same highway miles as the rest of the world, but our highway miles are ordered and have a special purpose.

Like a car collector takes special care of his classic, God takes special care of us. Thus, He hears and answers our prayers in the most perfect way possible.

On that note, David implores us to take time, to stand in awe of this, and to ponder this in our hearts as we rest upon our beds.

David then concludes the Psalm by calling the people to worship, while praising God for the joy that He has given, and the provision He makes.

Life is not a bed of roses. (Seriously, why would that even be a good thing? Roses have thorns.) Life comes with trials and tribulations.

When we focus on life’s problems, often problems are all we see. How can we overcome these problems and find ourselves back in a peaceful place?

Simple. Remember that God has set you apart. Pray to Him, and trust Him to bring you through the storm. You have the power to do that, and you don’t even have to be wearing the ruby-red slippers in order to find peace in the Lord.

Chasing Happiness

What is happiness? Can you define it? Or can you merely describe it?

The Declaration of Independence states that God endowed man with the right to pursue happiness, and today, many people are doing just that. The tragedy is that most people cannot tell you what happiness really is. They can merely describe a situation in which they believe they would find themselves to be happy.

The blessing is that God not only has given us the gift of happiness, but has also explained through His word how to unwrap that gift.

In Psalm 1, the Bible says “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the unGodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

That word “blessed” can also be translated “happy.” To understand what it means to be blessed or happy, we have to understand what those literal words mean. “Blessed” was translated from a Hebrew word that means “to be confident and secure.”

And when you think about the ways people describe the happiness they pursue, doesn’t that definition hold up?

How many times have you heard someone say, “I just want to be with my family.”

“I just want my kids to be safe and healthy.”

“All I need is a roof over my head and food in the fridge.”

People save for retirement so they can achieve a status where they don’t have to grind at a 40-60 hour per week job in order to make ends meet. People dream of winning the lottery, not so they can buy multiple luxuries, but for the idea that they will no longer have to worry about money and deal with financial insecurity.

The sad part is, both of those avenues to happiness often fail. How many lottery winners actually go on to “happily ever after?” Very few. Most will tell you winning the lottery actually ruined their lives.

Retirement accounts can be wiped out by market crashes, company collapses, or divorce decrees. Furthermore, even if you make it to retirement with a healthy balance, often the fixed income from that account fails to keep up with inflation.

So, is happiness unattainable?

Quite the opposite.

Psalm 1 actually gives us the formula to attain true happiness, true confidence and security.

Psalm 1:1, which I quoted above, tells us exactly how to undermine happiness. Happiness is undermined when we walk in the counsel of the unGodly, stand in the way of sinners and sit in the seat of the scornful.

Walking in the counsel of the unGodly means to follow and live by the advice of unGodly people. It is important to remember that Godliness has less to do with personal morality, and more to do with aligning oneself with God’s teachings.

One can be faithful to their spouse, have integrity in business, but have a heart in rebellion against God, thus rendering themselves unGodly.

When taking the advice of others, it is important to make sure that advice lines up with scripture. Following a course of action that contradicts scripture, even when you can logically and emotionally justify it, leads to disaster. Trust me on this one.

Following a course of action that is contrary to scripture, even when others validate and understand it, will lead to emotional and Spiritual devastation.

Standing in the way of sinners means to exalt and promote yourself the way sinners do. To stand, or to have standing, means to have prestige and honor. It means to have a right to something, and to belong.

We all want these things. The problem to happiness is when we seek these things the way the world seeks them. When we self-promote out of pride, we are hindering our own happiness.

Scripture teaches that the standing we have that brings true happiness is the standing we have in the Lord through the Gospel.

And sitting in the seat of the scornful means to rest in anger and bitterness. The poster children for this category are the political commentators we see on cable news. Do any of these people even appear to have tasted happiness?

When you sit back, look for flaws, and complain, you will never be happy.

So, now that we have covered how not to be happy, how do we achieve happiness? Psalm 1 answers that question in the next two verses.

Psalm 1:2-3 says, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Notice the man’s source of happiness. It’s in the law of the LORD (which is basically scripture, the Bible.) This man finds confidence and security in the Lord, and thinks about him all day and night.

If this sounds boring to you, that’s a pretty good indication that you’ve fallen into the categories listed in verse 1.

Getting your mind into the scripture goes beyond just rehashing the basic fundamentals of the faith and the do’s and don’ts of life. It also means contemplating God’s character, how He interacts with man, and by doing so, how He interacts with you.

The alternative is to spend the day focused on your anxieties and challenges in life. Either that, or trying to distract yourself from them through movies, entertainment, social media, retail therapy, excessive eating, or substance abuse. If we’re honest with ourselves, this has never worked, and has always robbed us of happiness.

On the other hand, you can get your mind into the scriptures, learn of God, and then face your challenges with the confidence and security of knowing that the eternal creator of all things is controlling what you cannot. And, you’ll have the peace of knowing that He has good will toward you. He loves you.

Do you have family problems? You can stay focused on those problems all day, or you can consider how God brought Abraham, Jacob, David and others through their family problems. Maybe you can consider the testimony of a Christian friend who went through their own family problems, and how God brought them through that.

And as God gives you hope through that meditation, you don’t go into a state of denial over your family problems, but you can learn to go through them with peace. And, by thinking on how scripture teaches you to work through those problems, you will be able to see those problems through to a happy conclusion.

Psalm 1 goes on to describe what it looks like when we do this. Verse 3 says the blessed (happy) man is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

The picture painted here is of a tree planted by the river with a healthy root system that is continually supplied with life-giving water from the river. That tree is solid, produces fruit, and doesn’t wither.

Likewise, when we stay plugged into our source of life and happiness, we too experience Spiritual health and well-being, to the point that we bear fruit and make an impact to this world. And when that happens, we find confidence and security.

Our source of life and happiness is the Lord. As that tree’s root system gravitates toward the rivers of water, our minds should gravitate toward the Lord, toward our source of life and happiness.

This is where we will find stability and prosperity. This is where we will find happiness.

The New Adventure (Life Update)

As of Aug. 31, I am the new pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hermleigh, TX. God has blessed me with a wonderful church family here, as well as good friends.

One of the biggest blessings in this is that God has also removed many of my other endeavors and career pursuits to allow me to focus on His will, helping His people, and promoting His Gospel. This blog will evolve as I do to reflect what God is doing here in Hermleigh.

Hermleigh First Baptist Church is located at 483 Harlan Ave. in Hermleigh, which is also Business U.S. Hwy 84. Sunday School is at 10 a.m. and Sunday Worship is at 10:50 a.m. Would love to see you there if you are in the area.