What do You Trust in?

Well I am leading FCA tonight for its last meeting, which means I get to test out what I am going to say right here. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about security. Not national or home security, and not run security (it’s a baseball thing) either. I’ve been thinking about security as a person. What do you put your trust in? Do you put it in your job, your home, or financial assets? Maybe your golf game? For younger people, do you put it in your relationships, social status, physical appearance, or grades?  When you put your security and faith in the wrong things you often end up getting hurt very badly. You end up facing defeat, and leave unsatisfied. I was struggling to think of a verse that applies here, mainly because there are so many. One verse stood out in my mind though, Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.” That was one of my favorite verses once I read it; it says so much that we can take into our lives. While things of this world may fade, God is “ever-present.” He never leaves and He never fails. If you put your trust in God you will never be disappointed, you may have to wait a bit but you won’t walk away lost. I admit that there are times (heck, many times) where I put my trust in other things, and I ALWAYS end up lost. It’s really easy to fall for tricks though, it’s really easy to desire immediate satisfaction from the things around us, but it never lasts. This week try to think about what you put your trust in, and if you find that it is something other than God pray about. I know that last part is cliché, but God always answers prayers and will take everything you give to Him. God is good, trust in Him for all your needs.

Salt's Gotta Be Salty

One thing I’ve learned so far at college is that there are many different points of view out there. I don’t claim to be a saint at all, I am far from perfect and the day I fail to admit that I better pack up and live alone because my life will be worthless with that attitude. What I do say is that I have a very high set of standards and expectations for myself. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that we must “be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect.” Now, we will never be perfect but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. I try very hard to live a life as described in the Bible. God blessed me very much and has told me how He wants me to live, it is up to me to obey and love Him. There are a lot of people, who are good, but they aren’t so concerned. They live by the world’s standards. They follow what the world says regarding sex, language, partying, the list goes on and on. Failing in those things is bad, but it doesn’t make you evil. Not trying though, that’s tough to explain. For me it can be tough because very often I am on my own in my striving towards perfection in pleasing God, but Jesus called us to be set apart. What is salt worth if it loses its saltiness right? I may be an anomaly, or even a archetype that is slowly going extinct, but I do know that I try to please my God whom I love more than anything, and to me that is the only thing that matters.

Something Worthwhile

As I continue reading through Acts one thing stands out to me, the early church was dangerous. Some of the Jewish leaders really hated the Christians, and so they actively persecuted and killed anyone who claimed to be a follower of Jesus. Despite all that, the disciples would not quit, they kept going out to spread the Good News. I like to think that I would do the same, but it’s easy to say that when I live on a campus where church participation is encouraged, and in a country where I am free to do whatever I want. Sure I may find myself facing people who oppose me and make fun of me, but overall I am very safe. There are many countries where it is not safe to be a Christian, where walking to church is one of the most dangerous actions you could do. Here’s the thing, if this is all you seek, then any earthly danger doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what people think of me or what they say behind my back. Why doesn’t it matter? I love God first, and His opinion is the only thing that matters, that’s why. I live in relative comfort, people think I’m an oddball and I’m fine with that. Even if I faced many dangers I couldn’t turn my back on my faith. I love God first, I may stumble or stray but I will always strive to know my Creator more and live a life that glorifies Him. Today, try to go out and live your faith actively. Don’t be passive, let God shine out through you and whether the consequences of that be positive or negative rejoice in the fact that you lived for something that matters.

Go Sox

Here's hoping the Sox make it 2-5 today at the home opener. While I am not able to watch it I luckily have a radio on my alarm clock so I'm listening with rapt attention. As always GO SOX, and God bless. 

