Pete And Press

 

Pete And Press

Holidays aren't the same when your parents have passed away. I was blessed with terrific relationships with my folks but not all are so blessed. In daily prayer requests from my students, petitions are penned asking for better communication with their folks. Some of my students in the past have had no living biological parents so that is an even heavier burden for a teen to bear. The following is about one of the most famous American athletes and his not quite so famous father. This is from 12-28-06.

It's the season to cash in the gift cards. Yesterday was Macy's and today was TARGET. I have $75 left on various Starbucks cards so that will take awhile. This morning, I headed to BORDERS to redeem a gift from a student. Several times I was approached by employees who offered their help but true to form, I rejected their overtures. I couldn't find the book I had my heart set on but just as I was about to leave, there it was in a new hardcover display: MARAVICH, a biography by Wayne Federman and Marshall Terrill. My gift card didn't cover the total cost but it was worth a few extra dollars. I know the basic story of Pete Maravich but I'm interested in the details. The leading scorer in college basketball history and chosen as one of the NBA'S 50 Greatest Players, the player nicknamed Pistol Pete should have had a happy life ....but he didn't. His teams did not win championships and his flashy style turned many off. He had a contentious relationship with his father/coach and his mother, after battling depression, committed suicide. He struggled with alcohol and his career was shortened by injury. I'm only one hundred pages into this well-written book but it has confirmed what I already knew. Pete Maravich was programmed by his father at birth to become a basketball star. In that sense, he was successful. The Pistol was well ahead of his time in terms of ball handling and flamboyant play. His signing at LSU sparked basketball mania in Louisiana, a state dominated by football. But there were always critics who accused him of shooting too much and his dad, Press, of favoritism. His teammates in the pros often disdained his unorthodox brand of offense and he at times feuded with his coaches. For all his glory, it just seems there was no fairy tale curtain call for this magnificently talented athlete. It needed a happier ending.

It's easy to be critical of parents, especially from the hindsight biographers possess. Press Maravich would seem to be an easy target. He saw basketball as the ticket to his son's better life, just as it allowed him to escape from the steel mills of Pennsylvania. Pete showed no interest in studies and scraped by with a minimum of effort, apparently with the blessing of his father. Juggling roles of player/coach/father/son is difficult in any case and with the Maraviches, volatile eruptions seemed to be the norm. Pete knew basketball because his dad lived basketball and the son inherited the hoop gene from the father. Kids model what they see at home. Press Maravich gave his son the opportunity, as well as the DNA, to achieve fame and financial stability and he loved his more famous son with all his being. I haven't reached the end of the story but I bet he wished he might have helped Pete to be more balanced in his approach to life off the court. Late in his life which was stunningly cut short by a heart attack at age forty, Pete made peace with himself and his dad after he turned his life over to God. What a shame that he seemed a tortured soul for so much of his four decade existence on earth. Parents make choices and children make choices. Great parents can have horrible kids and horrible parents can produce marvelous children. The Bible is full of advice for dads in regards to the treatment of their offspring. You can divide the guidelines into two categories:
1. Love them.
2. Teach them.
It looks really easy to me but I'm sitting in the stands in this arena. Bless all of you who have taken on the responsibility. And bless my dad who taught his kids how to live, although in a much more private venue than Press Maravich did. And bless my brothers who have taught and coached their sons, in the classroom, on the field/court, and in the game of life. And while you're at it, bless the mothers, too. They have a little bit to do with the outcome as well.

Applicable quote of the day:
"There is nothing wrong with dedication and goals, but if you focus on yourself, all the lights fade away and you become a fleeting moment in life."
Pete Maravich

To watch a clip of Pete Maravich while at LSU, click below!


God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

The Proof

 

The Proof

Since I wrote this entry sixteen years ago, I've purchased two new cars. But, I still have the same insurance agent and the same insurance company and I am pleased with both. Praise the Lord, I've only made one claim! This is from July 28, 2009.

