I'll take a brief interlude here today and focus on something that has captured my interest (sort of). We started a fantasy football league this season at work.
I confess I know absolutely nothing about what is going on most of the time. I was auto-drafted (slept during draft), and came out with an average team. Another guy on our team got Auto-drafted and has a winning team without even touching it....he hasn't even checked scores!
Our week 4 match-ups are approaching and I am up against the league leader. I will likely lose, but hold onto a sliver of hope that I will pull off some amazing comeback.
We tentatively have bet that the loser takes the point difference and runs that amount of miles over the next month. I'm projected to lose by 30 points currently...so a mile a day looks likely for the upcoming month.
I keep thinking of the concept of a Fantasy Football league. We basically are picking and choosing these players on perceived performance predictions. We look at past performance to predict what could occur, but ultimately we never know for sure.
In this way I can relate it back to our faith walk. No matter how well we try to predict what is to come in this life, only God truly knows the outcome. I can hope for favorable outcomes, but ultimately have no control real control at the end of the day. I have influence, but not control.
Just as I shift my players on the team around to achieve the best result possible, we often shift our lives around to achieve the best results. While we can certainly influence to a degree, we will never know the future result until the game is done.
As my match-up gets closer, I continue the shifting of players, sometimes attempting trades to get better options. Some people are willing to sacrifice/trade for a mutual leg up--others will not give up their "assurance" for the sake of yours.
I will learn more as the weeks progress, and maybe dramatically come back in the end for a league win. If nothing else I can try for more wins than losses. After all, you can't win them all...
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Political Roulette
I decided the other day to start researching the Presidential candidates for the November election. The only time I have voted was in 2004, and I remember it being pretty random, with no real thought put into it. I'm sure that sits well with most of you...
The thing about this year is that I feel like choosing between the lesser of two evils. I have heard that for Christians it is like this every year. I read a few articles that support the idea of prayerfully considering which candidate would be the best fit overall, and not setting them up as the true spiritual leader of the country (obviously we look to Christ as the final spiritual authority, not government).
With that in mind, the Christian has some serious considerations this year. On the one hand we have our current President who, in my opinion, hasn't exactly done anything that noticeable to me. I mean noticeable, as in things by which I directly feel affected.
In 2008, as Obama was elected, I was in Mexico with Juliet's family celebrating. Immigration-wise, he was a much better option than Bush had been, and that was all I really cared about. I think in 2008 many young adults were sick of Bush. I hadn't considered his Christian views (if they were there) and had jumped more on the bandwagon of anti-war in Iraq.
Flash forward to 2012 and I can't really see any harm personally that Obama has done. But, I can discern from reading his campaign website, that his views are not fully in line with my own. Specifically regarding equality and women's health.
So you could say, it really isn't an issue. Except that it is. Biblically as much stronger Christians we have to at least acknowledge that Obama has taken a distinctly anti-Biblical view on these two issues. We read in Psalm 139:13-16, "certainly You (God) made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother's womb...when I was made in secret and sewed together...your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence."
The ellipses do not leave out any context, but simply allow me to emphasize the parts relevant to this conversation. I think for a Christian, Pro-life really has to be the only option. We could debate the ins and outs of this, but at the heart of the conversation is that God values human life. And according to various Biblical texts, the argument can be made for life beginning at conception--even before that if we consider God's sovereign knowledge.
In the matter of equality, specifically for same-sex couples, I must default back to the Biblical definition of marriage and ground myself on that. Another strike against Obama, who claims to be Christian, but has not really accepted a Biblical view of that issue.
Romney seems to be the only Republican candidate that isn't totally anti-Mexican. His website proposes making it easier for permanent residents (like Juliet) to bring their family members legally. He proposes eliminating much of the immigration red tape for the legal way of doing it too.
As someone who waded through that red tape, I can appreciate this. When addressing a check wrong sets the process back 3 months, something is broken with the system.
Obama leans far left if he is a Christian (debatable)..and the left-leaning Christians (in some cases) are falling away from Biblical faith the fastest nowadays.
If Romney is elected, Mormonism will become much more noticed in culture, and Christians will need to be educated on the differences between Christianity and Mormonism. The differences are significant and it should not be automatically assumed that a practicing Mormon is a Christian in the doctrinal/Biblical sense.
All of these things are under consideration as I ponder who I would vote for this November. I can see clearly that neither candidate is ideal. I don't even understand the ins and outs of the health care reform or other issues. For me the most relevant is immigration, followed by anything related to maintaining Christian values.
Obama has sought peace with Middle East Muslim nations, likely to avoid more Sept. 11 incidents, but will it be at the cost of Israel? To support Islam, one must align against Israel (or the Jewish Nation in general). His website says he supports Israel, but only time will tell.
You can have conservative values and still see that in most elections, neither candidate is the absolute, 100% correct Christian choice.
Take Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Reagan for examples of the more "Christian" or "Religious" leaders. Washington and Reagan rarely attended any sort of worship, and Jefferson/Lincoln were more Theist than Christian as they doubted much of Christ's divine aspects.
So, even the presidents we like to think of as the most Christian were not ultimately the end all- be all for a Christian commander in chief. We likely will never get a fully Bible-beliving Christian in office because the culture won't allow it. America is the land of tolerance of all faiths and religious freedom, which is not always the greatest thing for a Bible-believing Christian.
We are left then to prayerfully consider which option, if any, is the lesser of evils, and trust that God in his sovereignty is ultimately in charge of what comes of the election. We may think our vote is the one that counts, but it's the candidate in God's will that will ultimately will win. Sometimes not voting can be the most Christian vote. Whatever I choose, I know that God's hand will ultimately guide my decision. As Christians, our vote should be a matter of prayer, not impulse.
