Quick Thoughts from the Weekend
No big surprises last night from the Lakers and Magic. They Magic lost this game when Derrick Fisher hit that three to tie game 4. There spirits never recovered after that. We did learn some things during the series however.
- D12 needs some post moves big time, but there is great hope because he is only 23
- Kobe is much more likable as a player when he passes the ball
- Phil Jackson seems to be aging in dog years
- The biggest deadline deal to affect the playoffs was last year when the Magic gave away Ariza to the Lakers for pocket change
- Hedo Turkoglu and HD do not mix
Went to the lake on Friday. It was 65 degrees with a good breeze. People were in bathing suits and bikinis. My wife was cold with a jacket on. Strange reality.
Watched Benjamin Button, it was slow, somewhat interesting, somewhat creepy, and I have no idea why it was set during the middle of Hurricane Katrina. That was by far the strangest part of the movie, weirder than someone growing younger, seriously.
I found my jumpshot last week, turns out it was hidden right behind I really need to lose some weight. I knew it was there all along.
Poison Ivy and Sin
There has been a lot of itching and scratching and calamine lotion at our house. Gretchen and I both got a decent case of poison ivy cleaning up the backyard last week. Gretchen is especially susceptible to it. All this itching and scratching has me thinking about the spiritual realities of poison ivy.
Poison Ivy is a lot like sin. Sometimes you are simply out taking care of business, cleaning, walking through the woods, or playing with your kids and you come into direct contact with something sinful. You may not even realize it at first. You have been warned, “leaves of three let it be”, but in the hustle of life you simply didn’t notice.
It is easy for that sin to begin to take hold and become a distraction. If you realize it fast enough, you can wash the irritant right off your skin and recover quickly. But if it allowed to linger, if you scratch it, if you let it spread and fester, it can dominate your life. Pretty soon you are up all night and the only thing you can think about is the flame in your arm and how badly you want to scratch it.
That is why I love the practice of confession so much. If we are intentional about regularly washing away the oils of sin from our skin, then we don’t let it take hold. But too often we ignore it, or think it will go away, and then the process of rooting it out of our lives is lenghthy, painful, and expensive. Confession is so good for the soul.
These are the things you think about when poison ivy keeps you up at night.
Have a good one.
June 15, 2009
My Life, Ramblings, Sports