The Gift

Yesterday we had the opportunity to have the Sister missionaries over for dinner. It's always good to have them over and feel of the spirit that they bring. After dinner the Sisters shared a spiritual message with us. They shared a video titled "He is the Gift". After viewing the video each of us was asked what we thought and what stood out to us in the video.

My answer to this inquiry was to state that Christmas seems to be getting pushed into the background noise. We have to be more PC around this time of year and not seem to mention the word Christmas at all. It is a lot different than when I was growing up and Christmas was the focus of the holiday season. My mind also went back to a clip from "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown".

The real reason we have Christmas is because our Heavenly Father sent His Son to the earth. As we read in John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

One of my favorite Christmas carols tells why this Gift was so important:

Oh Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining, it is the night of our dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, till he appeared and the soul felt it's worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder lay a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angels voices! Oh night divine!
Oh night, when Christ was born.

So this Christmas season let's remember that if it weren't for the Father sending his Son we wouldn't be celebrating. We wouldn't be looking to Black Friday to get deals on gifts. We wouldn't be looking forward to Bad Sweater parties or holiday work parties. We wouldn't be spending time with our families on that eve where the true meaning of Christmas is shared by reading the account found in Luke Chapter 2. The first Gift of Christmas has led to this time of celebration, we must always remember this Gift above all others.

Blackouts

Earlier this week the FCC decided that supporting professional sports blackouts (where local games aren't televised based on certain rules) was something they weren't going to do going forward. It was a big deal for all of about 5 minutes as everyone realized that the major sports leagues could still blackout games. They just couldn't hide behind the FCC anymore.

There are two leagues who could, in my opinion, make a change and no longer blackout any games and probably (note probably) make some more money. These two leagues are MLS and the NHL. I don't expect that the NFL, NBA or MLB will ever change so I don't have much hope. Here are my reasons why MLS and the NHL should get rid of blackouts:

1. Streaming of games - Both leagues offer online packages for games to be streamed to your home. This freedom is great except that you can't get the local teams, nor can you get nationally televised games (NHL always, MLS sometimes). This creates a HUGE problem when playoff time comes around. All NHL playoff games are nationally televised, which means if you get the Center Ice package you can't see them. If you are like me and have cut the cord to pay TV, you have to wait until NBC shows the games and that's usually once a weekend. Matter of fact, NBC only shows some of the Stanley Cup Finals which means I could miss the hoisting of the cup. The NHL has the best playoffs of any major sports league (even diehard NFL guys agree to this), so by not blacking them out and charging a bit more for their streaming package more fans would watch, more revenue from alternates streams (and markets who aren't in the playoffs) would come in.
2. Expanding audience reach - Both leagues are "second level" when compared to the NFL, NBA and MLB. They need a way to expand their fan base and reach new fans. By not blacking games out it provides a way for people to see their games when there is "nothing else on". This is especially big for MLS during the months of June, July, and August when the only real competition is Baseball. By not blacking out games and providing a way to reach other audiences, the excitement of the games can infect new viewers.
3. Fan Friendliness - Fans hate it when they can't see their local teams. Blackouts prevent them from doing so. By removing blackouts, fans will be happier and more likely to purchase other items (such as apparel). This means more revenue for the leagues and teams which in turn can produce better product on the field/ice.
4. Selfishness - I'm kind of tired of being told that I can't watch something because of some archaic rules. We live in an age where we can get access to data 24X7 without much difficulty. It shouldn't be so hard to get access to live events also. We need to bring sports broadcasting into the 21st Century and allow fans access to everything (even if we have to pay a yearly fee).

Removing the blackouts for MLS and the NHL would make me want to spend money on their packages. It would strengthen the bond I already have as a fan. It would make me an even bigger cheerleader for their cause. In short, it would make them and me better.

A Song Stuck In My Head

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? You know, one you can't get out of your head? A song that maybe drives you crazy or makes you think? Yeah, I've got a song stuck in my head and yes it has made me think.

Fair warning: The song stuck in my head is not a Rock, Pop, Country, Rap or Love song. The song stuck in my head is a hymn that I have sung in church hundreds of times. Yes I have the "normal" verses memorized, but there is more to the song. So here goes:

The song is Come, Follow Me. It is a song about following the Savior Jesus Christ and his teachings. The lyrics are as follows:

1. "Come, follow me," the Savior said.
Then let us in his footsteps tread,
For thus alone can we be one
With God's own loved, begotten Son.

This verse is an invitation to walk in His footsteps and become "one" with the Savior in purpose. Following in one's footsteps is admirable when the one is someone who has led a great life and done great good. Following in the Savior's footsteps means that we are striving to become perfect like He is. It also means that we learn his commandments and teachings and do our best to obey and follow them.

2. "Come, follow me," a simple phrase,
Yet truth's sublime, effulgent rays
Are in these simple words combined
To urge, inspire the human mind.

Truth comes to us when we strive to do what's right. The invitation to follow the Savior and learn the truth should urge us on to perfection and inspire us to always do what's right.

3. Is it enough alone to know
That we must follow him below,
While trav'ling thru this vale of tears?
No, this extends to holier spheres.

Verse three reminds us that even though we follow the Savior in this life, we must also follow Him in the next. Life does not end with death, but continues and the Savior's example also continues into eternity.

4. Not only shall we emulate
His course while in this earthly state,
But when we're freed from present cares,
If with our Lord we would be heirs.

Emulating the Savior means loving everyone. We do not judge others but rather show empathy and love. We praise, comfort, console, encourage, etc in order to let all men know we believe that all are God's precious children

The next two verses are not traditionally sung, but when I read through them I knew they were also part of the reason this song is stuck in my head.

