A major doping scandal threw the first Tour de France of the post-Lance Armstrong era into chaos Friday, with favorites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso forced out of the world’s premier cycling race under a cloud of suspicion.
Yeah, Lance Armstrong was the one who was doping.
Thanks to Chuck for the article.
Osama bin Laden has called on President Bush to release the body of slain terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Here’s how Bush should respond:
“We’ll trade you. Zarqawi’s body for yours.”
After several years in the minor leagues, New York Yankees first baseman Andy Phillips is finally enjoying his first full season in the big leagues. Phillips played college baseball at Alabama, and in an interview with BamaMag.com, he talks about his playing days with the Crimson Tide, as well as his journey to the majors.
From the interview:
APS: When you were being moved around within the farm system, how did you persevere and have the confidence to believe that someday you would play major league baseball?
AP: For me, I felt that this is exactly where God had me. There was a trust there that as I continued to pray about it and seek what God wanted me to do in my life, he just kept continuing to open up doors in baseball and I never felt that He was moving me out of that direction. With that and continuing to have success, I just kept understanding that ultimately God was in control of what was going to happen with my career. And that was the only thing I held onto.
Phillips has been involved with Idlewild Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla. Here’s a story I wrote about him a couple of years ago.
Talk about whatever. Here’s a question for starters, if you choose to answer it: Which Founding Father do you most admire, and why?
Alexander Hamilton (pictured here) is at the top of my list. The man was a genius, and his policies laid much of the foundation for this country as we know it today. As far as politics and economics go, Hamilton was the single-most influential person in American history.
I’m also convinced that Hamilton was a Christian. I’m not entirely sure when he became a believer, and there were certainly times in his life when he didn’t act like one. But on his deathbed, he said this: “I am a sinner. I look to His mercy. … I have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ” (from Ron Chernow’s “Alexander Hamilton”).
That sure sounds like saving faith to me.
By the way, if you haven’t read Chernow’s book on Hamilton , I highly recommend it.
From the Times Herald-Record:
Holy roller skaters are in hot water with the state Division of Human Rights.
Skate Time 209 offers residents a new wooden roller skating rink and a fancy skateboard park. In its hunt for customers, the business has “tot” skates and “tween” (ages 6-13) skates. There are family nights and adult disco parties.
And there are “Christian skate times” on Sunday afternoons, Skate Time’s ad in the April 19 Ulster County Press said. That ad is evidence of a human rights violation, according to the state Division of Human Rights.
A “Christian skate denies or at a minimum, discourages non-Christian patronage,” a June 15 letter from the state division said. The weekly paper got the same letter, accusing it of “aiding and abetting” the violation, said its editor-at-large, Greg Childers.
They tried to throw the game away last night, but the Cleveland Indians wouldn’t let the St. Louis Cardinals lose and stretch their losing streak to nine games. So, the streak ended at eight straight losses.
Dan at Get Up, Baby has a good little recap of the Cardinals’ performances over the eight-game losing streak.
If you watched the NBA draft last night, feel free to discuss the results here. The Toronto Raptors with the first pick took Italian Andrea Bargnani.
How should Christians go about ministering to people in the pornography industry? That’s a question that Craig Gross has tried to answer with an anti-porn website, XXXchurch.com, and with the distribution of “Jesus Loves Porn Stars” Bibles. Watch an ABC news report about the efforts here.
Some evangelical leaders aren’t convinced these methods are the right ones, including Albert Mohler:
I have no doubt that Jesus loves porn stars, and the Bible is perfectly clear in its grace-filled message that Christ came to save sinners. Jesus ate with notorious sinners and engaged in conversation with them. Yet, the presence of a Christian ministry within the confines of the Erotica Expo is a step beyond the example of Jesus, I would argue. There is a difference between talking to a prostitute about the Gospel and entering a brothel — much less buying a booth.
Mohler adds that he doesn’t “doubt the evangelistic sincerity of those who lead this ministry. This is a question of judgment, principle, and strategy — not a question of motivation.”
What do you think?
Hat tip: Steve McCoy
With the July 4 weekend approaching, I thought I’d repost what I wrote last year concerning the “God and country” worship services we so often find in churches. It still applies:
I can’t begin to describe how much I detest the “God and country” worship services taking place in most churches this weekend. Yes, I’m thankful to God for the way he’s blessed the United States, and I’m thankful for living in a place where we enjoy the freedoms we do. I’m also thankful and deeply appreciative for the sacrifices so many have made to secure these freedoms.