Random Thoughts

 I recently had a very interesting discussion with a few friends. One of the great things about college is that you get to see different points of view, while it can pose a challenge to my faith it also forces me to think for myself and look in the Bible for answers, eventually causing me to grow in faith. The topic was on what happens after we die, my friends claimed that all religions are true and that no one goes to hell. They also claimed there is merit to the doctrine of reincarnation citing stories of people who “remember” past lives. I was perplexed, especially by the fact that members of my own faith could say something so radical. But after a night’s sleep and prayer here are my thoughts. There isn’t a basis for what they said in the Bible. I don’t have all the answers, but I stand by what the Bible says and also by God’s judgment. I’ve written before, but will summarize, that in the end we choose hell not God. We are all given a chance to claim the offer God has presented us; to reject that offer is to reject God. If we reject God why would we want to live in eternity in worship of Him? That’s what Heaven is, eternal worship of God, it makes no sense for someone who opposes God to desire to live in worship of Him. Next about all religions being true. C.S. Lewis once wrote that atheists believe all religions are false whereas Christians believe that Christianity gets the whole picture while all other religions get a piece of the whole idea. We are all seeking the same God; in Christianity we get His word but other religions get an imperfect picture of who God is, so there is some truth in every religion. What happens to people of other religions I don’t know; I do know that Jesus said that to get to the father we need to go through Him, but what happens is up to God. God is extremely loving and forgiving but faith in Him is what gets us into Heaven, it doesn’t matter how good a person is. Likewise, no matter what you’ve done, God will forgive you if you ask for it. It’s not about what we’ve done, it’s about what Jesus did. The last topic, reincarnation, was the most interesting one. Simply put I don’t believe it. There is no basis for it in the Bible. As a Christian I think that the people who claim that they have past lives are either lying for publicity or possibly into something dark. Anyway those are some brief thoughts. As I go through life I’ll meet many opposing views that challenge my own so it’s always good to think for myself and write out my thoughts.  

We Need a Role Model

I have recently been asked to give the message for the next FCA meeting, considering that I am going to be leading the group next year I had better get used to it. My initial response was to say that I haven’t been as diligent about reading my Bible and had nothing to say. The words almost left my mouth but instead I said that I’d pray about it. I cracked open the book of Acts this morning which I recently began reading and came upon chapter 7 which recounts the stoning of Stephen. For some reason I began to ask why there aren’t many godly men like Stephen to look up to, why are the role models in our society often people who do bad things? When I was younger and lived at home I had mentors in my church, men who have walked with God that I could look up to. Here at Holy Cross I’ve been distanced from those role models in my life and have had to look elsewhere. It seems to me that the role model that is put forth by society is a very different one than God has in mind for us as Christians. The typical “cool” guy in college parties a lot, has a very active social life, and exudes confidence. Not that those things in themselves are bad, but are they everything to live for? Isn’t there something more? I’ve been down on myself lately because the choices I have made in my life push me towards the straight and narrow and forgo all the fun that most college kids seem to have. All Stephen cared about was proclaiming the Gospel and making God proud. It may not have been the most glamorous or pleasurable life, but it was a life worth living. Stephen can serve as a role model for us today, but the key to remember is that his role model was God. Anyone who puts God first in his life can serve as an example to others, that’s what were are called to do right? Jesus didn’t call us Christians the salt and light of the earth for nothing. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my life and where I am, and I’ve decided that instead of complaining I should be rejoicing. I have lived a blessed life and am extremely blessed to have a relationship with my Creator. Yeah I miss out on a lot, but in the end I’m not really missing anything that could ever math what God can provide for me.

Happy Easter

Here's a belated Happy Easter t o everybody, I've been doing a lot of thinking the past few weeks and I have a lot to write so look for a lot of posts soon.

Sox Preview!

This is a reprint of a newspaper article I wrote, seeing that the Sox will play this week I believe that a post on the Red Sox is in order. It's long, but it got published so I think it is pretty good.

Opening Day is just around the corner; the Sox will square off versus the Tigers in a match between Jon Lester and 2011 CY Young and MVP winner Justin Verlander. It should be an excellent game, and in case you have been behind on all Sox news—or trying to forget about last year—here is a short preview of the 2012 season by position.