There are people who crisscross our lives a number of times. Randy King is one of those folks whose life has intersected mine repeatedly. We were students at Harding University together where I sat on the same chapel row with his lovely future wife, Diane Goodspeed. Randy has been chairman of the board of directors at Westbury Christian where I teach with Diane. His kids have all been in my classes and one, Katy, played basketball for me. On a more personal level, Randy was my brother Dave's roommate at Harding and we were the groomsmen in Dave and Sally's wedding. (We wore yellow and black tuxes and looked liked bumblebees!) There is one more key connection: Randy is my insurance agent. My Texas license plates expire this Saturday which means my car has to pass inspection. To have your car inspected, you must show proof of insurance. As I began looking for my insurance papers yesterday, I found they were misplaced. So, this morning, I visited Randy at his office and picked up the necessary forms for my inspection. Now, I just have to hope my Toyota is up to the emission standards and possessing no hidden flaws. This Corolla has always passed but like everything else, it's a year older. I'll find out tomorrow.

When I take my car to the Sticker Shop in the morning for the inspection, the first thing they'll request is proof of my insurance. How do you think they'd respond if I told them I didn't bring my insurance papers with me but they could trust me when I said I was covered? My overwhelming belief is that they'd laugh at me. I could tell them I live next door (which is true) or that they performed my inspection the last several years (also true) or that my brother's college roommate sold me the policy, a fact we've established already. None of those points matter to them- they want evidence. Isn't that how we are at times spiritually? We proclaim to the world our religion but the world demands evidence. I can tell others I'm a Christian but they need to see it for themselves. In the second chapter of his book, James writes that his faith is outwardly visible in the manner he lives his life. Jesus told his men that there would be outward evidence of their affiliation with him for the world to see. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35) Do you think all men know we are the disciples of the Savior? I can tell them I go to church and read the Bible or I can wear a cross around my neck but that carries little weight with seekers. They want to see the proof of Jesus in me. It could be the state of Texas has a good idea. Maybe for a sense of renewal, Christians could get inspected every year, too. I'm due- my sticker is nearly outdated. Hopefully, I wouldn't be blindsided by sticker shock!

Applicable quote of the day:
"The grace of GOD is like insurance. It will help you in your time of need without any limit.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba

God bless,
Steve

Luke 18:1

Without The Other

 

Without The Other

My students have very little knowledge of things that kids in my generation would have known. I would guess not one of my students would know anything about the book or incident mentioned below. None of them would be aware that on November 15, 1959, one of the most brutal and senseless killings in American history took place in Holcomb, Kansas. In a botched robbery, the four members of the Herb Clutter family were slaughtered in their farmhouse by two ex convicts. The story would have been forgotten by the rest of the country had not Truman Capote saw the short news blurb in the New York Times and decided it would be the subject of his next work. The book, In Cold Blood, was a chilling step-by-step account of the killings, the police investigation, and the subsequent execution of Richard Hickok and Perry Smith. The following entry, from July 29, 2007, centers on the writing of the most famous crime account in our culture.


Baseball greats Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken took their place with legends today as they were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Class acts as well as amazing players, the duo embodies what baseball holds up as its best. A headline on a sports website stated that Ripken and Gwynn are forever linked with their enshrinement. In an era where players are lured to new cities and teams by more money, Ripken and Gwynn remained with their own organizations the duration of their careers. Their names were in the spotlight for on the field accomplishments, never off the field escapades. Their kind seems an endangered species.Two days ago, I finished a wonderful biography by Charles J. Shields. Mockingbird: A Portrait Of Harper Lee tells the story of the woman who penned To Kill A Mockingbird.....and never published another novel. The tale of Harper is woven with her childhood neighbor, fellow author Truman Capote, whose fame would eclipse Lee's. It was as if the life of one illuminated the life of the other. Capote, the inspiration of the character, Dill, in Lee's classic, was an abandoned child. Lee, whose observations of small town Alabama life became a staple in American schools, had an emotionally distant mother but a loving father, the embodiment of her book's Atticus Finch. Capote became acclaimed with his chilling best seller, In Cold Blood, detailing the horrific murders of the Clutter family on their Kansas farm. But In Cold Blood might not have achieved its success without the research of Harper, who accompanied Capote to Kansas and eased tensions with the local citizens. Even the villages the books center around (Monroeville, ie Maycomb, Alabama and Holcomb, Kansas) are tied together as tragedies create upheaval in rural America. Shields leads readers to question if either Capote or Lee would have become famous without the influence of the other. Harper Lee, still living in her hometown, gives no interviews. We'll just have to wonder.