But there is a proper place to recognize these sacrifices and honor our country, and a worship service on Sunday morning isn’t it. A worship service is supposed to be about honoring Almightly God for the redemption He has provided through our Lord Jesus Christ. We should be worshipping God, not the United States. At the church I was going to attend this morning (not the church we normally attend), I went to Sunday School but didn’t stay for worship when I saw the songs that were going to be sung — including “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” — and that the congregation was going to recite the “Pledge of Allegiance” during the service. I didn’t feel like vomiting in church, because civil religion like this churns my stomach. It diverts praise rightly due God to the United States, and that’s idolatry.
Major League Baseball has reached an agreement with Eternal Image, a company that makes caskets and urns, that will allow the company to use MLB logos on its products.
“Millions of Major League Baseball fans wear caps, t-shirts and jackets to show their loyalties each day, while others have customized license plates on their cars, and linens, artwork and collectibles such as bobbleheads in their homes,” said Clint Mytych, CEO of Eternal Image.
“The trend of including baseball in major lifecycle events is growing vastly: from birthdays to bar mitzvahs, weddings to anniversaries, fans incorporate baseball in nearly every aspect of life. This new line of team-specific funeral products opens a whole new market for our company — a market that is just waiting for a way to make team loyalty a ‘final’ statement of a great passion in their lives,” Mytych added.
What a hopeless existence it must be if at your funeral, the one “great passion” for which you are remembered is your devotion to a baseball team. I hope at my funeral, my family and friends will be talking about the grace of God in my life, and how I was a devoted father and husband.
I love baseball as much as anyone, but let’s keep it in perspective.
Hat tip: Len
For my column this week, I didn’t write about this church in Dallas, as I said I would. I intended to, but the column didn’t come together like I had hoped. I’m still planning to address this matter in my column for next week.
So for this week, I put together a small collection of funny baseball stories, which you may have already read since I’ve posted them on this blog previously.
Tom Ascol has posted another update about the proposed debate with him and James White against the Ergun Caner and Emir Caner. Since Ergun Caner insists on acting so petulantly about this whole thing, it looks like the debate is off.
That’s probably a good thing, as the Caners have shown they’re willing to stoop to any level to besmirch the character of a godly man like Tom Ascol. Tom doesn’t need any more of this nonsense.
It’s a shame Ergun Caner doesn’t belong to a church that takes church discipline seriously.
Here’s the scenario of the St. Louis Cardinals as I see it:
– You’re in first place by two games, but the past six games provide some evidence that you can’t compete with the big boys. Houston is only five games back and should get a boost from Roger Clemens’ return.
– Your starting pitching is in shambles. Chris Carpenter and Anthony Reyes are OK, but Mulder is hurt, and Marquis and Suppan both have ERAs over 5. Ponson isn’t going to be much help in the rotation, either.
– Your outfield has gaping holes. Jim Edmonds is showing his age in center field and seems to be declining quickly. Juan Encarnacion has turned it around nicely as of late, but he’s average at best. Left field is a black hole, and nobody has emerged as a legitimate big league starter there.
– Your closer is unreliable. Jason Isringhausen has a 4.06 ERA, with a dreadful 1.58 WHIP. He’s blown five saves already.
– The rest of your bullpen is unspectacular, but not terrible. Adam Wainwright has been stellar. Josh Hancock and Braden Looper have been good. Brad Thompson hasn’t been as strong as he was last year. Randy Flores is average.
– Your farm system is depleted. There are a few prospects here and there, but on the whole, there’s little to be excited about.
So, pretend you’re Walt Jocketty. What do you do? There are three options:
1. Make trades to fill holes. Try to acquire a starting pitcher and an outfielder. If you pursue this course, who do you trade? Who do you try to acquire?
2. Bail on the season. Admit that you don’t have the horses to contend legitimately for a World Series title. Trade Edmonds, Isringhausen, Marquis for some young talent to help next year.
3. Stand pat. Acknowledge that your team might be strong enough to make the playoffs as is, and take your chances once you get there. Hope that Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter are enough to get you to the World Series. Don’t do any more damage to a weakened farm system to get the one or two players who may or may not help the team make it deep into the playoffs.
What do you say?
Last night, I put a 2-year-old Daniel to bed for the last time. Today he turned 3.
I think the whole “Terrible 2’s” thing is a misnomer — at least it was for us. Daniel has been a delight (most of the time, at least) the past year, and “terrible” is not even close to an accurate description. We’ve been watching some home videos the past couple of days, and it’s amazing to see how much he has learned in a year’s time.
Happy birthday, buddy.
Wait until you see this video of minor league manager Joe Mikulik, who went berzerk after an umpire called Kobe Clemens safe on a pickoff attempt at second base. Let’s just say that Mikulik disagreed with the call.
Hat tip: Misawa