Little Gangster (Part 10) The Confession

Jet felt a certain comfort and peace as he walked into the spacious living room. However, it did not allay his tension or feelings of guilt. He saw Tiffany's mom. He felt a respectful warmth inside of him. She approached him and gave him a big hug. Tiffany was upstairs; when she heard noise she came downstairs. Tiffany was a reserved, studious, conservative, quietly attractive young woman. But when she saw Jet; she screamed a scream of joy mixed with some other emotions. She cried. She broke Jet's heart. She loved him. He loved her. He was hurting inside. He had some very serious unfinished business to take care of. It wasn't going to be easy, but it had to be done. He started this way: "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Olson, please allow me to share some things with all of you that need to be shared. The first thing I want to say is I love you Tiffany. I love you with all of my heart. But I need to tell you something that really hurts. I have been seeing a young woman from East L.A. for about 4 weeks now and I don't want to see her anymore. I want to be with you. I don't want to see you just a couple times a month. But I am really concerned that I have probably seriously messed up our relationship. Please, please forgive me. I cannot begin to tell you how bad I feel." Tiffany was softly sobbing. She knew that her dedication to her studies and her pursuit of high academic achievement took up a great deal of her time. She knew that there were sacrifices to be made toward getting a high caliber education. She actually felt a certain amount of guilt for not spending enough time with Jet. obviously however, she was not pleased with the words she had just heard. She was astonished, angry, and hurt. She felt really betrayed. She was Jet's girlfriend. But it was kind of a strange relationship. Jet felt that if he did not see Tiffany too much that it would be a sign of respect. He missed the mark. It gave him too much extra time. Now, he was trying to pick up the pieces. He was actually trying to save the relationship. He was determined. He was driven. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving it a serious try.

If Laziness Could Talk

Wait a minute: Laziness can talk. It usually makes 10 statements:(1)I had something else in mind.(2) I don't want to be bothered with it.(3) I don't have time for that. (4) I don't want to be seen doing that. (5)Its' not my job. (6)Somebody else can do it. (7) Somebody else will do it.(8)I don't want to get sweaty/dirty. (9) It is just not my style to do that. (10) What if I mess something up?

Biblical Health Care

"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." (Matt. 10:8) I have absolutely nothing against the science of medicine. Nevertheless: how can I reject something that has worked for centuries for millions of people. As already stated: I have nothing against medical doctors and those who practice in that field and it's related technologies. I will just say this: Faith works. I have seen it work too many times to discount it. I know a man who passed away at the age of 106 years. He died a natural death. He was a healthy man for most of his life, and he did not go to doctors. I am a witness of the power of God. For Him; absolutely nothing is impossible. I know people who have been healed from serious diseases; including cancer and AIDS. No disease or health malady exists that God cannot heal. My own nephew was healed from blindness. Many people have been healed from alcoholism and/or drug addiction. What about depression? Is depression a disease? Let me put it this way: whether or not it is a disease is beside the point. It is simply something most people do not want to be experiencing. "The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehem.8:10) Simply stated: With God's help; a person can be joyful EVERY SINGLE DAY. It is available. That is just the way it is. Have faith in the promises of God. He is not a Liar. "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (James 5:14,15) Go for it. Be healthy. It may not be part of Obama's health plan; but it certainly is part of God's health plan.

Abraham Lincoln's Most Famous Letter

On November 21, 1864; Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to a widow named Lydia Bixby upon learning that she had lost 5 sons in the Civil War. The letter was published in the Boston Transcript on Nov. 25, 1864; the same day she received it. There has been a great deal of controversy over this letter. Some even say Lincoln did not write it.
I believe part of the controversy stems from the fact that in the letter he states his belief in God by stating: "I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement..." Many Lincoln scholars attempt to downplay, ignore or discredit Lincoln's faith in God. I, as a life long student of history, the American Civil War and the life of Lincoln; continue to be persuaded that Abraham Lincoln's faith in God and in God's Word has contributed greatly toward Lincoln being the greatest American President. Here is the letter:

"Dear Madam, I have been shown, in the files of the War Department, a statement of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts, that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously in the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice on the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
Abraham Lincoln."

