What would you do if your run down house was in a run down city?

What would you do if you couldn’t pay the bills for your run down house?

What would you do if you were the only adult living in that run down house?

What would you do if you lived with twelve children in that run down house?

What would you do if you were the grandmother of all those children?

What would you do if one of your grandchildren was born addicted to crack cocaine?

What would you do?

If you’re living a comfortable life, count your blessings. You may think you have it bad, but you really don’t.

Merry Christmas.

Check out this video.

An American businessman took a vacation to a small coastal Greek village on doctors orders. After a phone call from home that upset him, he walked out on the dock and saw a single fisherman in a small boat with several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the fisherman on the catch.

“Then you would retire and move to a small coastal fishing village, where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, and stroll the village in the evenings while you sip wine and play guitar with your friends…”

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Mahatma Gandhi

Here’s the story of a man who went to an abortion clinic with his wife. Please read it.

It doesn’t matter if you’re pro-life or pro-choice, pro-gay or anti-gay, liberal or conservative, whatever side you’re on, it doesn’t matter. But when you put your beliefs into action, are you really doing the will of God?

Are you doing his will by terrorizing women that make the difficult decision to get an abortion? Or by keeping two people that are genuinely in love with each other from expressing that love? Would Jesus approve of this hate? I don’t think so.

“The women I think as most beautiful in life are always, always…the confident ones. And the traits I remember about my favorite people are never their waistline or their face symmetrics, how well they did in school or how much money their parents made. No, it’s their infectious laughter. The way they scrunch up their nose when they smile. The way they freely dance, run to hold a baby, sing off-tune, rock out Navaho jewelry at a black-tie event, compliment others, accept a compliment, look for beauty and believe in who they are without any apology. The way they proudly, beautifully swim against the current.” – Kelle Hampton

I see too many girls and young women that put themselves down all the time. Please stop and see the true beauty within yourself!

Courtesy of A Beautiful Revolution

Reason #1, in the 2006 draft, he was picked second overall in the first round by the New Orleans Saints instead of being taken first overall by the Houston Texans. Granted that there was much national hype as to who would be taken first overall, Bush or Vince Young. Both are dynamic players but in the end, the Texans made all the right moves in the past five years and the continued solid play from Mario Williams ever since being taken first the the 2006 draft shows that the Texans had made the right decision all along.

Why Bush being taken second overall irked me was because of his reaction. Sure, he was the best player in the draft, but he did not fill a need for the Texans. What was with the disappointed look? I’ll admit that I was envious of his position. Being possibly the best offensive player in college history and having the opportunity to play in the NFL would have been enough for me even if I was taken in the seventh round! I could not respect a guy who was crying over not being taken first overall.

Reason #2, when he entered the NFL, he was nothing more than a utility back. So far, all he has been known for in his career is his ability to return kick offs and punts and catching the occasional swing pass in the flat. I’ll even give him his ability to run outside of the tackles. But as an NFL caliber running back, you have to be able to run in between the tackles!

Let’s review the top five running backs in the NFL of 2009. In this order: Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans, Steven Jackson of the St Louis Rams, Thomas Jones of the New York Jets, Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings. Reggie Bush’s position in top rushing category? Number 48. His position as an overall running back? #55. If you’re going to cry about not being the first overall pick, show that you can be a top back in the league!

However, I now have a lot of respect for this guy. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would feel like to win the Heisman Trophy. I also can’t even begin to comprehend how you can decide to give it back. I agree with the arguments that there are a lot of student athletes who broke and are still breaking the rules just like Bush did and never get caught, and I also agree that it sucks for Bush to take the full brunt of criticism and punishment because he did get caught, but rules are rules. But when it all came down to it, Reggie Bush manned up and did the right thing. Much respect as a man.

Now only if his play reflected that on the field… Just kidding! but seriously.

Also, the lesson learned is that no one wins when you break the rules. I hope that the lesson learned today by current student athletes is to follow the rules, not that they should keep breaking the rules and be better at hiding it.

After a second allegation of rape from a separate victim, Roethlisberger was initially suspended for the first six games of the 2010 season. Let’s compare his suspension to previous players:

- Adam Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 season for his involvement with a shooting at a Las Vegas strip club which left a security guard paralyzed from waist down, and indefinitely in the 2008 season which was reduced to four games for an alcohol related fight with his body guard. His initial suspension was not reduced.

- The late Chris Henry was suspended for the first eight games in the 2007 season for various off-field offenses, which include driving under the influence, marijuana possession, assault, and criminal damage. His suspension was not reduced.

- Tank Johnson was suspended for the first eight games in the 2007 season for various off-field offenses, which include illegal possession of firearms in his car and home, driving under the influence, and being involved in a fight at a club which resulted in a shooting and the death of his friend/body guard.

- Michael Vick was suspended indefinitely in 2007 for his involvement of financially supporting a dog fighting ring. After serving nineteen months in jail, he was suspended for an additional two games in the 2009 season. His suspension was not reduced.

- Donte Stallworth was suspended for the entire 2009 season for driving under the influence manslaughter charges. His suspension was not reduced.

These are all serious offenses and  no one had their suspension reduced except Adam Jones’s second suspension. How is it that after being accused of rape twice within a span of two years, Mr. Goodell would have the testicular fortitude to reduce Roethlisberger’s suspension from six games to four? What kind of message is he trying to send boys and young men all over America? It’s okay to commit a crime as long as you exhibit good behavior for a certain period o time? This decision simply isn’t right and sets the wrong precedent for fans of the sport and players around the league. In my opinion, Roethlisberger should have been suspended for at least eight games to an entire season with no possible reduction. He should have known better than to put himself in situation that involved young women and alcohol at a club. Goodell made his decision based upon Roethlisberger staying out of trouble since the incident but I call BS. The timing is also suspect because the projected starter of the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Byron Leftwich, went down with a sprained ligament in his knee. It’s also possible that Roethlisberger is getting preferential treatment based on race, but none of that can be proven. If Goodell wants to set a certain standard for the league, he should stay consistent with previous suspensions. If you do the crime, you must do the time! Shame on you Roger Goodell, shame on you.

Isn’t procrastination a funny thing? I wonder what it is that makes us push the things we have to/need to do until the very last moment. Something I’m going to incorporate into my life: Just do it.