School starts for me in two weeks. I haven't thought of lesson plans but I know where my eighth and tenth grade Bible classes will begin: the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus. The two are linked eternally by the mission of John, fulfilled in the ministry of his relative/Son of God. The life of Christ is so much more easily explained with the narrative of the wilderness prophet. Both were born miraculously after angelic pronouncements and both die at the hands of government officials on charges not worthy of the light of day. But John's message of the coming Savior prepared the hearts of the people for the one they had longed to see. In one of the best tongue-twisters in the Bible, the Baptist describes Jesus in the 16th verse of John 1:
John testifies concerning him. He cries out saying, ''This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' ''
John brought Jesus to the attention of the masses. Jesus delivered grace to a humanity in dire need of a messiah. That's a pretty strong connection. Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken are now Hall Of Famers while Harper Lee and Truman Capote raked in awards and money for their efforts. But the best link of all is the one that helped break the chain of slavery to sin. John the Baptist and Jesus; a team for the ages.

Applicable quote of the day:
"Remember these two things: play hard and have fun."
Tony Gwynn (San Diego Padres)

Here is a very good article about the Clutter family killings.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/nov/16/truman-capote-in-cold-blood

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Pills And Poverty

 

Pills And Poverty

In talking to my students about mission trips, I mention the risks involved. The danger in most cases, while real, is minimal. Malaria is not a big deal in the US but it is in the rest of the world. Here is a look at the one of the world's biggest killers. This is from July 30, 2006.

I took my last malaria pills this morning: two per day spread out over four consecutive Sundays. The medication must be effective even though my niece, Meagan, picked up malaria, as well as a staph infection, on a mission trip to Africa several years back. Our group in Honduras was remarkably free from illness this summer. I don't think anyone had any problems at all. I've only felt bad once in Honduras- I thought I was going to die- but it passed within twenty-four hours. We are careful in how we approach life in a foreign country, especially in regards to drinking water. Many of us do have irregularities in our digestive patterns. In my case, I chalk it up to a change of diet more than anything else. At home, I eat oatmeal, raw fruits and vegetables, and yogurt. For our lunches in Honduras, I consume Pringles, Pop Tarts, trail mix, pudding cups, and peanut butter crackers, items I never touch in the States. People assume we lose weight on these missions but I have not found that to be true with me, primarily because of the high fat and sugar content of my snacks. I have developed a fondness for breakfasts of beans and tortillas, though!

I have a confession to make. Even though I have taken anti-malarial pills for several years, I had to go to a CDC (Center For Disease Control) website to learn specifics about the illness itself. I found out it is carried by mosquitoes and is largely preventable. I discovered that although it has been eradicated in the United States, malaria retains one of the highest mortality rates in the world. Highest concentrations of outbreaks are in developing nations with warm climates. It is estimated that there are 300-500 million cases of malaria per year worldwide, with children bearing the highest percentage of deaths. A child dies every thirty seconds from malaria somewhere in Africa. In the US, malaria is a non-factor. With our youngest, efforts focus on having kids wear helmets while bike riding or investigating the danger of aluminum baseball bats. Our wealth and climate combine to grant us immunity from the scourge; malaria is a hazard only when we leave our borders. Then, we take our pills.

