Jackie Robinson's determination changed baseball forever

Posted on February 19, 2020 by
Jackie Robinson played his first game in MLB on April 15, 1947.

Years ago, when I became interested in the story of Jackie Robinson, I wondered what must have been going through his mind when he took the field in his first game in Major League Baseball.

What he was doing, unfortunately, to this point in time was unprecedented. African American players had been banned from the game until April 15, 1947. To become the first player to kick down this wall, Robinson had to have determination and perseverance to see it through. Because he did, baseball rosters began to reflect change.

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Why I get up in the morning: Learning my lesson about purpose

Posted on October 7, 2019 by
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Why do I get up in the morning?

Sometimes, I think about those words when I’m getting ready to go to work. That question’s easy to answer when things are going well.

I’m a teacher. I have moments where it seems like things work (I love it when a plan comes together!) I’m engaged and the students are engaged and everything is cookies, cupcakes and ice cream.

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‘X’ marks the spot: Giving up everything to find priceless treasure

Posted on June 17, 2019 by
One of stories Jesus tells in Matthew 13 focuses on a man who found hidden treasure.

What comes to mind when you think of the word treasure?

Maybe you see images of Captain Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl in search of gold. Follow the map because “X” marks the spot.

Or, is it the stories of treasures hunters trying to find that which is lost — maybe, the “Curse of Oak Island” and its famed “money pit.”

Maybe for you, treasure is found on “Antiques Road Show” or “Pawn Stars”, where ordinary folks discover what their unique items are worth. Hey, I’ll call my buddy to come on down and take a look at what you’ve brought in!

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You have a story to share and it is worth telling

Posted on June 14, 2019 by

“I’m not really that interesting. No one is going to care to listen to me.”

That was always the challenge when I was writing for a newspaper. Some people love to tell a story and some will share far more than you ever asked for. Then, there are those who don’t believe that anyone would care enough to read it.

If I had a dime for all the times I’ve heard someone say something along those lines, then I’d have a bagful of dimes. Seriously, though, that’s where people often go when asked to share something about themselves.

Maybe, that’s the way you feel about your life and your life story. However, I’m going to start with a very basic assumption: Everyone has a story to share.

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Bill Buckner’s career so much more than error in the 1986 World Series

Posted on May 28, 2019 by

I was sitting in a restaurant with my daughter today when I looked up at the baseball game playing on the television.  My eye caught the headline at the bottom of the screen that Bill Buckner had died.

I remember the famed play from the 1986 World Series.  I noticed one that Buckner was the outfielder for the Dodgers with Hank Aaron hit his record-setting home run.  He had always seemed, in some ways, to have his entire career diminished by one moment in one game.

Then, on a whim, I wrote to MLB and asked for permission to attend and cover a legends baseball game.  At the time, I was working in journalism and, amazingly, MLB said yes.  I knew some of the names that would be there and had a chance to talk to Brooks Robinson, Wade Boggs and others.

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‘Houston, we have a rejection problem’: The need for Lent and the journey to Easter

Posted on March 7, 2019 by
In rejection, we give up what we have to take the long road of our own making.

This devotion is part of a series that I’m planning to write throughout Lent talking about the “re-” words that appear in scripture.

If the restoration and redemption of Easter is the destination, then where did the journey start?

To get a glimpse, here are some words of Jesus from the parable of the Prodigal Son.

“Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger 
one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ 
So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, 
the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant 
 and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 
- Luke 15:11-13 (NIV)
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Five biscuits and two fish sticks: All it takes to show some faith

Posted on March 3, 2019 by
How do you feed 5,000-plus people? Look in one kid’s lunch box.

“Where’s the closest Wal-Mart?”

That might as well be the modern equivalent of what Jesus asked Philip at the start of the famed story of Jesus feeding 5,000.  Jesus is concerned about immediate need of this large group and he lays out this “test” for Philip.  Maybe, Jesus, knowing what’s about to happen, is just having a little fun with one of his disciples before the big reveal.  Honestly, Jesus has to have the greatest sense of humor ever created.

Philip’s response is basically, “Jesus, we don’t have enough money to solve this problem.”

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