Halftime Speech for 2021

 Today is the 183rd day of the year.  This means at Noon today we were halfway through 2021.  Tomorrow there are 182 days left in the year.  Yesterday was the 182nd day of this year.  How did those days go for you?  What did you do well? What could you start doing today to Make 2021 better than the first half?  Think about that today and start devising a 2nd half strategy before we are at the 2 minute warning of the year.

Father's Day Rap: It Goes Fast, Dad! 10 year anniversary

This was the Father's Day video at our church from 10 years ago. Some featured in this video are no longer with us. Just another testament that life really does go fast.

 

Here's a song some members of the Kinzinger Family probably haven't heard.

At the end of last November, I wrote a post about 10 things I'd like to see the Republican Party like to address going forward after the 2020 presidential election. One of these things was a distancing from Donald Trump. It isn't something that I think is greatly needed but not something I had great hope in happening. After the attacks in Washington, I hoped this would be the last straw for those aligning themselves with Trump. This happened with some Republicans but clearly not most Republicans.

One person who did not only distant himself from Trump but actually spoke out against him was Adam Kinzinger, a U.S. congressman from my home state of Illinois. Kinzinger was one of 10 Republican members of Congress to vote to impeach Trump earlier this year. Standing up to the highest-ranking member of your party takes guts and earned Kinzinger a great deal of respect in my opinion. It would be no surprise to hear that not everyone in the Republican Party holds my opinion about Kinzinger. It turns out that not everyone in Kinzinger's own family agrees with me.

Earlier this year Kinzinger received a letter signed by 11 of his family members denouncing the congressman. Here are some quotes from the letter.

"Oh my, what a disappointment you are to us and to God! We were once so proud of your accomplishments! Instead, you go against your Christian principles and join the 'devil’s army' "

"You won’t convince us otherwise with your horrible, rude accusations of President Trump! (To embrace a party that believes in abortion and socialism is the ultimate sin.)"

"It is now most embarrassing to us that we are related to you. You have embarrassed the Kinzinger family name,"

"We are thoroughly disgusted with you!! And, oh by the way, we are calling for your removal from office," 

This letter from Kinzinger's family members was written about 6 months ago just a few days after the capitol was stormed. I meant to write about this months ago as I thought there were some valued lessons to be learned from this incident. 6 months later I will just let the music and lyrics of Susan Ashton make my point.

https://open.spotify.com/track/5StYBDRxi6AdNgjtjMo7T2?si=bd2647ddcf3547af

Agree to Disagree

Standing on this battlefield of strong opinion
Among the verbal brush and briar
Plenty of weaponry and ammunition
We say ready aim fire.

So you argue points of logic until I'm put in my place
And I argue my convictions until I'm blue in the face but.

We just keep on going round in circles
Lost, found, life is such a mystery
We search and we find opposing answers
Maybe we should just agree to disagree.

Can we meet on neutral ground?
For surrender
And carve a path for restitution
Because my love for you is surely strong enough
To find some kind of resolution.

Cause we can have our differences
And that won't change the way I feel
About you and about me and about God
And His whole deal but.

We just keep on going round in circles
Lost, found, life is such a mystery
We search and we find opposing answers
Maybe we should just agree to disagree.

Cause we are getting nowhere fast
When the concrete and the supernatural clash
So we will stand at other ends with all this stuff
But can't we find a common thread in love.

And in our thirsting quest for knowledge
Maybe one day we will find
That I finally see it your way
Or you finally see it mine.

We just keep on going round in circles
Lost, found, life is such a mystery
We search and we find opposing answers
Maybe we should just agree to disagree...

Here's a song some members of the Kinzinger fammily probably haven't heard.

At the end of last November I wrote a post about 10 things I'd like to see the Republican Party like to address going forward after the 2020 presidential election. One of these things was a distancing from Donald Trump. It isn't something that I think is greatly needed but not something I had great hope in happening. After the attacks in Washington, I hoped this would be the last straw for those aligning themselves with Trump. This happened with some Republicans but clearly not most Republicans.

One person who did not only distant himself from Trump but actually spoke out against him was Adam Kinzinger, a U.S. congressman from my home state of Illinois. Kinzinger was one of 10 Republican members of Congress to vote to impeach Trump earlier this year. Standing up to the highest ranking member of your party takes guts and earned Kinzinger a great deal of respect in my opinion. It would be no surprise to hear that not every one in the Republican Party holds my opinion about Kinzinger. It turns out that not everyone in Kinzinger's own family agrees with me.

Earlier this year Kinzinger received a letter signed by 11 of his family members denouncing the congressman. Here are some quotes from the letter.

