the unlikely orange

i saw a preview for a show (or a movie?  not sure which) that asked the question, "what makes a hero?"  the question was left unanswered, suggesting that we need to watch the show to find out what makes the flash so fast, or what makes superman fly or what makes criminals cower in fear from the dark knight.  you could do that.  you could watch the show.  or the movie.  or read the comic book. or you could come to church. because that is what we are dealing with in this season.  we are in the middle of a 6-week sermon series in which we are specifically looking at what makes someone a real hero.  so often we think that the heroes are the exceptional ones, the ones with "super" powers, or fame or fortune.  when it comes to the life of faith, we relegate heroes either to the pantheons of patriarchs (abraham, moses, david and so forth), or to the supposed "saints" in our own churches and lives, those who have taught sunday school for 47 ye...

oh, i've been dreading this post.  i've been trying to write it all week, and i just keep putting it off.  i can't believe the summer has bled into fall, and we stand here now in the final throws of the 2014 regular season of major league baseball.  just the passage of time would make that remarkable enough, for me.  but there is something far more weighty on my heart. now batting...numbah two....derek jeetah....numbah two.   hold on a second.  i need to go get a box of tissues before i try typing anything else. last week as i was in atlanta, i read ian o'connor's biography of jeter called "the captain."  as the number of games the yankees' captain has left to play has dwindled into single digits, it was almost too much for this fan to bear.  his life has been fascinating in many ways.  he declared at an early age that he would one day play shortstop for the new york yankees.  everyone laughed.  until he went and did it...

this: and this: welcome back to the postseason, buccos!  and welcome back to the burgh, deebo.

if you ever need to run through a brick wall, just watch this video first.  this is a high school football player, who appears to me to have spent some time listening to some exciting preaching and teaching, and it has rubbed off.  this kid is wired (probably over-caffeinated), and excited about life!   he started off slow, but he finished fast!  go attitude!  go mindset!  go awesome! hope your day has half the enthusiasm and passionate love of life that this kid's does.

well, that's more like it. the steelers put on a great show in charlotte last night in front of a national audience.  they shut down superman and his supporting cast, and completely owned the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.  if the game is won in the trenches, then the steelers put on a clinic on winning last night, because they consistently won at the line.  it was a beautiful thing to watch, in part because the patient running on le'veon ball makes the work of the offensive line really count for something. it was exquisitely beautiful to see bell wait for the hole, then hit that hole with conviction and power.  he is an excellent runner, with great vision, a great knack for making people miss him, and unbelievable patience.  however, the young man wouldn't have had the night he had if not for a group of men in front of him. the offensive line was awesome.  with cody wallace filling in for ramon foster, and with the much-maligne...

such a great song.  and very fitting at the moment. her voice, though.  wow.

--back in the spring, someone came to jackson's class and gave them all a small cabbage plant.  they were all to take them home and grow them and see who could grow the best cabbage.  jackson was pretty excited about this, and you can see that he grew a very nice cabbage this summer, as a result. it is currently being turned into sour kraut, which is a disgusting process.  i voted for egg rolls, but i was voted down.  oh well, it is really great for the kids to see the growing process and how the earth can bring forth sustenance for us if we take care of it and nurture it. --if you watched sunday's game, you will enjoy this: --and if you are a steelers fan in pennsylvania, you will enjoy this: --quinton's been cracking me up with his talking recently.      northumberland christian school has been "balella (which is umbrella) christian school," and then "banana" christian school.      lasagna is baskahnia.  ...