5. We must the onward path pursue
As wider fields expand to view,
And follow him unceasingly,
Whate'er our lot or sphere may be.

Life may not seem fair. We may not be blessed with the comforts of this life. We may have trials that wear on us. We may have family that we long to be close to, but for one reason or another cannot. We fight with personal demons so that we can try and live the best life possible. We must strive to follow Him unceasingly.

6. For thrones, dominions, kingdoms, pow'rs,
And glory great and bliss are ours,
If we, throughout eternity,
Obey his words, "Come, follow me."

Even though life is tough, there is a reward for our efforts. We can receive all that the Father has. We only have to obey his words, "Come, follow me".

I think this song has been stuck in my head because I need a course correction. It could be that I am not following Him to the degree to which I should. Have I showed love to all men? Have I obeyed His commandments? Have I been kind even when I disagree? Have I thought of my neighbor and done something to help him/her?

I don't know all the reasons why this song has been in my head for the last two weeks. I am committed to finding out where I need to improve and try to tread in His footsteps more.

Let's talk about boring

Straight up, I love the World Cup. FIFA's premier tournament played every four years. Unfortunately there are others who don't. And of course they have to come out with the obligatory "Why I'm not watching the World Cup" post. Most of the time they talk about how boring soccer is. So in response, let's talk about sports and boring:

One of the posts I read last week talked about how you could go away, make a sandwich and come back with nothing of importance happening. Ok, name me another sport in the US where that doesn't happen? NFL? you might miss two plays that go for 2 yards. NBA? You might miss a three pointer (not to mention that everyone knows the game isn't really on until the last two minutes). NHL? A couple of rushes (and really what's the big difference between hockey and soccer?). MLB? A couple of batters.

The fact is that all sports can be "boring". They are even more boring when you don't understand the concepts behind the play. Once you "understand" the game, it goes from boring to exciting. Once you understand the various situations in a game you gain an appreciation for what happens during play.

Unfortunately too many people won't take the time to understand the game. They do however take the time to describe how much they find the game they don't understand boring. Kind of silly if you think about it. I guess they are just looking for their 15 minutes of fame...

World Cup Fever

TWO DAYS! Yes I had to scream that out loud. The World Cup starts in two days. Last December I made my picks for the group stages and gave a list of the five teams that I thought would win it all this year.

I have since made bracket picks and looking at those I have the following winners from the groups:

• Group A
• Winner: Brazil
• 2nd: Croatia
• Group B
• Winner: Spain
• 2nd: Holland
• Group C
• Winner: Colombia
• 2nd: Japan
• Group D
• Winner: Italy
• 2nd: England
• Group E
• Winner: France (although no Ribery could derail this one)
• 2nd: Switzerland
• Group F
• Winner: Argentina
• 2nd: Nigeria
• Group G
• Winner: Germany (although no Reus could allow for a first round exit)
• 2nd: USA

I did pick a second bracket, but not a lot of differences. I have either Germany or Brazil winning it all in the bracket. However, my December picks didn't have Germany as one of my top 5 to win it all.

The madness (to borrow the term from NCAA March) begins on Thursday and we will see how things pan out. I'm sure I'll be tweeting about the matches and what's happening all along. I mean after all, I am kind of obsessed.

US Mens National Team World Cup Roster

Disbelief. Yes, US Men's Soccer fans, disbelief is the emotion of the moment. Juergen Klinsman announced his 23 man roster for the 2014 World Cup next month in Brazil. Here's how it breaks down:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Anyone else see a glaring omission? There has to be a mistake! What in the world is Juergen thinking?

In case it didn't slap you across the face (or you didn't this trending on Twitter), Landon Donovan was left off the roster! Let me repeat that, LANDON DONOVAN WAS LEFT OFF THE ROSTER! Perhaps one of the most influential players in the past decade for the men's team has been left off. His goal in the first round against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup saved the US from exiting the tournament early and actually got them to the top of the group. Arguably one of the best players on the team has been left off the roster.

Who should have been left home instead of Landon? Well in my opinion these two:

• Kyle Beckerman - He's good, but he's not Landon good and I would take Landon in the midfield over him right now
• Julian Green - Like his last name he is "green" to the team. Recently "allowed" by FIFA to play for the US

Ok, so now I'm over the shock. Ok maybe not. The big question remains what will the reaction be if the team doesn't get out of the group of death with Donovan at home?

SB 1062 Needed? I think not

There is a lot of talk about a bill that has passed the Arizona Legislature. The bill known as SB 1062 was written to protect religious freedom. There has been a lot of back and forth over this one as to whether or not it is needed or even if it was really written to protect religious freedom. Me? I don't think it is needed. My reasoning however is not the same as what I hear coming from the proponents and opponents.

SB 1062 is not needed in my opinion because I just don't think that people are as vindictive as both sides are making them out to be. I believe that people are good. Call me optimistic, call me naive, but that's how I feel about it. I don't believe that people of a certain orientation are going to go out and target groups who don't believe in their orientation just to get them sued. I don't believe that people of a certain religion are going to go out of their way to exclude people who don't believe in their religion. I know, call me crazy.

I believe that we are better than that. I believe that people are good in general. Are there extremists who can ruin it for everybody? Of course there are, that's why they are called extremists. They are few and far between.


Again, I believe in people. I believe that we are good in general. I believe that no matter our orientations or beliefs we can work together, live together and serve together. That's what we are as a society and race. That is why we don't need SB 1062.