"Oh my, what a disappointment you are to us and to God! We were once so proud of your accomplishments! Instead, you go against your Christian principles and join the 'devil’s army' "

"You won’t convince us otherwise with your horrible, rude accusations of President Trump! (To embrace a party that believes in abortion and socialism is the ultimate sin.)"

"It is now most embarrassing to us that we are related to you. You have embarrassed the Kinzinger family name,"

"We are thoroughly disgusted with you!! And, oh by the way, we are calling for your removal from office," 

This letter from Kinzinger's family members was written about 6 months ago just a few days after the capitol was stormed. I meant to write about this months ago as I thought there were some valued lessons to be learned from this incident. 6 months later I will just let the music and lyrics of Susan Ashton make my point.

https://open.spotify.com/track/5StYBDRxi6AdNgjtjMo7T2?si=bd2647ddcf3547af

Agree to Disagree

Standing on this battlefield of strong opinion
Among the verbal brush and briar
Plenty of weaponry and ammunition
We say ready aim fire.

So you argue points of logic until I'm put in my place
And I argue my convictions until I'm blue in the face but.

We just keep on going round in circles
Lost, found, life is such a mystery
We search and we find opposing answers
Maybe we should just agree to disagree.

Can we meet on nuetral ground
For surrender
And carve a path for restitution
Because my love for you is surely strong enough
To find some kind of resolution.

Cause we can have our differences
And that won't change the way I feel
About you and about me and about God
And His whole deal but.

We just keep on going round in circles
Lost, found, life is such a mystery
We search and we find opposing answers
Maybe we should just agree to disagree.

Cause we are getting nowhere fast
When the concrete and the supernatural clash
So we will stand at other ends with all this stuff
But can't we find a common thread in love.

And in our thirsting quest for knowledge
Maybe one day we will find
That I finally see it your way
Or you finally see it mine.

We just keep on going round in circles
Lost, found, life is such a mystery
We search and we find opposing answers
Maybe we should just agree to disagree...

A Lifelong Dream

 Ever since I was a boy, I have had a dream.  It is a typical boyhood dream, but nevertheless, it was my dream .  I wanted to work for a baseball team, specifically  for the Chicago White Sox as their starting third baseman.  It turns out I was not much of a ball player.  I wasn't even a starter on my little league teams. Over the years I modified that dream somewhat.  I dreamed of perhaps being a broadcaster, that way if a job at 3rd base ever opened up I'd be ready to take over.  

A few years ago my brother had a Confirmation party for his daughter at the party suites of a local minor league team.  He shared the suite with a neighbor whose daughter had also been confirmed that day and is the operations manager at the ball park.  My brother introduced me as a guy who is passionate about baseball and whose dream job would be to work at a ball park.  He didn't mention the part about 3rd base probably because there's not a lot of rookies in their 50's.   His friend mentioned the possibility of a job  an usher.  I thought that might be a good job to consider for the next summer.  The next summer was 2020 and there was this little thing called Covid, maybe you heard of it, and since there was no season there was no where to ush.  

Eventually things got a little bit back to normal ,and by April of this year, I was back to working my pre covid jobs as a substitute teacher and  cashier/usher at a local movie theatre.  Last week the school year ended and on one of my last days at school my wife called me and said she had a crazy idea.  I love crazy ideas, so I was all ears.

"The Kane County Cougars need concessions worker this summer, you and I should get jobs there." she told me.  I told her that was not a crazy idea at all and we both  applied that day. When I was applying, I saw they were also hiring 15 year old's with a work permit.  My 15 year old daughter was also looking for work. so she applied as well.  In short order, we all received emails from the Cougars and  were scheduled for interviews.  Lucy's school year ends a week later than the district Amy and I work at so we scheduled the interview for the day after her (Lucy's) school ended.  When the interviewer saw that we were all in the same family he took us all in together.

Lucy, had never been interviewed for a job before but it became obvious to Amy and I pretty early in the process that we were all going to be hired.  It wasn't until we were leaving and the interviewer said very clearly that we'd all been hired that Lucy realized it.  She was ecstatic and couldn't believe it was that easy to get a job.  Amy and I will be working as cashiers and Lucy will be working in the picnic area.  As we will only be working home games, it still gives Amy and Lucy quite a bit of vacation time this Summer and I will be able to work out my schedule at the theatre so I can work both jobs.  

I have always kind of felt bad for people who work concessions at the ball park as they can't enjoy the game as they are helping others to do the same thing.  As I prepare for this job, I look forward to going to the ball park every day and being part of the festivities.  Even if a third base position doesn't open up sharing this job experience with my wife and daughter make it a dream job.  

The views expressed on this website/weblog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.