            Catcher: Jarrod Saltalamacchia gets the start as he begins his first full season as a team leader. Salty hit an unimpressive .235 with a .288 OBP, creating a massive hole in the lineup. This causes some concern going into the 2012 season except for the fact that Salty had a decent first half—.251 AVG, .320 OBP—these numbers aren’t very good either, but as Salty develops as a player and builds the stamina required to play a full season I think that his numbers will improve.

            First base: Adrian Gonzalez quickly immersed himself into Fenway Lore as one of the greatest hitters in baseball. Gonzo had a career year last season hitting .388 with a .410 OBP and a .548 SLG. His power was lacking due to a weak shoulder, which took some of the pop from his bat, but he still was able to mash 27 HR and collect 117 RBI’s. I predict that Gonzo will see a dip in his average—due to many boring stats you probably don’t care too much about he had luck on his side last year—but his power numbers will improve. Don’t be surprised if he gets well above the 30 HR mark next season.

            Second base: If the team were to name a new captain Pedroia surely would be the frontrunner. Amid all the concerns over his surgically repaired foot, Pedroia bounced back after an injury-shortened 2010 campaign and proved he is still one of the AL’s best hitters. He set career highs in HR, RBI’s, stolen bases, and OBP. Look for the small yet tough second baseman to improve as he continues to strengthen and recover from his injury proving himself to be the best second baseman in the league.

            Shortstop: Mike Aviles will get the nod on Opening Day, but has never played Shortstop on a consistent basis, so 2012 could either prove GM Ben Cherrington’s genius or make us miss Theo Epstein even more. Aviles is a decent fielder though and has an unproven yet powerful bat. He’s gotten the bulk of the starts in Spring Training and has instilled confidence in the team. Look for him to be average in the field and to put up similar offensive numbers to Marco Scutaro.

            Third base: To say that Youk has been in a decline is like saying Kimball food isn’t all that good, it is a gross understatement. Youk is turning 33 this year, and seems to be nearing the twilight of his career. Named the “Greek God of walks” for his ability to get on base, he had a record low batting average of .258 and OBP of .373. Now, .373 is not a bad on base percentage, but considering his career average is .391 and he hasn’t had a OBP lower than .380 since his rookie year, the decline in numbers isn’t encouraging. Youk is still a great player, but he is reaching an age when small injuries add up and the priority needs to shift to staying healthy and on the field. Youk can’t miss another season due to injuries if the Sox want a lineup as potent as it has been years past.

            Left field: Crawford has been around for a while, but at the young age of 29 he has many years of baseball left in him. While last year he hit .255 with a .289 OBP and a .405 SLG, I think he can turn it around. The first way things change for him is for the Sox to understand that he is not the next Ted Williams, he puts up very average offensive numbers and is never going to be a power threat. What he can do though is play tremendous defense and steal bases. Putting him back in the number two hole to add additional speed to the top of the order will instill confidence and help him get back into a groove, that decision though is up to the manager and depends on whether Crawford can stand up to the pressures of playing for the Sox.

            Center field: Ellsbury had a breakout year last season, setting records in pretty much every offensive categories. After a dreadful 2010 season a lot of questions hung over his shoulder, but he was able to silence the doubters and prove that he is one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. Look for Ellsbury to continue making the adjustments, he may not have a monster season like last year but he will be good.

            Right field: Currently Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeny hold the spot in a platoon. Both players have been around and are great defensive players,  but offensively they come up short. In an article I wrote a while ago I showed that a platoon would be ideal, but definitely look for Ross to get the majority of the starts. His mentality as a competitor, fast style of play, and extra pop in his bat set him above Sweeny as the best candidate for the starting job. Once Ryan Kalish recovers from shoulder surgery look for him to get a few starts in the second half too.

            Well there you have it, the Sox have one of the best lineups going into the 2012 season, with the revamped Rays, Yankees, and Jays it should be a very competitive and tough race for the AL Pennant this year, but what kind of Sox fan would I be if I said they didn’t stand a chance.