Do the Chargers Have a Prayer?

UPDATE: Game over. Goliath and the Belichickens won, but David and the Chargers gave them a good game with their backs up and their backups.

As most of you know, the San Diego Chargers are scheduled to meet the New England Patriots this Sunday in a playoff game to decide the AFL Championship. The winner will go to the Super Bowl. The Patriots have beaten the last 17 opponents including the Chargers 38-14 in September. But this is not the same Charger team they beat then. Now the Chargers are surging, having won eight consecutive games since opening the year at a disappointing 5-5, and the team has prevailed in four straight road contests. The Pats are favored by two touchdowns, but the Vegas odds makers have probably based that on injuries to Rivers, Gates, and Tomlinson. It is now believed, however, that all three will play this Sunday.

I learned just this morning that the Chargers have a team pastor who leads them in prayer before each game and tries to inspire them with Biblical stories about winning against insurmountable odds. Last Sunday the underdog Chargers defeated the Colts. After the win, the pastor led the team in a post-game prayer in which he stated, “To a man, we all felt we needed to take a moment and pause and go back to the source of all our success and give thanks. The fact that we won, the men figured that the Lord obviously is not finished with them yet.” The team will need both a prayer and an inspiring story if they expect to defeat the undefeated Patriots.

Since the Chargers are two touchdown underdogs in the game, this would be a good time for the pastor to remind the team members about the Bible story of David and Goliath. I am sure you remember the story of David, an Israelite shepherd boy and future King of Israel. Using only his sling, he slings a single stone, striking Goliath, a giant Philistine warrior, the stone becoming embedded in Goliath’s forehead and killing him instantly. It is a great story of faith as David stepped forth to do this with no armor while the warriors in armor were too frightened. In defeating Goliath, David became a king.

In the Biblical account, the Philistine army had gathered for war against Israel. This Sunday we will have a sellout crowd for the playoff at Foxborough between the undefeated Patriots (Goliath) and the Chargers (David). According to the biblical account, Goliath (Patriots), the Philistine giant, measuring over nine feet tall and wearing full armor, came out each day for forty days, mocking and challenging the Israelites (Chargers) to fight (to play). Saul, the King of Israel (other professional football teams) and the whole army were terrified of Goliath.

David (Chargers) heard Goliath (Patriots) shouting (their) daily defiance and he saw the great fear stirred within the men of Israel. David responded, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine (Patriots) that he should defy the armies of God (Chargers)?" Finally, David met Goliath (Patriots) on a field of battle, dressed in his simple tunic (football gear), carrying his shepherd's staff, sling shot and a pouch full of stones (Charger team). As David (Chargers) approached Goliath (Patriots), (they) cursed him, hurling threats at him (passes by Tom Brady) and insults (runs by Eckel, Maroney, and Faulk).

David (Chargers) said to Goliath ( Patriots), "You come against me with sword (Brady) and spear (Alexander) and javelin (Moss), but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army (Patriots) to the birds of the air ... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel ... it is not by sword (your passes) or spear (your runs) that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands (Chargers)."

Finding a hole in the armor (Patriot defense) , the stone (Tomlinson with runs and Rivers with completed passes) sank into the giant's forehead (Patriot’s defense) and he (Patriots) fell face down on the ground (defeated). David then took Goliath's sword ( Tom Brady), killed him (with pass interceptions and sacks) and then cut off his head (defeated the Patriots).

And thus, the Chargers won the AFL Championship - with a prayer and a little help from the Lord.

Your prediction of the final score:

Patriots ________


Chargers________

Video: A Song About the Patriots Being 16-0:



Video: Picture Clip of the San Diego Chargers with hot Music by Van Halen - Right Now:



Video: David and Goliath - musical from Liken - clip "I Am David":

Are You a Pack Rat?

Perhaps you will recall media accounts of what authorities have found when they investigated the homes of deceased “pack rats”? The worst case ever reported was that of a widower who had lived alone for many years and who had accumulated so much “stuff” that it was stacked from floor to ceiling in all the rooms of his house, allowing only aisles through the rooms for passage. One day the inevitable happened - an avalanche of books, newspapers, and magazines fell on the man, trapping him in a standing position in one of the rooms. After two days, someone heard his calls for help, and he was finally freed with considerable difficulty.

A pack rat is a person who suffers from a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) known as “compulsive hoarding.” The term “pack rat” derives from a rodent noted for its hoarding habits. In its most extreme manifestation, victims of compulsive hoarding can become incapacitated and disabled by their hoarding habits. Their lives can become so disorganized and unmanageable that they become isolated from social activities. As you can see, compulsive hoarding is no laughing matter.