I do need to make a slight retraction; we did have one Shine Mission mishap in southern Honduras last week. Katie McDonald, pictured above, stepped on a nail while involved in a construction project. The nail penetrated her running shoe and entered her foot. Her mother, Tammy, knew Katie's last tetanus shot had been within several years, removing any real danger to her daughter. Katie, a tough young lady, kept working until she developed swelling but she was back on the construction crew by the following morning. Her health was protected by a simple shot that is available to all Americans at a minimal cost. A very long time ago, the feet of Jesus were also pierced by a nail but it was no accident. The blood flowing from his feet nailed to the cross provides the perfect antidote to sin. It is effective on all continents, regardless of climate or prosperity level. It's available to all regardless of insurance or ability to pay. But unlike malaria, sin has not been eradicated from our shores. Maybe it's because sin is so much more fun than malaria.


Applicable quote of the day:
"Where malaria prospers most, human societies have prospered least."
Jeffrey D. Sachs, Columbia University


God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Scent Of A Spa

 

Scent Of A Spa

 

Getting close to Christmas! This is from December 30, 2017!
I'm a week into my holiday trip to Kansas. The first six days were spent at Dave and Sally's home with their kiddos. Since then, I've moved several miles from there to spend the rest of my time with Scott and Karen and two of their kids. It's a perfect set up for me- as soon as one family gets tired of me, I switch families! My sisters-in-law take good care of me and I am very grateful for that! I opened Christmas presents last Saturday with Dave and Sally's group and will do so tonight with Scott and Karen and company. It also happens to be Scott's birthday so a little bit extra in the present department for him! I've got all of my shopping done so I'm ready to give which we know is more blessed than receiving but I don't mind that part at all. Maybe I'll let you know what Santa delivered to me in future blogs!

I've got the Christmas shopping down to a science with almost everyone in my family. For example, I always buy my niece, Karis, what she really likes- a gift card from the Fresh Spa Market. Karen and I think this may be the sixth or seventh year in a row I've entered that establishment to purchase my gift. Two things I can count on during this venture. One is that I'll be the only guy on the premises. The second is that it always smells great in its confines. As the nice lady at the counter prepared my order, I told her to write KARIS in the recipient line. Her response was the same as always- 'we love Karis!' I concurred! As I took the gift bag from the woman, I complimented her on the fragrance associated with this place. I found her reply very funny and probably very accurate:
We have the best smelling trash in town!
When I walked out the door into the car where Dave was waiting, I was still laughing and told him I might have just received a blog idea. I never know where they come from. I'm betting on the Lord!

Sweet smelling trash- that's a novel concept! We associate garbage with foul odors for good reason but in this case, it isn't true. When even the refuse is aromatic, what a blessing. There are people we know like that- that even on their worst days, they bring joy and make a place or situation better. I've had players and students and colleagues on both sides of that equation. You love to see them coming or you dread their approach. What does it say about us if others pray we don't cross their path? Or what does it say about us if they pray we do? Paul talks about believers being an aroma but that can always be perceived in more than one way. Am I an aroma of life or death, of sweetness or bitterness? Of a flower bed or a dumpster reeking of decay? It's my choice and it has nothing to do with the cologne I'm likely to receive under the tree. Good smells compel us while foul smells repel us. I pray the scent we give off is a magnet pulling the lost in our direction much as a magnet attracts metal. And praise God for delectable dumpsters!

Applicable quote of the day: 
If you want someone to miss you, go secretly and spray your fragrance somewhere. 
Blake Lively

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

To Know Him Is To Like Him

 

To Know Him Is To Like Him

The celebration of Christmas has changed over the years.  This is another change I've seen. It's from December 24, 2013.
I was talking to Sally how things have changed since I was little. There was much less mobility then- not nearly as many multiple car families. There was much less last minute shopping; stores had narrower operating hours, there were limited numbers of places to buy gifts in my small Nebraska home town, and gift cards- the patron saint of beleaguered shoppers- had yet to appear on the scene. We only had three television stations there on the Plains to entertain us. No VHS or DVD to watch new movies or old. No cell phones or messaging or texting or Internet or laptops or everyone with headphones stuck in their ears. I asked Sally how we got by. Her simple and yet historically accurate reply was, "We talked to each other." That's it. We existed in a world where if you wanted to know someone it took face to face interaction and not an online search. Don't get me wrong- I love the modern conveniences and being connected but there's something missing, I'm afraid. And the sad thing is I fear the latest generation does not realize there is something missing.

