Once Lost, Now (hopefully) Saved

In a move a bit out of character for me, Jen and I joined the Wesley United Methodist Church today. We went to a couple of classes, after we became interested in this church. We were going to Second Presbyterian and considered joining, but the $1,100.00 price tag for them to perform the wedding was a big price tag. Wesley United Methodist was abit cheaper, even though we decided to tie the knot at the church Jen’s family helped build in Minier.

I am not a very religious person and I lean on it when I am afraid or I want the Good Lord to help me out of some trouble. I once referred to it as Catholic by Convenience. Since I was divorced and refused to go through the annulment ceremony of Catholic greed and guilt, I decided to abandon the whole thing. Then I met Jen. Religion is very important to her and she seems to derive pleasure from attending services. I decided to share in the moment as well, and then it started to hit me, particularly after the stroke, that these sermons I was hearing was about me. It seemed as if the minister was directly speaking to me.

This week, on the week of our joining, the sermon was about people who do not believe in organized religion, and how the good Lord still talks to them and still blesses them. The pastor also warned against sanctimonious attitudes that prevail in our society. It was like talking to me, before I met Jen.

I have always been a spiritual person and I believe there is something greater in the next life. I just felt religions were full of pious people who seemed to condemn people for being gay, or for having abortions. It made no sense to me, since we are really not supposed to judge others. Granted my skew on the religion was a result of popular culture references, but it just seemed the churches wanted money and the people who followed who were not pious were hoping against hope for some good fortune to fall their way.

This church, and probably many others would have, changed my view. When I can see my life in the words spoken and I can make comparisons and analogies from my life when I listen, I think it has to have had a good effect.

Today we were introduced, we were given an NIV Bible with our names inscribed in it, and we were given a membership certificate (I told Jen it was a certificate of authenticity, and she gave me the “bad joke” look).

After the service we stood in a receiving line and I shook many hands. I felt like a politician, running for an obscure office. Folks were very kind to us and were very welcoming. It was a nice start to a better week. Every day is a gift, it is best to celebrate it and enjoy.

ISU vs. U of I

“You gotta be true to your school,
Like you are to your girl…”
--Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, 1965.


Jen and I had some fun at the Illini vs. ISU game Saturday Night.

ISU was pounded, and to be frank, both teams were inept. ISU’s line cannot block, but they can certainly hold. Jen’s Illini cannot pass; they can run with the best of them, as their quarterback reminds me of when I was a kid, watching Bobby Douglass of the Bears run the ball rather than throw it.

The Illini lost their starting quarterback on the first offensive series, as he pulled up hard with what looked like a damaged leg after a twenty plus yard scamper. Not a good deal, considering this was a meaningless game for the Illini. Everyone knew who was going to win (Come on, a Big Ten School vs. the Missouri Valley Conference school—let’s be serious).

What I admired about ISU was how they continued to fight and continued to play. Even after being down 24 to nothing in the first half, they came back in the third quarter and scored 10 unanswered points. Then the Illini took control again, but even in the last ten minute, ISU set up an excellent scoring drive. Granted this was ISU’s Super Bowl, to speak, it was also their Little Big Horn or their Waterloo, so to speak. They knew they were not going to come close to winning, but they fought hard and vaulted their ambitions to play with a degree of seriousness.

The University of Illinois and Northwestern, along with Illinois Wesleyan, are the cream of the crop higher education schools in the state. ISU, being the first public University in the State and the teacher Mecca of the Midwest, has little athletically to prove with U of I. They have even less to prove academically (although I will plug my program here to note that U of I has no Masters program in History, yet ISU has a multi-award winning one—my degree, and I thank you very much for it). I went to school with many former U of I guys when pursing my Masters and the 44 hours beyond in History. My colleagues and Bachelor Degrees alums from U of I were impressed with the facilities and the quality of the Professors Illinois State University had to offer in History.

Even though many ISU fans would like to erase the game Saturday evening from the annals of recorded history, I was proud of the Redbirds. It takes character to go into a fight as a severe underdog, and even after taking a beating, to come up swinging. I was proud to be an alum of THE Illinois State University.

As for Jen, she spotted me 14 points, and I still owe her a steak dinner. Oh well, if you are going to lose, at least enjoy what you bet. A steak dinner for two that normally I would have paid for is not so bad. If I had won, I would have saved money. Otherwise, it would business as usual.

Oh and as long as Jen was with me, I am the true winner.

The Chicago Bears Are Set

“Well I know what your thinkin'
You got me up against the wall…
But the higher that your flyin',
The further down you gotta fall.
Now don't you be fooled by my shakin' knees,
'cause I can fight dirty and when I'm scared,
I get mean!

Gonna Go Down Fighting.
Well I know you're thinkin',
That the odds are on your side.
But the first thing you gotta learn is,
That it just don't come down to size.
I can see the seeds of doubt,
Begin to grow on your face,
If you wanna back down now,
You know that's no disgrace.”
--Nazareth from the song “Go Down Fighting,” 1973.

I am not worried about the Chicago Bears at all. No, I am really not.

They have strengthened the Offensive Line. They found a safety in Afalava. They have a great running back in Matt Forte. The Linebacking Corps is intact. The have a Quarterback that can make the worst receivers in the world look good.

Now I am eagerly awaiting the start of the season.

My fantasy football teams (I have four) are sprinkled with Bears throughout. I have the Bears Defense in each of them. Yah! I have Forte in two, Cutler in one, Earl Bennet in two, and Gould in one.

The crummiest thing about the Bears this season is I have to wait for Late-Afternoon games, Night games, and Thursday games, and all sorts of weird crap this season.

Football in the Midwest, should be played on Sundays at noon. Period. I do not mind a special game on Monday Night, but now we have Thursday night, Sunday night, Sunday at 3:15, and the like. In Central Illinois, the NFL will not cut out of a game if the local team starts the late game. It just sucks. I cannot count the hundreds of times I watch the end of a crummy game like the Texans vs. The Lions to catch the Bears.

So I figured it out. To make football more interesting, have some joker on every team on your fantasy football rosters. Then you can have something to occupy your time. The problem is, there are no good players on teams like The Lions or The Texans.

Concluding the Bears, though, they should have waived Rashid Davis and kept Brandon Rideao. Davis cannot catch and even if he has experience in the Bears’ system, who wants the kind of experience that Rex Grossman brought?

The Bears will have some controversy this year, as I am certain Cutler will say something stupid, someone key like Tommie Harris will be hurt, the refs will blow a game, and the corners will suck a game or two. Throughout it all, I predict they will be in the NFC Championship game this year. Stay tuned to see if I am right.