The thing about this year is that I feel like choosing between the lesser of two evils. I have heard that for Christians it is like this every year. I read a few articles that support the idea of prayerfully considering which candidate would be the best fit overall, and not setting them up as the true spiritual leader of the country (obviously we look to Christ as the final spiritual authority, not government).
With that in mind, the Christian has some serious considerations this year. On the one hand we have our current President who, in my opinion, hasn't exactly done anything that noticeable to me. I mean noticeable, as in things by which I directly feel affected.
In 2008, as Obama was elected, I was in Mexico with Juliet's family celebrating. Immigration-wise, he was a much better option than Bush had been, and that was all I really cared about. I think in 2008 many young adults were sick of Bush. I hadn't considered his Christian views (if they were there) and had jumped more on the bandwagon of anti-war in Iraq.
Flash forward to 2012 and I can't really see any harm personally that Obama has done. But, I can discern from reading his campaign website, that his views are not fully in line with my own. Specifically regarding equality and women's health.
Marriage and Abortion
As a married man, the issues of equality and women's health only really become relevant from a Christian perspective as Juliet and I are married in Biblical tradition and don't plan on giving up any babies that may come about in her belly.So you could say, it really isn't an issue. Except that it is. Biblically as much stronger Christians we have to at least acknowledge that Obama has taken a distinctly anti-Biblical view on these two issues. We read in Psalm 139:13-16, "certainly You (God) made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother's womb...when I was made in secret and sewed together...your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence."
The ellipses do not leave out any context, but simply allow me to emphasize the parts relevant to this conversation. I think for a Christian, Pro-life really has to be the only option. We could debate the ins and outs of this, but at the heart of the conversation is that God values human life. And according to various Biblical texts, the argument can be made for life beginning at conception--even before that if we consider God's sovereign knowledge.
In the matter of equality, specifically for same-sex couples, I must default back to the Biblical definition of marriage and ground myself on that. Another strike against Obama, who claims to be Christian, but has not really accepted a Biblical view of that issue.
Immigration:
As near as I can tell, Obama is probably the more lenient here. The amnesty for illegal immigrants only bothers me if it lets them cut in front of people like Juliet's family who are doing it legally. If it's for a better life for kids who had no choice in the matter, or didn't know until they were older then I suppose it can be for good. Ultimately, whatever keeps families together is right, and the argument that Mexicans are taking our jobs is silly.Romney seems to be the only Republican candidate that isn't totally anti-Mexican. His website proposes making it easier for permanent residents (like Juliet) to bring their family members legally. He proposes eliminating much of the immigration red tape for the legal way of doing it too.
As someone who waded through that red tape, I can appreciate this. When addressing a check wrong sets the process back 3 months, something is broken with the system.
Mormon vs Liberal Christian
The biggest voting challenge for Conservative Christians will be Romney's values coupled with his Mormonism. Orthodox Christians will see Mormonism as a cult offshoot of Christianity, but Romney's values are more in line with Conservative Christians.Obama leans far left if he is a Christian (debatable)..and the left-leaning Christians (in some cases) are falling away from Biblical faith the fastest nowadays.
If Romney is elected, Mormonism will become much more noticed in culture, and Christians will need to be educated on the differences between Christianity and Mormonism. The differences are significant and it should not be automatically assumed that a practicing Mormon is a Christian in the doctrinal/Biblical sense.
All of these things are under consideration as I ponder who I would vote for this November. I can see clearly that neither candidate is ideal. I don't even understand the ins and outs of the health care reform or other issues. For me the most relevant is immigration, followed by anything related to maintaining Christian values.
Israel
Romney has stated on his site a direct defense of Israel as an ally. Biblical Christians will understand the importance of Israel in God's ultimate redemption plan. We should only support a candidate who supports God's chosen territory. Though they have fallen into disbelief, God's promise to Abraham stands as a covenant, and in the end days, Israel will have a huge role to play. Revelation tells us it will be the site of Christ's earthly millennial kingdom, and arguments can be made for the New Jerusalem and New Earth as the true eternity for Christians. (Pre-millenial View)Obama has sought peace with Middle East Muslim nations, likely to avoid more Sept. 11 incidents, but will it be at the cost of Israel? To support Islam, one must align against Israel (or the Jewish Nation in general). His website says he supports Israel, but only time will tell.
Christians and Government
The argument that church and state should be mixed is an argument I don't think really needs to happen. There are Christians who are too politically active, and Christians who aren't active enough. Ultimately, as Christians, it comes down to God's sovereignty in selection of world leaders, and it's His judgement to which leaders are accountable (Romans 13).You can have conservative values and still see that in most elections, neither candidate is the absolute, 100% correct Christian choice.
Take Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Reagan for examples of the more "Christian" or "Religious" leaders. Washington and Reagan rarely attended any sort of worship, and Jefferson/Lincoln were more Theist than Christian as they doubted much of Christ's divine aspects.
So, even the presidents we like to think of as the most Christian were not ultimately the end all- be all for a Christian commander in chief. We likely will never get a fully Bible-beliving Christian in office because the culture won't allow it. America is the land of tolerance of all faiths and religious freedom, which is not always the greatest thing for a Bible-believing Christian.
We are left then to prayerfully consider which option, if any, is the lesser of evils, and trust that God in his sovereignty is ultimately in charge of what comes of the election. We may think our vote is the one that counts, but it's the candidate in God's will that will ultimately will win. Sometimes not voting can be the most Christian vote. Whatever I choose, I know that God's hand will ultimately guide my decision. As Christians, our vote should be a matter of prayer, not impulse.
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