We (Dave, Zach, Ben, me) were on our way to an early morning coffee fix this AM when we passed a church close to their house. They have an attractive marquee flashing a number of messages to the passersby. I remember only one:
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
I'm not sure why but it hit me kind of funny. Don't get me wrong- I like FACEBOOK. Currently, I have 3740 friends and I send this devotional out nightly to all of them, including many who live in Asia and non-Christians. On my mission trips, I send back nightly reports and up to the minute pictures of the work in China and/or Vietnam and it lets my friends feel like they are to some extent with me. On the other hand, I can honestly tell you that I don't know many of my  FACEBOOK friends. They are friends of friends of friends. Many of them would have to introduce themselves to me if they walked into the room right now and vice versa. I tell my students that I find it fascinating that demons recognized Jesus but His closest followers usually did not. Jesus also had this conversation/confrontation with the Pharisees in John 8 and verse 19:
Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.
The Pharisees knew who Jesus was but only in an adversarial sense. Knowing about someone is not knowing them. During this holiday season, it might make the world a better place if we simply listened closer, made a little eye contact, and maybe even go offline for a day or two and like Sally reminisced,  just talked to one another. Would we LIKE that? Merry Christmas to one and all from cold and snow covered Wichita, Kansas.

Applicable quote of the day:

"Josh will begin disappearing into a future where the only place he and I remain friends is on the Internet."
Jay Asher, The Future Of Us

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:17

The Prediction

 

The Prediction

December may have 31 days but it's a short school month. Why is that important? Read on, from October 3, 2007!

We started it last year. At the beginning of a month in the Fall, I give each of my students a blank calendar and have them fill in the dates. Next, I have them write on the calendar the day and class period they predict we will have the fire drill that Westbury Christian School is required by law to perform each month. Any student picking the correct date wins extra credit. Any youngster picking the right date AND class period has a quiz exemption thrown in to boot. Yesterday, October 2, we filled in our calendars. In a stunning development to the kids, we had our October fire drill today on October 3. Of the one hundred students in my classes, do you know how many chose today? Zero. We'll talk about it tomorrow but I know why. It was too soon. We generally have fire drills late in the month. Most predictions were for late in October or cutting the field in half, on the 16th-17th-18th. The kids played the odds....and lost.

Monday was October 1st. In my fifth period sophomore class on Monday, I asked Kristi if the Lord was going to come today. Her reply was, "Well, He might." Not content, I asked her specifically if she thought the Lord WAS coming that day and Kristi, very honestly, answered "No." The next day, I asked Kristi if she could recite for me the memory verse assigned for Wednesday, if I offered her a $100 reward as incentive. She told me she could not. Kristi knew the verse was coming but she simply wasn't ready. I asked if she would have been ready if she knew I might offer $100. Of course she would have been. (When we took the verse today, John 1:14, Kristi scored a 100%.) In my classes, we talked about how long we are going to live and we decided we are all going to live a long time. We talked how one of the cornerstones of Christianity is the end of time accompanied by the Judgment Day. With that as backdrop, we took our best shot at guessing the coming of the fire drill. Only one person knows the set time, our Lower School Administrator, Casey Farris, and he doesn't share his secret. Likewise, the Bible teaches that the day of the Lord is known only to the Lord. The problem is, we often act like we know what it is as well and what it is is a very long way off. Just like the fire drill. We never saw it coming.

Applicable quote of the day:
"Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future."
Niels Bohr

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1