The worst local case of pack rat behavior was pointed out to me a couple of years ago. A friend drove me past a home near where he lived in which the owner had accumulated so much junk that it had spilled out of the house, onto the porch, and into the yard of the occupant. This pack rat had saved old newspapers, magazines, greeting cards, bottles, cans, jars, junk mail, broken appliances going back decades, old broken-down rusted automobiles, and old furniture - just to mention a few of the items. The case had been reported to the authorities, but nothing had been done up to that time.

My father-in-law was a pack rat. While his wife was living, she managed to keep his hoarding tendencies somewhat under control, but after her death he lived another 21 years in which to accumulate “stuff.” While his pack rat condition was not as severe as that of the persons previously mentioned, it was still a serious problem. My wife tried to control her father’s pack rat tendencies just as her mother had, but she could not exercise as much restraint upon him without resistance.

As an example, her father had started using the formal dining room table for his “file cabinet.” To the eyes of a casual observer, the table looked like an unorganized pile of envelopes, documents, receipts, outdated grocery coupons, and other assorted items. One day my wife, being the Neatnik that she is, sorted through the mess and achieved what she considered some order to the former pile of papers. When her father discovered what she had done, he was considerably disturbed saying, “I used to know where everything was, and now I can’t find anything!”

After the death of her father, my wife and I had the task of clearing out all the stuff that he had accumulated over the years. We started with the two-car garage. Although he had owned two cars, he had never parked them in the garage; they remained on the driveway for several years without being driven, and he wouldn’t sell them. Her father had been an officer in the U.S. Air Force, so we found old Air Force magazines, some of them dated back to the 1960s, stacked floor to ceiling in the garage. It was necessary to hire a truck to cart off all the junk in the garage and the house to a sanitary fill.

Next, we attacked the items in the house. After sorting through all the junk and separating the useful items from the rest as we prepared the house for sale, we found that after three full days we had successfully cleared our all of the items. Whew!

In one of his famous routines, George Carlin says that a house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. And in the case of pack rats in particular, that is the truth!

I have found a site that offers 10 suggestions for helping pack rats to get organized. The address is:

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/011119f.cfm

Do you know any pack rats? Do you have any interesting pack rat stories to share? If so, we would love for you to share them with us.

Video: Shows you the unbelievable life of people suffering from Disposophobia - the fear of getting rid of stuff.

An Essay on Youth

A man named Samuel Ullman wrote a short essay titled “Youth” more than 70 years ago. The message still rings true today:

Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind. It is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of deep springs of life.

Youth means temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more than in a boy of 20. Nobody grows older merely by a number of years. We grow older by deserting our ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bow the heart and turn the spirit back to dust.

Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next, and the joy of the game of living.

In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, courage and power from man and from the Infinite, so long are you young.

How “young” are you?

Video: Bob Dylan sings "Forever Young" (1976)



I received this amusing email from a friend this morning. I think it fits very well into this post:

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked, "How old was your husband?" "98," she replied. "Two years older than me." "So you're 96," the undertaker commented. She responded, "Hardly worth going home, is it?

Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman: "And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?" the reporter asked. She simply replied, "No peer pressure."

The nice thing about being senile is you can hide your own Easter eggs.

I've sure gotten old! I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, I have new knees. I fought prostate cancer and diabetes. I'm half blind, can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia. Have poor circulation; hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. I can't remember if I'm 85 or 92. I have lost all my friends. But, thank God, I still have my driver's license.

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down,& perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

I've still got it, but nobody wants to see it.

I'm getting into swing dancing. Not on purpose. Some parts of my body are just prone to swinging.

It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.

These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, "For fast relief."

I've tried to find a suitable exercise video for women my age, but they haven't made one called "Buns of Putty."

Don't let aging get you down. It's too hard to get back up!

Remember: You don't stop laughing because you grow old, You grow old because you stop laughing.

THE SENILITY PRAYER: Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

How To Mend a Broken Heart (by Whit)

When wealthy Japanese mend broken objects,
They repair the damage
By filling the cracks
With gold.

They believe that when something
Has suffered damage
And has a history,
It becomes more beautiful.

So the next time
You have your heart
Broken by another,
Do not try to mend it
With the epoxy of despair.

But repair the damage
With the gold of hope,
And the promise of tomorrow.
And know that your mended heart
Now has a history,
And will be
Even more beautiful.

What exactly is heartbreak?

Lots of things can cause heartbreak. Some people might have had a romantic relationship that ended before they were ready. Others might have strong feelings for someone who doesn't feel the same way. Or maybe a person feels sad or angry when a close friend ends or abandons the friendship. Although the causes may be different, the feeling of loss is the same — whether it's the loss of something real or the loss of something you only hoped for. People describe heartbreak as a feeling of heaviness, emptiness, and sadness.

