Arian Foster is a running back on favorite NFL team, the Houston Texans. He’s an atypical football player in a lot of ways. For example, he’s a vegan and a Buddhist (I think). I wasn’t surprised to see such a thoughtful commercial from such a thoughtful guy.
I’ve just finished reading For the City, a book co-authored by one of my church’s pastors, Matt Carter. In it, Carter mentions that he wants to live in such a way that that at the end of his life, he has no doubt that what he accomplished could only be done through God’s power.
“Are you living in a way that requires God’s supernatural power for your calling to be lived out?” he asks.
My answer is a simple, “No.” How sad is that? I’m just kind of hanging out. Coasting.
I’m also reading Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Workweek. In it, he starts with what seems like another pretty easy question: “What excites you?”
I had to sit and think for a long time (I’ve been coasting), and I realized that my answers don’t have much to do with working or life goals or self-actualization or anything like that. I’m excited about friends, creativity, and God saving his Creation. And, of course, alcohol.
What do those have to do with each other? I think everything.
Because in the end, this will be the reality of all space and time:
“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
I’m excited about the right things, but my actions don’t necessarily reflect that. But I want them to. I want to be living in a way that acknowledges that God is for us. I want to be for my neighbors and co-workers and the Creation all around me.
So, after thinking about current station in life, I set the following goals for myself:
That sounds like a life worth living.
If you’ve got a case of the Mondays, it may cause you to act out in uncharacteristic ways. To help you avoid inappropriate behavior, I wanted to share NFL legend Tony Dungy‘s list of “Five Things That My Get You in USA Today“:
If you avoid these things, you can probably make it safely to Tuesday.
I like soccer. I don’t really understand what’s going on most of them time, but I like it. I try to keep up with the Austin Aztex and the Houston Dynamo. I watched the World Cup until my three teams were eliminated.* Still, though, I couldn’t get over the hump from liking soccer to loving soccer. Here are my best guesses at why I don’t love it, and why it still hasn’t caught on in the US like it has in other places.
That’s why I don’t love soccer. I hope I can make the leap soon, though. I’m ready to enter the promised land of milk, honey, and high socks.
*USA, Mexico, and Italy, because that’s my blood.
**Not all soccer fans act like this. Most fans just like beer and singing. That’s something I can support.
Ginger is doing this Hundred Pushups Challenge thing, which I inexplicably decided I wanted to be part of. They also have a squats and pullups challenge thing. I’m going to do the squats one as well.
Exercising is sort of fun if you have goals. Between these and the 5K, I don’t even feel that guilty about playing Civilization IV all night.
Quick note: Don’t try to max out on pushups ten minutes after eating eggs with salsa. Disaster.
My long-standing policy on running is that one should only do it for good reason, like if someone is chasing you to beat you up. Another good reason to run is for a good cause. That’s why I’m participating in the ASH Dash on Sautrday, April 3rd. Here is Austin State Hospital’s statement on the run:
The 6th annual ASH Dash 5K Bunny Run is a fun, easy way to help adults and children being treated at Austin State Hospital. Organized by the Austin State Hospital Volunteer Services Council (ASH VSC), the ASH Dash is a chip-timed run on a flat, fast, double-looped USATF-certified course that winds through the hospital’s beautiful, tree-shaded grounds.
The course will start in front of the original hospital, which was established in 1857 as the “Texas State Lunatic Asylum.” The run/walk is one or two loops on a flat course lines with trees and rose bushes. Participants are encouraged to tour the first floor of this historic structure, which is still in use today.
State monies do not cover all the needs of ASH patients. Funds raised during this event will be used to provide programs and services to over 4,000 Central Texas adults, adolescents, and children hospitalized for treatment of mental illness.
As a former ASH volunteer attorney, I’m aware of the sad statistic that Texas grossly underfunds its mental health system, and that our biggest mental health provider is the prison system. That doesn’t have to be the case. Running in the 5K tangibly helps ASH serve our neighbors and loved ones coping with mental illness. What a great way to help.
To sign up for the run, click here. Let me know if you’re participating – we can make a weekend out of it.
This post is all about fantasy football. Well, it’s about fantasy football and my own personal anxiety attacks. I’m sure you are interested in at least one of those topics.
Anyway, for those of you who don’t know, fantasy football is one of America’s greatest pastimes. It combines (1) football, (2) friends, (3) trash talk, and (4) some form of gambling.*
Here’s how it works: Each year at the beginning of the football season, team managers (you and your friends) hold a “draft” to select NFL players to be on your team. Managers can spend months preparing for the draft by doing research, they can follow a preselected selection of rankings, or they can just auto-pick, meaning a computer or list picks their players for them.
Each week, you start certain players on your team. These include a quarterback, some receivers, some running backs, a tight end, a kicker, and a receiver. Individual players earn points for doing good things, like throwing a touchdown pass or kicking a field goal. It’s a lot of fun, and it makes each week of football exciting. It can also make each week nerve racking.
I played my first season of fantasy football two years ago. Improbably, I won the league championship and about eight months of bragging rights. It was glorious. Last year, though, the pressure was on. Would I overcome the sophomore slump?
I spent weeks studying stats and listening to opinions from various experts. I developed my own criteria for what would make a player good. I followed my guts. Overall, I outscored everyone in my league by over 100 points. That’s substantial. Unfortunately, I lost in the championship game. I was exhausted.
Next year, rather than kill myself with anxiety over my roster each week, I’m going to stick with a single system throughout the entire season. That way, I actually enjoy football again.
Here is my system:
I’m hoping this system will contribute to my continuing sanity and also to enjoying the football season.
See you at the draft.
*Not necessarily the illegal kind.
