The Football Miracle I Will Never Forget

It's an old expression that the Lord moves in mysterious ways. Some of His ways we never understand. Some we don't understand until many years later. This little story is an example of the latter.

It was December, 1980. I was twelve years old and living in Hope Mills, North Carolina. For reasons that many of my friends never understood, I was already a huge Minnesota Vikings fan. I had never set foot in the state (In fact, I wouldn't cross the Minnesota boarder until 28 years later), but I rooted for them with a fervency that many save for their hometown favorites. Why? Probably a couple of reasons. One, my father was a big fan, and he rooted with such a passion that I couldn't help but join in. Two, once I start rooting for something, I am loyal to a fault. When friends would mock me for being a Vikings fan, it would make me dig in my heels even more. In a town full of fans of the Redskins and Cowboys, I heard a lot about how the Vikings sucked, how they never won a Super Bowl, etc, etc. But I kept the faith that one day they would justify my love for them.

I had a feeling that this 14th day of December was going to be something special. The first indication was that the Vikings were actually on television. This was a rarity among rarities in North Carolina, where those 'Skins and 'Boys dominated the airwaves. It was also special because it was a huge game for my Vikes. If they win this game, they win the NFC Central division...

But the first 55 minutes or so of the game sucked. Despite the Vikings (at least to my biased, 12-year-old eyes) seemingly dominating the game, they kept having trouble getting in the end zone. So the 4th quarter was winding down, and the Vikings were losing 23-9. Tommy Kramer and his receivers, led by Ahmad Rashad, made a desperate attempt to come back. But, despite scoring two touchdowns in the last five minutes, a high snap caused them to miss an extra point and they were still losing 23-22. The Browns punted the ball back to Minnesota, who had it on their own 20, with 14 seconds remaining and no timeouts. I went into the next room alone and, for the first and only time in my life, prayed for my team to win a football game. I knew I was praying for a miracle.

And then....the miracle happened...




My Dad and I jumped off of the couch and screamed. It was unbelievable! I have never seen such an amazing ending to a football game - before or since. The next day, my friends tried to tell me that my team was "lucky". But I knew the truth - it wasn't luck, it was truly a miraculous gift from God.

I recently told this story to a friend, and they had an interesting view. They said that God allowed this miracle to occur to me, at the age of 12, to strengthen my faith, and to help me believe in other, more important miracles.

They may very well be right. I have never again prayed for my team to win a football game, because I feel that God has more important things to attend to than football.

However, if the Vikings ever make it to the Super Bowl again....I might have to re-think my position on that!

The Meaning of Life, etc., etc.

Man is the only animal smart enough
To search for the meaning of life
And the only one dumb enough
Not to see it right in front of him

We spend our days searching for the sunshine
Inside our little houses
While the sun blares down
Upon our too-sturdy roofs

We spend so much time
Making a living
That we forget to
Make a life

I remember the story about the artist
Who spent every waking hour consumed with his craft
He wanted to make the ultimate gift for his son
To show how much he loved him.

He was so obsessed, he ended up spending no time with him
His son died
The painting was burned up in a fire
And he was left to wonder why
He didn't simply just say "I Love You"?

Why do we complicate everything?

Nothing stops us in life more than our own self-doubt.

I remember this part of a poem:

"So, the deadliest of men is not he with a gun,
But the one who tells you "It can't be done!"
For that taken by burglars can be gotten again.
But, what can replace your will to win?"

Sometimes, the thing that stops us is the well-meaning (or not so well-meaning)
Friend.
And sometimes it is he who is in the mirror
That is both our greatest asset
And our greatest enemy.

Tomorrow: (The Apocalyptic Version)

(Sung to the tune of the song "Tomorrow" from the Broadway musical "Annie")

The sun’ll blow up
Tomorrow
It’ll swallow the Milky Way
Tomorrow
There’ll be sun!

Just thinkin’ about
Tomorrow
Makes me wanna
Hang my head in sorrow
We’re all done!

The glaciers will melt
Tomorrow
And result in flooding, death
And horror!
Judgment Day.

The Global’ll get warm
Tomorrow
And there’ll be no
Safe place
For your harbor
Come what may.

And then all of our days
Will be gray
And Lonely
And we’ll lower our chins
And cringe
And say….

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I dread ya
Tomorrow
And you’re only a day a-way.

Our sufferin’ will end
Tomorrow
And we’ll see our lives
Were vain and hollow
Narcissists


We’ll draw our last breaths
Tomorrow
And then stand in judgment
‘Fore our Father
He’ll be pissed!

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I dread ya
Tomorrow
And you’re only a day a-way.

Yes, you’re only a day a-way….

The New Michael Jackson - Paul McCartney Duet

(Background info: In the 1980s, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney recorded two top 10 hit duets, “Say, Say, Say” and “The Girl Is Mine”. It was during these sessions that McCartney (who had purchased the publishing rights to the songs of Buddy Holly and others) told Jackson that he should invest in music publishing – there was a lot of money to be made, he advised the younger superstar. The next day, Jackson came into their recording session and said “Yeah, Paul, I’m going to take your advice. I’m gonna buy your songs.” McCartney laughed, thinking Jackson was joking.