Video: Robin and Marian- How do you Mend a Broken Heart? Memories of Robin and Marian, and the ways they have been trying to cope since losing one another.

Song: How do you Mend a Broken Heart by Michael Buble.

A Pot Calling the Kettle Black

For the first time in his two terms as President of the United States, George W. Bush is touring the Middle East. Here are some excerpts from a speech he delivered at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates UAE) on Sunday, January 13, 2008:

The United States has no desire for territory. We seek our shared security in your LIBERTY.

To the people of Iraq: The United States will continue to support you as you build the institutions of a FREE society.

To the people of Iran: You have a right to live under a government that LISTENS TO YOUR WISHES, respects your talents, and allows you to build better lives for your families. The day will come when the people of Iran have A GOVERNMENT THAT EMBRACES LIBERTY AND JUSTICE, and Iran joins the community of free nations.

To the leaders across the Middle East: We urge you to join us in committing the resources to help the Palestinians build the institutions of a free society. The best way to defeat the extremists in your midst is by OPENING YOUR SOCIETIES, and trusting in your people, and GIVING THEM A VOICE IN YOUR NATION.

To the people of the Middle East: WE HEAR YOUR CRIES FOR JUSTICE. We share your desire for a free and prosperous future. And as you struggle to find your voice and make your way in this world, the United States will stand with you.

My friends, a future of liberty stands before you. It is your right. It is your dream. And it is your destiny.

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The International Press Institute (IPI) is a global network of editors, media executives, and leading journalists dedicated to the furtherance and safeguarding of press freedom, the promotion of the free flow of news and information and the improvement of the practices of journalism. This is the report that the IPI issued in 2006 on the UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE), where Bush made his speech on freedom:

The intimidation and arrest of two human rights activists, who were subjected to harassment after providing interviews to regional media, prompted serious concerns about the tactics used by authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to silence critical voices and limit freedom of expression.

According to a report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW), activists are routinely barred from expressing their opinions in the UAE. In the last five years, the authorities have barred 12 prominent commentators and academics from sharing their views in programmes broadcast by Abu Dhabi TV. In June of this year, president of the independent Jurists Associations (JA) Muhammed Al-Mansoori, was issued an arrest warrant by the Federal High Court after being accused of "insulting the public prosecutor" in media interviews and through his human rights advocacy.

In July, security agents detained and harassed Muhammed Al-Roken, a lawyer and past-president of the JA. Al-Roken was arrested again in August and held for three days after he criticized the UAE justice system in an interview with the Qatar-based satellite television station Al Jazeera. At the time of his detention, officials confiscated Al-Roken’s passport and have since deprived him of his right to leave the country.

Al-Roken has also been part of a group of lawyers and activists who are attempting to establish a non-governmental organization called the Emirates Human Rights Society. Although the group first filed an application to establish the society in July 2004, the Ministry of Social Welfare has yet to reply to the request. Similarly, an application put forward in April 2005 by a second human rights group, has thus far been ignored. According to the UAE Association Law, the ministry is meant to apply to these applications within 30 days. However, the government actively discourages the formation of non-governmental organizations.

While freedom of speech and press freedom are constitutionally protected in the UAE, in practice, government representatives exercise strong regulatory and political control of media content. The out-dated Press Act of 1980 outlines "acceptable" subjects of reporting and includes prison sentences for insulting the head of state, senior UAE officials or leaders of the Arab or Islamic world; defaming Islam or the regime; and threatening the "national supreme interests."

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Next Stop: Saudi Arabia, which has been criticized for its oppression of religious and political minorities, torture of prisoners, and attitude toward foreign expatriates, homosexuality, and women. You can expect Bush to deliver another speech accusing Iran of abusing freedom and human rights.

Video: Questions about Sharia and Islam are answered.



Video: The truth about Islam from an ex-Muslim woman



Video: Arabian TV program where they indoctrinate young children to hate Jews.



Video: The Way We Were. Remember the good old days when American oil companies bought their oil from the Middle East? Now we just invade Middle Eastern countries and steal their oil outright.

After decades of friendship between the Bushes & Saudis, they recently announced they would no longer work with the Bush administration and will deal exclusively with just the Democrats.

Several months later, we learn the Busheviks are planning to sell $20 billion in arms to the Saudi government. We also know the Saudis are arming the Sunnis in Iraq who in turn are attacking American soldiers there. As Smedley Butler once said, "War is a racket" and the Bush crime family have been war profiteers since the days Prescott Bush financed Hitler.