"To Mrs. Bixby, Boston, Mass."

Whiners and Winners

During the month of September I wrote a blog entitled: "Transfer the Passion." I would like to approach the theme from a different perspective. I submit to you that it is all about attitude. Part of the responsibility of a high school football coach is to decide whether or not it is worth it to keep a certain player even if he has a poor attitude. The big question continues to be: "Can we win games with this guy on the team, can he help us win games?" It is about team. It is about attitude. I remember a great athlete. I grew up with him. He had all the tools. He was outstanding in every sport that he played. I was standing next to him when his little league coach was scolding him for his poor attitude. He ended up quitting the team. I was saddened by his decision. I guess I was too young to understand that it was too hard for him to control; not necessarily his temper.....but his attitude. If one cannot control his cockiness, arrogance, elitest thinking, feelings of superiority; then he cannot control an attitude that is detrimental to the team. I suppose it is akin to the need to control your temper. It hurts; but he will have to go. I understand that not all coaches will agree with me. I think I can understand that. The main goal of a team is to have a winning season. If a coach can be instrumental in changing a player's attitude; then more power to him. I have seen coaches kick players off of a team and then regret what they did. I have seen players humble themselves and ask to be admitted back. This is a tough call for a coach sometimes. Sometimes it is not. It is all about attitude. Of course this also includes the attitude of the coach. Can a coach give a kid enough breathing room so that they both don't lose face? Does the coach have enough integrity, compassion and wisdom to be able to discern what to do in these situations? Does that young player love football enough to change his attitude? Does he love winning enough to change his attitude? One of the jobs of a high school football coach is to turn a whiner into a winner. And the coach needs to know whether or not it is worth the effort.

Little Gangster (Part 9) Six Regretful Weeks

For two weeks Jet Visited Leti practically every night. Jet continued to work at the community college. Jet was not a drinker or a drug user. He had never experienced a hangover in his life. He was a responsible employee. But Leti had introduced him to some new experiences. He was hooked. He was hooked on her. Tiffany was busy with her final exams at UCLA. She and Jet were talking on the phone about twice a week,
usually about 12 minutes per call. Tiffany loved Jet. He was the only boyfriend she had ever had. But Jet was real busy with Leti. They started to spend whole nights together. This lasted for 6 weeks. It was the middle of the month of May. Jet had started to drink beer a little bit. He didn't really like it. He drank because Leti liked to have a few cans with her Marijuana. Leti was still in touch with the gang members in the projects. They respected her because they knew her, and they didn't bother Jet. One night Jet started to feel extremely guilty for his relationship with Leti. He started to miss Tiffany in the worst way. He missed her parents. He missed Tiffany's classy ways, her gentleness, and innocence. Although Jet and Tiffany had never been sexually intimate; they were dear to each other. Jet knew he was hooked on Leti because of the sex. He was "hooked" on her; but he was not in love with her. He was in love with Tiffany. He loved her family. Jet had courage. He had a competitive spirit. He was an athlete. But in this circumstance he really had to dig deep beyond his ego. He was in a tough situation. One thing he was sure of: he needed to end the relationship he had with Leti. It wasn't going to be easy. But he was determined to do it. One night Jet decided to drive to Santa Monica to see Tiffany. They had not seen each other in weeks. Jet had a great deal on his mind. He was worried. But even in spite of all of that; he wanted to surprise her. Jet left work early. He took the 405 and headed West. He nervously arrived at her house. He parked his car, got out, and slowly walked up to her luxurious house surrounded by a beautiful, green, manicured lawn, adjacent to the elegant landscaping. He knocked on the door. Tiffany's dad opened the door. he was so glad to see Jet, he gave him a big hug. This was the first time the dad had ever done that. Tiffany's dad owned a successful accounting business in Santa Monica. His wife was an elementary school teacher. Both were graduates of UCLA. They were financially successful. Tiffany was their only child.

A Freeway World Series

The Los Angeles Angels of the American League, MLB are hot. They will sweep the Yankees. They will move on. The Dodgers will win the National League pennant. The World Series competition will be between the Angels and the Dodgers. The Angels will sweep them in 4 games. The Angels are too "hot to handle" right now.