A month later, as the publishing rights to the songs of the Beatles became available, McCartney was attempting to buy back the songs he had lost (due to bad management) years ago. McCartney and John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, put in a decent-sized bid together – only to learn that they had been outdone by Jackson. McCartney was so hurt and angry that he and Jackson haven’t spoken since.

This song is an example of what a duet between Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney would be like if they did it today. It is sung to the tune of “The Girl Is Mine”)


THE SONGS ARE MINE

(Jackson): Every time you hear a Beatle song
If it’s taped or if it’s live
I receive a big, fat bonus check
Just like with the Jackson Five.
The songs are mine
The doggoned songs are mine.
They’re mine
The doggoned songs are mine.


(McCartney): I don’t understand the way you think
Saying that they’re yours not mine
John and I would stay up late at night
Writing each and every line
The songs are mine.
The doggoned songs are mine.
Don’t waste your time
The doggoned songs are mine.


(Jackson): I don’t wanna hear you bitch and moan
‘Cause I bought them fair and square
In a package deal from Northern Songs
‘Long with some locks of Ringo’s hair
The songs are mine.
The doggoned songs are mine.


(McCartney): I sung them more than he
(Cheesy Back-up Singers): Sung them everywhere
(Jackson): But I’ll make the royalties
(Cheesy Back-up Singers): He ain’t gonna share



(Together): Our portfolios grow with ease….
But we
Both cannot profit
So one
Of us must drop it
And when
You finally stop it.
You’ll see they’re…
My songs…mine mine mine.


(Jackson): Will you stop singing Yesterday
And admit that now they're mine?
(McCartney): I went down this Long And Winding Road
Was the Thriller of my time
The songs are mine
The doggoned songs are mine
(Jackson): They’re mine
The doggoned songs are mine.


(Spoken Section)


(McCartney) Michael, we’re not going to fight about this, okay?
(Jackson) Paul, I think I told you…I let my lawyers do my
fighting.
(McCartney) Yeah, kind of like that thing with the kid, huh
Michael?
(Jackson) (gasps) That’s below the belt, Paul.
(McCartney) Yeah, that's what I heard, Michael.
(Jackson) I am innocent of any wrongdoing.
(McCartney) I don’t belieeeeeeve it…..


(Cheesy back-up singers): Mine, mine…the songs are mine….

(fade out)

An old article revealing the truth about our little green friend...

Yoda, no longer under contract with LucasFilms, publicly expresses his love for his partner of 25 years, Reamy the Sheep.

Yoda ‘Flaming’ Over Oscar Snub

GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY – HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA. Intergalactic Icon Yoda spoke out today for the first time since the announcement of the Oscar nominations. Yoda, who made his final of five appearances in the popular “Star Wars” series with “Revenge Of The Sith”, was upset for once again being passed over in the “Best Supporting Actor” category.

“Bullshit this is,” he said, in an exclusive interview with Oscar Insider.

Yoda also didn’t mince words in speculating why he wasn’t nominated.

“Flame enough I didn’t.”

That’s right, Yoda admits to the Insider that “Gay all my life I have been”, but that his tendencies were kept in check by director George Lucas. Lucas feared that an openly gay Yoda might disrupt the franchise’s image and hurt movie and merchandising sales.

Now that his contract is officially expired, however, the former Jedi Master is quick to defend his lifestyle, and to criticize what he calls the “Politics of Grab Ass” of the Academy Awards.

“Monogamous I am,” he said. “Whore around I don’t. If right parties attend you do not, and right ass you do not lick, Awards receive you don’t.” Yoda was referring to his partner, Reamy the Sheep, whom he says he’s been faithful to for 25 years.

However, everyone’s favorite little green alien did admit that he “wanted always to do” a love scene with some of his “Star Wars” co-stars, including Harrison Ford and Hayden Christensen. (“The Force on them I’d use! Heh heh heh!!” he said.) Yoda says he petitioned Lucas especially hard for a Christensen scene in the most recent installment. “His ass just once I wanted to grab,” he says. The unused scene would have occurred when Yoda attempted to restrain the future Darth Vader. “An accident it would have appeared. Hilarious it would have been. But Lucas allow it would not.”

The Oscar snub hurts Yoda especially because, with films like “Brokeback Mountain” and “Capote”, he feels that Hollywood “rubbing my face in it they are”. He contends that this proves that he was right in his arguments with Lucas. “If skin I showed,” he says, “nominations received I would.”

However, Yoda forced himself to look at the loss philosophically. He invoked the recent story showing that some promiscuous gay men were found to have traces of the sexually-transmitted disease, Chlamydia.

“Oscar I have not,” he says. “But neither Yeast Infection either have I.” He did dismiss, however, the whole premise of Brokeback Mountain.

“Hairy legs, Testosterone,” he murmured, shaking his head. “A Cowboy craves not these things!”

.